Tell Me What to Do, Please

Stack effect of house 2nd floor is part of your draft issue...
More pipe is needed...
You could play with the 30 lbs you have but...
you will need more to fill the stove and get it to burn...
For any amount of time...
Try it with the stove in direct draft...

Run it with the direct draft open even though the manual says "DO NOT" ?

Walmart carries a "cowboy" type charcoal...Royal Oak, in a red bag w/ yellow print.

Stamp wrote:Run it with the direct draft open even though the manual says "DO NOT" ?

Yes, especially since you flue pipe doesn't appear to be high enough.

Your stove appears to be a Hitzer knockoff. Apparently (from what I've found) some of the people that make your stove, used to work for Hitzer. They left Hitzer and started their own business.

If you search 'hitzer troubles' in the search box at the top right, you will see that several had better success with the stove in 'direct draft' mode.

You can always put it into 'indirect' mode after you get a good fire going if necessary.

Hope this helps, Don

Look for Hitzer 55 or hitzer 82 when searching.

This thread will describe the 'restrictor plate' that I asked about earlier: Help Needed With Hitzer 55

As others have stated, your chimney needs to be at least 2 to 3 feet higher than that second floor roof. Otherwise the chimney will never pull enough draft through the coal bed to keep a fire going.

The other problem with your coal fire is that the coal bed needs to be much deeper. Basicly you need to fill it up to the top of the firebricks once you get the coal fire going.

Here's a trick you can try when you get more coal. Since your chimney is a bit on the short side, you can get a better draft if you put more heat into the chimney. Get a good HOT charcoal or wood fire going in it with a 2 to 3 inch bed of coal on the bottom. Once the fire gets going good, start adding coal, a layer at a time, until you get to the top of the firebrick. Leave the stove in DIRECT DRAFT mode, give it lots of under fire air. This will waist some heat but you are using that heat to keep a good draft.

-Don

I started with a wood fire until I got some nice coals in the bottom and then started adding the coal, until all 30 lbs(approx) I had was in. I have the direct draft open, regulator all the way at 9, stack temp is currently 211. Here's a pic of inside the firebox and one from the ash pan view to see the glow. What do you think so far? I'm going to get ready and head to TSC to get more coal in about an hr. Would you leave direct door and regulator as is while I'm gone? Also when I was burning wood I kept a box fan running to circulate the air, should I with the coal? After the stack is a certain temp?

Some may disagree, but no fan at the stove, I say.

Put fan far from stove on the floor (far end of hallway) and on slowest speed push cooler air toward stove's general direction for more even heat distribution.

Thomas12980 wrote: also it was told to me to empty the ashpan when you see a layer of ash. the heated ash still gives off gases which can smother a coal flame.

That's the first I've ever heard of this. Note to self: empty pan more frequently.

Stamp wrote:I started with a wood fire until I got some nice coals in the bottom and then started adding the coal, until all 30 lbs(approx) I had was in. I have the direct draft open, regulator all the way at 9, stack temp is currently 211. Here's a pic of inside the firebox and one from the ash pan view to see the glow. What do you think so far? I'm going to get ready and head to TSC to get more coal in about an hr. Would you leave direct door and regulator as is while I'm gone? Also when I was burning wood I kept a box fan running to circulate the air, should I with the coal? After the stack is a certain temp?

Stamp that looks much better!. Don't forget to close the ash pan door before you leave. Get as much coal as you can, guesstimate a bag a day or in the extreme cold 10-12 bags/week. Do as told with the fan and hurry back you're in for a nice surprise Get a bag of lump charcoal if you can.

tmbrddl wrote:

Thomas12980 wrote: also it was told to me to empty the ashpan when you see a layer of ash. the heated ash still gives off gases which can smother a coal flame.

That's the first I've ever heard of this. Note to self: empty pan more frequently.

No thank you, I will let my ashes and hot coals in there until they cool and stop gassing off.

After a shakedown, I do grab the ashpan and shake it vigorously to level out what is in the pan though.

michaelanthony wrote:

Stamp wrote:I started with a wood fire until I got some nice coals in the bottom and then started adding the coal, until all 30 lbs(approx) I had was in. I have the direct draft open, regulator all the way at 9, stack temp is currently 211. Here's a pic of inside the firebox and one from the ash pan view to see the glow. What do you think so far? I'm going to get ready and head to TSC to get more coal in about an hr. Would you leave direct door and regulator as is while I'm gone? Also when I was burning wood I kept a box fan running to circulate the air, should I with the coal? After the stack is a certain temp?

Stamp that looks much better!. Don't forget to close the ash pan door before you leave. Get as much coal as you can, guesstimate a bag a day or in the extreme cold 10-12 bags/week. Do as told with the fan and hurry back you're in for a nice surprise Get a bag of lump charcoal if you can.

I agree, that does look a lot better than the previous picture.

SWPaDon wrote: After a shakedown, I do grab the ashpan and shake it vigorously to level out what is in the pan though.

I do the same just to keep the ash from contacting the grates. I did have an unusual puff-back a few minutes ago. Added coal and let it catch before I poked and gave it a shake. Left it be for a bit and came back and opened the MPD and indirect to get a more lively flame and poof, a big whoosh. Primaries were 1/4 open. Not accustomed to those.

Cancel that plan, TSC is all out of Coal