Hi, this is my second time visiting this site. The wife and I have just bought and installed a Baker coal/wood stove insert for our fireplace. We started our first wood fire this past weekend and it went well. My questions are-- 1. How does chestnut coal burn? 2. What is a good way to start a coal fire and keep it burning for those of us just starting out? 3. We put a CO detector in the upstairs hallway, should we put one in the livingroom where the stove is and another actually in our bedroom? Any reccomendations would help. If there are any other suggestions/hints/tips you could give us, they would be greatly appreciated. The Baker Co reccomended burning chestnut coal but I understand you can also use pea coal. Is that true or not? Should you layer pea coal with the chestnut coal? Is there anyone in the York, Pa area who burns coal?
Thank you
Steve
Newbie With Numerous Questions
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coaledsweat
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For your fire.
http://www.homewarmth.com/pdffiles/coalburningtips.pdf
Chestnut will burn faster than the smaller size, Most hand fired use chestnut. You can use pea to dampen (slow) your fire, but I would avoid trying to burn straight pea in a hand fired. It may give you problems, so build up slowly to straight pea as opposed to just trying to run it out of the box with pea and see how it does (it may work fine). Some people like to cover the chestnut with pea at night to slow the fire when you don't need a lot of heat. The larger sizes of coal will have bigger gaps between the pieces, this allows more oxygen to the fire. Larger chuncks burn faster (relative to weight) to the smaller ones. I would have a detector in the room with the appliance, first response kinda thingy. I use one on each floor.
http://www.homewarmth.com/pdffiles/coalburningtips.pdf
Chestnut will burn faster than the smaller size, Most hand fired use chestnut. You can use pea to dampen (slow) your fire, but I would avoid trying to burn straight pea in a hand fired. It may give you problems, so build up slowly to straight pea as opposed to just trying to run it out of the box with pea and see how it does (it may work fine). Some people like to cover the chestnut with pea at night to slow the fire when you don't need a lot of heat. The larger sizes of coal will have bigger gaps between the pieces, this allows more oxygen to the fire. Larger chuncks burn faster (relative to weight) to the smaller ones. I would have a detector in the room with the appliance, first response kinda thingy. I use one on each floor.
As for the CO detectors, I have a digital one on the second floor where we sleep because I like seeing the readout at "00". I plan on putting another one near the stove like coaldsweat says. Low levels of CO will cause headaches before the detector will go off, so pay attention to your head if you are burning wood or coal and get a headache and you don't normally get them. 
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coaledsweat
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- Joined: Fri. Oct. 27, 2006 2:05 pm
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- Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman Anderson 260M
- Coal Size/Type: Pea
e.- Everytime I see your avatar, I start to sweat. 
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LsFarm
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Hi Steve, If you can build a good wood fire, and follow the directions in the link that 'coaledsweat' provided, you won't have any problems with getting a coal fire started.
The most important items is to have a well established bed of hot woodfire coals that cover entire bottom of the firebox. When you build a coal fire, you are building a fire across the entire grate area, as deep as the firebrick sides. This seems like too much fuel, but this is what coal likes, and it is more controlable and burns much better in a deep bed.
If you already have some pea-size coal, I'd go ahead and give it a try. But Nut-size is what most hand fed stoves like best. The pea size may be something you can play with to see if you like it after you have some confidence with burning coal.
Welcome to the forum. Greg L
.
The most important items is to have a well established bed of hot woodfire coals that cover entire bottom of the firebox. When you build a coal fire, you are building a fire across the entire grate area, as deep as the firebrick sides. This seems like too much fuel, but this is what coal likes, and it is more controlable and burns much better in a deep bed.
If you already have some pea-size coal, I'd go ahead and give it a try. But Nut-size is what most hand fed stoves like best. The pea size may be something you can play with to see if you like it after you have some confidence with burning coal.
Welcome to the forum. Greg L
.