How to Light a Hand Fired Coal Stove

MidnightMadman wrote:IS IT POSSIBLE that this coal has a problem.

Anything is possible. Take some of those bigger pieces and break them down put them on the concrete put a rage over it and smack em with a hammer. Smaller pieces should start easyer.

MidnightMadman wrote:Im wondering if my heat reclaimer is slowing the draft down to much? It seems to have a good howel to it though.

You need to check your draft with a manometer to know for sure. I think maybe you are right! With a draft that is marginal on warmmer rainy days it is stealing to much heat from the chimney and killing your draft. Take it off and put a barometric damper there it will help you keep more heat in the house then the reclaimer. In my oppion!

Razzler wrote:

MidnightMadman wrote:IS IT POSSIBLE that this coal has a problem.

Anything is possible. Take some of those bigger pieces and break them down put them on the concrete put a rage over it and smack em with a hammer. Smaller pieces should start easyer.

MidnightMadman wrote:Im wondering if my heat reclaimer is slowing the draft down to much? It seems to have a good howel to it though.

You need to check your draft with a manometer to know for sure. I think maybe you are right! With a draft that is marginal on warmmer rainy days it is stealing to much heat from the chimney and killing your draft. Take it off and put a barometric damper there it will help you keep more heat in the house then the reclaimer. In my oppion!

Really? I didnt know that.

Ok. I gave it one more shot. I cut up some oak plywood into 1" strips. I had a pile in there and it was blazing I MEAN blazing. The coal underneath was glowing while the wood was blazing, as the wood died out the coal lost its glow... and now it fizzled away AGAIN.

Can you get a different brand of coal to try? That would be the first thing to try. Then take the reclaimer off if the coal didn't make a difference.

Midnightmadman you have a PM

My coal delivery is coming today. I will try shoveling all that old coal out tonight and try the new coal. Should I leave the reclaimer on for now and see if it works tonight?

Everything worked so perfect the other night. BUT it was about 18-20 degrees out. Its about 35-40 today and yesterday

You can give it a try with it still on. Worst case you have another day of frustation.

MidnightMadman wrote:Ok. I gave it one more shot. I cut up some oak plywood into 1" strips. I had a pile in there and it was blazing I MEAN blazing. The coal underneath was glowing while the wood was blazing, as the wood died out the coal lost its glow... and now it fizzled away AGAIN.

I had a really difficult time getting my coal to light also. My Harmon dealer recommended that I do several things.

1. Get a coffee can of small pieces. I bought nut size coal but he stated that epa size lights easier.

2. Build a fire from hardwood splits. So I bought quarter splits of oak

3. I laid newspaper then small splits of cedar shims. when these were blazing I put on three splits one at a time til thes were all blazing.

4. I dumped the coffee can of coal in the middle of the fire and waited for ti to light. When it was well lit I added another coffee can full of small pieces of coal. It took 3 hours to get a full live fire with the bed full to the top of the fire brick.

Coal takes high heat to light.

OK I tried to light with out the basket and still no dice. I can hear the draft and I have gotten the stove temp up tp 550 degrees I tried once when the fire was really blazing and hten tried again when the fire was starting to go out but I had lots of really good redcoals from the wood fire...very frustrated, any other suggestions?

I just got my premium coal delivery. The guy told me the brand I bought in the bags to hold me over (KIMMEL) was junk and this stuff will make a big difference... we will see tonight!

This stuff is nice and uniform size... and SHINY and covered in some kind of oil! LETS SEE IT GO UP!

My next try has started and it seems to be going as planned.

OK. Same problem... I can get the coal to glow orange, but it wont get past that stage. No flames and it just isn't getting hot enough.
I think its a draft problem.

You are keeping the load door close and only opening it to put coal on and closing it right after?

Razzler wrote:You are keeping the load door close and only opening it to put coal on and closing it right after?

yes. I am really frustrated at this point. I even unplugged that heat reclaimer. Could something be clogged or maybe my cleanout tee?
Or could the grates be getting too clogged up? I had them completely clean before each attempt.

It could be the recaimer as i said before. Do you have a small fire in the middle of the grates right know? try covering the rest of the grates up with coal like a 2" layer all around the fire so you can't see the grates.