Coal Safety!

lowfog01 wrote:

grumpy wrote: Where does one get a 50 Lb bag of Sodium Bicarbonate?

II never did find a 50 lb bag of baking soda but I got a 10 lb bag at Costco. Personally, I think 50 lbs for my Harman Hand fired stove would be over kill; 10 lbs and cutting the air off should do it for me. I think you could probably find the larger bags on the internet. Fire fighting professionals apparently use them to put out chimney fires by dropping them down the chimney. Just do a search on fire safety equipment or the like, hopefully, something will pop up. Good luck, Lisa

Sodium Bicarbonate = Alkalinity Up = Baking Soda
Sodium Carbonate = PH Up = Soda Ash

Try 25lbs bags from Dohenys waterworld.

Make sure you read the ingredient , both will raise ph and alk but at different rates and ratios.
Therefore pool supplies will sell them interchangebly to the untrained consumer.

Soda ash raises TA and PH fast.
Baking soda raises PH slightly and TA fast.
Borax raises ph with slow raise in TA.
Airaiting raises Ph and lowers Ta based on starting ph.

a few suppliers.
SwimNSave has it the cheapest and I think you qualify for free shipping total price 35$ and change.
Interestingly enough they have the right chemical name but wrong picture of the bag, I would call and make sure it's sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)

http://www.food4celiacs.com/ShopOnline/215/215FMC.html
http://www.food4celiacs.com/ShopOnline/SOL/index.html
http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/bakingsoda50lb.aspx

http://www.amazon.com/Bucket-Sodium-Bicarbonate-5 ... B003EE8LDC
http://www.soapgoods.com/Baking-Soda-Sodium-Bicar ... p-587.html

Can anyone give me some direction?
Can you have too much draft?

If you do get a sulfur smell in the house, but it is only occasionally and seems to happen when the coal is not feeding properly and the unit is running a long time what could be the cause? This is our 3rd winter with the stove, but this is the first time we've had a problem. This summer was the first time we ran it all year for hot water and it kept shutting down on us. The first time it shut down the gaskets loosened up and water was running all over.

Does anyone know anyone that is reasonable to come look at it for me? I don't have the most confidence in the guy that gets sent out when I call the company that installed it. We are in NW Lehigh County and have a Keystoker (sorry don't remember the model)

Draft Measurement
Can Draft Be Checked Beyond Baro?
Sulfur Smell From Keystoker Bay Window Direct Vent
Sulfur Smell

Sulfur Smell?
Sulfur Smell in House
Sulfur Smell in House

This is my first try at the coal ,I've been using wood this was my first year with my new stove .
I wasn't prepared with enough wood, I knew I better stretch it out with coal .
I bought a hot blast furnace which hooks right up to my oil furnace forced air system it works awesome I have a big house and it heats it well better then my oil heat . I'm not sure I know what I'm doing with this coal ,didn't even know there could be a fire with the coal ,reading these post I'm a little worried now .
I add wood on the top of the of the coal because I find it burns better it wasn't kicking on the thermostat just using the coal alone.
They put the thermostat on this hot blast furnace is high in the back.
I think that's the reason it seems to work well so far I'm worried about the size of the coal I'm using.
I got some of the nut size and the larger size but on these hot blasts these Shakers to shake the Ashdown doesn't work well
the coals get caught and it won't shake I don't know if the coal burns to nothing or what?
I just keep adding more coal on top and a couple pieces of wood it definitely lasts longer than if I was just using wood that much worth it's dangerous or not .I hope not .
Do you have to clean the old coals out or do they burn to nothing ? this is only my second day . using them .

Hi Norway...Welcome to the forum...check out this thread as it will give you many answers to your questions on how to burn coal in your stove. The good news is that it can be done successfully!!

Successfully Burning Anthracite Coal in a Clayton Furnace

30 pages of reading, but that is how you fill your time between loading coal into the stove since you don't have to cut, buck, split, haul, stack firewood!!

Thank you, that makes me feel better

Make sure you have at least one CARBON MONOXIDE detector in the house. I have several combination units that are smoke/fire AND carbon monoxide.

that sounds like a good idea I will purchase one ASAP
THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSE

Norway, please start a new thread for your new adventure with coal, there are a few of us on here that use the 1557 and similar units. I've been using a Clayton 1537G for 3 years now which is nearly identical to your appliance. Please continue reading and post questions. Unfortunately these units can be fussy to burn coal with. I've got mine tuned up to the point it can run with the big dogs

It all starts with a couple Carbon Monoxide detectors as suggested, we want you and your family safe!
Welcome aboard, we're here to help

I posted this on another page but I think it needs to be on this thread as well.

Kidde has a recall on one of their hardwired fire/co alarms.

http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Recalls/2014/Kidde-Recalls ... CO-Alarms/

Rick

csstoker wrote:

Dann757 wrote:Hats off to Fred who pointed out that a dry chemical fire extinguisher may not be good if the chemical powder settles and binds inside. I have one that has the needle in the green still after years in my shop, but I can't hear or feel the powder moving around inside it-- time to replace it for sure! Also have a kitchen timer on the way to diligently set every time I leave the room with the ash door open!!!!!!!

remembering my earlier days while watching the inspector check and tag our chemical fire extinguishers yearly, you may be able to rehab them rather than replace. 1) keeping the extinguisher upright, place the side of the extinguisher up to your ear and turn the extinguisher upside down keeping your ear in place and moving your head with the extinguisher. You should be able to hear the powder sliding to the the other end of the capsule. 2) If not, while the extinguisher is upside down, gently tap the bottom ofthe extinguisher a few times with the palm of your hand to loosen the powder and 3) repeat the check. You may need to repeat and/or tap the bottom several times to get the powder loose. The contents must be all powder so also listen for shifting clumps.

You can also take your extinguisher to a pro if in doubt. If the needle is not in the green, dump it or get it recharged. When in doubt, get it checked out

The need.e gives zero indication of the condition of the powder. Commercial extinguishers are dumped and refilled every 6 years.

4 yr old pipecrap in pipe and curosionnew set up...family first

I had to edit this because I uploaded pic's from my phone as my computer won't

Time for all to double check pipes! I did the hammer test a couple days ago before winter gets here and look what I found...this crap crumbled like peanut brittle. I changed my set up and added another "T" at the bottom and moved my baro from up high, (bull nose), to at the breech of the stove for easy clean out come mid season where the pipe transitions from horizontal to vertical and there is a "T" at the top for easy clean out going into the chimney.

Let's not get complacent folks, confedsailor just posted a close call in his area with a moron with a generator in his garage...we all have a fosil fuel burner in our basements or living spaces.

Today is the day!

Mike

Holy *censored* Mike, You coulda got AT LEAST another 5-6 years outta that pipe