Need Help [With Stratford Stove]

I have a Stratford Stove that just seems to not want to burn correctly.....well most likely it is me. I have no problem getting it started but I am losing a lot of heat up the pipe and the blue ladies only seem to be dancing in the front of the fire box. The stove temp seems low too. I can't leave the stove alone for more than 5-6 hours. I am at a loss as to what I should be troubleshooting.

Any suggestions

you say you are losing a lot of heat up the pipe. do you have a barometric damper? manometer hooked up to measure draft? what are you dampers set at? tell us your set up

Yes, I have a baro damper set at .8, not set with a manometer but noticed if I kept it as this setting, less flames up the pipe. My draft control seetings on the stove are open 3/4. Need to do this to keep stove above 350

burnincoal, I sent ya a pm. are you new to coal?

Yes - I am a newbie

i looked online and saw a few pics of your stratford stove. it looks like you have both over the fire and under the fire air dampers. coal needs air under the coal bed only. make sure the over the air damper is shut off completly.
and, you said the draft is .08. how are you sure with no manometer?
Are you making a full load of coal? coal likes a full bed, 6 inches deep minimum. the deeper the better, load that puppy right up to the top of the firebricks.
It is nice insurance to have a manometer. many of us, including me have one hooked up 24/7. the draft can fluxtuate depending on outside temps.
try these tips and let us know how you do. and if any questions, feel free to call
John

Hello,
What model stove do you have?? I have the stratford Sc-75 Mine dosent have over the fire draft??? Could you post some pictures of your set up??
Sounds like your daft might be too strong, Once you get her dialed in The heat is amazing!!!! I can roast my family out of our 2500 square foot house with no problem !!!!!! I also have a hot water coil, making hot water which is nice, I pm-ed you my phone number please do not hesitate to give me a call, I love to talk stoves .....

Thanks Ken

PS Do you have the baffle installed in the stove ???????
Ken

Kenny - I have the same the stove. Yep, the baffle is installed with the lip pointing up. I cut my baro back to .04 to see if this helps.

Hello,
Are you poking the fire with something, like a rod before you shake?? It helps loosen up the ash- makes more ash come out of the fire, will help
liven it up, How high are the blue ladys dancing when its going ???

Ken

ok - turned the baro damper to .05 and seven hours later the stove is at 400 full bed of red coals but a very few dancing blue ladies (small ones) is this normal?

I will have pictures soon

gettin it now eh bub?! definantly a step in the right direction. my hotblast calls for a .05 to a .06 as well (may be slightly different from stove to stove.) 400 is not uncalled of. I wouldn't personally go any hotter than that. I would be nervous of hurting the stove, but I know some people get theirs as high as 450. read what the manufaturer says for maximum operating temps. I do not have a themometer on my stove, only on my flu pipe so I know when to turn down the dampers on it after a load. but there ya go, you are getting the hang of it.

HELLO,
as the load of coal gets low the dancing blue ladys will exit the building, low flames mabe and inch or two, Did you poke the fire ???
I will send u some pictures of my stove later today-- Ken

Here are some pictures of the stove after a 10 hour burn--

some general observations over the last couple of days. The stove is maintaining poor heat. I need to keep the draft controls on the ash door almost 3/4 to fully open to keep the stove temp around 400 - 450. I found out that I had my baffle installed incorrectly and this seemed to help a little. after a 7 hour burn I am gettlng very few and stubby dancing ladies. This morning, after seven hours the stove temp was 350, pipe around 200 and bed of coal look healthy. I opened up the ash door and the fire took off and temp rocketed to 450. Shut the door, turned down the draft a littl and within 10 minuntes stove temp dropped to 325 . I am also burning a lot of coal. If I fill it up to bricks every 8-9 hours, I am using about 50-60 lbs each load.

Thinking about installing a manual pipe damper

Something just seems to be off