Your Experiences With a Hitzer 30-95?

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smokeyCityTeacher
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Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 30-95

Post by smokeyCityTeacher » Sun. Nov. 15, 2009 11:19 pm

Im about to fire up my Hitzer 30-95 in the basement (if the weather ever gets cold in Pgh).

Ive heard good things about this stove and the main reason I bought it (other than price) was that it will do a 24 hr burn easily at a low setting.

I wanna burn it full tilt hard and hot from the time I get home from work till bedtime then dump ash fill hopper and run it on low till morning. Then get up and dump ash and refill hopper and run on low again till I get home from work.

Can I expect to get away with letting it idle from 8AM till 6pm without shaking the ashes down and still have enough coals to revive the fire at 6pm when I get home ?

I'm hoping I can get away with only having to touch (shake/dump/fill) this stove 3 time a day: 8AM, 6PM & 11:30pm

Anybody using a 30-95 like this ?

 
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oliver power
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Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 50-93 & 30-95, Vigilant (pre-2310), D.S. 1600 Circulator, Hitzer 254

Post by oliver power » Mon. Nov. 16, 2009 8:00 am

"I wanna burn it full tilt hard and hot from the time I get home from work till bedtime" . Why would you want to run it like that? It would be over firing. The coal will not last in any stove that is overfired. A good starting point for your stove is this; Back dial pointing straight up, and ash pan vents look round. That's close to rated operating settings for that stove. Especially this time of year. In my experience, the max that stove should be set is; 9 on the dial, and ash pan door vents looking oblong (a little beyond round). Most of the time, I have mine set like this: Back dial at 7 or 8. Turned down to 6 for long burns. Ashpan door vents look like half moon. I never change the ash pan door vents. I ajust heat useing back dial. The ash pan door vents are used only to keep a little air feeding the fire all the time. This gives a quicker/smoother responce time when the back flapper opens, calling for heat. Some on here close the ash pan door vents completly. To me, that's like tromping on the gas, then slamming on the brakes, then tromping on the gas again, then slamming on the brakes again, etc.. With a little air all the time, you're not slamming on the brakes. With the back dial, you're feathering the gas. My 30-95 is in my shop. You're routine tendings should be once every 12 hours. Looks like 8:00 is going to be your target tending time. Low settings will be 24 hours. I Also have the 50-93 in the house. I run it about the same way. The only difference is the ash pan door vents. I start out about half moon. As weather gets colder, I ajust ash pan door vents open, but no more than slightly oblong. Most of the time, they look round. I use the same back dial settings for both stoves.

 
smokeyCityTeacher
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Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 30-95

Post by smokeyCityTeacher » Mon. Nov. 16, 2009 10:28 am

Im using it to heat my entire 2nd floor 1600' masonry uninsulated and very leaky windows.
Figured Id have to run it hard to keep up on the windy 0' nights since it only cranks 55K BTU.

Thanks for explaining the two drafts. I'm so used to wood burners and using the front draft to regulate everything.
If I can leave it alone for 12 hrs at a time then this stove will serve me fine. Much appreciated for the help.


 
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oliver power
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Stoker Coal Boiler: KEYSTOKER Kaa-2
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 50-93 & 30-95, Vigilant (pre-2310), D.S. 1600 Circulator, Hitzer 254

Post by oliver power » Mon. Nov. 16, 2009 7:52 pm

smokeyCityTeacher wrote:Im using it to heat my entire 2nd floor 1600' masonry uninsulated and very leaky windows.
Figured Id have to run it hard to keep up on the windy 0' nights since it only cranks 55K BTU.

Thanks for explaining the two drafts. I'm so used to wood burners and using the front draft to regulate everything.
If I can leave it alone for 12 hrs at a time then this stove will serve me fine. Much appreciated for the help.
After describing your area to be heated, I think you'll be pushing the 30-95. Let us know how you make out.

 
9mmruger
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Post by 9mmruger » Mon. Nov. 23, 2009 12:28 pm

You will have no problem leaving it alone for 12 hours. I only do a morning shakedown, and then an evening shakedown and reload the hopper. So far, I am burning about 12 to 15 lbs a day, house is staying 74 to 77 depending on the day, and I have to use the windowstats most days. Can't wait til it gets cold so I can really see how she does. I love my 30-95.

 
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grizzly2
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Other Heating: Oil foilfurnace, Jotul#3 woodstove,electric base board.

Post by grizzly2 » Wed. Nov. 25, 2009 3:50 pm

12 hour burns are no problem, even burning fairly hard, say 400* stove temp. I have been away from home for up to 34 hours at a low burn with no problem. I recommend setting the stove to burn at a temp that you would like to maintain the house at, and leave it there 24 hours a day. Unlike wood, you don't get almost instant heat and fast cool downs out of a coal fire. One of the beauties of coal is the consistancy of output. As Oliverpower indicated, you do have a lot of house for that stove. Keeping a steady fire and heat output is probably the only way to keep your house warm. Just keep it cranking out enough heat to be comfortalble all the time as long as you don't have to over fire the stove to do so. I don't think you will be happy with the performance if you change the draft setting 2 or 3 times aday expecting to get the respose you would from wood or oil. Nor do I believe you will save on coal. :)


 
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Charlie Z
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Post by Charlie Z » Wed. Nov. 25, 2009 9:42 pm

We're heating a 1500' 2 storey old wood frame semi-insulated with a 55kbtu handfire (coalbrookdale darby - should be very similar - holds 50lbs) just fine. If we were to replace the darby, we'd probably get the 30-95.

But, the distribution of hot air is very good upstairs and down in this house - dunno what you might have with your single floor. I think the leaks in the house help :p. On the coldest nights <0*, it's pushed, but you get at least 12 hrs. (Coal seems to self-regulate its burn/output to the outside temp...)

- Charlie

 
smokeyCityTeacher
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Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 30-95

Post by smokeyCityTeacher » Thu. Nov. 26, 2009 7:09 am

Just test fired the Hitzer. Burned a bag of coal and confirmed my original suspicion that the auto draft unit on back is broken. Gotta order new unit from Hitzer after Thanksgiving.

Latest plan is to just heat the basement with it. Like Griz said - set it and run it on that setting consistently. I know I can leave it on idle and the basement will be warm enough to lift weights and keep the pipes from freezing.

Gotta do something else to heat 2nd floor. Too much hassle getting heat from basement to 2nd fl.
Charlie Z wrote:We're heating a 1500' 2 story old wood frame semi-insulated with a 55kbtu handfire (coalbrookdale darby - should be very similar - holds 50lbs) just fine. If we were to replace the darby, we'd probably get the 30-95.

But, the distribution of hot air is very good upstairs and down in this house - dunno what you might have with your single floor. I think the leaks in the house help :p. On the coldest nights <0*, it's pushed, but you get at least 12 hrs. (Coal seems to self-regulate its burn/output to the outside temp...)

- Charlie

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