What to Do?

I'm On Fire · Post by **I'm On Fire** » Mon. Oct. 25, 2010 8:24 pm

So, I'm not sure what to do since I've not run into this… well, ever.

I shook down the stove this morning, loaded it up for the day and banked it down. Knowing full well it was going to be in the 70°'s today and every day this week.

I idled the stove at 220° and it has been sitting there all day. It hasn't consumed any of the coal I put in this morning.

Do I get it going, shake it down and add coal for the evening? Or, do I try to bank it down a little further and just top it off? Or, do I do nothing and let it just smolders for the next few days as is until it drops into the 50°'s this weekend?

I really don't know what to do cause I'm still very much green in the toasty warm art of coal heat.

mason coal burner · Post by **mason coal burner** » Mon. Oct. 25, 2010 8:30 pm

i would just shut it down and start over when it turns cold again . but i'm very cheap .

Chuck_Steak · Post by **Chuck_Steak** » Mon. Oct. 25, 2010 8:34 pm

mason coal burner wrote:i would just shut it down and start over when it turns cold again . but i'm very cheap .

me too.
why run your stove when it's 70?

I'm On Fire · Post by **I'm On Fire** » Tue. Oct. 26, 2010 6:36 am

I've shut the air to it completely off and woke up this morning to find it still burning at 220°. I didn't shake it down or add any coal to it this morning. It still has the coal from yesterday morning in it. Hopefully it dies out today.

WillRockwell · Post by **WillRockwell** » Tue. Oct. 26, 2010 8:25 am

You should be able to kill it by closing the vent. No reason to waste coal. Shovel out the unburned coal and use it again.

SheepDog68 · Post by **SheepDog68** » Tue. Oct. 26, 2010 10:25 am

Here it is cool at night but warm during the day so I have been idling the stove as needed to keep the house warm at night! Since it will be dropping back to freezing in a day or two I switched to pea coal yesterday and will try to idle it back down to 170 F or so. Idled that low it burns about 8 pounds a day which I think is worth having the heat on during the day when I don't really need it!!

One thing about idling that low is that you need to let it liven up nicely at least once a day and shake it down good!! I let some ash build up because it lets me idle it down even lower, but you need to get enough out each day to let it simmer along. Just letting it alone without shaking it will probably kill your fire the second day. Idled that low you will not see much evidence that the fire is burning except with your IR thermometer and the occasional red glowing coal!! It is fun to see how low I can idle my stove, but so far below 170 is a bit unstable and below 140 is touch and go!!!

SD

I'm On Fire · Post by **I'm On Fire** » Tue. Oct. 26, 2010 2:13 pm

I just spoke with my wife, she said with the air closed and the damper closed all the way the stove is idling at 310* now. Not sure what is actually going on there since I'm not home. Probably has to do with the temperature outside.

I didn't shake it down last night or this morning thinking it'd die but it does not appear its going to die, so when I get home I'll fire it back up and shake it down and then try idling it back down again. I may still have a leak someplace in the stove letting air go by the ash door.

On the plus side I put about 12 shovels full of nut in it last night and haven't put anymore in since then and my wife claims there is still a lot of the coal I put in it last night left.