one more question for tonight

ive got a deep bed of good coals going on now, and want to ad some of the Lump coal how do i go about putting a few softball size pieces in ? do i need to open the mpd and draft all the way and let it flame up or just put it in on top and shut it down for the night? thanks

Just open the MPD, your fire is hot, so no need to 'rev it up' with extra combustion air. Just load the new coal in a hurry, it will smoke when added to the hot fire..

Greg L

thanks

Did you add some big chunks last night?? were you able to get the door closed before they started to smoke a lot??

Greg L

LsFarm wrote:Did you add some big chunks last night?? were you able to get the door closed before they started to smoke a lot??

Greg L

yes i added 4 football sized pieces to the top of the bed, it burnt ok overnight but the 4 pieces welded themselves together and stayed above the coal bed as it settled over night it did ok, so im not complaining right now thanks

oh yea i tossed them in kinda quick i didnt get too muck smoke in my face LOL

I'm surprised pieces that large fused.. That's one of the 'issues' with some Bit coals. A firebox full of nut sized bit coal with a high swelling index will swell, bridge over the burning fire, and the fire can burn out below the thick bridge of coal..

What I'd do when I hand fed Bit to my 'Big Bertha' boiler,, I'd load it up, close the door in a hurry,, and return in about an hour or two,, and use a heavy poker to break up and collapse the bridged coal..

Bit makes lots of heat, it just takes different proceedures to burn it well.. and to confuse things, Bit coal from one mine will act one way, the coal from a mine somewhere else will have different swelling index, volitlle content, ash content, etc.

Greg L

LsFarm wrote:. and to confuse things, Bit coal from one mine will act one way, the coal from a mine somewhere else will have different swelling index, volitlle content, ash content, etc.

Greg L

THANKS LOL so far so good today