First Ever

hey all,my first ever coal fire tonite,I seemed to get it going ok....i may have put to much in on my second layer .alot different than wood to get going..i been chomping at the bit to do it...i just had my ss liner installed...been having chilly nights in the 30's, there....i just filled it to the brink...i love the look of the blue flame.throwing alot of heat....nice!
Take care all

Bug, what kind of stove do you have??

i have a harman tlc 2000...kinda rainy here today...still aint figured this thing out as far as how it burns..i have my draft half open,my hand damper fully open...my temp on the stove pipe is about 200 degrees...is it because of the weather that i may not be getting as good a draft?...i know this does effect a wood fire alot. also i have about 18' of ss liner with a cap...does the cap act as a damper too?it is nice in the basement where the stove is...ok upstairs...thought i would be driven out temp wise!

I know when its in the 40's you typically don't get a good draft but I think that varies from set up to set up. When the highs are in the 30's and lower, you should see better drafting.

Congratulations on your first burn! Having shared a few emails regarding your choice of stove, I am interested in how satisfied you are with the overall experience. Do share with us photos of it warming your home. I look forward to the day that I too will be enjoying the warmth of a soothing blue flame. Enjoy the heat!

Hey all, I have tried several things to light my coal fire. wood chips soaked in kerosene has worked the best so far

i kinda thought the temps would play a big part in it as it does with wood.John,i have been burning steady for 3 days,trying a couple different things to Feel it out,i have to leave the stove draft alittle more open than the dealer said,to get some heat but no biggie...i honestly feel i can get an 18 hour burn,with decent heat output with this stove....maybe 20 hrs....girlfriend wants to put a couple chairs in the basement so we can sit and watch the flame. maybe thats a way to make her frisky? ...i started it with matchlight then a few small hardwood blocks from area wood turning mills then start adding my coal.John,i see you bought a mark3...i think you will be happy with it...i think i would have gone that route IF they was top loaders,the mark1-2-3 stoves are built very sturdy...i also like the adjustable blower on my tlc2000,although i havnt really used it but i did have to play with it just to hear it run..LOL!
thanks to all for the advice...made things alot easier...took alot of the trial and error out of it........

Bugize,

I have a Mark III and did not like the noise of the one speed blower on high so I bought a dimmer switch at HD rated for 5 amps , installed it in an
electrical box wired to an outlet, plug the blower into it and can regulate its speed. Works like a charm.

hey ed,yes...mine has the dimmer switch on the blower also...i see the new mark3's had the same size blower,i assumed they was all adjustable...years ago i did have a wood stove with a single speed blower....drove me nuts :silly: ...reminded me of finger nails on a chalkboard...LOL!

bugize wrote::shock: i have a harman tlc 2000...kinda rainy here today...still aint figured this thing out as far as how it burns..i have my draft half open,my hand damper fully open...my temp on the stove pipe is about 200 degrees...is it because of the weather that i may not be getting as good a draft?...i know this does effect a wood fire alot. also i have about 18' of ss liner with a cap...does the cap act as a damper too?it is nice in the basement where the stove is...ok upstairs...thought i would be driven out temp wise!

Bugize, Why do you use a damper? I adjust everything from the primary air on the bottom of the stove. Try running it with the damper closed. I think you will get a better burn. A hotter burn with lower pipe temperature. Try it . You can always go back to using the damper. I also have the TLC 2000. A 6 inch pipe straight into the chimney. As long as your outside exhaust liner is high enough you should be good for draft.

My 2 cents

Regards, Ray

do you like your tlc? as far as the hand damper,i am still goin back to my wood burning ways i think.LOL! you say i should shut my hand damper most of the way? and then control it with primary draft on the bottom? how long have you had your stove? where do you have your side drafts set? i have mine on the first notch up.when i have used the hand damper i havnt seen much of a change in heat output or length of burn,but we have had some wierd weather up here this fall!

Yes I do like this stove. The two side drafts are actually secondary air and should be closed all the way. Even when closed all the way it still allows some air into the stove for air and an air wash for the glass. You will see this by the shape of the residue left on the glass. The air on the door is for burning wood and when you burn wood the bottom primary should be left in the closed position.

I think you will find that this stove can be used at a very low burn rate.
Look at my post in this section under TLC 2000.
I think you will like this unit very much once you get in the groove.

Regards, Ray