Burning UAE for first time?

Hi everyone, I bought 3 ton of chestnut coal last Saturday at the UAE Harmony mine after hearing everyone say how great their coal is. Well I did it to myself once again, I am always looking for better coal! I usually burn South Tamaqua nut coal but I have tried a number of different mines in search of the best coal! I am burning a brand new Harman Magnafire Elite insert with a 4x8 piece of pipe going about 4' into my chimney. The chimney I beleive is 4x8 ceramic all the way up. I burn this coal with two full turns of my draft knob open on the bottom of the stove. The coal looks like it is burning fine, however the thermometer struggles to get to 300 degrees? It has gone to 400 degrees already which is good. I shake the grates and load fresh coal in and the stove takes forever to draw up? Tonight it appears that my fire has pretty much gone out? I have the bottom door open trying to draw it up and the thermometer says 100 degrees? I am stuck with this coal as I have unloaded it all into my bin? Does anyone have any ideas? The ash content seems very low and shakes rite through the grates. One of my buddies who worked at a coal mine for 25+ years said that red ash coal is missing something and or it may have been near fire? I think I may have gotten a bad batch, and yes the wife was correct in saying stick with what I normally buy! Thank you.

garyk2303 wrote: I am burning a brand new Harman Magnafire Elite insert with a 4x8 piece of pipe going about 4' into my chimney.

If the insert is brand new, does that mean the UAE coal is the only coal you have ever burned in it? Perhaps the isssue is the setup of the insert and chimney and not the coal...go get some STCP nut if you think the coal is the issue, but it sounds like a draft problem to me.

Let me give you the whole story! After last season my baffle plate in the stove burned through for the second year in a row? My dealer said that my 15-18 year old stove was junk (in the house when we bought it). I burned this insert for 8 years or so with no problems? I talked my dealer into ordering my a new firebox which is pretty much a new stove. The only thing that is not new on this stove are the side shields and the blower motors. The complete firebox is new- new doors, new grates, new firebrick. I will try to pick up another brand within the next week to do a comparison? Thank you for the input.

garyk2303 wrote:...8<... I am burning a brand new Harman Magnafire Elite insert with a 4x8 piece of pipe going about 4' into my chimney. The chimney I beleive is 4x8 ceramic all the way up. I burn this coal with two full turns of my draft knob open on the bottom of the stove. The coal looks like it is burning fine, however the thermometer struggles to get to 300 degrees? It has gone to 400 degrees already which is good. I shake the grates and load fresh coal in and the stove takes forever to draw up? ...>8

Are you going to entertain bids for to take the three ton out of your bin?


" brand new" ... From what you describe it sound as though you've got air leaking in from above the grates. This condition would siphon off draft that needs to draw air through he fire. It would allow the heat from the coal fire to leave the stove too fast and not allow enough time for heat to radiate out of the stove. Have you performed any test burns with other coals? Buy a few bags and give it a try.

I understand that STCP is providing LC&N coal this year at &190/ton. I've burned a few ton of LC&N that I picked up from here and there (suburban mining) and it's not bad but not as nice to use as UAE product.

Tell us more about your set up. Pictures also help.

• do you have a baro or an mpd?
• do you have a manometer to take draft readings of your chimney?
• could you please post your stove pipe temperatures during these troublesome burns?

Hey Gary, I live about 15 mins up 873. When we get a below 40 day, I'd be happy to come over and check out your setup. But if you are trying to get a good burn in mild or damp air, you will certainly have trouble. PM me anytime.
Mark

Wow, thank you everyone for the suggestions! Mark that is a great offer, I live in the village of Newside just North of the 309-873 split. I am begining to wonder about my setup myself? This stove is an insert, and I set it up the way my Harman dealer recommended? I have a bi-level home, the only thing that ahs changed in my setup is the top blew off of my chimney cap during hurricane Irene. Other than that I have my insert in the fireplace with a 4' piece of 4x8 I beleive it is (stainless steel) pipe running up into my chimney. The stove has been drawing up for about 3 hours now and one side is lit? I will work on some pictures. For now I am keeping this coal as I have heard some many great things about it.

Here are some photos of the stove on the pallet, the stove painted and installed, and loading at the UAE Harmony mine!
I am leaning towards a problem with my setup/chimney? Two years ago I cut the top baffle plate out of my stove because it burned through and replaced it with a new plate from Harman. At the end of last year the same thing happened again, the top baffle plate burned through? My dealer said that the stove must be cracked and feeding air into the fire besides what was being pulled in through my draft knob on the stove? Funny thing is that I used this stove for 8 years without a problem? So I figured alright the stove must be shot? There is definately a problem as I expected this stove/coal to burn much better?

How does the 4' pipe run into the fireplace flue? Through the damper? It the damper sealed around the pipe? I'm voting for poor draft to the stove. I bought nut from Harmony a few weeks ago and it burns like mad in my handfed.

I remember when I was running hand feds, there were days that seemed no
matter what I did, the stoves just sat and looked unimpressed. I could shake,
poke, swear, and threaten, but to no avail. They wouldn't go out, but they wouldn't
respond either. Just bad JU JU was my explanation. Next day they were fine.

The 4" pipe is run up through the damper into the chimney. I stuffed insulation with the paper backing taken off of it around the pipe.

Well tonight it is down to 26 degrees and the Harman is burning pretty darn good with the UAE coal? The thermometer on the side of the stove is at 400 degrees. I am thinking the issues I was having was due to the weather? The UAE coal seems to be burning very well. Thank you everyone.

I have the same insert, and I'm beginning to believe that they are very sensitive to warmer temperatures (above 50°). My install consists of the 8" oval into 6" insulated round S.S. piping all the way up my 25' chimney with insulation packed in very tight where the smoke shelf used to be so I know that I have a great draft. The draft is go good on days below 45° that the draft will pull quite a bit of ash back up thru the coal bed when I shake it down if I leave the ash door open.

Like you, during the spring and fall there are some days that the stove refuses to go over 300° even with the draft open 2 turns; then then next day it's running at 350° and the draft control is only open 5/8 of a turn. The only difference that I have noted is that the outside temperature is a couple of degrees cooler. Sometimes I can throw a handful of Cowboy charcoal on top and it will take off, sometimes not. Also in warmer weather I get the one side burning good thing going too. Then the next day, the other side is the one burning good.

Once the outside temperature stays below 40°, this insert is a beast. On very cold nights, I struggle to keep it from going over 450° which will absolutely roast us out of the living room. I'm hoping to install a couple of ceiling and circulating fans this winter to help distribute the heat 'cause the bedrooms which are located at the other end of the house can get quite chilly.

I'm still learning a lot about burning cool so I am just asking. When you are referring to 300,350, 400 degrees, where is the temperature given to you and by what means? Thanks.
-Joel

You NEED to know the draft numbers. Get a Dwyer #25 manometer & get it installed. Until you know what your draft is you are just guessing.

Here's one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/DWYER-MARK-II-M ... 35b772b6f3

JWLLY3500 wrote:I'm still learning a lot about burning cool so I am just asking. When you are referring to 300,350, 400 degrees, where is the temperature given to you and by what means? Thanks.
-Joel

Most common are magnetic stove thermometers, put on the stove and/or stove pipe (just the stove in this case since he's got an insert). Around $20 in any stove shop. Affix the thermometer to an unjacketed (that is, not onto the surface of any ductwork that circulates air around the firebox) area of the stove--front or sides or top wichever the case may be.

http://www.amazon.com/Rutland-Magnetic- ... B000M2VUQE