Keystoker K6 Pushing Coal Off of Sides of Grate

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Buckshot1822
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Location: Clearfield County
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Coal Size/Type: Rice / Buckwheat

Post by Buckshot1822 » Thu. Feb. 09, 2017 12:01 am

I have a refurbished older K-6 that I recently installed in a new addition. It seems to be operating 100% as it should, but it is pushing coal off of the sides of the grates, and it is falling down into the ash door location. Every time that I open the door to take the ashes out (2-3 days), there is a few #2 coal shovels of unburnt coal in there. I do keep getting ash clinkers on the end of the coal that hang a few inches off of the end of the grate. I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it or not. Maybe the grates need smoothed up to let the coal and ashes slide better? Any Ideas where to look?

I have the feed nut set 9 turns out from the boiler.
The air shutter on the blower is open about 1/4 inch
I have it hooked into a Tork timer that is set to run 30 seconds every 30 minutes.

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gaw
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Post by gaw » Thu. Feb. 09, 2017 12:33 am

The picture shows a much deeper bed of coal than I have. I think you are on the right track with the coal sticking to the grates. You may have something fused fast. They should be smooth, cast smooth, not polished or machined.

The throat strap is adjustable. It usually does not need to be adjusted but since this is a used unit it may have been adjusted somewhere along the way.

Your coal seams to like to fuse easy. This could also be causing sticking to the grates. Cutting back on air may help reduce clinkers but the next load of coal could burn perfectly fine with all the air you can give it.

 
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StokerDon
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Post by StokerDon » Thu. Feb. 09, 2017 7:26 pm

gaw wrote:The throat strap is adjustable. It usually does not need to be adjusted but since this is a used unit it may have been adjusted somewhere along the way.
That's a good possibility.

If it is clinkering, the clinker can get stuck against the other side of the boiler. This will keep coal/ash from traveling down the grate causing a dam. The fresh coal will back up and fall over the sides.

-Don


 
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McGiever
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Post by McGiever » Thu. Feb. 09, 2017 10:11 pm

Here I have linked to a single post relative to adjusting the throat strap, but the whole thread may prove to be beneficial for any KA-6 owner:

Keystoker KA-6 Operation Guide.

 
Buckshot1822
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Location: Clearfield County
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Coal Size/Type: Rice / Buckwheat

Post by Buckshot1822 » Thu. Feb. 09, 2017 10:56 pm

This coal does seem to clinker fairly bad. I am also burning it in a triburner stove, and it clinkers some in it too, though not nearly as bad.

The ash definitely isn't hitting the back wall of the boiler, but it does seem that the clinker on the end of the grate is stuck there, and that forces the coal to feed off of the edges of the grates instead. Any idea what to do to help with the clinkers? I have tried the air shutter in several different positions, and also adjust the feed rate back and forth, it didnt seem to make much difference.

I am burning rice in the boiler if that would have any effect on the positioning of the throat strap?

 
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McGiever
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Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Fri. Feb. 10, 2017 9:06 pm

Hoping you know it will take up to a half hour of running hard or more before any noticeable difference is ever noticed.

What is your magnahelic or manometer telling you of your draft?


 
Buckshot1822
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Posts: 36
Joined: Fri. Jan. 03, 2014 12:35 am
Location: Clearfield County
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Reading Lehigh
Coal Size/Type: Rice / Buckwheat

Post by Buckshot1822 » Fri. Feb. 10, 2017 9:24 pm

Yea I give it plenty of time any time I change anything before changing it further. I have been burning the boiler since around Thanksgiving. I have not checked with a manometer, but I should have good draft. It is a brand new flue, right around 34' tall with no obstructions.

 
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McGiever
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Posts: 10130
Joined: Sun. May. 02, 2010 11:26 pm
Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Fri. Feb. 10, 2017 9:53 pm

Buckshot1822 wrote:Yea I give it plenty of time any time I change anything before changing it further. I have been burning the boiler since around Thanksgiving. I have not checked with a manometer, but I should have good draft. It is a brand new flue, right around 34' tall with no obstructions.
34' straight flue ought to do the job quite well. :)

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