How do I Troubleshoot a Rice Coal Boiler?
- 1). Check the boiler for feeding problems. Verify whether the coal is wet. The wetter the coal, the slower the feed, and extremely wet coal may not feed at all.
- 2
Coal can give off tremendous heat, which makes it an ideal boiler fuel.feu image by pascal cribier from Fotolia.com
Look at the coal size. This boiler is a rice coal burner or buckwheat coal if rice is not available. If you are using buckwheat, raise the draft to .06. Otherwise, check the coal bin for paper or other objects that may block coal flow. (Buckwheat coal is a fine anthracite coal passed through a fine screen. Rice coal consists of larger pieces of the same coal type, sometimes referred to as pellet coal.) - 3). Inspect the pusher to see whether it is out of adjustment. If more than one person is stoking the furnace, the parties must establish communication. If applicable, one stoker must know how the other stoker has changed the settings.
- 4
Three-amp fuses similar to this one help power the boiler accessories.fuse image by Alison Bowden from Fotolia.com
Check the power supply to the stoker control first if no lights or motors work. Inspect the 3-amp fuse on the side panel of the timer with a slow-blow fuse if it has blown. - 5). Continue the stoker checkup if the lights are on but the motors are not. Check to ensure the motor power plugs are inserted into the correct outlets. If only one of the motors is not running, check whether the light above it is on, and check the plug. Do the same if the motors are cycling on and off in the wrong order.
- 6). Observe the unit for a complete motor cycle of turning on and off to determine why the water is not heating up to the thermostat setting. Examine the connections from the stoker control to the aquastat or water thermostat.
- 7). Limit the gas alarm going off and the presence of sulfur odor by checking the fire quickly and minimizing the time you have the door open when removing ashes. Install a draft inducer to decrease draft. While draft plays an essential role in the coal's ability to burn in the first place, test and correct the draft before fully powering up the boiler.
