I Need Help NOW !!! GRATE Is Stuck and Dumping Into Ash Pa

Jack Magnum · Post by **Jack Magnum** » Fri. Jan. 16, 2009 5:16 pm

Devil or anybody with the TLC-2000 HELP
I am shaking down the coal and the grates are stuck open !!!! The hot coal is filling my ash pan . What can I do now ? HELP !!!!!

Devil505 · Post by **Devil505** » Fri. Jan. 16, 2009 5:26 pm

Close the ash door!

Devil505 · Post by **Devil505** » Fri. Jan. 16, 2009 5:32 pm

Keep your fire going & try jiggling the shaker handle later. If it's an unburned piece of coal, it may burn up or weaken enough to dislodge.
If not:

1. Take out the ash pan & see if you can spot the offending piece that's jamming your grates.....& poke it out from underneath.

2. If that fails (& it has never worked for me

)....you'll just have to shut it down & clean it out manually.

Don't try to force the shaker grates or you could damage them!

Running the stove hotter (in cold weather) form more clinkers, which is probably what's jamming your stove. Same thing just happened to me a few days ago!!

Jack Magnum · Post by **Jack Magnum** » Fri. Jan. 16, 2009 5:37 pm

Devil505 wrote:Close the ash door!

O.K. The grate is stuck quite a ways open and lots of coal on top. I can't seem to get it. I was shaking short strokes but it caught and I couldn't open it more and then all of a sudden went open a ways and stuck.

Devil505 · Post by **Devil505** » Fri. Jan. 16, 2009 5:43 pm

Jack Magnum wrote:
Devil505 wrote:Close the ash door!
O.K. The grate is stuck quite a ways open and lots of coal on top. I can't seem to get it. I was shaking short strokes but it caught and I couldn't open it more and then all of a sudden went open a ways and stuck.

Pour yourself a stiff drink

.......& just let it go for a few hours. When the stove is cooler, do what I recommended in step #1 above. (dump the ash pan when you take it out)

If that doesn't work, you can keep it going overnight (to get you through the frigid night) & then let it go out during the day tomorrow. Clean it out & restart...It's a pain, but not the end of the world.

CapeCoaler · Post by **CapeCoaler** » Fri. Jan. 16, 2009 5:55 pm

Second what Devil says...
Must be a cold day in...
But seriously...

On cold days the Stove gets run hard, raising the internal fire temps and fusing more ash to make more/bigger clinkers.
I let the ash get deeper and give my grates a full slow shake on an empty pan on two full grate rotations, front/back then front/back.
Large pieces of hard ash pass the grates intact.
Then some short choppy shakes to get to the orange glow and a few flossings in the corner and I am set.
This helps keep the fire from smothering itself from clinker blockage.

If the blockage is a clinker you are going to need to clear it from between the teeth some how.
Slow the fire down a bit by cutting the air and see if you can excavate it from below.
Opening the front loading door will also cut the air and slow the fire while the ash door is open.

Prepare for a restart and get what you need now in case the fire goes out.
Love that cowboy chunk charcoal from HD!

If you shook too much or a piece of unburnt coal slipped down just let it burn up.
The coal needs some air so shovel out a bit of ash.

Jack Magnum · Post by **Jack Magnum** » Fri. Jan. 16, 2009 6:08 pm

Devil505 wrote:
Jack Magnum wrote:O.K. The grate is stuck quite a ways open and lots of coal on top. I can't seem to get it. I was shaking short strokes but it caught and I couldn't open it more and then all of a sudden went open a ways and stuck.
Pour yourself a stiff drink .......& just let it go for a few hours. When the stove is cooler, do what I recommended in step #1 above. (dump the ash pan when you take it out)

If that doesn't work, you can keep it going overnight (to get you through the frigid night) & then let it go out during the day tomorrow. Clean it out & restart...It's a pain, but not the end of the world.

Too Late !!!! I didn't read your answer until after I dumped it all. The corners had little coal stuck between edge and body. Anyway, it's all dumped. Can I suck the rest of the ash out with a rainbow vaccum cleaner. It sucks up and into a water resvoir ?

Jack Magnum · Post by **Jack Magnum** » Fri. Jan. 16, 2009 7:53 pm

O.K. Cleaned out the stove and all the ashes. Do I need to lube the connector arm or grates or anything else ?

coalkirk · Post by **coalkirk** » Fri. Jan. 16, 2009 8:13 pm

Jack, I don't know where they all went but no use ttrying to the lube the grates in any way. Whatever you use will burn off right away. Short choppy strokes with the shaker arm is the key.

Jack Magnum · Post by **Jack Magnum** » Fri. Jan. 16, 2009 9:05 pm

Thanks for the info. I was really proud of myself . I had a good burn and was shaking down about every 8-10 hours and lately poking . Then this afternoon it all came to abrupt stop. Tomorrow I will double check everything and start all over again. I was giving short choppy strokes but that once got stuck and then couldn't move the grates.

Salemcoal · Post by **Salemcoal** » Fri. Jan. 16, 2009 9:21 pm

Jack, You are right up the road from me , Im in Salem, tonight is a night you would want that TLC running. It could get -15 to -20 . My gibraltar is running at 675 right now.

Jack Magnum · Post by **Jack Magnum** » Fri. Jan. 16, 2009 9:32 pm

Salemcoal wrote:Jack, You are right up the road from me , Im in Salem, tonight is a night you would want that TLC running. It could get -15 to -20 . My gibraltar is running at 675 right now.

Your right Salem but I will be gone tomorrow and don't want to have to worry about getting home to tend it. I'll fire it up tomorrow nite. Your that close ,Wow !!!! What brand coalk are you using and where do you purchase it.

Salemcoal · Post by **Salemcoal** » Fri. Jan. 16, 2009 9:58 pm

I get my coal wherever I can find it. I hauled alot of pea coal out of a cellar at Lake Sunnyside in June with 5 gallon buckets. I also just got a free ton of Nut from a cellar in Troy. It had been there 40 years and its burning great. I usually get my coal though at Davis Coal in Cambridge. They sell bagged Blaschak and bulk coal either delivered or you can go and shovel it yourself. They are an older couple and are very honest. They sell bulk Blaschak and bulk Reading. Located on Turnpike Road.
Where are you getting your coal?

Jack Magnum · Post by **Jack Magnum** » Fri. Jan. 16, 2009 10:22 pm

Sounds like you have a good deal going . I know people in Sunnyside.This is my first year burning coal and I must say this forum has been very informative.I am using Jeddo coal and although it burns well it is dirty and dusty as heck. I want to buy and try a few different coals and hopefully get some this summer.What a difference the coal stove makes. The oil base board is running but the heat isn't being felt like when the coal stove is running.We have 8 below already on the lake.I'll be sleeping in my long Johns tonight.

CapeCoaler · Post by **CapeCoaler** » Fri. Jan. 16, 2009 10:46 pm

Fire that coal stove up!
You will get some practice and each time will get quicker!
Then dumping the fire will not seem so bad.
Even if the fire goes out while you are gone you saved some money.
Just keep the fire on low it should go 18 hrs if you load it up.
Try the long slow method as described above and if you get a clinker caught a little jiggle on the grate will set it free.
Where did the coal get stuck?