Never Burned Coal Before...Advice?

Keeping the heat in the stove...
That MPD is doing its job...

CapeCoaler wrote:Keeping the heat in the stove...
That MPD is doing its job...

Sounds good. House is 72-74, right where we want it. Stack temp of 350F okay then, or should I try to close the draft some more?

Thanks,

Joe

Sure you can close your draft down further. ( I am assuming you are referring to the sliding air intake in the ash door) When you are going to be home for a few hours, slide draft a little bit more closed. In an hour or two go back down and make sure fire is not dieing too much. Repeat and repeat until the fire is dying more than you want it too, then slide draft open to the setting just before this one.

This process certainly isn't something you will always need to do, just until you get more famillar with your furnace and the nature of coal. Remember, the lowest setting at which you got the desired low burn this time may be a little different at other times due to the many varialbles that exist in the whole process and system.

What the lad above me said. Throttle back a little at a time on the under air. Coal is lazy and takes time to both settle down and get ramped up. I'd give it a good half hour between adjustments. The couple stoves I've seen up close and personal were running on an opening about an 1/8" X 2". That's not a lot of air but enough to just plod along comfortably.

Hello again,

Was able to check the baro with a manometer Thursday night and found that the numbers on the scale are right on. Must have her pretty level, eh?

Measured the draft with all adjustments in running positions. Feed draft was 1/4 open, MPD closed. Is this okay, or should they have been opened when measuring draft?

Stack temperature is steady @ 250F now, 72-74 in house. Left the baro initially @ .05", but then lowered it to 04" (trying to slow the burn as much as possible, and feed draft was already 3/4 closed). I have read many different recommendations. What do you guys suggest for a draft setting? For what its worth, the baro is a good half way open with the .04" setting...

House has cooled to approximately 67 tonight (16 outside). Stack temp is still 250F though. If it were cooler in the house because of a lower draft setting, wouldn't the stack temp be cooler as well? Should I readjust the baro or adjust the feed draft?

Thanks for any advice,

Joe

On mine I adjust the under fire draft to get more heat out. I do not adjust the baro to get more heat.

titleist1 wrote:On mine I adjust the under fire draft to get more heat out. I do not adjust the baro to get more heat.

Thanks for the reply. I normally wouldn't either, just still fine tuning the install of the baro I guess . Is .04"-.06" still the norm?

I guess my biggest question is, under what conditions should the draft be measured and the baro set (ie, open or closed bottom draft, etc)? Theory tells me that it shouldn't matter much, as the flue draft should be the same @ closed draft and open draft, right (as is the function of the baro )? Just want to make sure...

Either way, house is still plenty warm (keeping up, even @ 15 outside). Just not quite as warm as it was ...

Thanks,

Joe

Draft readings should be taken with a full vigorous fire burning and everything up to temperature. -.04" to -.06" WC.

Wood'nCoal wrote:Draft readings should be taken with a full vigorous fire burning and everything up to temperature. -.04" to -.06" WC.

Hello,

Fire was burning for over 24 hours at the point when I set the baro, but I had all controls where they are when in use (MPD closed and bottom draft open approx 1/4). Was definitely at normal burn and full temp, but not overfiring (stack temperature was around 250-300). Just to confim, this is what you meant, right? Or did you mean WIDE OPEN vigorous ?

Thanks,

Joe

Wood'nCoal wrote:I see feathers and bird droppings! First task is to make sure all the pipes and the flue are unobstructed.

but the cost of fuel oil is driving us broke.

I just found out heating oil is at $3.19.9 right now in NW New Jersey.

Wow 3.19.9 for # 2 fuel I thought 3.05.9 was high up here Reg Gas 3.15.9 Diesel 3.39.9 off road 3.19.9
Kero 3.45.9

Just a normal fire with everything up to temperature is fine.

That heating oil price was a week ago, Diesel is around $3.20/gal. here now, don't know what heating oil is right now.

coal berner wrote:

Wood'nCoal wrote:I see feathers and bird droppings! First task is to make sure all the pipes and the flue are unobstructed. I just found out heating oil is at $3.19.9 right now in NW New Jersey.

Wow 3.19.9 for # 2 fuel I thought 3.05.9 was high up here Reg Gas 3.15.9 Diesel 3.39.9 off road 3.19.9
Kero 3.45.9

I bought 10 gallons of diesel for the furnace on Thursday because I was shutting the Chubby down for two days and it was $3.25 a gallon.

Hopefully I won't be needing the furnace anymore.

Wood'nCoal wrote:Just a normal fire with everything up to temperature is fine.

Thanks for the clarification. I apologize for asking twice and sounding dumb, just want to do this right and keep my family safe.

Also don't want to waste coal of course . Adding 40-50lbs twice a day. I know that seems like a lot, but it is a big firebox. Sound okay, or am I not as efficient as I should be? Stack temps are very consistent @ 250F with MPD closed, bottom draft around 3/4 closed and flue draft set @ .04". Not sure how much more I could cut her back...

Thanks again,

Joe

Not sure if this is correct, but with a radiant stove it seems to me you are giving up a lot of heat to the basement. How is the heat getting upstairs?

Franco,

Not sure what you mean, but this is actually a furnace, not a radiant stove. Not sure if the recommended temp ranges are the same for both or not...

This uses a heat exchanger and convection blower to send the heat through the ductwork into the house. Blower is running non-stop, but I imagine that's normal with a standard mechanical fan/limit control. Hope that answers your question .

Thanks,

Joe