It's Just Too Hot for Comfort ...

I'm doing the opposite. Using the Kimmel's during the warm weather because it makes the weaker draft of warmer weather much stronger . It makes a sluggish stove act more like it's colder outside than it really is. Since we still use the range for all our cooking/baking the Kimmel's helps keep the draft up and the stove better responds to heat demands of cooking when we need it.

Then I mix in more and more Blaschak as the outside temps drop over the next few days.

To help tame the strong draft of my chimney system, I'll switch back over to straight Blaschak when it stays below 30.

One other thing I've learned is where to take coal from the bin can help with the burn rate and length of time, too.

When it gets down in the single digits I shovel coal from the center of the bin where there is a higher concentration of smaller chunks.

Coal pouring from a coal truck shute into the middle of the bin helps sort out the sizes somewhat.

As the coal pours in, the bigger nut coal chunks roll down the outsides of the pile much more easily. So, near the bin walls the average size is larger than right under where the end of the shute was.

By taking coal from the middle of the pile I get a mix that's more like "range coal". Which burns longer in really cold weather because of the higher fuel density in the firebox providing more fuel for the same space. Plus, having a higher amount of smaller chunks helps slow down the burn rate as the colder weather makes the draft get stronger. Much like mixing pea and nut coal, or nut and stove.

Paul

Ok right now I'm 100° just before the bend into the chimney and 150° at the top of the stove. I really need to get an IR temp reader and I'm working in putting a probe in the flu pipe . This is 100% Blashack .

These coal bags sat out in the rain all day and night yesterday and I took the two bags off the top. The first one I opened it was dry except for the light oil that blaschak puts in the coal . No black water rushing out . Almost no fines what so ever . It took longer to get the first layer going than Kimmels so that's a good sign. The temp upstairs is 76° THANK GOD! Let hope it stays this way as the temp creeps down outside . It is also very windy tonight .

I'm going to see how this all steadys out before I do any mix test . There is virtually no odor compared to Kimmels .

I will keep updating about this . I found something I want to address when I shut down in the spring .

The ash access plate below the ash pan is a bit pitted along the edges and has the slightest wobble to it if you touch it which means its not making the antique "air tight" seal its supposed to. I have a feeling this is effecting me a little . it certainly cant be helping me. I am wondering if I can source another one of these plates in a little better condition. If one of you guys don't know of a spare off the bat I will try to call Doug and see what he might have. I would like to see if I could get another plate before I mess with the RTV , although I do have some really awesome cement I could make work well with some wax paper too possibly . we will see .

I don't think that clean-out cover leaking would cause your #6 a problem with getting it to idle down - if that's what your thinking ????

If anything, air leaks around the cover, between the ash drawer and the base heating chamber, should act more like a check damper and slow the fire down by lowering the draft temps and therefore the draft strength.

Some other models of base heater have internal check dampers that do similar to what the leaky cover plate would do.

Paul

I still think you're goin to find it was the kimmels

I would agree with Fred and Paul, it probably was the Kimmel's. As Paul said, the air leak in the clean out cover would act like a check damper because when in base burner mode, that area goes right to the chimney and that would slow your fire down. My check damper is in the ash pan area and does the same thing when I open it. You could try using a rope gasket in that area if you want to seal it off. They make really small gasket that would fit in there.

Randy

You know you guys are right I wasn't thinking about that right . It would act like a check valve. 175° is pretty low to idle the stove at and that keeps the house about 76° when its 60° outside so not bad at all!

This eases my mind a good deal. I get the Magnehelic gauge in Wed. But I'll need to look for some more flu piping or make my own set up. Something fun to look forwards to!

Thanks again for all the input . It's not longer "too hot for comfort anymore " lol .

Nice Josh.

Smokeyja wrote:Some of you might have read that I ended up with Kimmel coal rather than blaschak this year . Well I can't get the stuff to burn bellow 300-400 degrees in my Glenwood 6 . I'm going through coal like crazy. I'm going to have to buy another pallet to make it through the winter . Last night the fire died with less than a 6 hour burn ! My whole family is stuff in bed with the Flu and of course it had to be some super flu this go around and it's the only heat in the house so I'm rather irritated this year .

The problem with burning so hot is I can't keep the upstairs lower than around 85°F which is almost unbearable . Last year , burning Blashak, we could keep it at a nice 75°F . And yes I try to keep windows cracked but then you get that cool draft in the bedrooms and still it's in the 80's .

The dampers stay closed a long with the MPD and it's in base heater mode . I assume I lost the fire due to clinkers but will have to confirm when I feel I have the strength to mess with it today.

It's just amazing to me how much different this anthracite could be than the Blashak I burned last year .

when you get a situation like that, make very small changes in the draft and see it you can sustain it at a lower temp setting. most times that fires go out or overfire, is because the owner makes HUGE changes in draft setting, like from 1/4 to wide open, then wonders why it is burning so hot. make TINY changes in draft until the fire sustains itself, then mark that spot so you know to come back to it. with a spin draft knob on an airtight stove, that is usually in the area of 3/8 turn open, to 3/4 turn open. that's all that's needed. if I were to spin the draft open to 1 full turn, it would be too hot. actually 3/4 is too hot if run there for more than about an hour or two. that's the kind of control a stove should have. if not, then it may have poor draft, or leaky seams, or the mpd and baro are working against it, if it has them. you should be able to sustain a fire in a coal stove even with lousy coal, with the right draft setting

steamshovel wrote:

Smokeyja wrote:Some of you might have read that I ended up with Kimmel coal rather than blaschak this year . Well I can't get the stuff to burn bellow 300-400 degrees in my Glenwood 6 . I'm going through coal like crazy. I'm going to have to buy another pallet to make it through the winter . Last night the fire died with less than a 6 hour burn ! My whole family is stuff in bed with the Flu and of course it had to be some super flu this go around and it's the only heat in the house so I'm rather irritated this year .

