Newbie Needs General Help

24 hr burn is a milestone indeed.

congrats grasshoppper

Bear038 wrote:Does this mean I have finally graduated from Newbie to green beginner?

You get upgraded to "member" when you have posted X number of postings. I don't know the exact number. You know enough now to jump in and help someone else if they have a question you can answer. We are looking forward to following your progress on the forum. Take care, stay warm, Lisa

There is only one regret concerning this coal stove in this house, and that is that I did not do this when we moved in to this old farm house. The burn I got going yesterday around 2 PM was doing very well this morning at 7 AM. It clearly would have gone most likely into the middle to late afternoon, but hopefully my thought processes are changing. Instead of letting it run, I livened it up, shook it down, and added around 20-25 pounds that brought it back up to the top of the brick. Was that the right thing to do? Seemed right anyway.

Yesterday I started trying a different coal than the reading, but the sellers dad was not home to find out exactly where he gots the coal. This guy goes straight to the breaker and buys with his dump truck. It seems to burn fine. The ash clearly shakes out better than the reading, but it also seems like it needs just a little more air. The screw damper was at 1/2 turn, but it cooled down to 250 by morning where as the reading was holding 300 at the same setting. This stuff is a little bigger and does not have hardly any fines in it like the reading. Livened up fine and got going okay when I banked it up (is that the right term for adding as much as it will possible hold to the top of the brick?) ran up to 500 in about 15 minutes with the new stuff.

I hope my electric heat never has to come on this winter. It shouldn't if I do my job right with this thing. My father in law is looking into doing one at his house. He has an old pot belly, is there anything to really look out for in the operation of these?

bear,
what are your concerns on the old Potbelly ?
Tim

Bear038 wrote:There is only one regret concerning this coal stove in this house, and that is that I did not do this when we moved in to this old farm house. The burn I got going yesterday around 2 PM was doing very well this morning at 7 AM. It clearly would have gone most likely into the middle to late afternoon, but hopefully my thought processes are changing. Instead of letting it run, I livened it up, shook it down, and added around 20-25 pounds that brought it back up to the top of the brick. Was that the right thing to do? Seemed right anyway.

You did fine. Always better to do it on your time then when you have a free moment then waiting until it's time and you're busy and try to rush or put it off until you get the chance.

Tim wrote:bear,
what are your concerns on the old Potbelly ?
Tim

This one stove in particular was run for a year or two with a baro on it and was glowing red many many times. I am greatly concerened about condition of the cast and wether I should trust it or not. Also is there any thing to do differently than with a full size stove, other than filling it up more often. How high is too full, and anything else you would like to warn me about.

Bear,
I have started using a Harman Mark II this year also with very good success. I am located just west of york. I bought 3 tons of blaschak nut coal from Hoke Mills in york, PA. When I got it in the summer it was $215 a ton bulk.

Bear038 wrote:

Tim wrote:bear,
what are your concerns on the old Potbelly ?
Tim

This one stove in particular was run for a year or two with a baro on it and was glowing red many many times. I am greatly concerened about condition of the cast and wether I should trust it or not. Also is there any thing to do differently than with a full size stove, other than filling it up more often. How high is too full, and anything else you would like to warn me about.

Cast iron if run red hot will in time disintegrate. The main problem is that the air can not be controlled except by leaving more ash on the grate and a manual and barometric damper.

Why bother with all the hassle of trying to control that stove? Craigslist is full of acceptable airtight coal stoves as low as $200 or even less. Sometimes including coal.

franco b wrote:

Bear038 wrote: Cast iron if run red hot will in time disintegrate. The main problem is that the air can not be controlled except by leaving more ash on the grate and a manual and barometric damper.

Why bother with all the hassle of trying to control that stove? Craigslist is full of acceptable airtight coal stoves as low as $200 or even less. Sometimes including coal.

Tim,
Thanks for the response, I thought that was what could happen with the cast, but I was not sure. You are correct on Craig's list, but do not forget e-bay. I just bought one today on ebay that I looked a about a week ago. It is a good stove for the shop. It comes with 5' of 6" tripple wall, the baro, two casks of coal, and a few other goodies. I found another one on craig's list for a neighbor, all ready to go for 300. The Harman that is in my basement now, only cost us 173K, but we got the farm and the house with it.

Coming back to the well for another drink of the knowledge of the experienced here.

The Harman has been doing a fine job keep the house warm. I have been using a good 50 pounds a day, maybe just a little more. The baro has been set on 6 until now. The fires have been running between 500 and 550 generally speaking with 200-210 stack Finally got the namometer set up and need to know if I am headed in the proper direction.

With the fire good and banked, and fully lit, with the temp running around 500-550 with a stack right around 200, it is almost impossible to get down in the .04-.06 range. To get there the baro is open at about a 45 degree angle with the weight set around the 4 mark. This seems like rather excessive amount of heated air going up the chimney. This is a new chimney. It has a good 28' of 8x8 liner, is 28" above the roof line at the peak, and draws very very well.

Did I do the right thing here. What I am doing now is I set the weight back to six or even just a little higher, and I have cut the damper down on the stove from 1.25 turns to just a little over 3/4's. The manometer is reading generally .08, the stove is still 450-550 and now the stack is 175-190, running just a little cooler. I seem to be getting a little more heat, but consume the same amount of coal as before this change in operating perameters. Not concerned about the amount of coal, that seems about right with temps low 20's at night and just above freezing during day or even a little colder over all. Does this seem like a reasonable setting for a chimney that draws pretty strong?

My other question is if I need to open the baro up to get the manomerter down, is it advisable to route colder air to the baro with a small ducting system. I will agroengineer this with now problem. All I want to do is get it to pick up colder air from near the window, but not an open outside source. Currently the baro points to the front of the stove, or would it be okay just to turn it to the side where not as much heat is rising straight up.

Thanks in advance for all the help.

I always opt to turn the baro toward the cool side of the installation..