Using less or about the same

Vinmaker wrote:I am burning pretty much the same as always I would guess. The problem with coal is that you need to keep a certain temp fire at all times to run it properly. So you have to burn a certain critical mass in order for the fire to last and burn completely. The warmer days it does seem like a waste to burn it but the only option is let it go out. And it is too depressing for me to look at a cold coal stove. I just love the warm radiant heat too much. Hate it when it goes out and the cellar turns cold. Like losing a close friend.

VIn.

I'm with you on keeping it running. Mine has only gone out once this year (not on purpose) and the cleanup stunk. I felt defeated and it took me a day or two just to stop sulking and re-light Having warmer temps, I could afford to stall for a day or two LOL.

Joe

My first winter burning coal. so far I've burned about 3000 lbs. Was able to keep the house much warmer this year than last. Haven't burned one drop of oil.

Jim Blauvelt wrote:My first winter burning coal. so far I've burned about 3000 lbs. Was able to keep the house much warmer this year than last. Haven't burned one drop of oil.

Nothing wrong with those numbers!

Winter isn't over yet so it's hard to know what is yet to come. But at this point I'd estimate I will use about a third to a half less than last year. My house is always warm. The women like it that way - I find that to be a really great excuse to keep the house warm

I had a strange one a few days ago. The temps were in the 50's so I had the stove running really low. I'd forgotten to put more coal in it and when I realized, there was not a lot of fire left. It was late at night and I considered just letting it go out but opted to throw some more coal in. Well it looked like I'd killed the fire but being so warm out I didn't care, the house was plenty warm. I left the stove with the damper wide open and the bottom door wide open - in the "revive the fire setting" - Heck, the fire was dead.

The stove sat like that for about two days. The weather was so warm out I wasn't going to start it again until needed. Then I get home from work and the temps are dropping so I figure it's time to start a new fire. I got together all the things to start up a new fire and go over to the stove to open the door to clean it out and build a wood fire in it but when I touched it I realized it was still pretty warm. I look at the surface thermometer and the darned thing was running at about 125*F! I looked inside and the fire was coming back to life. I gave the grates a couple easy shakes just to get any ash blocking the airflow out and half an hour later the stove was back up to full operating temps!

So I was siting there thinking about all that and my only conclusion was that the gods of coal stoves were smiling on me. The fire revived at precisely the moment I wanted and needed it! But, if the fire had caught on either day while I had been at work, it could have been a very bad thing. If I had closed the stove up, the fire would have definitely gone out and I would have had to start a new fire - not really a big deal compared with some of the possible alternatives... In the future, I'll never leave the stove with everything wide open like that no matter if I think the fire is out or not. This time the gods were smiling on me, next time, they might be having a bad day...

dj

dlj wrote:... throw some more coal in ... left the stove with the damper wide open and the bottom door wide open ... time to start a new fire ... gave the grates a couple easy shakes just to get any ash blocking the airflow out and half an hour later the stove was back up to full operating temps!

Well there, now you know how to put the fire in storage for the summer and start up again in the fall. You will be the first member of the zero-match club.

It's looking like I'm going to use the 5 tons I started out with. I have about just shy of 2 ton left. That's for burning two stoves though and heating a 225 yr old house on the Maine coast with no oil except for the 5 days that I was away on holiday. The house is fairly large too. I'm plenty happy with my forst full year burning coal.

This is my first year with the AHS 130 boiler so I have nothing to compare it to, I average about 60 to 70 lbs a day but I think it could be more efficient. I have a fair amount of unburned coal in the ash pan. I am reluctant to change anything because so far no Puff backs and I don't want to mess that up! The horror stories I have seen on here make me think a little unburned coal is a small price to pay for no explosions!!

If you don't want to waste the unburned coal you could just sift it out of your ash and put it in the stove again.

Into my second season with the AHS and keeping daily records, I'm using less than last year although not very much less
2010 2011
nov 1150 nov 1091
dec 2050 dec 1700
jan 2100 jan 1927
feb 1700 to date 1500

carlherrnstein wrote:If you don't want to waste the unburned coal you could just sift it out of your ash and put it in the stove again.

I would do that but how do you sift out the burned coal that hasn't gone to dust and the large chunks of burned coal? I would say only about 20% is actually dust.

Get some rabbit fencing & make a sifter, then every time you empty your ash pan--sift it

freetown fred wrote:Get some rabbit fencing & make a sifter, then every time you empty your ash pan--sift it

Stand up-wind! Probably not worth the hassle, unless the amount of wasted coal is significant.

I get a 5 gallon bucket a week out of mine for "seconds". At the moment, I have several buckets in the barn. Every so often I take one in and use it. It's actually coke, so it burns good and hot but probably not as long as fresh coal. The cylinder stove likes it pretty well with alternating scoops. The cookstove makes it.

NWBuilder wrote:

carlherrnstein wrote:If you don't want to waste the unburned coal you could just sift it out of your ash and put it in the stove again.

I would do that but how do you sift out the burned coal that hasn't gone to dust and the large chunks of burned coal? I would say only about 20% is actually dust.

I would use expanded metal the rabbit fence would work but it isnt really that stout.

80% chunks is a lot your coal might be too small for your grate.

SteveZee wrote:It's actually coke ... The cylinder stove likes it ... The cookstove makes it.

A breeder reactor sort of cook stove.