Please Help!! Hitzer 50-93

Hi,
This is my first year with coal using the Hitzer 50-93. I have burned over 1 ton of coal since the first weekend in October. I have no idea why I've gone through so much. I called Hitzer, and they told me that the chain setting on the bimetal draft regulator is probably way off. I have ruled out all other problems: my chimney is brand new (triple-wall stainless); the stove doesn't leak air; gaskets and glass are all new. I'd really appreciate some pointers on the settings for that draft control. Thanks.

Start off with 22 balls from the flap end of the chain, don't get to anal with that--22 should work fine (thanx OP)--1 ton since Oct 1??? holy crap--what are you doing w/ ash door vents??--what kind of pipe damper?? How warm are house temps--where is stove located--how big is house--come on dude, gimme some info here --welcome to the Hitzer 50-93 club my friend

Thanks, Fred. My house is a modern, one-story, prefabricated ranch type on a full insulated basement, which is about 3300 square feet total. Ash door vents are shut, and I keep a manual pipe damper completely closed.

Oh and stove is in basement. House stays about 73. I think this is way too much coal. Stovetop is about 450 degrees.

What are you heating with that beast? You've averaged 45 lbs per day...more than a most other people with that model stove, but it all depends what you are doing with it. If you are trying to heat the local church via the fieldstone basement...45 lbs per day sounds pretty good.

Edit: Ok I see you were typing at the same time I was. 3300 sq. ft is a decent size space to heat with a single stove. How warm is the basement? How much fue did you burn per winter before the stove was installed?

Basement ranges from 75 to 80 degrees. Could I still have way too much draft even with a manual damper? My house is atop a 2400 ft hill and it gets windy here. I heated with wood last year. About 20 face cord. Chimney was bad so I replaced it this fall.

cmk9180 wrote:Basement ranges from 75 to 80 degrees. Could I still have way too much draft even with a manual damper? My house is atop a 2400 ft hill and it gets windy here. I heated with wood last year. About 20 face cord. Chimney was bad so I replaced it this fall.

It's possible, but I don't think that is the "smoking gun" for the amount of coal you're burning. You are heating a large space to a relatively high temperature, and it sounds like your wind exposure is a factor as well.

How did you heat this house last winter?

About 20 face cord of wood. Could I maybe try pea coal as there won't be as much air coming through as nut coal?

The thermostat control on the Hitzer should keep the stove at the temperature you want. If the flapper is closed and the stove is still too warm, you have air leaks.

cmk9180 wrote:About 20 face cord of wood.

Did you burn just firewood, or was there some heating oil or propane used to help when the stove burned out?

Just firewood.

Like Rob said, you got a big area there. I take it you have floor vents coming from wood burning?? 40 lbs is about what I go through in the dead of winter heating 2400 sq in a 250 yr old farm house, tightened up as much as possible. You're probably right where you belong use wise--in the dead of winter--I'd bet your basement was a lot warmer during this warmer weather??? You're good on ash vents & MPD in my opinion & that's the most impt. right here This winter is going to be an experiment for you. We all go through it. I go through 3 to 4 ton of nut per season.I think if you crunch the #'s you'll find you will do pretty good with coal--I'm guesstamating--$75.00 per cord of wood unless you're doing TT loads & blocking & splitting yourself---nut in this area is $240.00 per ton + delivery charge--- I would continue with NUT, it's what's recommended for the 50-93 & I have real good results w/ it. Did you speak w/ Dean at Hitzer or go through your dealer?

I have an abundance of "free" wood. Just cost of running saw and hauling. But I work 6-7 days a week and don't have time. Besides, coal is much nicer heat!!!

how was the flap chain--did you need to mess with it?

I could not set it to 22 beads. Chain seems really long. I'm thinking maybe let stove go out and restart it. When it gets to 350 degrees, use that as the 50% power, and set chain so flap is shut there. Will that get me to where I need to be?

cmk9180 wrote:Oh and stove is in basement. House stays about 73. I think this is way too much coal. Stovetop is about 450 degrees.

Well first off finish your profile, where do you live. You have 450* laying a thermometer on top of the stove, right? Now this tells me you do not have a blower on the stove in the rear? How is the heat getting upstairs? How far away from that sorce is the stove? That chain on the rear of the stove means nothing if the flapper is opening when the stove calls for heat and closes fully when it isn't. Everybody is worried about the numbers on that thing and all they are is a referance point. Were you burning wood in this stove last year or did you have a WOOD stove doing the job. Figuring your coal to wood use the average is 3 cord of wood to 1 ton of coal so the way I see it you will burn just under 7 ton and to be exact 6 2/3 ton APPROX. You have been burning for almost a month and a half and used a ton, house at 73*, I really don't think that is bad. Think about how much wood you would have burned 3 facecord of your 20 for the year. What do you think now, still to much coal?