Godin Large Round Fired UP!!

 
User avatar
vmi1983
Member
Posts: 236
Joined: Mon. Mar. 28, 2011 1:55 pm
Location: Wadhams, NY
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Godin Large Round/ La Belle Epoque
Coal Size/Type: Nut/Anthracite

Post by vmi1983 » Wed. Dec. 18, 2013 2:48 pm

Got through a -9 F night and been enduring very cold single digit nights.

I had just installed a "Godin Belle Epoque" in the central room... Hey it's a nice stove but small, kicking 650 F on sides, but it cannot heat as well as the Vigilant II.

Thus, the Large Round will be moved to the central room, the smaller Godin goes back to rear of house. I have no concerns, the larger Godin will provide adequate heat to this old house. Both stoves are charged and the coal should be consumed before dawn. By tomorrow this time, the Godins will have been swapped and firing strong.

Matt


 
User avatar
Sunny Boy
Member
Posts: 25517
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 1:40 pm
Location: Central NY
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Anthracite Industrial, domestic hot water heater
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood range 208, # 6 base heater, 2 Modern Oak 118.
Coal Size/Type: Nuts !
Other Heating: Oil &electric plenum furnace

Post by Sunny Boy » Wed. Dec. 18, 2013 3:31 pm

Sounds like it's working out well.

Very pretty stoves !

I came close to getting a Godin about 1980 to replace the leaky potbelly stove I had I my first house. Wife decided "we'd" rather spend it on having kids instead. Four daughters later I was too broke to get even a well used Petit Godin. :roll:

I'm way ahead on that trade-off though. :D

I see in your first pictures your using a nice old kitchen range "water heater" to keep coal in. Those were designed to cover the two round burner plates over the firebox of kitchen ranges to heat large amounts of water quickly. My girlfriend's family still has the old one they used for canning.

Very fitting that yours still sees use in connection with a coal stove. ;)

Paul

 
User avatar
vmi1983
Member
Posts: 236
Joined: Mon. Mar. 28, 2011 1:55 pm
Location: Wadhams, NY
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Godin Large Round/ La Belle Epoque
Coal Size/Type: Nut/Anthracite

Post by vmi1983 » Fri. Dec. 20, 2013 10:12 pm

Sunny Boy wrote:Sounds like it's working out well.

Very pretty stoves !

I came close to getting a Godin about 1980 to replace the leaky potbelly stove I had I my first house. Wife decided "we'd" rather spend it on having kids instead. Four daughters later I was too broke to get even a well used Petit Godin. :roll:

I'm way ahead on that trade-off though. :D

I see in your first pictures your using a nice old kitchen range "water heater" to keep coal in. Those were designed to cover the two round burner plates over the firebox of kitchen ranges to heat large amounts of water quickly. My girlfriend's family still has the old one they used for canning.

Very fitting that yours still sees use in connection with a coal stove. ;)

Paul
Hey Paul,

Five daughters, three sons later, a move to far northern NY, and extreme oil prices, forced me to go with coal... I know how you feel!

 
User avatar
vmi1983
Member
Posts: 236
Joined: Mon. Mar. 28, 2011 1:55 pm
Location: Wadhams, NY
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Godin Large Round/ La Belle Epoque
Coal Size/Type: Nut/Anthracite

Post by vmi1983 » Fri. Dec. 20, 2013 10:32 pm

The Large Round has been moved to the central location and the little Octagon to the rear of the house. Boy the large round is very impressive. It throws more than enough heat. All the lower rooms are comfortable, t-shirt-applicable.

With practice, I have found the Godin is super easy to maintain, pretty efficient, and can deliver the heat. It's 24 F now, which in my world is fairly warm.
My sense is the Godin will perform admirably in the single digits, and ok in sub temps.

BTW, someone wrote that the Small Round Godin delivers as much heat as the Large Round. From my experience, that is not the case, not even close...
I ran the little octagon in single digit and sub temps and it could not keep the central location warm.... it's ok for pleasant weather, but not in very cold conditions. It's a good room heater, it's warming the small rear room in the house and a bed room up top...

Matt

 
franco b
Site Moderator
Posts: 11416
Joined: Wed. Nov. 05, 2008 5:11 pm
Location: Kent CT
Hand Fed Coal Stove: V ermont Castings 2310, Franco Belge 262
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood Modern Oak 114
Coal Size/Type: nut and pea

Post by franco b » Fri. Dec. 20, 2013 10:58 pm

I am curious why you replaced the Vigilant. Last year I think you felt it was doing the job well.

