My 2016-2017 Heating Thread

 
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CoalisCoolxWarm
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Post by CoalisCoolxWarm » Tue. Nov. 22, 2016 7:33 pm

corey wrote:Today pulled at my probe from the flue it was coated in a brown runny liquid. I thought coal did not make creosote? I cleaned it suckered it back in then checked it a while later. The brown liquid was back on it.
When is the last time you burnt wood? You are burning anthracite or bituminous now?


 
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Post by corey » Tue. Nov. 22, 2016 7:37 pm

Burnt some red oak Last week. Burning bit now even after I cleaned and put back in it was coated in the brown liquid.

 
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CoalisCoolxWarm
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Post by CoalisCoolxWarm » Tue. Nov. 22, 2016 7:57 pm

corey wrote:Burnt some red oak Last week. Burning bit now even after I cleaned and put back in it was coated in the brown liquid.
Without seeing it personally I can only estimate, but if it looks like creosote to you, I would say you have an alarming level of creosote in your flue/chimney (!) that is melting with the coal heat.

I would be concerned about two things in that regard.

1. Removing the build up of creosote to promote chimney health and prevent any possible flue fire with whatever fuel you are using

2. Why do you have such HIGH temps in your stack when burning coal?

Maybe because you do wood + coal, you can't really use a barometric damper?

I have never used this product, maybe someone can chime in here with experience in removing creosote, but here is a link for you: http://askthechimneysweep.com/2009/03/creosote-problems/

 
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Post by corey » Tue. Nov. 22, 2016 8:07 pm

I just cleaned the chimney last Tuesday and installed new black stove pipe.

Been burning straight bit coal since Friday. I get no smoke out the door no oozing of creosote out of pipe. I wonder if it could possibly be moist exhaust from the bit coal. Usually I get smoke spillage when the chimney need cleaned but I'm not seeing that.

 
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Post by corey » Tue. Nov. 22, 2016 8:30 pm

I'm just confused I've never had this brownish liquid. My chimney was in good shape last week when I clean it. It just like the coal soot has a little water in it.

 
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CoalisCoolxWarm
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Post by CoalisCoolxWarm » Tue. Nov. 22, 2016 9:17 pm

I'm not an expert on creosote or chimney cleaning, so best to have someone else who is, please help out here?

What is your stack temp and draft?

 
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Post by corey » Tue. Nov. 22, 2016 9:24 pm

CoalisCoolxWarm wrote:I'm not an expert on creosote or chimney cleaning, so best to have someone else who is, please help out here?

What is your stack temp and draft?
Burning bit my probe runs 200 to 400. Burning wood I back the air back when it hits 500. I seem to have strong draft no smoke out load door. The chimney really shoots the smoke out also.


 
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Post by lsayre » Wed. Nov. 23, 2016 2:24 am

Coals lesser than anthracite can make creosote. It is called coal tar.

 
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Post by corey » Wed. Nov. 23, 2016 10:04 am

lsayre wrote:Coals lesser than anthracite can make creosote. It is called coal tar.
I had a thought it could be that. I have some creosote spray I'll use more often. I'm keeping in mind that probe goes right thru the pipe center.
I'm not seeing signs of weaker draft and I've always had draft problems when it's time to clean. Right now I could run myself out of the house if I wanted too. I'm usually running a stove temp of 250 to 350. Yesterday I run it up too 470.

 
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Post by Ky Speedracer » Wed. Nov. 23, 2016 10:54 am

