Stove and Heat

Don't assume that the operator will know how to use an MPD correctly either. Install the baro,tell the folks it is strictly a coal burner.

windyhill4.2 wrote:Don't assume that the operator will know how to use an MPD correctly either. Install the baro,tell the folks it is strictly a coal burner.

No offense windy, but the pastor is dealing with 'low income' people. If they run out of coal, and it's cold outside, and they don't have enough money for coal, if it will fit in that sove and burn.....it's going in. There's nothing hard about running a MPD, just close it some til the fire slows down. Eazy Peazy.

The bad side of when the draft drops with an MPD closed,it's been gone over many times. I ran an MPD in my wood stoves,i now run a baro in my coal stove,someday I may be able to purchase a fancy dancy stove with a thermostatic damper like FF has. then I won't need either of those controversial additions.

All I've ever run is a MPD. On wood and coal. No manometer either.

Even if there is no chimney fire, creosote/ash buildup could alter the draft adjustment and/or interfere with the proper operation of a baro.

Plus, setup for best draft for coal, a baro will likely need readjusting to a higher mano number to keep a wood fire burning hot enough to maintain proper chimney temps to prevent creosote condensation.

Paul

This chimney is sucking so good that a full charge is only lasting about 6 hours. Dad sometimes works 10 hour days.

I have to get this thing up to at least 10-12 hour days. Mom doesn't know how to work a coal stove and won't go in the basement. Spiders live down there don't ya know? Night before last I stopped by to check it and it was chugging like no tomorrow. The air inlet was open a sliver and it was 600 on the top. I told him to let it go out tonight and I will come over tomorrow and use furnace cement and seal up the slots in the firebox that let in secondary air. Too many slots, too much air. Great if your burning bit or wood or even ant coal with a weak chimney but not so good with a strong chimney with any fuel!!! This stove worked just great the way it is in the first installation which was a row home that had an internal shared chimney with a weak draw.

I am going to start with an MPD and check the draft from wide open to completely shut. Dad will have to put in a full charge, get going and set it before he leaves for work. I have to get this stove to at least 11 hour burns some way some how.

And for informational purposes, the stoves I am putting in ARE multifuel stoves capable of burning just about anything you can shove in them that have BTU value. These stoves go to people who are in all ranges from 100% on disability to working some hours or working full time but still can't make ends meet because they are getting minimum wage. They are keeping their houses at less than 50 because they can't afford the electric if they rent and fuel oil if they are lucky enough to have an operational system. Twice I have been able to fix hydronic systems and get them operational again. They could never have afforded to have an HVAC or plumber type do the work.

I work for a cup of coffee and a couple of nice words at the end of the day. Stove and Heat Ministry buys the parts.

If they can't afford coal they Definitely can't afford to buy wood!!! What they tend to do is scavange demo sites and get what wood they can carry and then take it back home and hand saw it into usable chunks and burn lumber ends and splits and pieces. They will do whatever they have to do to keep their family warm. We have had 6 houses burn in Ashland Pa in two months. Funny not a single one was caused by malfunctioning stoves, furnaces, or boilers. 4 of the six were due to electric space heaters being too close to combustibles. In 10 years there has not been a single fire due to a stove, furnace, or boiler. When I find out a home is being heated with portable space heaters I make a pitch. 9 out of 10 is a strike out for one reason or another. That 10th one is what we do this for. Check the photo's above again and look at Grandma's face and you will know why Stove and Heat Ministry exists.

Thanks for the info, and please let us know what happens.

It is not possible to make a solid fuel heater fool-proof. Good points about the baro and creosote, and also about an MPD not being used property.

My $0.02 is that creosote happens silently, until it finally blocks the chimney or there is a chimney fire. If for some reason the MPD being fully closed causes a draft failure on a warm day, at least the CO detectors can alert the occupants. If the chimney drafts like you say, draft failure/reversal seems unlikely.

When the Dwyer gets here I'll be able to hook it up and get some numbers. Meanwhile today I am going over and cementing those secondary air slots shut. The stove is getting way too much air for anthracite coal. The stove was originally designed for bit so it let s in LOTS of air.

Rev,
What about a mix of smaller sized coal in with whatever size is being used now ? Is that something the owner can do in this situation ?

That would not only slow the draft through the firebed, it would give a bit more fuel density per loading = longer burn times.

Filling fireboxes, and 5 gallon buckets, and then carefully measuring on an accurate scale, I've found that nut coal is about 10% more coal by weight in the same space as stove coal. Maybe a similar weight percentage increase for buck compared to nut ????

Paul

Good idea Paul - but you have to be careful about puffbacks with the smaller sizes.