Cant Keep Fire Going Over 2~3 Days

 
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xaos
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Post by xaos » Tue. Jan. 06, 2009 7:12 am

OK..
Started using anthracite in my stove..
Love how clean it burns...But...
After 2~3 days it goes out. Seems like I get clinkers that look like the actual coal nuggets??
I have a decent routine, after good bed of burning coal I bank it for the night..
Morning throw 1~2 shovels of coal leaving good hot spot,
Shake her down, red flaky ash, after good fire burning add another shovel or two.
Wife adds a couple shovels late afternoon.
repeat my morning routine for night and bank it some..
Full bed of hot blue burning coals coals.

This is it till about the third morning (Today) and shes out, cant revive it, have to dump and start over..
I'm using a chestnut size coal.
Should I look for a Pittsburgh nut size or equivalent??


 
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WNY
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Post by WNY » Tue. Jan. 06, 2009 7:21 am

You may have to go to the larger coal. DO you have a good draft and has it been checked/calibrated? Are you using a baro damper to moderate the draft on the stove, maybe running too hot and burning it all up.

 
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xaos
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Post by xaos » Tue. Jan. 06, 2009 7:51 am

Thanks for the fast reply..
I do not have a baro damper, however I do have one on order.
I thought that might be happening
WNY wrote:maybe running too hot and burning it all up
but the look of the coal just didn't seem right.
But its defiantly burned up,I do have it turned way back most of the time maybe .5 ~ 1 turn and keep the draft inducer fan on low with the flap at 20% open, It just seemed weird that it is retaining its shape.
I had nasty clinkers when I used bit coal and I could keep it going for a long time, but was using larger sized coal.
cant find a dealer that has larger sized anthracite.
I live in the Pittsburgh area and have a cabin in Somerset county.
I get coal from Zubek but they only have chestnut size in anthracite.
Does any one know a dealer who has large pit nut or house coal size anthracite in Allegheny or Somerset counties??

 
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Devil505
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Post by Devil505 » Tue. Jan. 06, 2009 7:53 am

What coal are you using? (what company?)
Sounds like you are not shaking down enough to get rid of the ash build up.

 
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xaos
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Post by xaos » Tue. Jan. 06, 2009 8:17 am

xaos wrote:I get coal from Zubek but they only have chestnut size in anthracite.
I shake down twice a day until I see a good glow from under or hot bits falling down..

 
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coalkirk
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Post by coalkirk » Tue. Jan. 06, 2009 8:36 am

Although you are shaking it down twice a day until you see hot coals dropping, I believe Devil is right. Ash starts to build up. Devil has posted extensively on this topic. Do some reading of his experiences and suggestions. He's been burning coal since the Nixon adminsistration. :lol: Basically, before yoou shake it down, open up the supply air and get a very vigorous fire going first. Then shake down until you see you coal dropping from the whole grate area. Yes you are droping some coal but its for the greater good. Then add your fresh coal. Another thing you could do is the next time it goes out after 3 days. do an archeological dig or post mortum on your fire bed. Start carefully removing stuff from the top of the dead fire bed and you will probably see it is ash choked. Coal wants to burn if it has air.

 
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xaos
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Post by xaos » Tue. Jan. 06, 2009 8:52 am

coalkirk wrote:He's been burning coal since the Nixon adminsistration
LOL..

I do open ash door and let rip for a bit the go into garge for coal..

I too believe its gettin ash choked.. I was afraid to shake too much for fear that I would pack it and it would choke out from that>>
I guess I getting frustrated with having to dump and restart after 3 days..

I will shake her up more and see if it helps..
I am looking for larger size coal also, I will mix it in with the chestnut size I got now..
WNY wrote:Does any one know a dealer who has large pit nut or house coal size anthracite in Allegheny or Somerset counties??


 
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Devil505
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Post by Devil505 » Tue. Jan. 06, 2009 8:52 am

coalkirk wrote:He's been burning coal since the Nixon adminsistration. :lol:
Was that the best time marker you could think of Terry,.,...NIXON?!! :mad: :lol:
(& to be accurate, I started burning coal under Reagan.....not Nixon!)

