New to me combustioneer 77L9

Hello, I have just purchased a Combustioneer 77L9 and would appreciate any advice on the dos and donts for this. It is my first stoker and I would like to burn Bit coal. Also living in central Ohio any info on which size coal and where to purchase good Bit would be great. Thank You, Matt

First thing I would do is contact Dan at <DWesman@willburt.com> and request an owner's manual for your model. You will be looking for stoker coal.

Hi slinger.

Central fuels in New philadelphia may screen the size you need (pea stoker) but Thompson bros. mining in New springfield carries an excellent pea stoker coal for $105/ton double screened and the perfect size, phone # 330 549 3979

These things will work as a "room heater" but really work best when modified a bit and used as an "add-on" furnace piped into your ductwork. They also work better and save coal when used with a big squirrel-cage blower on the back and a "magic heat" type heat reclaimer on the exhaust. be sure to use a barometric damper and set it to -.04 to -.03 for best operation. Make sure that you leave ample loose ash in the firebox - do NOT clean it when you take out the ash, only take out the clinker(s); if you remove too much loose ash you'll have outfires. I like to set the hold-fire timer on it's maximum setting twice an hour to eliminate the chance of any outfires. don't remove any coke either (the softer porous lightweight black/grey chunks) when you remove the clinker. Set the pulley on the lowest feed setting (especially if you use thompson bros. high btu (heat) coal). once the stove has been running for a bit, you want the fuelbed to equalize (fuel being burned as fast as it's coming out) at around 6-8" diameter in the center of the firebox. adjust the air so that this happens and you don't have a smokey flame, you really don't want too much more air than is necessary to equalize the fuelbed and provide a smoke-free flame.

Thank You. I do intend to use it as an add on furnace. I also have a spare blower taken from an old furnace so I will put that to use. Do you connect this unit to a wall mounted thermostat like a gas furnace? Matt

yes, make sure you get one with an adjustable anticipator so that you can prevent temp overshoots in the house. Any other questions, just let us know. let dan thompson know what you're burning it in and ask for the pennsylvania pea stoker, he'll give you the good stuff.

make sure you put an air filter over the fan intake or duct it into your return plenum to avoid any coal ash or dust being blown around your home from the tending of the furnace.

Adjustable anticipator? Is that something that I can buy at Home Depot, or are these types exclusive to solid fuel appliances? Thank You, Matt

Where in central Ohio are you from? The one thing that you need to check is the condition of you firebox, as Berlin said in a different thread many times these were overfired. I purchased one and didn't notice until firing the first time it was junk. The entire firebox just above the brick was bubbled out and cracked.

If it's the one from Ebay in his area, it looked like it had hardly been fired.

I am about 25 miles east of Columbus. The stove is in good shape. Matt