 
User avatar
vmi1983
Member
Posts: 236
Joined: Mon. Mar. 28, 2011 1:55 pm
Location: Wadhams, NY
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Godin Large Round/ La Belle Epoque
Coal Size/Type: Nut/Anthracite

Post by vmi1983 » Mon. Dec. 23, 2013 1:13 pm

franco b wrote:I am curious why you replaced the Vigilant. Last year I think you felt it was doing the job well.
My friend Wadhams Ironworks needed a second stove, so the Vig was moved across the river to his home. I felt the Large Round is a more than adequate replacement, and this has proven to be the case. It's a bit more efficient heat monster and requires less effort to shake down. I can easily run the Large Round at 750-780 F which warms the house nicely.

We have found that the Belle Epoque is burning very nicely at a stack temp of 200 F. Load it with stove-coal, ring the fire-pot with nut, and maintain a good heat, and the fuel burns to nice fine ash.... the smaller Godin is kicking 550 F off the top.

On really frigid days, we will throw coal-stove in the Large Round as well.

Chrisbuick sent to me a Godin manual from the 80's. Recommended coal for both stoves, nut or stove size...

Matt

 
User avatar
vmi1983
Member
Posts: 236
Joined: Mon. Mar. 28, 2011 1:55 pm
Location: Wadhams, NY
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Godin Large Round/ La Belle Epoque
Coal Size/Type: Nut/Anthracite

Post by vmi1983 » Mon. Dec. 23, 2013 4:23 pm

With low ash-content coal, the large Round is just a breeze to shake down.... open the fire door, insert my tool, rake the ash forward, shut door, shake ash into
the pan. BTW, I have discovered it is best to gently shake the ash, requires very minimal effort.... the Large Round is humming along.... blue ladies licking up to the secondary air port...

I was warned that this stove is temperamental...I have discovered this is not the case. But, I am grateful to have learned using the Vigilant II.....


 
User avatar
vmi1983
Member
Posts: 236
Joined: Mon. Mar. 28, 2011 1:55 pm
Location: Wadhams, NY
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Godin Large Round/ La Belle Epoque
Coal Size/Type: Nut/Anthracite

Post by vmi1983 » Wed. Dec. 25, 2013 3:01 pm

-10 F after night fall.... the Large Round kept the old house warm. That's all I can expect. I burned a bit of smaller stove sized coal, but mostly nut. The kitchen was a bit chilly, but over all I am very pleased.

The Belle Epoque, man I hate that name, so from here on out, I will call it a Small Round, burned well for it's size and kept the rear room and up top bedroom tolerably warm.

The Smaller unit has opening settings of 1, 2, 3, 4. There is no turn dial. I burned stove and nut, some of the stove was too large, so I am going to have my sons crack the coal to nut-size. The idea is to discover the most efficient way to shake down the stove. Ideally, I would like the coal to burn to soft clumps and fine ash.

My problem is that's not happening. Some unspent coal is dropping into the ash. I have removed some large chunks of partially spent stove-coal....
I am now running the stove at a setting of 4 which produced a stack temp of 200 F. I hope by burning the stove "hotter", all the coal will burn. I am not anywhere close to over-firing the unit, not by a long shot. The MPD remains shut.

If anyone can offer help, I would appreciate it. I am looking for a method to burn all the coal and reduce the number of times I need to lower the fire-grate.

Thanks,

Matt

 
User avatar
vmi1983
Member
Posts: 236
Joined: Mon. Mar. 28, 2011 1:55 pm
Location: Wadhams, NY
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Godin Large Round/ La Belle Epoque
Coal Size/Type: Nut/Anthracite

Post by vmi1983 » Fri. Dec. 27, 2013 8:06 pm

It's a rare day the 3721 doesn't burn all the coal... today, one small half burnt piece was jammed in the grate.
No big deal, but the 3721 Large round has burned flawlessly this season. I rarely need to drop the fire grate.... If there is a larger chunk , I simply insert the tool and crush it down against the grate, and drag it forward. I am still using the hook tool to drag the rear ash onto the grate. With such good coal, shake-down is still a breeze.

The Small Round requires I remove the larger harder obstructions by use of a similar tool by lowering the fire grate, dragging the hard clumps out and scooping them into a metal bucket. After a few more weeks, I make a special sized tool to crush the lumps.

 
User avatar
vmi1983
Member
Posts: 236
Joined: Mon. Mar. 28, 2011 1:55 pm
Location: Wadhams, NY
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Godin Large Round/ La Belle Epoque
Coal Size/Type: Nut/Anthracite

Post by vmi1983 » Sun. Dec. 29, 2013 11:43 pm

Well I am getting to know the Belle Epoque a little better. Each morning I open the fire grate and gently rake forward and scoop any hard clumps. I don't get clinkers, so the coal is burning well. In fact I could simply crush the clumps with a tool, and then shake down the finer ash. But anyway, I remove the larger pieces, and close the fire grate, and that's that.

