Pea Coal Vs. Chestnut Coal Vs. Stove Coal
- half-pint
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I normally use stove size coal, but I keep some nut size on hand all the time. If it's going to be windy I will mix one shovel full of nut in per 20 pounds of coal.(my coal buckets hold 20 pounds each) I also use the nut coal to get things started and heated up before filling the stove up.
- joeq
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I know this topic has been ridden hard, and I was skipping through it, and basically see it explained as bigger burns hotter due to the large gaps, compared to the smaller sizes. Makes sense to me. Someone else mentioned there shouldn't be a difference in temp, cause flue or primaries can be adjusted to compensate, for the same heat output. I would also think that once the coal pile has been burning for a time, the ashes will clog any passages, and reduce the breathing no matter how large the pieces. I'm not trying to start a new discussion on this topic that's already out there, but have a quick question that I haven't seen mentioned. Would there be a benefit using the larger sizes when starting a new fire, just to get the chimney, stove and system heated up quicker, and then add the size that the conditions warrant?
- Lightning
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Personally I think the stove size gets going quicker than nut. So, the overall task time of layering and getting a new fire established can be shortened. To answer your question I'd say yes.
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Choice of size depends on desired bed depth of burning coal. Pea will sustain itself on about 4 inches minimum, while larger sizes will not. Some stokers use rice for that reason.
My Defiant will run on Pea, nut, or stove, but the stove size wants a deeper bed.
My Defiant will run on Pea, nut, or stove, but the stove size wants a deeper bed.
- Sunny Boy
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And to add to what Franco said.
If your filling a firepot to the same level, it's true that larger sizes will light and burn faster/hotter, but there is less fuel density with the larger sizes in the same space. So while the larger size helps the fire breath better and burn hotter, it won't burn as long.
When the thread about magazines was ongoing, as a test I tried filling about a two foot length of concrete tubing and different buckets with nut and with stove coal, then weighing how much coal fit in each.
In each case the difference was that stove coal weighed 10% less than the amount of nut coal in the same space. So that's 10% less burn time at the same heat output level. I didn't have any other sizes to try to see how they compare to that 10% difference.
Using nut coal I can get a couple more hours burn time from it than I can with stove before needing to refuel.
Paul
If your filling a firepot to the same level, it's true that larger sizes will light and burn faster/hotter, but there is less fuel density with the larger sizes in the same space. So while the larger size helps the fire breath better and burn hotter, it won't burn as long.
When the thread about magazines was ongoing, as a test I tried filling about a two foot length of concrete tubing and different buckets with nut and with stove coal, then weighing how much coal fit in each.
In each case the difference was that stove coal weighed 10% less than the amount of nut coal in the same space. So that's 10% less burn time at the same heat output level. I didn't have any other sizes to try to see how they compare to that 10% difference.
Using nut coal I can get a couple more hours burn time from it than I can with stove before needing to refuel.
Paul
- eippw
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captcaper wrote: ↑Sun. Feb. 07, 2010 9:10 amIt's still somewhat confusing to me. I know it's all about air flow and stove limits.
I've always burnt nut but started on Pea early last spring to try it because Nut wouldn't burn slow enough to keep the heat down. Pea does this for me. This past fall was very comfortable burning Pea. But Pea does take much longer to come back up to hotter temps. And find once it gets cold out I was running the air intake contol almost open all the way and then opening the MPD alot. This made me feel I was letting lot's of heat up the chimney. The Harman seemed to be running at the upper scale of air flow. This is where Nut comes in.
Also I find I have to baby sit Pea alot To get the house warm fast when it gets chilled down I have to leave stove ash door open all the way and flue pipe at max draft out. But if you forget the Stove is set this way you know where this will lead.
Pea will now be a staple here as it does a nice job in warmer temps of spring and fall. I've been expiermenting with mixing.
So time will tell. Hopefully by this April I'll have a better grip on it all. But at this point it seems Pea will burn hot but with my stove/chimney/house needs I have to have some of the heat going up the chimney to keep the air flow going through it.
