May Be Time to Let the Fire Go Out...

 
ddahlgren
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Post by ddahlgren » Sat. Apr. 12, 2014 12:18 am

Now that's a bit of an over-statement.... It's not that the numbers are meaningless, they are relative numbers to operating temperatures that I often find with those same thermometers under other conditions.

Magnetic surface thermometers are not accurate, obviously. It's exactly why I stated that the measurement was made with "50 F on my stove pipe surface thermometer" in my original post.

First - it's a magnetic surface thermometer, it's going to be off by 25 degrees or more.... In fact, it won't even likely be linear over it's operating range...
Second, it's on the pipe surface. No way that can tell you what the flue gas temperature is in the center of the pipe...

But I'm still pleased as punch that I've figured out how to make my stove idle down so darned low I can run it in 50 degree days and not cook myself... Now - I'm definitely ready to start considering 4 years on a tank of fuel oil in my house (if the biocide aspect works out...) or longer....

dj[/quote]

As I said not looking to be picky but as an engineer I get pretty fanatical about instrumentation call it my form of OCD if you like I am ok with that.. LOL.. I have not burned one lump of coal yet but redoing a Crane 404 for next year I bought it cheap and needs plenty of help. The major things sheared door hinge pins and the rest is in very good shape. I am looking to retire get a small cabin with a little acreage and have a coal stove and a coal cook stove if I can find one I can afford. They seem seriously pricey to me. Pricey or not they remind me a bunch about my grand parents that I miss a lot so might make the cash considerations get smaller. With my current woodstove I burn maybe 50 or 75 gallons of fuel oil for hot water and the same in my carriage house / shop that is very tight thermally I am starting to have a bunch of problems plugging filters and nozzles and keep spares on hand. I add 75 gallons to each tank every year but never get all that low. I skipped this year hoping to get then down very low and have the fuel oil all fresh. Good luck on the 4 year plan but 3 years in it is getting pretty silly with problems.

 
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dlj
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Location: Monroe, NY
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Vermont Castings Resolute
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood Baseheater #6
Coal Size/Type: Stove coal
Other Heating: Oil Furnace, electric space heaters

Post by dlj » Sat. Apr. 12, 2014 10:49 am

ddahlgren wrote:
As I said not looking to be picky but as an engineer I get pretty fanatical about instrumentation call it my form of OCD if you like I am ok with that.. LOL.. I have not burned one lump of coal yet but redoing a Crane 404 for next year I bought it cheap and needs plenty of help. The major things sheared door hinge pins and the rest is in very good shape. I am looking to retire get a small cabin with a little acreage and have a coal stove and a coal cook stove if I can find one I can afford. They seem seriously pricey to me. Pricey or not they remind me a bunch about my grand parents that I miss a lot so might make the cash considerations get smaller. With my current woodstove I burn maybe 50 or 75 gallons of fuel oil for hot water and the same in my carriage house / shop that is very tight thermally I am starting to have a bunch of problems plugging filters and nozzles and keep spares on hand. I add 75 gallons to each tank every year but never get all that low. I skipped this year hoping to get then down very low and have the fuel oil all fresh. Good luck on the 4 year plan but 3 years in it is getting pretty silly with problems.
HaHaHa - No problem on your OCD! I often think of getting all sorts of better equipment for measuring things on my stove but then look at the costs of what I'd really like to implement and realize that I would need a research grant! Originally I never had anything at all, just ran the stove. Then when I picked up a Vermont Castings, it came with a magnetic surface thermometer and when I retired that one and put my Glenwood back to work, I took it and put it on the side wall so I could "talk" more on here. Then everybody kept talking about the differences between the stove temps and stack temps, I resisted for awhile but then I actually spent money and bought another magnetic one and put it on the stack... My Scottish blood was growling at me, but what's done is done...

