Need Help Fast!

Boy you've got me stumped , I don't have a manual pipe damper in my boiler. I have never measured the flu temperature either. Just run it on what feels right. There is bound to be some difference between a water and a forced air system but burn times should be similar. I'm heating about 2000 sq ft counting the boiler room which is just a utility room . Load it up at 10:00 pm and at 5:30 am still lots of fire, house warm and no need to re start the fire. There can't be much difference in the coal. I never completely shut off the over the fire air but I close it way down. When I first load it runs petty wild like maybe 15 minutes then it settles down. Nothing is cast in stone, I have had to re start a few times but very seldom. I had a soot problem but the mods I made just about fixed this. Boiler is an Energy King with an 8 in flu. House insulation just normal and no storm windows. About all this mine run stuff is full of rocks so you get a few clinkers. The stuff I am buying is maybe 20% dust at most but more like 10%. I made a sifter box using hardware cloth. Might lost 300lb a load but I'm good with that at the price. It would be a pretty long run for you and I don't think it's much different than what you got now. Do you still have a good orange yellow glow if you leave it all night or is it out by morning ? Some times I don't have live flames in the morning but still enough coals to rekindle without starting a new fire.

How about the mine in Kewanee, IL? That should be only about an hour away from Pekin? The last post I'd seen ref this mine I believe they posted $90/ton/lump.

ChuckV309 wrote:The starting pile is about 2 feet thick and I am left with about 2-3" of decient coals.

What is the time frame for that result?
Can you check the temp. of the furnace itself when the pipe drops to 250°? If you find there isn't much difference between stove pipe and furnace temp. then I think the heat's going up the flue.
What does the fire look like after about 2 hours after you loaded up? If all the coal has settled and completely glowing bright to the point that it's kinda hurts your eyes to look at it then it's burning too hot too fast.
I know you said the fire goes out if you try to close off the air anymore but just be sure the fire is revved up enough before limiting air supply and it shouldn't go out. Just gotta keep experimenting with air control.

I'm pretty new at this too, but given my own trials w/my hand fired stove and midwestern bit...I would try at first leaving the flue damper wide open and work w/the primary air control first (under fire air.) 2-3 gallons of clinkers? Could it be running so hot that you're getting all these clinkers and they are cutting off air flow towards the end of your burn? I'd try loading and leaving a good hot area uncovered w/fresh coals, shutting the loading door and the ash door, using only under fire air set at about half way, and see how it burns from there.

Here are some pictures of my set-up. I have not been getting near as many clinkers since I changed my loading from what I described in the post with the update.
Thanks,
Chuck

rockwood wrote:What does the fire look like after about 2 hours after you loaded up? If all the coal has settled and completely glowing bright to the point that it's kinda hurts your eyes to look at it then it's burning too hot too fast.

No, it is not all glowing, but a large portion is. I do not have a way to check the temp in the fire box.

rockwood wrote:What is the time frame for that result?

About 4 hours of heat, another couple until I get too it in the morning.

Just curious: is it cold in the garage there? If that's single wall pipe going up that far, could you be losing draft due to the pipe being cooled? Maybe insulated stack would help, I know it's expensive though.

I'd do a search for others using the Nordsman on this site and anything that has been said of them. It would also be wise to find out exactly what the draft is using a manometer. Lastly, maybe the wood give good heat because you can pack it in the and it doesn't require air from under the fire, whereas the coal, once the volatiles are gone, requires air from under fire. I have never used one, but I remember reading of people having problems burning coal with a firebox that has a good V shape to it becase it is the size of the grate, not the firebox (as with wood) that will determine the max heat output. Especially if you're getting a lot of clinkers which will choke off the air supply.

Try this one:

Making Coke and Not Heat

Dann757 wrote:Just curious: is it cold in the garage there? If that's single wall pipe going up that far, could you be losing draft due to the pipe being cooled? Maybe insulated stack would help, I know it's expensive though.

It is usually in the 30s+, even when the outside temps are in the singles to minus.

Chuck