Harman TLC-2000 Questions, Comments, Ramblings

Well right now I have a stack temp with a magnetic thermometer at 120 on the tee about 14 inches above the stove.
The air slider on the door is half way between completely closed and the very first first notch on the slider. I have been running it this way for a week because I hate to restart. Just using window stats so we don't get too warm.

Seems to me you have either a week draft or the slider is not working. Or it it could be your not filling to the top of the fire brick. Check all doors and gaskets for a good seal. Check pipes and make sure the pipe going into the stove has a good seal. Seal around the pipe where it enters the flu to the chimney. Make sure the air adjustments on both sides are not stuck in the open position. They should be all the way down but could have become loose and are not working properly.

If everything is operating as it should be, it comes down to a poor draft or poor coal.
Thats my .02 cents
Good Luck
Thats all I could come up with off the top of my head.
Keep us posted on the results.

EasyRay wrote:The air slider on the door is half way between completely closed and the very first first notch on the slider. I have been running it this way for a week because I hate to restart. Just using window stats so we don't get too warm.

That's typically where I keep my slider too Ray.....Just barely moved from the left (closed) to maybe the first notch. Have you ever run your stove with the slider all the way open...or even close to that? (i never have unless when starting or reloading the stove)

No I have never had it more than about 2 or 2 1/2. depending what I was trying to accomplish at the time. I try to keep the magnetic thermometer on the pipe above the stove right about about 175-200 most of the time during the season but I have pushed it higher on occasion.

There is no visible smoke when burning anthracite coal. The smell you will get is a sulfury odor but its not overpowering and if you have a proper draft you won't smell this much at all...
A little bit of wood smoke is going to permeate the entire house in a short time whereas the same amount of coal "smoke" will simply dissipate. If you do smell anything in your house then you have a problem. [/quote]

If you have a proper draft... . Does the TLC 2000 use a Baro Damper?

Visible smoke... . When you burn properly dried wood, after the initial warm up; can you see any visible smoke exiting the top of the chimney? Not steam, smoke?

I know coal emissions are more acidic than wood and less than corn. Do coal emissions; damage 24 gauge black steel stove pipe or Stainless Steel (for wood) stove pipe? My chimney liner is 8" straight S.S. pipe with a S.S. cap on top.

WIcoal wrote:If you have a proper draft... . Does the TLC 2000 use a Baro Damper?

I think most people benefit from a Baro Damper, regardless of their stove.(has more to do with your chimney than stove)

WIcoal wrote:Visible smoke... . When you burn properly dried wood, after the initial warm up; can you see any visible smoke exiting the top of the chimney? Not steam, smoke?

I burn very little wood but all the wood I've ever burned has smoked.

WIcoal wrote:I know coal emissions are more acidic than wood and less than corn. Do coal emissions; damage 24 gauge black steel stove pipe or Stainless Steel (for wood) stove pipe? My chimney liner is 8" straight S.S. pipe with a S.S. cap on top.

SS less than 24 gauge steel but I think, over time , coal emissions will damage any metal. (that's why I always recommend masonry chimneys, which are permanent) Interior black steel stove exhaust pipes need replacing roughly every 2 years, in my case.

I read that a baro-damper for use in a wood burning application isn't recomended. I don't remember why exactly, but think it had something to do with the greater chance of a chimney fire with burning wood and in the unlikely event, the baro would help feed the fire. Anyone want to chime in on this?

Visible smoke... . When you burn properly dried wood, after the initial warm up; can you see any visible smoke exiting the top of the chimney? Not steam, smoke?

Yes, not alot but yes. When burning coal the only time I see a trace amount of smoke is after loading. That's also the only time I smell a hint of sulfur outside the home.

I use a Manual Pipe damper and the only time I smell sulfur in the house is when I forget to open it prior to opening the stove door.

After almost 30 years of hand fired experience & 4 year of burning my TLC, I have figured out a better way to prevent puff backs on reloading. Open (raise) the 2 secondary air controls (on either side of the window) until you finally close the ash door. (last step in reloading)
This allows more oxygen in above the coal bed to help keep a steady flame burning, to burn off volatiles. Then, just remember to close the secondary sliders when done.

Goes to show, you never stop learning how to better run your coal appliance!