It Never Pays to Do Things When You're ...

coalnewbie · Post by **coalnewbie** » Sat. Dec. 22, 2012 6:45 am

I'm absolutely exhausted too. Every single morning without fail I have to load my AnthraKing AK 110 hopper with about 4 buckets of coal and on a bad day that can take as much as 40 seconds. As if that was not enough I have to bend over and open the ash door and change the pan at least every other day - another 30 seconds taken from my life I can never get back. All this while wondering if the coffee is ready yet. I just can't take this pressure for ever, I'm starting to crack. My wife tells me no one likes a wise a$$. What does she mean by that? Damn, my book "Hydronics for fools" slammed shut, I think I was on page 700 or so, I forget. Don't you hate it when that happens? Guess I will have to start again, just as well the author lost me on page 2.

SteveZee · Post by **SteveZee** » Sat. Dec. 22, 2012 7:55 am

freetown fred wrote:"You know all the nuance of your stove and chimneys." -----And that's the most important part of this whole coal burning venture!! Tired don't come close to cuttin it!

Yep Fred, those nuances feel like lending your scoot to somone. They come over to watch the old place while I'm on the road and you start to explain how to run the stoves.

Then finally just show them the oil furnace thermostat

. It's not rocket science I know but my house has been standing on this spot for 226 years without burning to the ground also. Just feels like I'm the only one capable of running them properly.

freetown fred · Post by **freetown fred** » Sat. Dec. 22, 2012 8:14 am

Point being, I'm sure you're right SZ. Hey cn, now I know why you're always up so EARLY--to get all that HARD work out of the way. PS--it sure saves money on books that way

nortcan · Post by **nortcan** » Sat. Dec. 22, 2012 8:42 am

coalnewbie wrote:I'm absolutely exhausted too. Every single morning without fail I have to load my AnthraKing AK 110 hopper with about 4 buckets of coal and on a bad day that can take as much as 40 seconds. As if that was not enough I have to bend over and open the ash door and change the pan at least every other day - another 30 seconds taken from my life I can never get back. All this while wondering if the coffee is ready yet. I just can't take this pressure for ever, I'm starting to crack. My wife tells me no one likes a wise a$$. What does she mean by that? Damn, my book "Hydronics for fools" slammed shut, I think I was on page 700 or so, I forget. Don't you hate it when that happens? Guess I will have to start again, just as well the author lost me on page 2.

Life is not easy

Burning anth takes so much time

But it's

Have a nice and warm Christmas time

coalnewbie · Post by **coalnewbie** » Sat. Dec. 22, 2012 9:41 am

This is what I am dealing with. Quote from the wife. You seem to be tending the Jotul more often than the AnthraKing, is that because it has a smaller stomach?

MarkV · Post by **MarkV** » Sat. Dec. 22, 2012 9:12 pm

Right before bed is when I empty the ashes from my Franco. I have an extra ash pan because I let the hot pan cool overnight, then dump the cooled ashes into a metal can with a plastic bag liner. Our trash company won't take the ashes unless bagged.

So my routine is, open ash door, remove full pan, set aside, insert empty pan, close and lock door.

Usually once a season, I do this when very tired. Then, the next night, I go to do the ashes, look down, and see two empty pans beside the stove, instead of one.

Yeah. I took out the full pan the night before, but forgot to put an empty one in, and just shut the ash door. And then proceeded to shake the stove two or three times the next day.

CoalHeat · Post by **CoalHeat** » Sat. Dec. 22, 2012 10:50 pm

I have left the house and driven a few miles, then turned around and drove back because I can't remember if I shut the ashpan door on the handfed. It was closed and latched every time. Now I tend the stove well before I leave, then check it before I leave...2 or 3 times. The boiler is a lot less work.

Post by **Richard S.** » Sun. Dec. 23, 2012 2:31 am

samhill wrote:I've already needed my morning cup of coffee so bad I put everything together except putting the pot underneath, it sure does smell good & strong but not fun to clean up when you still need that first cup.

ROFL... I've done that a lot and the worse part is you have to wait longer for that coffee.

Post by **Richard S.** » Sun. Dec. 23, 2012 2:40 am

Wood'nCoal wrote:I have left the house and driven a few miles, then turned around and drove back because I can't remember if I shut the ashpan door on the handfed........

Worse "forgot" for me was getting up at 5AM for this long planned winter camping trip, spending an hour in a vehicle, spending another 2 hours walking uphill through the woods in a foot of snow with a case of beer in my backpack (and that's not a joke) only too get to the spot to find out I left the tent poles sitting at home.

Post by **Rob R.** » Sun. Dec. 23, 2012 8:38 am

Richard S. wrote:
samhill wrote:I've already needed my morning cup of coffee so bad I put everything together except putting the pot underneath, it sure does smell good & strong but not fun to clean up when you still need that first cup.
ROFL... I've done that a lot and the worse part is you have to wait longer for that coffee.

Guilty as well. One time I forgot the pot, the other time it wasn't pushed in far enough to open the "sneak a cup" valve.

joeq · Post by **joeq** » Sun. Dec. 23, 2012 10:18 am

With all the "near miss" concerns of the "infamous" open ash pan door, has there ever been a "non-human" device, (or non-electrical), that's been manufactured, to warn of impending "doom"? I know Murphys law states "build a fool proof system, and only a "fool" will use it." But I'm wondering if flashing lites, or an irritating beeper might be somewhat beneficial. Then again, those ideas sound electrical, and don't think components such as those would survive the extreme heat conditions associated with a coal stove. And me personally am not a fan of excessive wiring running "amuck", if a mechanical solution is more feasible.

Post by **franco b** » Sun. Dec. 23, 2012 10:33 am

The best way is to never open the ash door except to empty the ash pan. With a thermostat the air is automatically adjusted.

samhill · Post by **samhill** » Sun. Dec. 23, 2012 11:12 am

Joeq, don't know if your married or not but all I would have to do is tell my wife to never leave the door open & she would make sure that I never took so much as one step away before she would be yelling at me about closing it.

joeq · Post by **joeq** » Sun. Dec. 23, 2012 11:16 am

samhill wrote:Joeq, don't know if your married or not but all I would have to do is tell my wife to never leave the door open & she would make sure that I never took so much as one step away before she would be yelling at me about closing it.

I "am", Sam and know where you're coming from. Unfortunately (fortunately?) she's not always there for the "reminder".

Post by **Lightning** » Sun. Dec. 23, 2012 11:22 am

joeq wrote:With all the "near miss" concerns of the "infamous" open ash pan door, has there ever been a "non-human" device, (or non-electrical), that's been manufactured, to warn of impending "doom"? I know Murphys law states "build a fool proof system, and only a "fool" will use it." But I'm wondering if flashing lites, or an irritating beeper might be somewhat beneficial. Then again, those ideas sound electrical, and don't think components such as those would survive the extreme heat conditions associated with a coal stove. And me personally am not a fan of excessive wiring running "amuck", if a mechanical solution is more feasible.

These use AAA batteries

Anyone Remotely Monitoring Boiler Temp, Etc.