Hard Starting Coal

Lightning wrote:Yeah hahaha 300 million plus years old.

I do have a manometer and will try it. I am going to pick up some stove coal Monday because the dealer said there is a shortege of nut, (NE Ohio). Just that last season it took me about 1/2 hr to get something going. thanks for the sugestions. One or more of them will get me goung. Bob

Y'all seem to be bouncing around a bit, that is " start up / running , but just to add to the confusion ( if there is any ). I have been burning coal for 40 ( naww it's really 38) years and when I was forced to switch to a new stove ( warm morning 400 -to- Hitzer 35-90 ) I felt rather violated. Heck with all my previous experience burning coal it should be an easy transition, Well it wasn't. The stoves do not function the same. Sooo now at about 5 years, I think I've got it. The secret to my success ? Found it necessary to daily, before adding coal or shaking the grates, I must run an -L- shaped poker under the fire, over the grates, on the left, center, and right. That's it, works for me. Of course normal tending, coal daily, ashes ever second day. Outside today is 33, (how do you make that little degree mark ?) inside 78. It's using a little over a bucket a day. Every third or forth day needs an extra half-a-bucket. Now if I could only find a way to keep the glass (robax) clear ( I get three years and then it's time to change). Structurally it ( the glass ), appears sound but the view gets crappy. This will be the last year for my second glass. With the chimney vent closed and the mechanical vent at, well, it's at where it works great for me, the temp of the stove is around 250 to 275 ( all you smart guys add the degree thingy ) Lets all stay warm......

Well I'll be damned.Slovak,I'm loving it ! To be honest,there were days at the old "House Of Pain" that I felt like calling in a Napalm Air Strike on the tough to get going stove due to a few things,one of which was the lazy chimney dilemma. When I demo'd that palace,I found a worse then thought offset in the vertical chimney path in order to avoid a main beam. All in rough brick to boot ! Be patient,start trying the advice you've gained here,and start ruling things out.....Stay With It !

A little tip on starting the rectangular fire boxes like my Harmon.

Start with a clean stove. Remove all ash, clinkers, and tiny bits.
If the fire has gone out I like to push the pile back and forth keeping the unburned coal in the stove and getting all the ash out. Careful it can be sharp so it will be rough on your hands.
Fill 75% of the fire box with coal. You want about 50% of it at the regular fill level, The rest tapers quickly to a clean clear grate.
Put your sticks, kindling, and tiny bits in this now clear area. Or a good pile of charcoal if you have it.
light wood/charcoal, close loading door, and leave ash door open.
You will have yourself a tiny blast furnace on the one side. The flame will rip... As the fire gets going, just a few minutes. You can start to add coal slowly on top.
Go slow, maintaining flames.
With a little practice. You will have the stove producing heat in about 20 min and ready to be damped back for the night in about 30.

Rob R. wrote:Bob, wood burns with a much higher stack temperature than wood...and will create better draft as a result.

Can you find some bagged Kimmels nut coal? Their coal generally has more volatiles and starts easy. Stove coal is another option if the draft is lazy.

true that...kimmels oils up their coal like a mofu but if you have the same stove and you have blaschak coal I see no other catastrophic event other than draft causing your issues (maybe due to warm weather and your simply not used to using the stove in warmer weather?)

Stanb999 wrote:A little tip on starting the rectangular fire boxes like my Harmon.

