Hitzer 503 Installation Photos

Well, looks like the end of the burning season might be here for me. I've been keeping the 503 active, mainly because I didn't want to have to restart if it got cold again, but with this Saturday expected to be 80*, it's probably time to pack it in and clean it out. I'll probably load the remainder of the bag I opened yesterday and call it good.

I've been running the 503 with the restrictor at 1/3 open and the damper at 1/8 open most days, turning the blowers on at night. On colder nights I'd open the restrictor to 1/2 open and the dampers to 1/4 open to take the chill off. Still, I've been averaging about 20 lbs. a day. But this looks like my last bag. I still have the better part of a ton left over. I'll try to post my total coal use when I get a chance to figure it out accurately.

Needless to say, this thread has been a great resource for all 503 owners out there (although it wasn't intended as such when I posted my installation photos). Let's keep it going next season!

The 'rents 503 has run all winter since 11/1/08 with the damper pushed all the way in!
One match.
They just shake, empty and fill.
This weekend will be a test of the insulated liner to see if the stove will run in the warm weather.
Burned just under 3.5 tons keeping the house at 72.
They don't want to shut the stove down because it is 'so nice' in the house!

Congrats folks on your 503's - they really look like some of the nicest installs for an insert. My dad - who grew up with coal in NY on a farm - regrets not being able to tend a coal fire these days due to health reasons - but I showed him the link and a youtube video of the 503 - very impressed.
Its pricey but my dad heats with oil on a fixed budget (he's 78) and no doubt this would pay for itself in no time.
His fireplace would look 100 times better with a 503 sitting there - if only I lived close I'd tend it for him.
Thanks for the price breakdowns - its exactly what led me to this thread.
I did have a question (even after I read the install manual for these things) - and prolly a silly question but how does one get away with no baro damper on these inserts when I keep reading how important they are for coal burning ? Just curious.

Blaschak !!!

The baro just makes it easier to set and forget...
No baro just makes you pay mor attention to the weather...