Thought I'd through my two cents in as well, (course I won't have any left but oh well. ) It looks like you need to add a whole lot more coal to that stove I burn the exact same model and I'm pretty much loading the coal up until it comes spilling over those 3 bars. Then I pick it up and gently toss it in the back corners until you can't see more than an inch of firebrick except right at the front.
I'm still learning the whole coal burning process but I also ran into a situation this year that I hadn't before. I managed to get an ash bridge at the back of the stove, darn thing would get much over 400 and I was shacking the #*%$#* out of it, those grates don't always break everything up so every now and then I go in from the top and poke straight down throughout the coal bed it made a world of difference, about 30 min later I was roasting at 600+
Other than that listen to these guys man they helped me out a bunch.
P>S> as a note of caution I was giving the stove a good cleaning, poking and prodding the 3 bars clean and pulled out that curved metal plate the runs below the three bars and is where the ash pan used to be on the older models. With the plate out I close the doors and commenced with the shaking and noticed that the u shaped bars that make up the grate, every-other one had fallen out of the holder in the back and I was in serious risk of dumping a fully loaded coal fire into the ash pan I managed to realize what was happening and used a couple pieces of wood to "reach" in and lift those bars back into position, talk about sweating bullets. Moral of the story make sure that the curved metal plate is in place before shaking with vigor .
Rob
Not Feeling the Heat With Vigilant II
- VigIIPeaBurner
- Member
- Posts: 2579
- Joined: Fri. Jan. 11, 2008 10:49 am
- Location: Pequest River Valley, Warren Co NJ
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Keystoker Koker(down)
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vermont Casting Vigilant II 2310
- Other Heating: #2 Oil Furnace
This little frying pan shaped cover?RIArmySGT wrote:Question. If your looking at the stove on the left side there is a small air inlet control. How should I have that set?
It is used introduce secondary combustion air into the side chamber to help fuels with volatiles burn. Fuels like wood and bituminous.
Here's a picture of what Robmail1 described on what a full load looks like from when viewed from the top.
- michaelanthony
- Member
- Posts: 4550
- Joined: Sat. Nov. 22, 2008 10:42 pm
- Location: millinocket,me.
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vigilant 2310, gold marc box stove
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Gold Marc Independence
- Baseburners & Antiques: Home Sparkle 12
- Coal Size/Type: 'nut
- Other Heating: Fujitsu mini split, FHA oil furnace
I am running a return at the oposite end of 1100 sq. ft. ranch, bringing an 8 inch piece of galvy pipe 5 ft down from the floor joist above, ( I had a piece laying around ) I"ve heard that 3 feet would work well. I did see those power vents on amazon for about 35 bucks each, no reviews so unsure. Maybe you can reverse the polarity and have the fans run in the other direction, or dismantle and reassemble the unit. Ill change my cheer, Go Coal!RIArmySGT wrote:I didn't think about a return. I don't know if these fans have a reverse mode. I like them but they are pricey. Btw not a Pats fan. Giants fan here!
- SteveZee
- Member
- Posts: 2512
- Joined: Wed. May. 11, 2011 10:45 am
- Location: Downeast , Maine
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Glenwood Modern Oak 116 & Glenwood 208 C Range
Outstanding Sarg! It's all about the circulation once you've heated up the mass of that concrete. People always think in terms of heat rises, but it's cold air sinking that gets the current flowing.RIArmySGT wrote:Update. So my house is a nice 72 degrees. I was able to install another fan at the end of the house and reverse the fans so its sucking down. It's a great thing when I don't have to turn my boiler on.
- oliver power
- Member
- Posts: 2970
- Joined: Sun. Apr. 16, 2006 9:28 am
- Location: Near Dansville, NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: KEYSTOKER Kaa-2
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 50-93 & 30-95, Vigilant (pre-2310), D.S. 1600 Circulator, Hitzer 254
Last I knew, the Vigilant stove is radiant, and never had any kind of fan, or fan option. OliverRIArmySGT wrote:I have three of those vents around the stove. All with fans in them. I don't have a blower for the stove. I didn't know there was one. The chimney is in the middle of the house.
- SteveZee
- Member
- Posts: 2512
- Joined: Wed. May. 11, 2011 10:45 am
- Location: Downeast , Maine
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Glenwood Modern Oak 116 & Glenwood 208 C Range
External fans Oliver.oliver power wrote:Last I knew, the Vigilant stove is radiant, and never had any kind of fan, or fan option. OliverRIArmySGT wrote:I have three of those vents around the stove. All with fans in them. I don't have a blower for the stove. I didn't know there was one. The chimney is in the middle of the house.