Later in the ash has fallen onto the grate. I shake down the ash gently, ensuring I do not allow unburnt coal to tumble onto the grate. Just shake it until I see a few red coals drop into the ash pan, and then I recharge with a few layers, and the little stove keeps on trucking.

The idea is to observe how well the coal burns, and later I hope to get to that magic point where I will rarely need to lower the fire grate for clean out.

Matt

 
User avatar
vmi1983
Member
Posts: 236
Joined: Mon. Mar. 28, 2011 1:55 pm
Location: Wadhams, NY
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Godin Large Round/ La Belle Epoque
Coal Size/Type: Nut/Anthracite

Post by vmi1983 » Sun. Dec. 29, 2013 11:53 pm

I changed the thread title to include the Belle.

 
User avatar
vmi1983
Member
Posts: 236
Joined: Mon. Mar. 28, 2011 1:55 pm
Location: Wadhams, NY
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Godin Large Round/ La Belle Epoque
Coal Size/Type: Nut/Anthracite

Post by vmi1983 » Thu. Jan. 02, 2014 2:10 pm

Temp today of - 2 F with low of - 15 or more... next day even worse, going to -20 to - 25 F. Time to bring out space heater, must keep the old house liveable.

The large Godin is blasting 780 F and shall be for the next two days... The air inlet is opened 2/3 rds of a turn... loaded with nut up 5" below the flue.

Getting to know the Belle Epoque even more.... burns are very stable, and I am using the small tool to crush the soft ash clumps. I am inserting the thin rod
through the fire grated and gently crushing the clumps.... shake down is a breeze, the fine ash drops through the grate. But I am still learning...

On these very cold days, I need to tend the stoves often, adding small scoops of coal here and there.... must optimize heat out-put.

 
User avatar
vmi1983
Member
Posts: 236
Joined: Mon. Mar. 28, 2011 1:55 pm
Location: Wadhams, NY
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Godin Large Round/ La Belle Epoque
Coal Size/Type: Nut/Anthracite

Post by vmi1983 » Fri. Jan. 03, 2014 1:45 am

Wow! It is bloody cold outside, at -15 F on back side porch (enclosed)....

I have been fighting what seemed like a loosing battle. The Large Round needs to pump more heat. So I finally loaded her up to 3 inches below the flue and set the air inlet back to 1/3 opening. I don't recall ever loading the Godin with that much coal. According to the manual, I could load it to just below the flue, but I fear it may cause the stove to runaway and overheat. My guess is if there is more coal burning but at a slower rate, the stove will produce more heat. Not sure on this.
I can always open the air inlet a tad. Need to learn more, because tomorrow is going to be even colder. Need to see just how well the large round can kick out more heat safely. My manual rates the Large round at 40,000 BTUs... it would be nice to get close to that out put, but I cannot over fire the unit....

This is new territory for me.... I usually load the stove to just above the mid-point in the pot....

Anyone Godin user out there, I'd appreciate your guidances.....

Matt

 
User avatar
just peter
Member
Posts: 222
Joined: Sun. Nov. 20, 2011 3:22 pm
Location: North Holland, The Netherlands.
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Weso 225 C3, Susler Altan, Wasseralfingen 440, Susler Altan
Coal Size/Type: bituminous coal,

Post by just peter » Fri. Jan. 03, 2014 7:31 am

Here in europe, the large godin is rated for 10Kw, so say about 34000 BTU.
Sorry I don't have better news.

Peter.

 
User avatar
vmi1983
Member
Posts: 236
Joined: Mon. Mar. 28, 2011 1:55 pm
Location: Wadhams, NY
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Godin Large Round/ La Belle Epoque
Coal Size/Type: Nut/Anthracite

Post by vmi1983 » Fri. Jan. 03, 2014 12:50 pm

just peter wrote:Here in europe, the large godin is rated for 10Kw, so say about 34000 BTU.
Sorry I don't have better news.

Peter.
Hi Peter Thanks.....

My my, I am learning.... stayed up all night. Sometimes I feel like I never burned coal. What am I most afraid of? Answer I do not want a runway stove; I never want to over-fire the Godins. So I pulled out the manual which Chrisbuick kindly reproduced for me, it's from the era when the Stone Ledge Company imported the Godins. When all else fails, follow the directions.

On the Large Round, and with a half filled good burning pot, I layered in fresh charges until the coal was just below the Flue. With each load, I opened the air inlet two revolutions, waited for the coal to ignite and reset the inlet back to 1/2 opening. The fire pot has more coal burning thus more heat, but the air flow is restricting, not going to get a runaway fire, no way. More area on the stove is kicking heat.

Tonight looking at -15 F with wind chill advisory at times to -25 F..... going to keep the Large Godin loaded to the hilt, hopefully it will keep the home a bit warmer.


Post Reply

Return to “Imported Hand Fired Coal Stoves Using Anthracite”