Coal Fatigue
- SMITTY
- Member
- Posts: 12496
- Joined: Sun. Dec. 11, 2005 12:43 pm
- Location: West-Central Mass
- Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520 Highboy
- Coal Size/Type: Rice / Blaschak anthracite
- Other Heating: Oil fired Burnham boiler
My boiler had been in dire need of a scrubbing for over a month now. Sure as hell ain't doing it now!
- Carbon12
- Member
- Posts: 2226
- Joined: Tue. Oct. 11, 2011 6:53 pm
- Location: Harrisburg, PA
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA-6
- Coal Size/Type: Rice/Anthracite
- Other Heating: Heat Pump/Forced Hot Air Oil Furnace
Every week to two, I cut the power, open a nearby door and window, wait for the fire to die down a bit, put on the hearth gloves and take a long furnace brush and do a quick brush down. Seems to make a big difference. Only takes 5 minutes. I shovel out all the fallen fly ash, button the boiler back up and turn her back on. No fuss no muss.
- I'm On Fire
- Member
- Posts: 3918
- Joined: Thu. Jun. 10, 2010 9:34 am
- Location: Vernon, New Jersey
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS Machines DS-1600 Hot Air Circulator
I'm feeling it too. I'm more sick of the cold and snow; another damned snow storm for this weekend supposedly. I'm ready for some warmer weather. But nope. I've gotta place an order for coal here; might be able to go pick it up this weekend after work sometime.
I'm fatigued of hearing people complain about the oil truck visiting their house again and getting looked at like I have 2 heads when I say little black rocks. I'm definitely feeling the cabin fever though, looking forward to the 1 week of cool enough to work outside w/ out breaking a sweat or getting eaten alive weather.
Hum, maybe sick but since I have the Sunnyside in the living room, it never gets cold enough outside. So pleasant to have the house warm 24/24.
Anyway, we are just on March tomorrow , so be real ""coal burner guys"" and thank God to have the chance to de warm.
Anyway, we are just on March tomorrow , so be real ""coal burner guys"" and thank God to have the chance to de warm.
- joeq
- Member
- Posts: 5731
- Joined: Sat. Feb. 11, 2012 11:53 am
- Location: Northern CT
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: G111, Southard Robertson
Is this a reason to convert, or what?Lu47Dan wrote: I need to cut more wood tomorrow as I am about out. I have logs in several piles that all I need to do is cut and split. The problem being my splitter is powered by a Wisconsin TJD 2 cylinder engine,
I have a bunch of small logs 5-7" in diameter that I will cut up tomorrow.
I had a plan to cut up all my wood for this year last fall but pulled two muscles in my right arm doing something dumb and that put me behind. This year I am going to my firewood starting the first dry day after "Mud Season" is over.
Dan.
- freetown fred
- Member
- Posts: 30292
- Joined: Thu. Dec. 31, 2009 12:33 pm
- Location: Freetown,NY 13803
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: HITZER 50-93
- Coal Size/Type: BLASCHAK Nut
Would my 5 gallon pails--FULL-- feeling twice as heavy now as in Sept. fall into the coal fatigue category or the, I'm getting older & I'm sick of all this *censored* category???
- joeq
- Member
- Posts: 5731
- Joined: Sat. Feb. 11, 2012 11:53 am
- Location: Northern CT
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: G111, Southard Robertson
C'mon Fred, you're not getting older, your getting "better". (Remember that one? ) Think of it as exercise. Would you rather be cutting, splitting stacking, storing, and feeding wood?
