What Have You Learned About Your Coal Unit This Winter?

I've been burning coal (and some wood!) in my basement located Yukon Eagle Klondike furnace for a couple years. This year is the first year I've been home every day to tend the furnace. One big lesson I learned during this bitter winter in Michigan is that was that it not necessarily the temperature I ran my furnace, rather, it was the thermal mass of either coal (or occasional wood) that dictated how much heat the furnace put out. On some really cold days I ran the exhaust temps somewhat higher, thinking that would generate more heat to the house. But much to my surprise one day after reloading, I let the fresh coal heat up slowly and ran the exhaust temp quite a bit lower to reduce clinkers, and what a difference it made in the house temperature. Outside temps were the same more or less. Lesson learned.

I don't quite follow.. Are you saying that having more coal in the fire box generated more heat at the same draft pressure and same primary air setting?

I learned that noticeable gains in efficiency can be had in an AHS Coal Gun (and probably in an AA 130 or 260 as well) by cleaning out the channel that runs between the swirl chamber and the cyclonic separator. Oddly, I don't see this mentioned in the cleaning instructions section of the manual.

Nice DH, I don't think time is the element here. I know for myself I learn things about my HITZER on a daily basis as far as minor/major adjustments when needed or to just let the old girl do what she was designed to do. I do know I'll never become an EXPERT on coal burning & appreciate the hell out of people here sharing their personal knowledge--yep, teachable is the key me thinks:)

I learned that a central stoker heating unit is a lot easier and provides much better heating throughout the house than a hand fired stove. It's not nearly as fun, though.

I agree Dennis.

I've seen that on two types of coal stoves too.

A Harman MKII and a Crawford No.2 .

I've also learned that there can be a great difference in the quality of anthracite between mine's/brands.

Carbon12 wrote:I learned that a central stoker heating unit is a lot easier and provides much better heating throughout the house than a hand fired stove. It's not nearly as fun, though.

Until the grid goes down.

Easier indeed, I'm still out on the better heating through out the house verdict---I guess it all comes down to preference &need & the amount of power outages like Gekko stated

Gekko wrote:

Carbon12 wrote:I learned that a central stoker heating unit is a lot easier and provides much better heating throughout the house than a hand fired stove. It's not nearly as fun, though.

Until the grid goes down.

I learned everything I know about my stove this year. Before mid December I'd never even seen a piece of coal in person, and never burned solid fuel to heat.

I learned what a bad install looked like, and learned how much coal a poorly set Baro can waste.

Overall I learned my wife loves the stove waaaay more than I thought she would, and so do I.

Gekko wrote:

Carbon12 wrote:I learned that a central stoker heating unit is a lot easier and provides much better heating throughout the house than a hand fired stove. It's not nearly as fun, though.

Until the grid goes down.

When the grid goes down the stoker doesn't require any attention at all.

Until the grid goes down.[/quote]

When the grid goes down the stoker doesn't require any attention at all. [/quote]

How so?

It stops working. Unless you have a generator

uhhhhh, cause over a period of outage without a genny--it stops stokin

Fool me once .....

I have a general idea of what's going on at this point.. This year its been mainly a honing of technique and how to respond to exterior variables with predictable results..