How Much Coal Before a Shake?

hotblast1357 · Post by **hotblast1357** » Thu. Dec. 25, 2014 9:46 pm

How many times can you add coal before you do a shake? I tend my stoves either every 12 or every 24 hours obviously depending on OAT.i always shake when I add coal, my question is, can I load coal in 12 hours but not shake till 24? 36? 48? What do you guys do? Maybe I could save some coal by not ramping up so much and shaking... Do I just shake when I notice the stove temp not keeping the same? What could this hurt?

freetown fred · Post by **freetown fred** » Thu. Dec. 25, 2014 9:49 pm

Depends what kinda BTU's you're lookin for--more ash base--less heat

2001Sierra · Post by **2001Sierra** » Thu. Dec. 25, 2014 10:10 pm

If you shake, and lit ashes aren't falling nothing wasted. What you want to avoid is dead areas building up, and not being able to easily remove the ash. Most batch burners suffer from areas that do not efficiently rid themselves of ashes due to design, being rocker or shaker.

Post by **Lightning** » Thu. Dec. 25, 2014 10:54 pm

Yeah.. I dunno.. I would never add coal without shaking first. I think it would develop an uneven burn pretty quick with lowered heat output soon to follow.

Trying to skip a shake with adding coal means when you finally do shake, it may be more difficult to clear the fuel bed of ash..

2001Sierra · Post by **2001Sierra** » Thu. Dec. 25, 2014 11:02 pm

Lightning wrote: Trying to skip a shake with adding coal means when you finally do shake, it may be more difficult to clear the fuel bed of ash..

Totally agree.

Post by **coaledsweat** » Thu. Dec. 25, 2014 11:07 pm

Yup, good way to kill a fire.

ddahlgren · Post by **ddahlgren** » Fri. Dec. 26, 2014 7:12 am

To me it is simple if it needs coal it needs a good shake. The missing coal is ash that needs to be cleared.

hotblast1357 · Post by **hotblast1357** » Fri. Dec. 26, 2014 7:44 am

Ok then, I just didn't know if anyone had good success with it