Two-Fiddy on the Barrel and a Hundred Less on the Stack

Sunny Boy · Post by **Sunny Boy** » Sat. Oct. 18, 2014 11:35 am

scalabro wrote:Don't fret Pancho...when it's gets consistently below 20*, you will have to learn the routine all over!

This, and as William said, you'll have to experiment. It takes time and making mistakes to learn how your stove and chimney work together, . . and the coal you get.

To throw another factor into the fire, . . I saw a big difference in how the stove acted, and what damper changes were needed, just using a few bags of the Kimmels nut coal from Tractor Supply, instead of the bulk nut coal, that I just found out my dealer always gets from the Mahanoy, PA area breakers.

Paul

Pancho · Post by **Pancho** » Sat. Oct. 18, 2014 11:52 am

scalabro wrote:Don't fret Pancho...when it's gets consistently below 20*, you will have to learn the routine all over!

Yeah....I'm going to need a full heating season to master this stuff. So far so good though (I think).

KingCoal · Post by **KingCoal** » Sat. Oct. 18, 2014 11:53 am

what coal is common out of the Mahanoy breakers ?

Pancho · Post by **Pancho** » Sat. Oct. 18, 2014 11:58 am

Sunny Boy wrote:
This, and as William said, you'll have to experiment. It takes time and making mistakes to learn how your stove and chimney work together, . . and the coal you get.

To throw another factor into the fire, . . I saw a big difference in how the stove acted, and what damper changes were needed, just using a few bags of the Kimmels nut coal from Tractor Supply, instead of the bulk nut coal, that I just found out my dealer always gets from the Mahanoy, PA area breakers.

Paul

Even though I have the stove basically shut down, I have noticed a huge difference between the two sizes of coal. Once winter gets here I'll be burning Reading stove coal solely. But I don't have the options of trying coal from various dealers as we just don't have them available around here like you guys do so, at least for this first season, the coal variables will be minimal.

Sunny Boy · Post by **Sunny Boy** » Sat. Oct. 18, 2014 12:01 pm

KingCoal wrote:what coal is common out of the Mahanoy breakers ?

Steve,
My dealer rattled off three breaker's names in that area that he uses. I only remember the last one - Blaschak. He said they all mine different parts of the same Mahanoy seam and that's why the bulk coal he's been delivering to me for ten seasons now has been so consistent. He said the Mahanoy seam tests as some or the highest carbon content anthracite in the NEPA area.

Paul

Sunny Boy · Post by **Sunny Boy** » Sat. Oct. 18, 2014 12:08 pm

Pancho wrote:
Sunny Boy wrote:
This, and as William said, you'll have to experiment. It takes time and making mistakes to learn how your stove and chimney work together, . . and the coal you get.

To throw another factor into the fire, . . I saw a big difference in how the stove acted, and what damper changes were needed, just using a few bags of the Kimmels nut coal from Tractor Supply, instead of the bulk nut coal, that I just found out my dealer always gets from the Mahanoy, PA area breakers.

Paul
Even though I have the stove basically shut down, I have noticed a huge difference between the two sizes of coal. Once winter gets here I'll be burning Reading stove coal solely. But I don't have the options of trying coal from various dealers as we just don't have them available around here like you guys do so, at least for this first season, the coal variables will be minimal.

Your lack of coal selection has given you a wise choice anyway. You've got enough variables to deal with starting out !

Paul

Pancho · Post by **Pancho** » Sat. Oct. 18, 2014 12:17 pm

Sunny Boy wrote:
Your lack of coal selection has given you a wise choice anyway. You've got enough variables to deal with starting out !

Paul

Absolutely ZERO regrets so far....other than not switching to coal sooner.

Yes, lots of variables but the day to day operation of the stove is much much more simple than wood with a much greater range of operation.

BTW....having a functional check damper appears to be a must on one of these. We've had heavy winds (even overnight) since yesterday and that gizmo makes all the difference in the world.

scalabro · Post by **scalabro** » Sat. Oct. 18, 2014 12:25 pm

Pancho wrote:
Absolutely ZERO regrets so far....other than not switching to coal sooner

So have you started looking for stove number two for your collection yet? Lol

Pancho · Post by **Pancho** » Sat. Oct. 18, 2014 12:28 pm

scalabro wrote: So have you started looking for stove number two for your collection yet? Lol

Yes and I found it but Simon won't gimme his address.

scalabro · Post by **scalabro** » Sat. Oct. 18, 2014 12:30 pm

Pancho wrote:
scalabro wrote: So have you started looking for stove number two for your collection yet? Lol
Yes and I found it but Simon won't gimme his address.

I know where he lives. He's a stove whore, he'll sell it!

Pancho · Post by **Pancho** » Sat. Oct. 18, 2014 12:48 pm

scalabro wrote:
I know where he lives. He's a stove whore, he'll sell it!

Pancho · Post by **Pancho** » Sat. Oct. 18, 2014 6:36 pm

Interesting......I just rotated the grates and topped the fire pot off with coal. MPD wide open, check damper shut, primaries wide open, secondary shut..........and about ten minutes after top-off I got a FWOOOOOOOOP........decent puff back.

It is windy out but I didn't expect that.

Pancho · Post by **Pancho** » Sat. Oct. 18, 2014 6:41 pm

I figured out what happened. Disregard that last post. Nothing to see here....move along.

scalabro · Post by **scalabro** » Sat. Oct. 18, 2014 6:45 pm

Too funny! I used to be able to do that on the Crawford 2 at will.

I could get 4 flames 6 inches long shooting out the secondary air vents

Too bad I never filmed it....it would have been a great YT video.

Problem is now I'm scared to do it with the 40!

lsayre · Post by **lsayre** » Sat. Oct. 18, 2014 6:54 pm

Pancho wrote:I figured out what happened. Disregard that last post. Nothing to see here....move along.

For us who are impaired as to such knowledge (call it 'hand fired challenged'), was the puff because the secondary air was left closed?