- freetown fred
- Member
- Posts: 30292
- Joined: Thu. Dec. 31, 2009 12:33 pm
- Location: Freetown,NY 13803
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: HITZER 50-93
- Coal Size/Type: BLASCHAK Nut
Aside from--OK--getting better, yesterday I filled all 12 of my 5 gal. pails & brought them in by the stove---good for this upcoming sub-zero week---I'm sure my back & shoulders will be back to normal come spring--always the optimist I am As far as the wood?????? NAH, been there done that, like many of us:)
- joeq
- Member
- Posts: 5731
- Joined: Sat. Feb. 11, 2012 11:53 am
- Location: Northern CT
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: G111, Southard Robertson
And you did all of this in...what?...10-15 minutes? To "keep" yourself getting...."better", try improving your times, say, every week or so Fred. Maybe next week you'll be able to do it in 8-10 minutes. Wasn't Jack LeLanne an inspiration to you?freetown fred wrote:Aside from--OK--getting better, yesterday I filled all 12 of my 5 gal. pails & brought them in by the stove
- Rick 386
- Member
- Posts: 2508
- Joined: Mon. Jan. 28, 2008 4:26 pm
- Location: Royersford, Pa
- Stoker Coal Boiler: AA 260 heating both sides of twin farmhouse
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: LL Hyfire II w/ coaltrol in garage
- Coal Size/Type: Pea in AA 260, Rice in LL Hyfire II
- Other Heating: Gas fired infared at work
- Contact:
Well I got to keep my voice down here so she doesn't hear me.
I guess I'm spoiled. I got me a great woman at home. Since I've been so busy at the shop, she has taken over most of the coal chores at home. It started a couple years ago when she took over the AA ash pan emptying from her father. I just have to maintain it and sometimes get in the bin and do some shoveling. The light shoveling she does herself.
Out in the garage, I tend to the LL Hyfire II every morning. I do empty the ash pan and refill the hopper. We have a 55 gal plastic barrel in there. I was filling it on the weekends but since I've been working them too, she has even been filling the barrel for me.
The real issue is that I haven't had time to get outside and enjoy this bountiful snowfall. Took those couple days in Maine, but that has been it. I haven't even been outside sledding with the grandkids. I plow the snow on big piles for them and head to work.
Finally having an employee may start to lighten the workload so I can get home before 9:30. But soon enough it will be spring and then the mowing begins.
But without her help, I would be one sore and tired mofo...........
Rick
I guess I'm spoiled. I got me a great woman at home. Since I've been so busy at the shop, she has taken over most of the coal chores at home. It started a couple years ago when she took over the AA ash pan emptying from her father. I just have to maintain it and sometimes get in the bin and do some shoveling. The light shoveling she does herself.
Out in the garage, I tend to the LL Hyfire II every morning. I do empty the ash pan and refill the hopper. We have a 55 gal plastic barrel in there. I was filling it on the weekends but since I've been working them too, she has even been filling the barrel for me.
The real issue is that I haven't had time to get outside and enjoy this bountiful snowfall. Took those couple days in Maine, but that has been it. I haven't even been outside sledding with the grandkids. I plow the snow on big piles for them and head to work.
Finally having an employee may start to lighten the workload so I can get home before 9:30. But soon enough it will be spring and then the mowing begins.
But without her help, I would be one sore and tired mofo...........
Rick
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- Member
- Posts: 286
- Joined: Wed. Jan. 29, 2014 1:42 pm
- Location: N/W Pa. Meadville, Pa.
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Sears circulator air tight stove.
- Other Heating: Crown 115,000 BTU oil fired boiler(house) Weil Mclain 150,000BTU oil fired boiler(Shop)
I do have a plan to convert to coal in the future, but will still keep my wood cutting gear. After all the fire ring does not burn coal efficiently. I probably burn about a two cords of junk wood in it a year. I have a fire almost every Friday and Saturday nights during the spring summer and fall when the weather cooperates.joeq wrote:Is this a reason to convert, or what?Lu47Dan wrote: I need to cut more wood tomorrow as I am about out. I have logs in several piles that all I need to do is cut and split. The problem being my splitter is powered by a Wisconsin TJD 2 cylinder engine,
I have a bunch of small logs 5-7" in diameter that I will cut up tomorrow.
I had a plan to cut up all my wood for this year last fall but pulled two muscles in my right arm doing something dumb and that put me behind. This year I am going to my firewood starting the first dry day after "Mud Season" is over.
Dan.
I have to start gathering materials and equipment to do the switch over.
Dan.