corey wrote:I'm just confused I've never had this brownish liquid. My chimney was in good shape last week when I clean it. It just like the coal soot has a little water in it.
For what it's worth; I primarily burn KY bit (some anthracite but NEVER wood. My chimney is an old unlined brick chimney). I also have a strong draft. I have six feet of 8" flue pipe connecting my stove to the chimney that has a baro damper and a oil furnace flue in line before it gets to the chimney.
This will be my 3rd year burning coal and I have never had anything that would even resemble tary liquid in my flue pipe.
My flue pipe and chimney will get a layer of soot build up in it that will fluctuate from about 1/2" to 3/4" thick throughout the season. Once that layer is established it will run like that all season (my season is only about 4 months).
I've checked the house chimney each season and have never had to even clean it. I run a brush thru the metal flue pipe when I disconnect at the end of the season. Then when I start with a clean pipe, It will usually take a couple of weeks for it to build up that layer. I just pull the cap off of the end of my flue pipe (I have a tee at the stove end with a cap on it) about once a month just to check it.
With all that said, my guess is you have a thin layer of hard creosote that was existing in your chimney from wood burning that is causing your issue. Maybe the soot from the bit is reacting with it somehow causing it to melt.
The biggest thing that I do when burning bit is when I reload, I make sure I have hot hot coals. I actually do pull most of the hot coals forward and leave a thin layer in the rear. I usually bank to the rear of my stove. I open my secondary air all the way up for 20 to 30 minutes to burn off the releasing volatile gasses (by doing this I get very little smoke). Then as the stove starts to heat up I begin backing the secondary air down. But, I NEVER close off all of the secondary air to bit coal. If I want to slow the burn down more, I open the baro up as much as needed and run just a sliver of primary air.
In my experience, KY bit burns much like wood. It doesn't really need primary air for long normal burns. Primary air just burns up the coal faster and makes the stove run hotter.

 
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Post by corey » Wed. Nov. 23, 2016 11:05 am

Ky Speedracer wrote:
corey wrote:I'm just confused I've never had this brownish liquid. My chimney was in good shape last week when I clean it. It just like the coal soot has a little water in it.
For what it's worth; I primarily burn KY bit (some anthracite but NEVER wood. My chimney is an old unlined brick chimney). I also have a strong draft. I have six feet of 8" flue pipe connecting my stove to the chimney that has a baro damper and a oil furnace flue in line before it gets to the chimney.
This will be my 3rd year burning coal and I have never had anything that would even resemble tary liquid in my flue pipe.
My flue pipe and chimney will get a layer of soot build up in it that will fluctuate from about 1/2" to 3/4" thick throughout the season. Once that layer is established it will run like that all season (my season is only about 4 months).
I've checked the house chimney each season and have never had to even clean it. I run a brush thru the metal flue pipe when I disconnect at the end of the season. Then when I start with a clean pipe, It will usually take a couple of weeks for it to build up that layer. I just pull the cap off of the end of my flue pipe (I have a tee at the stove end with a cap on it) about once a month just to check it.
With all that said, my guess is you have a thin layer of hard creosote that was existing in your chimney from wood burning that is causing your issue. Maybe the soot from the bit is reacting with it somehow causing it to melt.
The biggest thing that I do when burning bit is when I reload, I make sure I have hot hot coals. I actually do pull most of the hot coals forward and leave a thin layer in the rear. I usually bank to the rear of my stove. I open my secondary air all the way up for 20 to 30 minutes to burn off the releasing volatile gasses (by doing this I get very little smoke). Then as the stove starts to heat up I begin backing the secondary air down. But, I NEVER close off all of the secondary air to bit coal. If I want to slow the burn down more, I open the baro up as much as needed and run just a sliver of primary air.
In my experience, KY bit burns much like wood. It doesn't really need primary air for long normal burns. Primary air just burns up the coal faster and makes the stove run hotter.
It could be reacting with the thin layer of wood creosote. I still wonder if it's were the probe is in the very center of the pipe.

I find the same thing with my stove about needed hardly any primary air. It really get going hard when it's open too far.

 
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Post by corey » Wed. Nov. 23, 2016 1:22 pm

Ok I looked threw the probe into pipe. I do have thin layer of creosote looks ve r you think. It could be turning to gas were the coal is dry is guess.

 
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Post by corey » Thu. Nov. 24, 2016 11:47 pm

Calling for 46 this Saturday. By next Tuesday it calls for 68 then cooling back down. I think I'll keep the fire going. I can make the stove idle with this coal. Finally learning how to do that. With it not going out or cooking me out. I pretty much run on low usually morning time I increase stove temps.

Edit. Not lost the fire since last Thursday. Sometimes I do have to throw kindling in to help it out.

 
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Post by corey » Fri. Nov. 25, 2016 11:29 pm

I cook myself out with stoker size coal. Not to mention almost blowing the stove up. All is well tho. :blowup:

 
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Post by corey » Sat. Nov. 26, 2016 8:23 pm

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Dumped a hod full of coal at 830 this morning. Firebox is still full of coal and coke. Think I'm going to let rid till tomorrow.


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