Feed Nut Setting

I noticed over the last month or so that I have a lot of unburnt coal in my ashpan. I was more concerned with turning out (decrease coal) the feed-nut so I would use less coal, but still keep the house and boiler at the temps I want. Last night something came to mind that if I turn in (increase coal) the feed nut, it would stoke the fire quicker and with less coal. Instead of pushing and pushing and so on, with a low coal feed rate, the fire should stoke faster and actually with less coal with a higher feed rate.

Does this make sense?

I have been keeping my feed back as much as possible and still keep enough heat to warm the house at 67. I just checked my usage and have averaged 60 pounds a day for the month of December. I am burning buckwheat and have the nut from full feed anywhere from 11-13 turns. I move the nut depending on the cold. With the zero weather lately it has been 11 turns. My fire never gets closer than 3 inches from the end. My spreader plate is about all the way down. I think if you enlarge the fire you would use more coal. I tried increasing my aqustate temps to 180/200 and saw a large increase in usage to I turned it back down. My aquastat temps are set at 160-180, 2000 square foot house with 3 heat zones built in 1838 and doing all my domestic hot water for 5 people.
Jon

I leave my feed rate at 10 turns out, gives me a fire about 2-3" from the end of the grate. I'm burning about 60 lbs./day heating 2000 sq.ft.,aquastat 160/180, 2 zones at 70*. You really shouldn't have to mess with the feed nut, if the days warm up the fire will just stoke and run off the timer anyways.

Dave