Hello All

I purchased a used Memco boiler this fall expecting to be burning wood this evening. Spent a poor mans fortune hooking it up and had a chimney fire after two weeks of use. Swore never to use it again and stared at it in disgust for a couple of weeks before I decided to do some research on burning coal. My research brought me to this site where I read, tried, read, tried and read some more. I am now on my third ton of coal which I bought from Freddy via a craigs list add and am already having sleepless nights thinking about his Axeman boiler, but for now I must be content with my Memco. The Memco is working after 3 firebox renovations, weeks of fire watching and lots of coal . Nonetheless I thought it was time I surfaced, said hello and expressed my thanks to those that have provided such informative reading material for this coal newbie. I have no idea why, but I think coal is working its way into my veins. I know of nothing else that would have me standing on my head at 5 in the morning, shaking grates, shoveling, fiddleing with drafts and enjoying it. My dad whom spent many years over a coal forge would be tickled if he were here today. Thanks again and I look forward to yacking with you all.

Congrats on the boiler install! I don't know much about hand fired boilers, but there are a handful of members here who have them in case you need assistance. Great to hear that you have come around to coal!!! No creosote in coal, so you have made a great choice.

Nice K

Welcome to the forums and the dark side.

Nice boiler you have there. It does however look like you could put more coal in it.

Welcome Keving!
Thanks for standing up and introducing yourself and admitting your addiction.
You're among your own kind here!
-Len

Thanks all, 30 degrees here tonight so I'm going easy on the load, I normally fill her til it runs out the door.

Welcome! I am also from Maine, in Tenn. now, but I have 3 of those useless thing in my backyard Downeast. I see you put the boiler plate in to block the flow out of the chimney. That is good. I would think the pieces on the sides would be blocking heat from getting into the water as well. But, that is a nice looking fire you have there. I have one Memco in excellent shape, I put a new coil in it when I got it. I also have 2 doors for mine. One with the hole and one without.
I know you probably got it for nothing and it will teach you how great coal is, then move on to a real coal boiler and you will be amazed. If you have a barometric installed that would be a big improvement over mine because I did not put one in until my Harman. I had just a MPD.
Let me know if your interested in parts or another one. I will be back in Maine on the 24th through the 30th of this month.
I am in the Machias area and know a few people from DI, mostly athletes I played with and against in basketball and softball over the years. Still remember playing in the old gym (the lobster trap) and my senior year was the first year for the new gym.

Kevin

Hi Kevin,

Yes I heard nothing good about the Memcos since I bought this one, never really heard specifics though. It seems the path of least resistance is up the pipe. I put the firebricks on the side of the unit thinking it was the proper thing to do but still not sure if the steel needs the protection or not. I do have a barometric damper in this one along with the manual damper which I put in when I switched to coal. The way the wind howls down here it would suck the coal up the chimney without one. At this point I am using 60 or so pounds of coal every 24 hours which is no more effecient than my oil boiler but I can see the potential with a more effecint unit. It seems improvements could be made to this unit to make it more effecient, I have already found out that the firebox is large enough for me to get my head in with a welding helmet on so the experimenting will continue. No doubt I will move on when I can find a fixer upper or a reasonably priced unit. I was more than impressed with Freddys Axeman in effeciency and design.
You must be a few years ahead of my because my class was the first to do all four years at the new school with the new gym. I played Jh basketball in the old lobster trap gym. By the way the basement of that place was full of coal and disposed of many years ago. Nice yacking with you and if I hack up my memco in the name of experimentation to badly I just might need some of those parts you got.

60 lbs. per day doesn't sound bad at all for January. And is certainly not bad considering that you live in Maine. I'm averaging 60 lbs. per day so far in January, and I only live in Ohio.

It took me a while to get the hang of using my stove at first but now I wouldn't give it up. Except for maybe a newer model. Its an addiction. I find myself thinking of it while at work. The only problem with having a coal stove is you only get to mess with it twice a day.

Keving wrote:Thanks all, 30 degrees here tonight so I'm going easy on the load, I normally fill her til it runs out the door.

Are you burning nut or pea?

Hi Larry,

I should have added that my oil boiler still kicks in between fillings unless I do everthing just right. I am trying to dicipline myself to tend the stove every 12 hours and depending on my air setting and the amount of trash in the coal she doesn't always hold temp for 12 hours. On the weekends when I am home to tend it during the day I probably use 80 pounds with no furnace activity. Just recently I have started filling her to the door, letting her get hot and then shutting off most of the air, that seems to work best and I almost think it is using less coal. The air setting is very touchy and if I shut off to much air I lose my temp and the oil boiler takes over. I have also just switched from nut to pea coal and that seems to be working better at holding the fire and temp for 12 hours.

LOL, I drive my coworkers crazy at work jawing about my coal boiler. I am glad to hear I'm not the only one.

Hi Keving and welcome to the forum. Most of us are former or recovering wood burners. This will be good experience for you hand tending this boiler. Dreaming about Freddys boiler can be dangerous and expensive. It's a great boiler. I think you'd find a stoker much nicer to use. None of the shaking and air adjusting etc. Just light it, fill the hopper and empty the ashes. Something to think about for next season. There are lots of good used stoker boilers around that make it easier on the wallet to make the switch.

Hi Coalkirk, I'm sure the shoveling and shaking gets old after awhile but for now I enjoy it. I have been selling my firewood to support my new habit. I must be confused, I thought the Axeman 130 was a stoker? Anyhow I am sure I will come across something sooner or later along those lines.