Start with a clean stove. Remove all ash, clinkers, and tiny bits.
If the fire has gone out I like to push the pile back and forth keeping the unburned coal in the stove and getting all the ash out. Careful it can be sharp so it will be rough on your hands.
Fill 75% of the fire box with coal. You want about 50% of it at the regular fill level, The rest tapers quickly to a clean clear grate.
Put your sticks, kindling, and tiny bits in this now clear area. Or a good pile of charcoal if you have it.
light wood/charcoal, close loading door, and leave ash door open.
You will have yourself a tiny blast furnace on the one side. The flame will rip... As the fire gets going, just a few minutes. You can start to add coal slowly on top.
Go slow, maintaining flames.
With a little practice. You will have the stove producing heat in about 20 min and ready to be damped back for the night in about 30.

opps...did not mean to shove my post in front of this good advise... clean everything out... start fresh... big square coal stoves are difficult and especially need an even coal bed covering the entire grate surface (with all your hot wood coals underneath this bed of fresh coal)...

true that...kimmels oils up their coal like a mofu but if you have the same stove and you have blaschak coal I see no other catastrophic event other than draft causing your issues (maybe due to warm weather and your simply not used to using the stove in warmer weather?)

That is not at all what I meant, and certainly not what I have observed. My family has taken burned 4+ tractor trailer loads of Kimmel's coal and I have yet to see a single piece that has been "oiled". The coal from that part of the anthracite fields tends to contain more volatile gasses than coal from other areas; it isn't something added by the processing plant.

I too agree nobody oils coal without charging for it. I too bought Kimmel's for years no oil on it ever, it was nut back then 6 years ago or earlier but I liked it in the old Budeus hopper fed.

well the bagged nut Kimmels up here is 100% oiled (its also $9.00 per bag ), it does not say "oiled coal" on the bag but it damb sure has something messy covering it that ignites like the forth of july.
I don't like their bags to much either they are not waterproof and it takes hacking like a lumberjack with a razor knife to open them

dc, I can't imagine KIMMEL's oiling their coal at the processing mine--bagged or bulk--I'm led to believe that some dealers might oil it if requested by purchaser-not mine mind you!--4 yrs ago, I sprayed my bulk BLASCHAK with mineral oil & have not repeated that since. It did NOT go off like fireworks & to tell the truth I saw no advantage in doing it. I don't doubt you have something on your bagged but can't imagine what--Me thinks I'd call KIMMELS or my dealer & ask. My bulk bins are outside & when I SLOWLEY fill my 5 gal. pails, I get little if any outlandish dust--from 5 gal. pail to hod to stove. I'm curious to hear what KIMMELS tells you--does your local dealer bag it or does it come from the mine that way???????????

freetown fred wrote:dc, I can't imagine KIMMEL's oiling their coal at the processing mine--bagged or bulk--I'm led to believe that some dealers might oil it if requested by purchaser-not mine mind you!--4 yrs ago, I sprayed my bulk BLASCHAK with mineral oil & have not repeated that since. It did NOT go off like fireworks & to tell the truth I saw no advantage in doing it. I don't doubt you have something on your bagged but can't imagine what--Me thinks I'd call KIMMELS or my dealer & ask. My bulk bins are outside & when I SLOWLEY fill my 5 gal. pails, I get little if any outlandish dust--from 5 gal. pail to hod to stove. I'm curious to hear what KIMMELS tells you--does your local dealer bag it or does it come from the mine that way???????????

OK... heres some photo's of it (tell me what all that crap is?)... its so oily that it picks up any dust, particles, etc. so each piece of coal is covered in particles... I cant even so much try to lightly pick up one piece delicately between two fingers without them turning wet black? mind you... this is stored under roof and been sitting for months (no way this is water doing this). maybe their coal is naturally oily I will say this is not bad coal and they at least still give 50lb bags (not the 36lb bags that are labeled 40lbs. that blaschak gives). all I know is I don't really care wtf I burn if I can somehow get it for PA prices... ill burn cow poop if need be

Yeah Doug that does seems oily, if you leave it on your fingers for a while does it dry and become dusty/powdery? like, maybe its moisture?

Rob R. wrote:As you look at the single stitching on the bag, cut the first stitch on the right side. Pull the string out of the bag, and pour.

This works for my cat and dog food bags too........

Looks like washed coal to me. I've burned tons of Kimmels and it never had oil on it. Bagged or bulk, both had moisture, certainly not oil though.