I don't know how big your fuel oil tanks are that you top up, mine is either 250 or 275 gallons, I never remember which. I'll burn enough fuel oil to pretty much drop the tank to about 1/8 or less and then fill it back up. I've timed it at this point to do that within 2 years of each fill up. Its been my experience in the past that 2 years is about what fuel oil will stay without getting bio growth unless you add a biocide. Once you start getting the bio growth, then you start plugging filters etc... Sounds like you have a good few colonies growing at this point in your tanks so I'd suggest you hit them with some biocide as soon as possible. There are multiple kinds that grow all at the same time but the SRB's that get established will eat through your tank wall. I'd highly recommend you address that or you may end up with leaking tanks, and that is no fun in this day and age...

dj

 
ddahlgren
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Post by ddahlgren » Sat. Apr. 12, 2014 11:35 am

Thanks for the tip dlj I did no know it would eat the tank walls, yikes can not afford that in more ways than 1.


 
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Carbon12
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Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA-6
Coal Size/Type: Rice/Anthracite
Other Heating: Heat Pump/Forced Hot Air Oil Furnace

Post by Carbon12 » Fri. Apr. 18, 2014 8:02 am

I fired up in October and foresee heating with coal through the end of April,.....at least :shock:
That's a 7 month heating season! If May remains chilly, it may turn into an 8 month heating season :wtf: this isn't Alaska :mad:

 
KingCoal
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Location: Elkhart county, IN.
Hand Fed Coal Stove: 1 comforter stove works all iron coal box stove, seventies.
Baseburners & Antiques: 2014 DTS C17 Base Burner, GW #6, GW 113 formerly Sir Williams, maybe others at Pauliewog’s I’ve forgotten about
Coal Size/Type: Nut Anth.
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Post by KingCoal » Sat. Apr. 19, 2014 10:21 am

i think i'm out...........i've got coal but I just let it burn out last night and probably won't relight.

so, a cleaning is in store then on to the project stove for next season. ;)

 
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blrman07
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Post by blrman07 » Sun. Apr. 20, 2014 7:03 am

Finally ran out of rice coal for the LL Econo 1 and pulled it's plug. Burning all the way to Easter is long enough. I am going to clean everything out this next week and get it ready for a good paint job this year and replace the glass.

If we need heat I'll use the propane kitchen stove.

Rev. Larry
New Beginning Church
Ashland Pa.


 
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Sunny Boy
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Location: Central NY
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Anthracite Industrial, domestic hot water heater
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood range 208, # 6 base heater, 2 Modern Oak 118.
Coal Size/Type: Nuts !
Other Heating: Oil &electric plenum furnace

Post by Sunny Boy » Sun. Apr. 20, 2014 7:30 am

It's 26 degrees here this morning and the range is still going. We'll be running it for a few weeks more at least. Plus, it's cheaper to cook/bake with than the pro-pain stove.

And, hooking up the mano gauge has saved me a lot of coal this winter. I figure almost 2 pounds a day average. With the savings, the gauge just paid for itself. So, after a winter of the range running more than it ever has in the past eight years, I'm right at what coal I used in the warmest winters. And, I still have about a ton left in the bin.

Paul

 
JohnB
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Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 50-93
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Post by JohnB » Sun. Apr. 20, 2014 11:04 am

My fire isn't going out for the season but the fuel source is changing. Just finished removing the baro, capping the tee & vacuuming out the flue/firebrick areas. Now I'll bring in some older wood I want to burn up before it becomes termite bait.

 
JohnB
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Post by JohnB » Sun. Apr. 20, 2014 3:11 pm

First wood fire since last October has reminded me what a lousy woodstove the 50-93 is. Definitely need to get one of my Jotuls set up in the house again for the warmer heating months & back up.

 
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I'm On Fire
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Post by I'm On Fire » Mon. Apr. 21, 2014 7:48 am

I'm still burning. I've switched to pea and I'm on 24+ hour shake cycles and have the stove turned down most days but I will probably keep it going into May. I was going to shut it down but then it snowed last week.

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