Is This a Coal Issue or Perhaps Something I'm Doing?

 
User avatar
CoalHeat
Member
Posts: 8862
Joined: Sat. Feb. 10, 2007 9:48 pm
Location: Stillwater, New Jersey
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1959 EFM 350
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harman Magnafire Mark I
Baseburners & Antiques: Sears Signal Oak 15 & Andes Kitchen Range
Coal Size/Type: Rice and Chestnut
Other Heating: Fisher Fireplace Insert

Post by CoalHeat » Thu. Dec. 15, 2011 9:57 pm

No, as long as you have a barometric damper set and operating correctly.

Oh, and the house on the grates will definitely cause a problem! :D

 
User avatar
freetown fred
Member
Posts: 30293
Joined: Thu. Dec. 31, 2009 12:33 pm
Location: Freetown,NY 13803
Hand Fed Coal Stove: HITZER 50-93
Coal Size/Type: BLASCHAK Nut

Post by freetown fred » Thu. Dec. 15, 2011 9:59 pm

Of course it will, you need to get some lolly columns under it. ;)

 
User avatar
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

Post by I'm On Fire » Thu. Dec. 15, 2011 9:59 pm

Wood'nCoal wrote:No, as long as you have a barometric damper set and operating correctly.

Oh, and the house on the grates will definitely cause a problem! :D
No baro, I had a "No draft" issue with it last season so I removed it and noticed an immediate improvement on my draft.

 
User avatar
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

Post by I'm On Fire » Sat. Dec. 17, 2011 8:40 am

Just a lil update. I changed how I shake with this coal. I do a lot of little short jerky shakes. I manage to clear the front and rear grates and I get little to no hot coals in the pan. Thanks for the help guys.

 
Vinmaker
Member
Posts: 243
Joined: Fri. Nov. 25, 2011 9:17 am
Location: Central MA

Post by Vinmaker » Sat. Dec. 17, 2011 9:46 am

Sounds like you got this batch of coal figured out. Must have been a bad coal seam or something in the mine.


 
User avatar
mkline
Member
Posts: 217
Joined: Fri. Sep. 04, 2009 6:27 pm
Location: Lewisburg,PA
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Alaska Kodiak x 2...Old and New
Coal Size/Type: Nut and Stove/Anthracite

Post by mkline » Sat. Dec. 17, 2011 3:54 pm

Hey IOF,
You described what has been happening to me except for the grate jamming.I have a Kodiak with the round grate and it's pretty hard to jam it.After the last load of coal I picked up I've been having problems when I go to shake it down.There's hardly any ash and hot coals just pour down through the grate.I even left it burn for 24 hrs with the same results.Now your thinking,hell that would be awesome having coal that kept burning and didn't turn to ash.It would be great but there isn't any quality heat being produced.
Well,looking at my ashes in the ashpan and the coal in my bin I see lots of rock.The coal that is burning in the stove keeps the rock glowing until I shake it down then it's ok until I reload,then after awhile it starts to cool off again.There is no ash build up because I cleaned the stove completely out and started over.I'm not burning nut at this time,only burning pea.Here's a pic of some stone I picked out of a shovel full along with some that was burnt and with a piece of anthracite in the middle.
IMG_4694 copy.jpg
.JPG | 190KB | IMG_4694 copy.jpg
Mike

 
User avatar
coal bob
Member
Posts: 126
Joined: Tue. Dec. 28, 2010 10:06 am
Location: delaware, oh
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Ds machine basement#4 stove with hopper
Coal Size/Type: Nut anthracite
Other Heating: Propane

Post by coal bob » Sat. Dec. 17, 2011 4:14 pm

mkline wrote:Hey IOF,
You described what has been happening to me except for the grate jamming.I have a Kodiak with the round grate and it's pretty hard to jam it.After the last load of coal I picked up I've been having problems when I go to shake it down.There's hardly any ash and hot coals just pour down through the grate.I even left it burn for 24 hrs with the same results.Now your thinking,hell that would be awesome having coal that kept burning and didn't turn to ash.It would be great but there isn't any quality heat being produced.
Well,looking at my ashes in the ashpan and the coal in my bin I see lots of rock.The coal that is burning in the stove keeps the rock glowing until I shake it down then it's ok until I reload,then after awhile it starts to cool off again.There is no ash build up because I cleaned the stove completely out and started over.I'm not burning nut at this time,only burning pea.Here's a pic of some stone I picked out of a shovel full along with some that was burnt and with a piece of anthracite in the middle.
IMG_4694 copy.jpg
Mike
The piece above the coal is not a rock,thats the paddle I lost in the river glad somebody found it :rofl:

 
User avatar
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

Post by I'm On Fire » Sat. Dec. 17, 2011 5:43 pm

It does look like a paddle. I haven't noticed any rock in mine. Or not any that I can clearly tell the difference anyways. But I'll look a little harder now.

