When to Stop Shaking?

I just started burning coal December 1st after a whole year of information from the forum. I too am just learning but ash has been my biggest challenge. I have to shake violently about 15 full strokes back and forth to get my ash out. My stove is comparable to a Hitzer 30-95. I have to poke from underneath with a bent coat hanger after shaking. Even that is a pain to get up through the grates. It seems when the temp. is above 20* I have to do this every other day. The stove takes off after this. At temps. below 20* I have no problems and the stove burns hotter even at the same setting.

I haven't lost a fire yet but came real close . To save it I poked from underneath just until I saw a small glow in one spot. After this I got a round stove pipe reducer (6"x 3") and put it under the damper in the back and right up to the supply air inlet. I put a small table top fan on the 6" side and turned it on high. After ten minutes I could already see signs of life and after thirty minutes I was back in the game!

I still get frustrated but I just keep investigating and trying different methods for everything. Visiting the forum is the best source of information out there! :punk:

Hello Whitebread, your situation sounds like low draft. The fact that your stove burns much better when it is cold outside, even with the same air settings. The colder outside temps improves chimney draft, and that make the fire burn hotter. Have you checked your baro's setting with a manometer? Describe your chimney for us.

Greg L

Hi Greg. No baro. as suggested by the dealer. Amish stove made locally in Ashland Ohio. My chimney isn't ideal by any means. Stove is in basement. Since I didn't know how I'd do with coal I piped the coal stove in with the oil burner using a stainless "T". After realizing I won't need the oil to heat, (2400 sq. ft.) and too many down drafts through the oil burner baro, I went through the baro and packed it with refractory insulation from a foundry supply. This totally sealed off the oil burner. By feeling the pipe temp, I'm about 1' from the "T".

6" stainless comes off the coal stove at 45 degree angle for 4' to the "T" and then about 2' horizontal run to a clay lined block chimney. My house is very tight so I added a 4" supply of fresh air from outside that terminates about 1' from the air inlet damper on the back of the stove.

I'm planning on getting a designated chimney this year. I wanted to last year but a permanent layoff didn't allow for this. Thanks for the interest and input. Everyone on here is great!
p.s. I'll post pictures if I can figure it out! ( If it wasn't for this forum and craigslist, the computer would have taken flying lessons long ago!)

It sounds like you've done most of the 'right stuff': Blocking off the oil burner from the chimney, providing an outside air source. Your stove sounds like it needs more draft,, and a steady draft so you can set it easier. The whole function of a baro is to keep the draft steady, so you have a 'given' to work from when setting your incoming air to the fire.

I'd keep an eye on Ebay for a manometer, they often can be bought for around $20-$25. A dwyer Mark II, model 25 is the best one, or find a Magnehelic draft meter, that will read from 0 to -.2 or so,, don't get too high a scale, we only read about .05" usually, that is very near '0' on most meters.

Once you have a manometer, it is like haveing a weather station for your stove. the combination of wind, temperature, flue temp all come together to create a given draft in the chimney.. change one, and the draft changes. The baro will stabliize this.. BUT a baro does not EVER increase draft, it only limits excess draft.

Take care, Greg L

I think I can get a manometer from a friend who does hvac. The only problem I see is the back draft problem. Before I blocked the "T" I had enough coal gases backing up through the oil burner baro. that it was setting off the co detectors. That's one reason I decided to block off the oil burner. Everytime I noticed the detectors going off it was above 40* outside.

Hoping that when I run a dedicated chimney this helps the draft problem but I'm not sure. What can be done for a weak draft? I don't want to add more outside supply air because the basement starts cooling off. I learned that I even have to open a window to fill the hopper or I'll get a blue fireball through the hopper! Then I hear the wife running to the basement door and asks "what was that?" I reply "what was what?" I was thinking of posting a new thread about this but haven't yet.

Thanks for the information. Eventually I'll get it figured out. I WILL WIN! Burnt facial hair and all!

about the only thing that comes to mind is a powered inducer fan to force a draft up the chimney. is there a chimney cap on your stack?

Go to the chimney, venting etc forum here. And look for all the draft issue threads.. there is a lot to read and absorb.

How high is your chimney? is it blocked from the prevailing winds by trees, a higher portion of the house, next door buildings? or are you situated in a low valley? these all will cause low chimney draft..
I don't think you need additional outside air, most instalations don't use one, even though they are very effective.

Have you checked your chimney for obstructions? A dirty screeen in the chimney cap? or no cap and a squirel or bird's nest in the chimney?? It might be something simple.. A manometer will tell the tale.. that would be the first step, get some real numbers.

Now, what was that about loosing your eyebrows?? You have read the 'minor explosion' thread at the top of the page, right??

Take care,, Greg L

I have a chimney cap and there are no obvious obstructions. I'll check the thread on draft issues and I'll get a manometer also. Very frustrating but I'm not giving up!

p.s. Eyebrows are overrated. My wife's eyebrow pencil did wonders!

Another possibility is "Bridging."
Some coal & some stoves are prone to forming a crust or "Bridge" at the top of your burning coal bed & when you shake down, that crust holds up the good coal & all your shaker mechanism is doing is shaking empty air underneath the crust.
Try getting a good fire going, shake a few times & then poke down through the top & see if your coal bed sinks like a deflated cake!
Poke pretty aggressively to break up clinkers & dig down ...& then shake again. I do this with every shakedown & never have to shut my stove down all winter to clean out ashes.