- eippw
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captcaper wrote: ↑Sun. Feb. 07, 2010 9:10 amIt's still somewhat confusing to me. I know it's all about air flow and stove limits.
I've always burnt nut but started on Pea early last spring to try it because Nut wouldn't burn slow enough to keep the heat down. Pea does this for me. This past fall was very comfortable burning Pea. But Pea does take much longer to come back up to hotter temps. And find once it gets cold out I was running the air intake contol almost open all the way and then opening the MPD alot. This made me feel I was letting lot's of heat up the chimney. The Harman seemed to be running at the upper scale of air flow. This is where Nut comes in.
Also I find I have to baby sit Pea alot To get the house warm fast when it gets chilled down I have to leave stove ash door open all the way and flue pipe at max draft out. But if you forget the Stove is set this way you know where this will lead.
Pea will now be a staple here as it does a nice job in warmer temps of spring and fall. I've been expiermenting with mixing.
So time will tell. Hopefully by this April I'll have a better grip on it all. But at this point it seems Pea will burn hot but with my stove/chimney/house needs I have to have some of the heat going up the chimney to keep the air flow going through it.
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Vig II manual says use nut or pea--any reason not to use stove coal? Would it be too hot? Or is there an issue with volatile gases? I assume rice might fall through the grate or smother the fire? If I could find it I would be tempted to try some stove coal on top of nut in very cold weather if it is OK. Naturally I would think VC would be happy to recommend more sizes--if they work well... Pea and rice are the only sizes I have found around here. I wish I could try pea.
VigIIPeaBurner wrote: ↑Mon. Dec. 28, 2009 10:44 amKeeping it simple, burning Coal @ X BTU/Lb + Air @ X Lbs/Hr = X-BTU/Hr. Not accounting for individual efficiency issues**
Agreed. Each stove-chimney(draft) combination will react differently. The differences after changing coal size might be large or small but it will be different. The velocity of the combustion gasses that allow for heat exchange to happen is altered and will effect the rate of heat output **.
Explained another way, the pea vs larger issue can be compared to using a manual pipe damper (MPD). (That's story is on another thread)
- An MPD restricts the chimney's draft in the pipe above the stove slowing down the combustion gas velocity and allowing an increase in efficiencies**
- Using pea acts in a similar way by restricting air flow (draft) at the grate/fire box level instead of a few feet up in the pipe as an MPD does. It slows down combustion gas velocity via the smaller more convoluted air passages through the coal bed.
- Here is an extreme example. Throw alot of sand or ash on a coal fire. The small air pathways restrict the air flow (draft) so much that it falls below the rate needed to support combustion.
- VigIIPeaBurner
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It really would depend on the coal quality and how evenly it burns. I've burned a blend of whatever size was left in the crusher bins from crushing mine run lump coal. That included a good amount of stove. Truly range coal. I'd say it ranged from rice to stove and lots of dust too. No problems at all. I first thought the stove wouldn't burn all the way when it came time to shake the ash. That never turned out to be a problem.charlesosborne2002 wrote: ↑Wed. Oct. 24, 2018 9:47 pmVig II manual says use nut or pea--any reason not to use stove coal? Would it be too hot? Or is there an issue with volatile gases? I assume rice might fall through the grate or smother the fire? If I could find it I would be tempted to try some stove coal on top of nut in very cold weather if it is OK. Naturally I would think VC would be happy to recommend more sizes--if they work well... Pea and rice are the only sizes I have found around here. I wish I could try pea.
I did hand pick a few buckets of stove to try in the coldest weather. I didn't like the way the Vig II performed - too much air moving through the coal bed too fast - more heat going up the chimney. Good quality pea or nut is my preferred and a range mix approximates the same burn.
- freetown fred
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Tried a nut/stove mix a couple yrs back--stove would hang up in the hopper on occasion--back to straight nut.