Alask Company Old Kodiac Coal Fireplace Insert

Once the fire is going good you should be able to just heap on coal till the fire box is full. you don't have to be so fussy about spreading it out. A picture of the fire box and grate would be helpful.

Glad the info helped.
I wouldn't mess around with wood to start the fire. I find using matchlite charcoal (the kind pretreated with lighter fluid) to be the easiest way to start a coal fire. Dump enough charcoal in to cover the entire grate surface area then pile it like you would to light your grill. After you light it and all the coals have caught and are burning spread them out to cover your grates. Now shovel coal over the lit charcoal about one layer thick. Let that coal catch(you'll know because you'll start to see blue ladies). Gradually add additional layers of coal until the box is full. Initially add layers slowly and conservatively but as the fire catches you can layer with larger amounts of coal. It usually takes me about 30min to start a first time fire. I keep the ash pan door all the way open until my fire catches then I shut that door but leave the door vents open until its going well. Then I set them for the stove temp I want. I also leave the glass door vents set slightly open to keep my glass clean and to help burn off the coal gas safely. Never ever leave the stove unattended with the ash pan door open. The fire can run away pretty quickly and result in over fire......not good. I'm surprised nut coal clogs your grates. Are you sure its truly nut size? Usually that size works well in hand fired stoves. Are you sure you have proper grates? Well hope this helps. Hang in there and good luck.
Gian4

Thanks Gian4. I apologize for not getting back to my posts for so long, but work and getting ready for the Christmas Holidays was a little over whelming.

I have had some good and bad days. I am totally frustrated in that this seems to be more of an art than science. Meaning, I like when something is repeatable.

For the life of me I cannot figure out what is working consistently, every time seems to be different.

I have had a several fires that were good, but still having trouble reviving the morning fire, and getting the damper set to where it produces heat.

I think I may not have been loading it to capacity properly. Once the fire starts I have just been putting a layer on and letting that burn, because I seem to be somthering it too much when I try to add more.

Your suggestion for using charcoal starter is what I am going to try next.

I have been using stove (fist size) while ash, lately and have a a bulk load being delivered in a couple of days.

Jreeves54,first off are you sure you have good coal?just remember not all coal is created equal,2nd,how's is your draft(without a good draft coal will not burn real good)did you check to see if your rope gaskets on the doors are tight(put a dollar bill between the door and stove close and lock now try to pull the bill out it,if it does with relative ease then you may be getting air leaks above the coal bed)3rd,after you get a good coal fire going(for me this takes 2+ hrs)fill up the fire box all the way to the top of the fire brick.coal fires are not like wood you control the heat output with the amount of air you give the fire not the amount of fuel,and if you can post pics(like the others have said) of the inside of the stove it may us see a problem.Keep us posted.Keepaeyeonit

PS,did you by chance grow up in NE Ohio?

Keepaeyeotn, thanks for your help. I am thinking you may be right about the coal (good or bad). I am using anthracite white ash.

I seem to be able to get it started well enough now, but can seem to only keep it going about one and an half days. While I will have an eight inch diameter of hot red/orange coal bed, it seems that adding coal smothers it out. I have to unload all coal an start over.

Yesterday I went through about a dozen cut up 2x4s and several logs it just seemed that I could not get the heat intensity to last. I would get a good bed of embers and put on a layer of coal, but just seemed to putter out.

the outside condition is cold but no wind, but I can feel there is draft coming in at the ash drawer, and smoke/fire is vertical.

I have started to shake down often and vigorously to ensure airflow up through the coal bed. But, it just seems that the heat intensity is not happening, which I am assuming related to poor draft because of the outside conditions.

Hmmmm... This reminds me the same problem I had with my furnace when I started burning coal.. Same exact symptoms. It would burn awesome for about a week, then it would just slowly choke to death and I would have to clean it out.. I discovered air passages between the coal bed liner and the fire box. As ash would accumulate in the coal bed, combustion air would find the path of least resistance and bypass the grates causing the fire to starve. My solution was to plug these air passages with fiberglass insulation. I've since kept the same fire for three months... My advice to you would be to hunt for any places that your combustion air could be bypassing the grates.