well i did also post this a a guest

i am still trying to figure out the system on posting and how to sign in... anyway i am looking to find out if its ok to supplement my wood with coal in a wood boiler at night to bank the fire. i have lined the bottem with firebrick and have installed a cast iron grate across the bottem for the ash to fall thru and for the under draft... i am looking forward to the advice of those with more knowlage than i have on matters such as these.


regards,
mike dedo

crapgame wrote:i am still trying to figure out the system on posting and how to sign in...

It looks like you figured it out If you have any other questions feel free to ask. Sorry can't help you with your coal question except to say that you possibly damage your grates if they are made just for wood.

I don't think anthracite will burn in the system you describe. If you put coal on your grate, the air coming in from the bottom will just go around the coal and it will not burn. Anthracite stoves require shaker grates, flush with the bottom, that will allow the coal to cover the entire bottom of the firebox. Then the only way for the air to go is through the coal. Anthracite is much harder than bituminous coal, it will not burn if the air is not "rushing through" it. You might get bituminous coal to burn in your stove, but I wouldn't, too stinky & dirty. If you want to burn anthracite, you are going to need to purchase a new boiler, specifically designed to burn it. Harman Stoves make a very nice one.

ok here is my set-up,
i have a air flow regulator on trhe front of my boiler under the door.i lined fire brick on the bottem curve of the boiler and then i placed a cast iron grate on the brick so there is 4 inches between the botton curve of the boiler and the grate... i have essentally made a flat surface 4 inches above a curved surface from a cast iron grate... it seems to me i will have air flowing from the draft regulator under the grate and thru the coal and wood.... will this provide the proper air-flow needed to keep the coal burning? oh and the grate is from a resturant broiler that usually is in excess of 1000 degrees for 15 hrs a day... i cut it to size to make it fit.
6thanks again for any advice!!!
regards,
mike dedo

Hello Mike have you tried your experiment with coal in your wood boiler??

I'm curious how it has worked out. I have a wood/coal boiler that I add several shovels full of mixed-size coal to a blazing fire each night .

In the morning I often have some unburnt coal from the edges of the fire box, but they are hot and ready to ignite, so when I shake the grate and rake the remaining unburnt coals into a pile it ignites and from it I start the morning's fire. I have to use wood to get a blazing fire going again before adding coal, or the coal won't burn.

I have nothing but fine ash in my ash pan/drawer. The leftover coal eventually gets burned completely. I'm sure I'm not using the coal to it's best advantage, but a full fire box in my small boiler will only burn about four hours on wood alone. If I add several shovels, about two 2-gal. buckets full of mixed coal, it will still have a hot bed of coals 6-7 hours later, especially if I close the flue damper most of the way.

I'm currious if you have had sucess with extending your usefull burn time by adding coal to your boiler. I'm also curious if you think the coal fire burns as hot as a wood fire.

LsFarm