The problem with burning so hot is I can't keep the upstairs lower than around 85°F which is almost unbearable . Last year , burning Blashak, we could keep it at a nice 75°F . And yes I try to keep windows cracked but then you get that cool draft in the bedrooms and still it's in the 80's .

The dampers stay closed a long with the MPD and it's in base heater mode . I assume I lost the fire due to clinkers but will have to confirm when I feel I have the strength to mess with it today.

It's just amazing to me how much different this anthracite could be than the Blashak I burned last year .

when you get a situation like that, make very small changes in the draft and see it you can sustain it at a lower temp setting. most times that fires go out or overfire, is because the owner makes HUGE changes in draft setting, like from 1/4 to wide open, then wonders why it is burning so hot. make TINY changes in draft until the fire sustains itself, then mark that spot so you know to come back to it. with a spin draft knob on an airtight stove, that is usually in the area of 3/8 turn open, to 3/4 turn open. that's all that's needed. if I were to spin the draft open to 1 full turn, it would be too hot. actually 3/4 is too hot if run there for more than about an hour or two. that's the kind of control a stove should have. if not, then it may have poor draft, or leaky seams, or the mpd and baro are working against it, if it has them. you should be able to sustain a fire in a coal stove even with lousy coal, with the right draft setting

My problem wasn't a lack of experience in burning coal it or in this stove . It was the difference coal itself which a lot said couldn't be possible . Mainly because a lot of folks use modern stoves and Baros . And it made me second guess myself a little. Read back through the thread when you get a chance and you can see the issue . Kimmels burns hotter for us guys who have antique stoves with strong drafting chimneys . I burn in a Glenwood #6 Baseheater . It's also rated to hear more space than I have . I'm happy I have it all sorted out now though.

Glad you got it sorted out Josh.

Next challenge is to see what percentage of Blaschak to Kimmel's still lets you control the stove, . . instead of the other way around.

Yeah, it's easy to think these antique and modern stoves are more alike, but there is more to it. This points out that the type of coal can make a big difference with some designs, and yet, very little with others. That doesn't mean either old, or new are bad, or not working as designed.

Using an antique stove that has six dampers to control the temperatures of it's eight different heat zones, and having to adjust some, or all, of those temps several times a day, one can get attuned to the stove so well that even minor differences in how coal burns really stands out.

Like they say, "Burning coal is an art."

Paul

Sunny Boy wrote:Glad you got it sorted out Josh.

Next challenge is to see what percentage of Blaschak to Kimmel's still lets you control the stove, . . instead of the other way around.

Yeah, it's easy to think these antique and modern stoves are more alike, but there is more to it. This points out that the type of coal can make a big difference with some designs, and yet, very little with others. That doesn't mean either old, or new are bad, or not working as designed.

Using an antique stove that has six dampers to control the temperatures of it's eight different heat zones, and having to adjust some, or all, of those temps several times a day, one can get attuned to the stove so well that even minor differences in how coal burns really stands out.

Like they say, "Burning coal is an art."

Paul

Thanks Paul! That's a good way of putting it . One thing I don't understand is why a lot don't realize the wide variety of "coal" that is out there . My father works for a power plant. He's their main performance and efficiency engineer . They deal with coal, gas , waste, water and so on . There is so much more to coal than just throwing it in the stove. It's rather amazing . The chemical make up of it, the creation of it and the result of heating with it and the energy these black rocks hold ! I live in Virginia so to be honest I probably could heat my house cheaper with a heat pump and a wood stove for supplement but this right here is what every kid dreams of . It's real life science . Full of fairytales and warmth.

And speaking of warms I had it idled down where there was no surface temp registering at the flu out the chimney or at the top of the stove ! But it was still burning and the firepot was warm. I let it run like that for about 3 hours when I turned up to 175° and let it idle there . It's 29° outside and 76 upstairs and the living room and 70 in the kitchen and dining room. Perfect for us!

Smokeyja wrote:Kimmels burns hotter for us guys who have antique stoves with strong drafting chimneys .

It burns hotter in my 50-93 with a baro controlled flue also. Switched over to straight Blaschak when I refilled the hopper mid day. Even though I turned up the bi-metal control some today the flue temps are lower then what I've seen with the Kimmels recently on a lower setting.

12° outside with a howling wind. 75° inside. Not bad for a 250 year old house.

Well in SE CT it is colder than a ho's heart and going for 2 turns open on primary air and normally run 1/4 to 1/2 to get back to 650 on stove top and 80 in the house. Shifted over to Kimmels finest and running on the proverbial high test.

I got my Magnehelic gauge in . I didn't realize how large it was ! I like it though!
Now I just need to figure placement and make a little metal plate for it to mount it .

So what kind of numbers window should I be looking for here ?

Is that registering your current draft Josh? .13 would suck golf balls through a garden hose.