Ash Bridge!!

I need help. I ran my Harman Magnum Stoker all last season, and it ran great with some help from Mattaus. Thanks again!! But this year it seams like a different stove. Heat seams good but the ash is forming a very ridged bottom layer and bridging all the way to the glass. Then the ash bridge causes the coal to back up. It gets so bad some times that by the time I get home from work the coal is so backed up and lit and unlit coal is spilling over the sides. My first two weeks of burning were with last years coal and it started having this problem. I have since found a cheaper supplier and its still doing it. I thought at first it what because the stove was idling a lot because it was early in the season but its still doing it. Thoughts!!

What kind of coal is it? (ie...Reading, Blaschak)

That happens, my keystoker will do that sometimes, especially when it really cold out. Sometimes I mix a little buckwheat Maybe 20-30% mix, but no more.

check that the grates are positioned properly.

Can you post a picture of the bridge?

From what I can see of the grates, they look to be in good position. What does mixing the buckwheat coal do? As for the type of coal I'll ask tonight I was planing on going to get another ton.

I've noticed this slightly with the Reading ric coal I am currently burning but not to the point where it causes a back-up.

Buckwheat will create more air space to keep it from fusing together and if it gets heavy enough, it will break off into the ash pan easier.
Your stove still may get the Coal Cakes or Clinkers, but, it may not jam as easily.

I had a few Coal Cakes last night in the Keystoker, it was pretty cold.

Talked to my original coal guy that I was using last year, when my stove was working great! I explained the ash build up I was seeing with my new coal supplier's coal. My old coal supplier said the new coal had a low "fusion temperature" and was welding its self back together, making the bricks I was getting. So I got a half ton from my old coal supplier and so far its running great.

probably hasn't been as cold either. Usually mine will do it when gets down into the single digits or so.

JeepJunky wrote: So I got a half ton from my old coal supplier and so far its running great.

Mix it with your new coal in various % to see what happens. You may be able to burn a mix to get rid of the offending coal.

JeepJunky wrote:So I got a half ton from my old coal supplier and so far its running great.

Around here (SE Mass) the only coal I have ever used was either Reading or Blaschak & they both bridge. If there is such a thing as coal that won't bridge, I'd like to know the name so I could try it.

Give some kimmel a try. I and others have plenty of it around.

I noticed the Blaschak in the KA6 forms these bridges too.

Paulie wrote:Give some kimmel a try. I and others have plenty of it around.

I'd try it if I was available around here. While Blaschak will form bridges, it burns fine & only needs a little poking to break the bridges. Reading, on the other hand, feels like gravel when I shake it down & regularly jams my shaker grates...making it virtually unusable in a Harman TLC2000 hand fired stove.

I always had bridges on my Magnum Stoker in the really cold weather. They always broke off themselves with no backup issues.

Coal was unknown bulk from local supplier