How to Light a Hand Fired Coal Stove

Did you try opening a window in the room that the stove is in? Fire maybe starving for air if you have a good tight house. Is there any tipe of a clean out on the chimney that could be open? Check to make sure the chimney is clear.I would try taking that reclaimer off and put a barometric damper in it place. And check the draft with a manometer! I would think with a 30' chimney you should have no problems with draft.

MidnightMadman wrote:Yes, much colder. And the chimney is class A stainless steel. 30'

Did you take the cover of the clean out in the stove? You have a Harmon TLC 200? You need to warm the flue in order to get it drawing. Devil 505 recommends lighting newspaper in the clean out to warm the flue. I used a hair dryer in my baro damper for 15 minutes to warm my flue. I have 25 to 30 feet over the thimble that is where I vent this stove into the clay lined flue.

First check is the cleanout tee outside on the chimney. . The bottom has about 3/4" of ice and ashes.

OK. just took the rest of the inside pipe apart and everything looks clear and fine.

Something I forgot to mention.. after my heat reclaimer, I convert to double wall black pipe because I am 10" from my ceiling. I COULD get about 12" more of single wall going vertical after the reclaimer, but the elbow and the 12" horizontal need to be dual.
Should I change the 12" vertical to single? or will that not matter much

Is the reclaimer free and clear? Can you loose it and see what happens?
Do open a window and see how it works

Everything is out. I dont want to attempt this again until I have a section of pipe to replace the reclaimer if I need to. I will try opening the window.

Im at it again... I split up some nice wood and looks like thigs are working, but what I noticed is this... my first couple of layers of coal seem to glow nice and have some flames... but the more I begin to add the more the draft seems to be disapearing. I tried poking some holes down and it seems to help. I just added a few more splinters of split wood and have it blazing again. I hope this works.
I dont think it is a "DRAFT" problem, but something is slowing the actual draft down as the fire builds. I noticed my stove temp wont get above 200 also.

Nevermind, the last batch of slip wood has this coal BLAZING hot and there is no chance of it dying this time!!! SUCCESS! Stove temp is climbing FAST

Keep loading it until you have it up to top of the brick and blazing, then you can close the ash door and set the damper.

Razzler wrote:Keep loading it until you have it up to top of the brick and blazing, then you can close the ash door and set the damper.

ITS BLAZING! I love it. I left the heat reclaimer on also.... I was talking to my father in law and he agreed that if I had it going once it should go again.
I also, opened the window in the room, maybe more draft. I am pretty confident the split wood was the trick....
I dont have a damper.

Stove temp is 400 and I closed the ash door and have the slots open all the way. I will close them down 1/2 soon right?

MidnightMadman wrote:I also, opened the window in the room, maybe more draft.

This may have bin the problem all along! If you have the coal to the top of the brick and it's blazing good then you can close the ash door and close the "damper" slider on the door. Half way should be a good starting place. Just remember that when you change the damper setting it will take 45 minutes or so to see the results in the fire. Good job! on getting it goin...

Razzler wrote:

MidnightMadman wrote:I also, opened the window in the room, maybe more draft.

This may have bin the problem all along! If you have the coal to the top of the brick and it's blazing good then you can close the ash door and close the "damper" slider on the door. Half way should be a good starting place. Just remember that when you change the damper setting it will take 45 minutes or so to see the results in the fire. Good job! on getting it goin...

I was at 1/2 closed and my temp is at 550 and climbing! I am now closed down to 1/4

Priceless...........

Just got home. I left the vents about 3/8 open and the stove is blazing at about 650. Is that ok?