The Perfect Storm

grizzly2 · Post by **grizzly2** » Sun. Nov. 20, 2011 4:30 pm

My fire went out last night. First time ever when I was home.

I think I know what happened, but am still surprised.

I have have a lot of fines in the coal I am burning right now. It is near the last of the load to be dumped from the truck. The fire has been dieing back too frequently and I have had to rake it from the bottom.

Last night when I went to bed there was a good fire burning, although I had not tended it since morning. This is usually not a problem.

Durring the night The outside temp came way up.

I think with these factors comming together the fire just suffocated.

Dann757 · Post by **Dann757** » Sun. Nov. 20, 2011 4:47 pm

HAHAHA not laughing at you, laughing with you. My coal fire is like a baby that doesn't cry. My fire is out right now because I let it go too long. And with my short chimney, raising temperatures outside can really take the draft down. My ash door was wide open yesterday and the baro closed, and my draft was maxed out at .03.

I got the fire revived but let it go last night, it kept the place warm all night but was kaput in the morning.

Dennis · Post by **Dennis** » Sun. Nov. 20, 2011 4:50 pm

grizzly,

last year I cleaned my coal bin out,when I started using that coal it had lots of fines and dust in with it. it started killing my fire, I messed with it and couldnt get any heat or fire, so I just dumped the fire into the ash pan instead of playing all night with a dead dog.then sifted the coal with a piece of stucco wire. Out of 1400 lbs. of coal I got a full 5 gal. bucket of fines and dust. Dennis

grizzly2 · Post by **grizzly2** » Sun. Nov. 20, 2011 5:27 pm

Sounds like the temps and fines are probable contributing factors. No one match club for me this year.

fastcat · Post by **fastcat** » Sun. Nov. 20, 2011 9:22 pm

Grizz on those warm nights I have found that if you open the front slide 1/4 you seem to hold a better draft and the stove doesn't run a way either.

freetown fred · Post by **freetown fred** » Sun. Nov. 20, 2011 10:46 pm

Ditto Grizz

mkline · Post by **mkline** » Sun. Nov. 20, 2011 10:56 pm

I'm having the same thing happen to me as I speak.I've had the fires burning pretty inconsistant today and I've seen more fines in the load of coal I picked up this week.Add the warmer weather and it's now raining here in central PA and there you have it.Glad to know it's not just me,but I don't usually have this problem.Normally I would also be burning nut at this time,but the last 2 times I went to Lenigs they had none,so I bought pea from them.

Mike

grizzly2 · Post by **grizzly2** » Mon. Nov. 21, 2011 12:25 pm

fastcat and freetown fred, Good idea. I will do that the next warm spell we get. supposed to get warmer again this comming weekend.