Kimmel's : What's the Latest Skinny on Their Bagged Coal?
- SMITTY
- Member
- Posts: 12520
- Joined: Sun. Dec. 11, 2005 12:43 pm
- Location: West-Central Mass
- Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520 Highboy
- Coal Size/Type: Rice / Blaschak anthracite
- Other Heating: Oil fired Burnham boiler
It sure sounds that way. The problem I used to have was excessive ash buildup would snuff the fire out prematurely. I'd have to shake twice a day - no way around it. 12hr max burn. If I cranked it up, I'd get 7 hours.
- Rob R.
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 17979
- Joined: Fri. Dec. 28, 2007 4:26 pm
- Location: Chazy, NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr
Perhaps you have clinkers/ash restricting the airflow through the coal bed?coalmainer wrote:I've burned Kimmel for the past few years and haven't had an issue. Just this week I purchased a ton of Kimmel nut and I can't get any heat out of it!! I'm assuming it's the coal quality, but the ash build up isn't bad...?? Today it's -5 degrees out and the draft from the baro could suck a plastic bag through the chimney...plenty of draft, but the fire is low...uGG !
Confirm for me...is it the coal quality??
Edit: It is possible that it is the coal, but I would eliminate fly-ash build-up in the chimney (check first elbow or tee after stove), and see what stove temperature you are actually getting. I recently noticed that my EFM was acting "lazy" and that the baro was wide open...there was about 3-4" of flyash in the pipe between the boiler and the baro.
- I'm On Fire
- Member
- Posts: 3918
- Joined: Thu. Jun. 10, 2010 9:34 am
- Location: Vernon, New Jersey
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS Machines DS-1600 Hot Air Circulator
I've been burning Kimmel's bagged Nut for the past few years (pea as well) and haven't noticed any issues with heat output. I've been running the stove somewhat hard this week at around 530* and other than the top most layer starting to ash over by the 11th hour rolls up I've not noticed a decrease in heat output.
- SMITTY
- Member
- Posts: 12520
- Joined: Sun. Dec. 11, 2005 12:43 pm
- Location: West-Central Mass
- Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520 Highboy
- Coal Size/Type: Rice / Blaschak anthracite
- Other Heating: Oil fired Burnham boiler
That's what used to happen to me. With Blaschak, I can have the thing putting out 750° side temps & still burn for 15 hours before the very front starts ashing up. It'll still go for 18+ hours if I leave it.
- I'm On Fire
- Member
- Posts: 3918
- Joined: Thu. Jun. 10, 2010 9:34 am
- Location: Vernon, New Jersey
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS Machines DS-1600 Hot Air Circulator
Yup, I've let it go with the tip layer ashed over for 13 hours and the fire just took right off with a fresh load of coal. Kimmel's seems to have a high ash content but it burns hot for me. I've not burned any other coal other than a few bags of tamaqua (spelling?) that I picked up coming from last years coal meet on the way home. I didn't burn enough of it to really form an opinion on it.
The Kimmels Rice I've been getting from Crazy4Coal this year is outstanding! It's burning better, burning less, and seems very consistent in size. No issues whatsoever with the coal or with it forming voids in my bin and now allowing my boiler to stoke. Even when the temps were down in the single digits and below with the windchill, the boiler was pumping and kept my house warm.
I don't think my KA6 stopped stoking for almost 3 days straight!
I don't think my KA6 stopped stoking for almost 3 days straight!