Question on Alaska Channing III

Hi everyone,
New to this forum and this is my first post. Been researching coal for over a year and finally found a good deal on a used Alaska Channing III. $500!! Looks to be in good shape and can not wait until I can fire it up. I think I might be missing something. I do not see the Auger feeder. There is a pan I can slide. is it a self feeder? Also if someone could tell me a little about the electronics on the back of the stove. I will post some pictures. Also there is a pipe sticking out of the side. Not sure what it is. trying to post pictures. I'll figure it out eventually
thanks
Otis

can someone dummy down this upload. clicking upload attachment choosing file and adding it but no picture.
thanks

Welcome to the forum Otie,

That looks like a good old Alaska stove with the Tri-Burner stoker in it. This is a stoker stove, there is no auger. It self feeds by a thing called a "carpet". if you look at the stoker, you will see a threaded rod with an acorn nut. The carpet is just a flat piece of sheet metal with a 90* bend on the back with a hole in it. the threaded rod goes through the hole in the carpet and is driven back and forth by a small gearbox off of the small blower motor.

The Tri-Burner stoker has been around a very long time and is very popular. From the looks of it, it will need a grate gasket, strongback gasket, stove to stoker gasket and a hopper gasket. You did get the hopper with it right? I don't see it in the pics.

It looks like the 70,000BTU grate on the stoker. I didn't see the pipe you are asking about. The part that says "Feild Controls" on it is likely part of a power venter, if you plumb this into a chimney you don't need (or want) that.

For the price, you got yourself a real nice stove!

Here's some pic's of the Tri-Burner stoker. The carpet. The carpet going back and forth. Motor/Blower/Gearbox. This one has a 85,000 BTU burner, 13 holes by 8 holes. You can get parts from directly from Alaska.
http://www.alaskastove.com/

Also, Jono Ace Hardware stocks Alaska parts.
http://www.jonohardware.com/

-Don

Don,
Yes I do have the Hopper. I do plan on replacing all the gaskets. I just figured out that it was the pan that moved back and forth. I do plan on direct venting or power venting. This stove is going in the basement replacing the Propane stove. The blower on the back of the unit is not part of the direct vent. or will I have to add a power vent? I will add the pic of the tube.
Thank you very much. for $500 and a little TLC I think it will be a nice starter stove.
Otis

On closer inspection, that "Feild Controls" part looks like a fume switch, A good thing to have. The fume switch is wired in line with the stoker motor. If gases backup into the stove due to a chimney blockage, the fume switch opens, cutting power to the stoker.

-Don

A power vent is a seprate device. If you didn't get one with the stove, you will need to buy one. The small blower is the combustion blower, the big blower blows the heat through the house.

The best way to vent any coal burner is through a masonary chimney. If you don't have a masonary chimney, you can put up an insulated stainless chimney or use a power vent.

-Don

otie79 wrote:

IMG_4721.JPG

It's little hard to tell without being there but, if there is only one of those, my guess is that it is where the fume switch mounts.

-Don

If there were two holes/ pipes I would have said hot water coil. But one, thats puzzling! As Don said, it may have been for the fume switch, but I think that stove has a bolt/port in the back for that. If so just remove and/or cap the pipe/hole.

yup only 1 pipe. I think it is for the fume switch too. I'm going to take it apart today or tomorrow and oil motors clean up and put in gaskets. Is this only a rice burner? also can I change the grate if I need more BTU's?? should I get a coal trol and hook up?
thanks
otis

Yup, only a rice burner.

The one in the pics I posted was a 70,000 BTU burner. The grate was cracked when I got it. I called Alaska to get a replacement, they said they didn't stock the 70,000BTU grate any longer but the 85,000BTU grate is a direct replacement. The blower, motor and gearbox are the same to. The only difference between the two is the amount of holes in the grate.

If you do a little research on this site you will find all kinds of things people have done to Tri-Burners. Removing the squirle cage and placing a seperate combustion blower on there is a popular mod. You could also run it on a percentage timer and a thermostat rather than the rehostat. It would be best to just get it running first before changing the basic design though.

-Don

StokerDon wrote:

otie79 wrote:

IMG_4721.JPG

It's little hard to tell without being there but, if there is only one of those, my guess is that it is where the fume switch mounts.

-Don

It almost has to be, my channing III is a paddle feed and does not have that and I doubt its a option, must of came with the tri-burner models and been eliminated when they switched to the paddle feed design