 
User avatar
Rex
Member
Posts: 224
Joined: Thu. Apr. 12, 2007 11:25 pm
Location: Indiana

Post by Rex » Sat. Dec. 17, 2011 6:46 pm

I'm on fire,

I experienced a learning curve with my DS 1500 and had the same "locked handle" and lots of coal in the pan.

I found when shaking, what I believed the grates to be flat during the shakedown, actually the grates were leaning forward. This allowed the coal to slip threw and eventually lodge between the grates. Simply waiting to shake another 12hrs burned out the lodged coal piece allowing to shake again.

So with the shaker handle in the upright positioned, placed the grates leaning forward. Position the shake handle forward the stove, placed the grates flat. So during shake down, I crack open the ash pan door and look up under the grates making sure the grates stay in a flat position during shake down. I get zero coal in the ash pan and feel all the ash gets removed because of the red glow that covers all the grates.

Hope this helps..

 
User avatar
coal bob
Member
Posts: 126
Joined: Tue. Dec. 28, 2010 10:06 am
Location: delaware, oh
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Ds machine basement#4 stove with hopper
Coal Size/Type: Nut anthracite
Other Heating: Propane

Post by coal bob » Sat. Dec. 17, 2011 7:07 pm

On my first shake down I did with this stove ds #4 basement I pulled the handle to far and jamed up the grates, :mad: never will do that again. Now I just use short stokes back and forth have not had a problem since,have not even poked at the coals yet still have a nice red glow under the entire grates after shake downs love this stove , ds rocks :D


 
User avatar
MATTHEW D.
Member
Posts: 237
Joined: Tue. Apr. 20, 2010 1:44 pm
Location: Pottsville, Pa.

Post by MATTHEW D. » Sat. Dec. 17, 2011 7:36 pm

I feel like last season's Kimmel's coal produced a lot more ash at the same temps.
It sounds like the new coal your getting is a lower volatile coal. Not a bad coal, it just takes longer to ignite and burn. Take a piece of unburned coal and smash it. If it is still shiny inside its good coal, just taking longer to ignite. It could actually be a better coal with better results if you tweak things right. It sounds like you are getting some good advice on how to do that.

 
User avatar
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

Post by I'm On Fire » Sun. Dec. 18, 2011 8:52 am

Thanks. I didn't have this odd issue at all last season; it was my first season burning coal. Since changing up the shaking procedure it's been working well.

 
User avatar
SteveZee
Member
Posts: 2512
Joined: Wed. May. 11, 2011 10:45 am
Location: Downeast , Maine
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Glenwood Modern Oak 116 & Glenwood 208 C Range

Post by SteveZee » Sun. Dec. 18, 2011 10:46 am

MATTHEW D. wrote:
I feel like last season's Kimmel's coal produced a lot more ash at the same temps.
It sounds like the new coal your getting is a lower volatile coal. Not a bad coal, it just takes longer to ignite and burn. Take a piece of unburned coal and smash it. If it is still shiny inside its good coal, just taking longer to ignite. It could actually be a better coal with better results if you tweak things right. It sounds like you are getting some good advice on how to do that.
I agree the shiny black glass lookin stuff is the best. Hard, glistening, and hardly any dust on your hands is top shelf coal. It may take a little longer to get lit and rippin, but once you figure out the settings for it, you get allot of heat and for a good long burn too. That stuff in the picture around the piece is trash. Rock, slate and even looks like a bone in there! :)

 
User avatar
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

Post by I'm On Fire » Sun. Dec. 18, 2011 8:39 pm

Yeah, I don't think this is "top shelf" coal. It looks like the same stuff I've burnt since last season.

Post Reply

Return to “Hand Fired Coal Stoves & Furnaces Using Anthracite”