New to the Site, New to Coal!!!

 
JesseLav
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Posts: 14
Joined: Fri. Jan. 10, 2014 11:21 am
Location: Coitsville Ohio
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Hot blast 1357M
Other Heating: Oil

Post by JesseLav » Fri. Jan. 10, 2014 11:31 am

Hello everyone, I'm starting out with coal for the first time, I got a cheap hotblast add on furnace and will have it installed here very soon. Any tips would be helpful for a newbie like me. I already went out and got some stoker from Thompson in New Springfield. Hopefully will be up and running in a few more days (wife won't let me do the install)


 
GA cracker
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Posts: 193
Joined: Sun. May. 15, 2011 6:36 am
Location: Williamsport PA
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harman Mark iii
Coal Size/Type: nut
Other Heating: Central heat and air

Post by GA cracker » Fri. Jan. 10, 2014 11:39 am

Jess,
Cannot help too much because I have a hand fed however, these guys KNOW what they are talking about. They will ask you to post pics in order to help you. Some will be very blunt and direct it's OK (FF ain't heavy he is my brother) all will help if asked is my experience. Welcome and remember it IS a learning curve.
C

 
JesseLav
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Posts: 14
Joined: Fri. Jan. 10, 2014 11:21 am
Location: Coitsville Ohio
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Hot blast 1357M
Other Heating: Oil

Post by JesseLav » Fri. Jan. 10, 2014 11:45 am

Mine is also a handfed unit, I may or may not have put the type I have in correctly, it is a wood/coal combo unit that hooks into the air ducts with a blower motor on it. A nice cheapo to get started with from Tractor Supply.

 
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McGiever
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Posts: 10128
Joined: Sun. May. 02, 2010 11:26 pm
Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Fri. Jan. 10, 2014 11:57 am

I am not a Bit Coal guy, but bit stoker coal isn't what you want in a HotBlast.

You want bigger size lumps...help me out here bit guys. :notsure:
Last edited by McGiever on Fri. Jan. 10, 2014 12:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.

 
JesseLav
New Member
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri. Jan. 10, 2014 11:21 am
Location: Coitsville Ohio
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Hot blast 1357M
Other Heating: Oil

Post by JesseLav » Fri. Jan. 10, 2014 12:04 pm

Any help would be appreciated!! When I went to Thompson they only had the stoker and some really large lump in stock. The lump was probably the size of bricks and made me nervous. Lol. The stoker looked like a better fit, a little bigger than a golf ball in size. So I figured I'd try it out, only got a few hundred pounds of it. According to the manual, it called for nut or egg size if I remember correctly, and the nice lady at Thompson said it should be ok. But again I know nothing about coal as of yet, other than the videos on line and the forums

 
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McGiever
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Posts: 10128
Joined: Sun. May. 02, 2010 11:26 pm
Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Fri. Jan. 10, 2014 12:14 pm

Well, just give it a try then.

I do know Thompson's blend their stoker coal, two coals to have better properties than just either one alone. I think local coal plus some Kentucky coal added. :?: :?:

 
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dcrane
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Location: Easton, Ma.
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Crane 404

Post by dcrane » Fri. Jan. 10, 2014 12:31 pm

welcome Jesse! look forward to seeing some photo's when your ready...


 
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Lightning
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Posts: 14652
Joined: Wed. Nov. 16, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Olean, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: Modified AA 130
Coal Size/Type: Pea Size - Anthracite

Post by Lightning » Fri. Jan. 10, 2014 12:34 pm

Nut or stove size anthracite for that furnace. If you are using bituminous, the bigger is better. Like tennis ball and soft ball sized chunks. The smaller bit will burn, it's just a little more challenging. Some learning curve, just be patient and post your progress. :D

 
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Hambden Bob
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Posts: 8531
Joined: Mon. Jan. 04, 2010 10:54 am
Location: Hambden Twp. Geauga County,Ohio
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Harman 1998 Magnum Stoker
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Blower Model Coal Chubby 1982-Serial#0097
Coal Size/Type: Rice-A-Roni ! / Nut
Other Heating: Pro-Pain Forced Air

Post by Hambden Bob » Fri. Jan. 10, 2014 10:16 pm

Welcome to The Board,Jess! Stick around,we've got some Wild Bit Guys here! Let's see what advice you get over the weekend... :)

