Successfully Burning Anthracite Coal in a Clayton Furnace
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- Member
- Posts: 61
- Joined: Sun. Dec. 16, 2012 11:43 am
- Location: White River Junction Vermont
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: outdoor US Stoves EF1600
- Coal Size/Type: Nut
- Other Heating: use some wood in woodstove when it gets real cold outside.
I am wondering if he has the same problem I had. My chimney would draw well when the fire was burning hot but the minute I turned it down the fire would nearly go out. Part of the problem was keeping the chimney warm enough to cause enough draft. I would throw a log or two on top and it would light and go for a few hours then once it burnt down it would nearly go out again. I solved my issue by tending my fire more often. Just throwing a shovel full on every couple of hours. I have an outside furnace with an exposed insulated chimney so the chimney has no protection. I don't know if this helps or not but it sounds just like my issue. You might read back to my posts from last year on this thread. There were a lot of good ideas. Keep trying I am sure you will find the cure eventually. I did and wouldn't go back to oil or wood if you gave the stuff to me..... well maybe wood for a romantic fire with a bottle of wine and my wife but that would be the only way.
Lightning wrote:I wish I had a good answer partner.. I think your draft is too low and I'm not sure what you can do in short time to help it at this point.. Whats your draft reading now?? Maybe some others could chime in to help..F.N.G wrote:We'll pulling my hair out again I got nut coal from the new dealer and it a little smaller then from the old dealer witch was more like stove size I guess I had some bag coal from reading coal co and when I opened that it was like the coal from the old dealer so I don't know witch one is right but the problem I'm have I think is the smaller coal and the lack of a good draft I'm not getting the heat out of the stove and it's cold in the house . If I babysit it all day it works but over night it get cold in the house so now the store is close and I need this to work till tommarow what can I do??? And by the way had to hook up the oil burner again it was 59 it the house so I had too
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- Member
- Posts: 38
- Joined: Mon. Dec. 09, 2013 2:14 pm
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Clayton 1600 m
- Coal Size/Type: Nut/stove
So I switched coal to the bag reading coal and poof all is right with the world it the same stuff it get from my old dealer Ritter lumber in Belvidere nj the coal I got from black diamond coal didn't work in my stove but my inlaws took some and it worked for them so must have something to do with my stove so all is well in the world and by the way found some stove size coal I'm going to pick up 2 bags tomorrow it's a little pricier but I want to try it Coast is 11 dollars a 50 lbs bag but I'll try it and see if thay sell it. In bulk. Thanks every one.
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- Member
- Posts: 61
- Joined: Sun. Dec. 16, 2012 11:43 am
- Location: White River Junction Vermont
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: outdoor US Stoves EF1600
- Coal Size/Type: Nut
- Other Heating: use some wood in woodstove when it gets real cold outside.
I recently found out that not all coal is alike. I had been using Blaschak it worked ok I did have some issues like I mentioned before. I recently found a bulk dealer who has his own bagged. He goes down to PA from Vermont hauls a bulk load over to a bagger and then hauls a loose load home. Goes back down with a trailer and picks up the load of bagged. First time I used it I noticed a big difference. Not having nearly as many issues keeping it going and it seems to burn hotter. Also not nearly as much junk(wood chips, rocks) in it. Like my new friend at the coal dealer said "your paying for coal not junk". So I am not surprised with your experience.
F.N.G wrote:So I switched coal to the bag reading coal and poof all is right with the world it the same stuff it get from my old dealer Ritter lumber in Belvidere nj the coal I got from black diamond coal didn't work in my stove but my inlaws took some and it worked for them so must have something to do with my stove so all is well in the world and by the way found some stove size coal I'm going to pick up 2 bags tomorrow it's a little pricier but I want to try it Coast is 11 dollars a 50 lbs bag but I'll try it and see if thay sell it. In bulk. Thanks every one.
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- Member
- Posts: 38
- Joined: Mon. Dec. 09, 2013 2:14 pm
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Clayton 1600 m
- Coal Size/Type: Nut/stove
Well still working on it but I put a pipe down my chimney and that works grate my manometers is reading from 5 to 10 but I'm keeping it at a 6 all was well till this morning stove was out when I woke up so looking at I seen the back liner that we had to plug the holes on was pulled away form the wall a 1/4 inch so I think the draft was going a round the fire not through it. I pull it apart it has a small crack in it so it sits on even so I guess when I rake it shifts the plate and ash gets behind it and holds it away from the wall so dose any one have a fix for this ? and when I get a new one will it happen again?
Thanks for all the help F.N.G
Thanks for all the help F.N.G
- Lightning
- Site Moderator
- 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
I used fiberglass insulation to plug holes and gaps in the front and rear liners. Works really well. I've since replaced the rear liner with one I casted with refractory cement. It has a thin strip of insulation behind it too.
- Lightning
- Site Moderator
- 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
Nope... Fiberglass is good up to and maybe even higher than 1200 degrees.. I have some in a couple places in my fire box, it lasts all winter. Just use the regular pink stuff used for wall insulation.. Works greatF.N.G wrote:I pack insulation behind the plates but won't it melt?
- Lightning
- Site Moderator
- 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
Could be one of a few things... But since its been doing well till lately, maybe ash isn't being cleared enough. Are you shaking until red embers are falling into the ash pan and there is orange glowing downward thru the grates? When the fire goes out, is there a lot of unburnt coal left or is it all burned up pretty good? Maybe the new chimney liner is pulling too much draft and burning your coal up faster?F.N.G wrote:Well stove out again don't know maybe I left it to long ten hours and ideas any help would be appreciated
Try keeping that draft between -.03 and -.05
- Lightning
- Site Moderator
- 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
It takes me about an hour to rebound after loading too..F.N.G wrote:Ok I'll try that and the other thing is that it take almost all day to lighting its an Hour getting it to rebound from loading it with coal
Good job, this helped mine a lot!!F.N.G wrote:Ok so under the front and back plates I put steel over the holes and fiberglass insulation so hopefully I won't get any air by that!!!
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- Member
- Posts: 38
- Joined: Mon. Dec. 09, 2013 2:14 pm
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Clayton 1600 m
- Coal Size/Type: Nut/stove
Well burned good for 3 days. I was at work so my wife was dealing with it when I got home the fire was out . It had a lot of ash it so I think that is it . just giving a up date .