I'm Out

lowfog01 · Post by **lowfog01** » Sun. Nov. 29, 2015 4:30 pm

Boy! Well that was a short stay in the "One Match Club" this year. I've been fighting losing the draft the last couple of days and when I went to refresh the Mark I last night a few strokes left the grates jammed open and they weren't moving. There was plenty of fire in the coal bed but when I took my poker to try and loosen the jam, the coal bed poured into the ash pan. This is just a few of the clinkers I dug out.

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I wasn't really trying to clear the ash because I was using it to help slow down the draft. I guess I should have let it run a little hotter. I dug the old coalbed out and will recover that coal for use later in the year. Bummer, Lisa

PS. the Mark II is doing just fine.

Hambden Bob · Post by **Hambden Bob** » Sun. Nov. 29, 2015 4:41 pm

The Marks Brothers always Live to Heat another Day !!

windyhill4.2 · Post by **windyhill4.2** » Sun. Nov. 29, 2015 4:43 pm

Those clinkers are from what brand of coal ?

SMITTY · Post by **SMITTY** » Sun. Nov. 29, 2015 4:45 pm

I had that exact same problem with a batch of Blaschak I had from '11 or so. I had bought an entire truckload (14 pallets), and about half of it had those hard clinker/rocks in the ash. Can't even tell you how many fires I dropped. Talk about PISSED!!

I was fit to be tied the final 2 seasons running the Mark III. I was at my breaking point ...

Post by **Lightning** » Sun. Nov. 29, 2015 4:50 pm

SMITTY wrote:hard clinker/rocks in the ash

I saw some of this in the bagged Blacshack this year also.

Lisa, what brand of coal are you using?
Is it red ash?

joeq · Post by **joeq** » Sun. Nov. 29, 2015 5:29 pm

lowfog01 wrote:Boy! Well that was a short stay in the "One Match Club" this year. I've been fighting losing the draft the last couple of days

Because you're much further south from here, and we're still basking in fall weather, do you think it's due to the warm weather?

CoalHeat · Post by **CoalHeat** » Sun. Nov. 29, 2015 5:34 pm

Sorry to hear, but I think you can stay in the One Match Club if you light something using the fire in the one stove that is still lit and use it to relight the other stove...

I lit the Harman about a week ago, didn't have much coal on hand, I borrowed some from Dave Vig II to keep the stove going until the coal run yesterday. Also been opening and closing windowstats as needed. Down to one open window upstairs right now.

ddahlgren · Post by **ddahlgren** » Sun. Nov. 29, 2015 6:01 pm

I sure hope I did not buy 2 pallets of that madness this year.

lowfog01 · Post by **lowfog01** » Sun. Nov. 29, 2015 6:11 pm

windyhill4.2 wrote:Those clinkers are from what brand of coal ?

It was Blaschak and I think it is red ash - at least the clinkers have a red taint to them. This is the first time I've had this issue with the Mark I. I figure it was combination of the warm weather and me not clearing all the ash out when I shook it. I was only doing a 24 hour refresh. It just fused together.

I'll light it up again on Weds. After that we should stay around 55* to the end of the month. Lisa

Photog200 · Post by **Photog200** » Sun. Nov. 29, 2015 6:16 pm

I was a cat's whisker away from loosing my fire this morning too. I have been tending it once ever 24 hrs., but because we got this cold snap over night the draft got stronger and burned more coal. The fire was almost out this morning. I had a hard time getting all the ash out without loosing what embers I had left. With some kindling I managed to save it. I was already out of the one match club though, back in October we had 70º days, I let the fire go out on purpose.

Randy

Cap · Post by **Cap** » Sun. Nov. 29, 2015 6:18 pm

lowfog01 wrote:
windyhill4.2 wrote:Those clinkers are from what brand of coal ?
It was Blaschak and I think it is red ash - at least the clinkers have a red taint to them. This is the first time I've had this issue with the Mark I. I figure it was combination of the warm weather and me not clearing all the ash out when I shook it. I was only doing a 24 hour refresh. It just fused together.

I'll light it up again on Weds. After that we should stay around 55* to the end of the month. Lisa

It's the weather.. It certainly is difficult to burn a Harman with daytime temps reaching 60F. I come home at 430p and have to work on bringing the fire back to life. The alternative is to use more air all day long and waste coal.

I have been shutting it off if overnight temps stay above 42F-45F. Waste of coal, will use electric.

coalder · Post by **coalder** » Sun. Nov. 29, 2015 6:18 pm

Bought 4 skids of Blaschak, 9600 #, OF NUT. will keep ya posted. Haven't fired up the Harman boiler yet as parlor woodstove has been doing OK. Expect to fire up by Friday.
Jim

lowfog01 · Post by **lowfog01** » Mon. Nov. 30, 2015 1:35 pm

Photog200 wrote: I was already out of the one match club though, back in October we had 70º days, I let the fire go out on purpose. Randy

You may want to ask for a ruling from the Club's rules committee. I'd say there's a difference in you purposely letting the fire go out for stove management and the fire going out for any other reason. Just saying, Lisa

CoalHeat · Post by **CoalHeat** » Mon. Nov. 30, 2015 1:37 pm

Who is on this "Rules Committee" you speak of?

davidmcbeth3 · Post by **davidmcbeth3** » Mon. Nov. 30, 2015 1:52 pm

Pack them up like a X-mas gift and send it to the CEO of Blashack (sp?).

I've had almost softball sized clinkers once ... I was able to scoop it out w/o completely shutting down the stove .. but was a serious issue and a risky job to get it out.

Sometimes I get a "dead" spot and it just grows slowly ... letting the fire go down and panning out the area solves it.

And I have had the same thing happen ... clinkers get caught while shaking. Good times.