 
JesseLav
New Member
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri. Jan. 10, 2014 11:21 am
Location: Coitsville Ohio
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Hot blast 1357M
Other Heating: Oil

Post by JesseLav » Thu. Jan. 23, 2014 3:11 pm

Finally got the Hot Blast installed late Tuesday night, threw in some wood for the evening thinking that I'll start the coal in the a.m. Since it was too late for the wood to get down to ashes. What a bad night, fire got started about 10 p.m. woke up 5hrs later freezing, got fire going again and back to bed. 6 a.m. alarm clock rings, I go check on the fire and it was just a little bit of coals left, that's when I started the coal. I got some coal loaded and burning then finished adding the rest. When I got home from work to my extreme excitement the house was warm, I checked on the furnace and had enough hot coals to go another hour or two!!! First time with coal and having it last me 9-10 hrs made me ecstatic. Now my wife was off of work that day and me being very nervous I had her checking the temp. every half hour to make sure we wouldn't overfire the furnace. Last night was another success and being off today I was able to "baby sit" the furnace which makes me feel good about leaving the house tomorrow for work with the coal burning on it's own. Hopefully I don't run into problems because I'm really enjoying the ease of use.

 
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michaelanthony
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Posts: 4550
Joined: Sat. Nov. 22, 2008 10:42 pm
Location: millinocket,me.
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vigilant 2310, gold marc box stove
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Gold Marc Independence
Baseburners & Antiques: Home Sparkle 12
Coal Size/Type: 'nut
Other Heating: Fujitsu mini split, FHA oil furnace

Post by michaelanthony » Thu. Jan. 23, 2014 3:26 pm

Jesse, that's great news and welcome to the real Rock Hall of Fame! What did the wife say as you were dragging the recliner down the cellar stairs? :lol:

 
JesseLav
New Member
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri. Jan. 10, 2014 11:21 am
Location: Coitsville Ohio
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Hot blast 1357M
Other Heating: Oil

Post by JesseLav » Thu. Jan. 23, 2014 3:29 pm

Ok with all that being said I do still have a question, when I check on the furnaces the coal seems to be fused together into large clumps, I can flip them over and it is really hot on the underside, but the top is still black in color. Once flipped the black side starts to burn again, is this something that happens with Ohio bit coal, am I not loading right, or is this just normal?

 
JesseLav
New Member
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri. Jan. 10, 2014 11:21 am
Location: Coitsville Ohio
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Hot blast 1357M
Other Heating: Oil

Post by JesseLav » Thu. Jan. 23, 2014 3:33 pm

michaelanthony funny you should say that, I do have a older recliner in the room where I would sit and read more and more about burning coal. Still trying to learn not the best way to burn coal, but the right way! Found out YouTube likes to show everyone's way they do it and everyone says it might not be the RIGHT way but it works for them. I do understand every furnace works different, and I need to find the best and RIGHT way for mine.

 
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michaelanthony
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Posts: 4550
Joined: Sat. Nov. 22, 2008 10:42 pm
Location: millinocket,me.
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vigilant 2310, gold marc box stove
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Gold Marc Independence
Baseburners & Antiques: Home Sparkle 12
Coal Size/Type: 'nut
Other Heating: Fujitsu mini split, FHA oil furnace

Post by michaelanthony » Thu. Jan. 23, 2014 3:45 pm

I don't know if you have Anthracite near you but I understand bit. cost less and has a learning curve all to it's own. I use to stay in my basement and check my stove constantly but it is unfinished so I got another stove with glass doors to put in my living room sure saves on watchin' the boob tube...oooooh gottah' go check the stove with the laser thermometer. :lol:

 
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carlherrnstein
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Joined: Tue. Feb. 07, 2012 8:49 am
Location: Clarksburg, ohio
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: combustioneer model 77B
Coal Size/Type: pea stoker/Ohio bituminous

Post by carlherrnstein » Thu. Jan. 23, 2014 4:30 pm

It is normal for soft coal to fuse together. Just poke it and knock it down after you shake the ashes out, then push it to the back and add your fresh coal in there making a tapering pile that is higher towards the load door.


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