New Guy, New House, New Experiences With Furnace.

Hi everyone,
I am new here... not completely new to wood heating as I had a wood burning stove in a house before. However we just moved into a house that's new to us... built in 98. The house came with a HotBlast 1800 wood burner. We used it a few times with some wood that the prior owner left behind because this house has an electric furnace and WOW do they suck. Coming from a gas home, electric is a joke.
The wood burner heats the house great however, it PLOWS through wood. The prior owner said he tried coal but could never get it to light off and run well. I decided to give it a try anyway. I went and got 500# of Anthracite for like 40$. I tried and failed to light it once. Then went online and found a suggestion for using charcoal. The first time it was some OLD stuff and took a bit to get lit. However, it kept us warm for 3 days. My wife got pretty good at raking it back and adding coal. I don't think between the 2 of us we were shaking it enough though. She ended up going out one day on mu wife when she got home from the store. Just today I totally cleaned out the furnace. The shake grates were out of their holders because of all the crap under them anyway.
I just got her going fully loaded in 10 minutes using charcoal again. Being new to furnaces and coal I don't really know how hot everything is supposed to get. There is a "home saver" thermometer on the stove body. It probably didn't come with the stove. It is on the front of the exposed firebox above the feed door near the flue control. It says best operation with a range of 250* to 475* above that is TOO HOT and below it is CREOSOTE. Not sure if its the same range for my furnace or coal. Last time I could only get the gauge close to 409 once. But always averaged around 300. I was NOT using the power blower except during/after feedings. I also don't really know what settings to use for best output on flue and ash door. There is no feed door vent on this one. Only below the grates on ash door.

Any suggestions would be awesome.

Thanks!

hi and you love coal....
go back to page two. Theres22 pages on a clayton furnace. and below that is 5 pages about hotblast. I run a hotblast.

Page 2 where??? Now ya got me curious.

previous/prior post. Go back a page last post in those two threads was 5 days ago.

welcome,
your hot blast is a US Stove product.

Do a search at top right corner on Hot Blast Furnace or Clayton Furnace, there is 22 pages on-" successfully burning anthricite in a clayton furnace " it seemed to be helpfull for other members