Burning Bit in a Buck Stove Insert

I am attempting to burn Bit Coal in an old Multi-fuel (wood/bit coal) Buck Stove Insert. The Model is Regular Buck. (this is a 1980s stove insert). The coal grate kit that buck made for this stove only exist in history because I cannot find one anywhere (all though my stove already had the coal liner when I purchased it). I purchased an aftermarket coal grate that would fit in the stove. I am buring baseball size bit coal and getting mixed results. I've got the air in-take wide open and the damper mostly shut and it is burning about so/so. The coal is burning well, but is not putting off the same heat that wood would put off with the same settings. When burning wood, I could just about close the in-takes and it would run you out of the room. I could heat my entire house when burning wood, however, I am having an issue doing so with the bit. I know it is something that I am doing, because I know coal just burns circles around wood. Any help would be appriciated. (Also, if anyone has one of those kits made for this buck stove, let me know and we will talk).

How much coal are you putting in the stove when you load it up? You might want to try adding more at a time. The "after market" grate may not last long because it's in a closed (airtight) firebox. A stove designed to burn coal has grates positioned so all (most) air is drawn through the grates keeping them cooler making them last longer. The grate you have will work but it will tend to "burn out" and I bet you'll have to replace it every few years depending on how much/how hot you run the stove. Keeping the ashes cleaned out below the grate will help because a grate sitting in a deep pile of ash with no air flow under it will be even hotter.

I am putting as much coal as I can. It mounds up on the grate and rolls off the sides. Being an aftermarket grate it does not fit side to side and front to back just right. There is some space (about 2" on each side and about 1 1/2" front and back). I keep the ash cleaned out every day. My biggest problem is I just can't seem to get this fire hot hot. My wood fires were buring hotter. I cannot figure out why? Is it the fact that I can only load so much coal at a time?

There just may not be enough air going through the bed of coal. The side and front gaps you mention must be letting air bypass the coal bed keeping the fire from burning hot. When you load it up there should be lots of fire and smoke as the volatiles burn off almost like it's out of control (depending on coal quality) then it should settle down to a nice hot bed of coals that burn for hours. If it doesn't do this then it's not burning as it should. Do you have larger "than baseball size" coal that you could try? Larger coal should burn better in this kind of stove as air can flow more easily between larger coal as apposed to smaller coal aiding combustion.
You mentioned that you have the damper mostly shut. When you first add coal try leaving the damper open to get the coal burning good then shut it down some.

I agree with Rockwood. Teh air must be bypassing the coal through tht gaps you mentioned. Air is going to find the path of least resistance.

One thing with bit coal is that it tends to swell up and (weld itself together) After about one hour after loading, try breaking up the solid chunk of coal. I use a piece of #3 rebar to break the chunk. That will allow more air to flow through the bed and should produce more heat.

Duengeon master wrote:One thing with bit coal is that it tends to swell up and (weld itself together) After about one hour after loading, try breaking up the solid chunk of coal. I use a piece of #3 rebar to break the chunk. That will allow more air to flow through the bed and should produce more heat.

Agreed, I do the same thing. If you don't the coal will "Bridge" and a nice crust will form on the top. This usally keeps the heat to a minimum... Atleast in my boiler...