Try these threads xaos:
Dont Be Afraid of Your Fire
More of a Mid-Winter Cleanout Than A Shake Down
Shaking Down/Reloading A Mature Fire

 
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Millworker
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Post by Millworker » Tue. Jan. 06, 2009 9:26 am

I think these guys are right, sounds like you are getting too much ash buildup or burning too hot and forming clinkers. A few things I found useful when I had this problem. First, before I shake down I will take a poker and push it into the margins of the coal bed. There should be no resistance, the coal should just litterally collapse and fall in on itself turning into a fine poweder. The poker should go straight to the grate with no resistance. This accomplishes 2 things, 1 - opens an air pocket and 2 - lets me know that the burn is right, no clinkers are forming, and the coal is burning completely. Also, after the shake down I will give the fire some time to get going good and hot again. Then I will take the poker and again poke a few holes in the bed. I use sort of a poke and flip technique, inverting the coal in the process. If the inverted coal reveals a lot of gray it is a sign the bottom of the coal bed is bound with ash. Ideally, you want red coal throughout, and when the coal is inverted it should be glowing red like the top. **warning** doing this with a marginal fire will likely extinguish it.

 
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Post by titleist1 » Tue. Jan. 06, 2009 9:32 am

I don't know the grate setup of your stove but shaking may not be getting the ash from all areas. In my Harman the ash in the very front of the stove doesn't get shaken through as well as the rest of the firebox. Every two to three days I take a poker and scrape it along the front of firebrick and that loosens up the ash and gets the fire going in the front again. You may need to poker scrape some areas every so often.

 
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Post by Burnt4me » Tue. Jan. 06, 2009 11:15 am

I'm with titeist1, my Mark III will go out in the front after about 3 days. I just push my fill shovel down along the front bricks and lift after I shake. I fill over the top and on the next shake I have a good bed again in the front.

 
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Post by Razzler » Tue. Jan. 06, 2009 4:06 pm

titleist1 wrote:In my Harman the ash in the very front of the stove doesn't get shaken through as well as the rest of the firebox.
Seems to be Harman's trade mark my SF 250 is the same way every three days or so I have to poke the two or three inches of ash right in side the door. :mad:

 
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Cap
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Post by Cap » Tue. Jan. 06, 2009 6:04 pm

Razzler wrote:
titleist1 wrote:In my Harman the ash in the very front of the stove doesn't get shaken through as well as the rest of the firebox.
Seems to be Harman's trade mark my SF 250 is the same way every three days or so I have to poke the two or three inches of ash right in side the door. :mad:
I agree with the Razz but I think the coal simply burns more rapidly just inside the front. Probably see more air. I always make sure to stack this area or top off the front before bed or work.

 
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Post by grizzly2 » Tue. Jan. 06, 2009 6:38 pm

titleist1 wrote:I don't know the grate setup of your stove but shaking may not be getting the ash from all areas. In my Harman the ash in the very front of the stove doesn't get shaken through as well as the rest of the firebox. Every two to three days I take a poker and scrape it along the front of firebrick and that loosens up the ash and gets the fire going in the front again. You may need to poker scrape some areas every so often.
Same for my Hitzer, except dead in the corners then dead areas work their way inward. I will shake til embers fall down in the center, then rake the corners, then poke the corners from above, then rake again. Amazing how much ash I get out AFTER the initial shake down. I don't have to get this thorough very often, just when the fire gets stubbornly loagy. :)

 
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Post by WillRockwell » Wed. Jan. 07, 2009 10:36 am

I've seen this problem in my Godin after about 3 days of continuous burning. What seems to be happening is that a small amount of partially burned coal settles underneath the burning coal and blocks the vent at the bottom. No amount of shaking will dislodge it, because it is not yet ash. The only solution I've found is quite dangerous. I open the bottom door and actually swing down the grate while the fire is burning. Then I carefully scoop out the unburned debris, hoping the fire won't collapse and pour out onto the floor. This process works, but it scares the crap out of me when I have to do it.


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