bobdog2o02
Minister of Fire
Use the blower when you need more heat.... Doesn't really make a difference on the coaling stage.
How do you manage the build up of coals ?
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Use the blower when you need more heat.... Doesn't really make a difference on the coaling stage.
Usually just let them burn down, rake the ones in the back towards the front (N/S stove). When it is real cold out it is real easy to want to push the stove and keep the stove top temp up. When/If a build up I'll get them fairly flat if they are not and throw two or three splits of pine on. The pine is a short hot fire which gives the coals some time to finish burning.
I'm burning just red oak and raking towards the front I'm getting these flat ash cakes /clinkers which pull out in one or two pieces about an inch thick. I haven't had to remove ashes since shortly after Thanksgiving.
I'm burning just red oak and raking towards the front I'm getting these flat ash cakes /clinkers which pull out in one or two pieces about an inch thick. I haven't had to remove ashes since shortly after Thanksgiving.
On real cold days, pine firewood is your friend. Burns hot as hell with no coals. I specifically have a spot in the pole barn with my pine stash for those single digit days.
gyrfalcon
Minister of Fire
Pine's not so easy to come by here, but the one time I tried this, it sparked like a maniac, which caused me to abandon the whole idea. Don't you have that with pine?
gyrfalcon
Minister of Fire
Bart, just fyi, if you were using the low-end Kidde CO monitor-- I looked at it on Amazon because you had me convinced something like that was a good idea for low level CO, and a lot of the reviews said it was inaccurate as all get out, that they were getting sub-lethal but scary readings, then took the thing outdoors and it was still giving those same readings even after doing a reset. I'm not crazy about scaring myself to death with false positives I have absolutely no way of checking. Any thoughts or advice on this?
firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
Most fire departments have a CO detector . . . they can come out for a non-emergent call . . . not every time, but a one time deal . . . and probably best to schedule a time or at least make it a convenient time for all involved.
gyrfalcon
Minister of Fire
Another "Duh." Of course. Shoulda thought of that! My town relies on a (terrific) volunteer fire department, but at least I can call the guys in charge and ask and maybe one of the guys can find time to come by. Thanks very much.
Light in the Dark
Feeling the Heat
The best $10 I ever spent was on one of these. I use it to move all of the coals around, as well as it being rigid enough to clean out the ash from the corners, and out of the ashpan area when it overflows. The design also is strong enough to move wood around once its in the stove.
Czech_mate
Member
Great idea. I have had one of those hanging with the BBQ tools for years and never used it for anything. I will give it a shot today.
I do the coals game a little differently. Having a deep firebox I push the coals to the back instead of the front. Then I put the small split on them and open the air. What this does is keep the heat in the stove body instead of blowing it up the front over the baffle and out, and also while the coals are burning down the air headed to the back finishes off any coals in the ash in the front half of the firebox so before reloading I can scoop a whole bunch of ashes out before pulling the coals forward to fire off a new load.
brant2000
Feeling the Heat
That's exactly right... In weather like we've had lately, a week of mostly sub-zero (abnormal for us), the biggest challenge has been managing the coal bed. I can easily just load 'er up and warm the house for a bit, but will be in a sticky situation heading to bed with 20+ MPH winds, and a firebox full of coals.
I burn fully seasoned Eastern White Pine which doesn't really spark at all. I think different pines will spark quite a bit. I'm pretty sure Ponderosa Pine will throw quite a bit of sparks.
Chuck the Canuck
Feeling the Heat
You pile the hot coals in the back of the stove and then cover them with ash. Slows the burn of the coals and the pile radiates heat for a long time and when you uncover them you have red hot coals in a minute or two. It also reduces the ash covering them to dust.
It's basically covering the coals with ashes in such a way that they will not themselves burn to ashes but will remain hot enough to restart a fire later. Hence the name, banking.
Usually done when nights are chilly but day time temps are still high.
Chuck the Canuck
Feeling the Heat
I'll pull the coals forward and burn down what I can.
However, when it's this cold I cannot wait hours for them to burn down so they get shoveled out and dumped outside. I normally don't have any softwood around to assist in burning them down either.
To me it's not a huge loss anyway, these coals that get shoveled are less than a drop of a bucket when you look at your wood piles.
With all of that being said if I had a furnace to cycle (I have baseboard electric - no desire to run that) then I'd probably let them burn down to ash before shoveling them out.
However, when it's this cold I cannot wait hours for them to burn down so they get shoveled out and dumped outside. I normally don't have any softwood around to assist in burning them down either.
To me it's not a huge loss anyway, these coals that get shoveled are less than a drop of a bucket when you look at your wood piles.
With all of that being said if I had a furnace to cycle (I have baseboard electric - no desire to run that) then I'd probably let them burn down to ash before shoveling them out.
I use the rake and move them around depending on whether or not I want to "save" them for later or put 'em to use to kindle a new fire; if I want to "bank" them I push them to rear of the stove, if I want to start a new fire I pull them forward and toss in a couple of small splits. Sometimes, depending on how warm the house is, I just leave 'em and let the remaining heat soak into the soapstone. We don't heat with wood alone so if there are no coals in the stove I don't really fret about it.
Light in the Dark
Feeling the Heat
Let me know... It was an ingenious pick one day at Home Depot (in my opinion). I hadnt found the right tool to do what I wanted, and I thought... well crap, this might just work.
Two full years on this tool, and almost no sign of degradation. I do tend to use one corner more than the other, so those bristles are matted (mainly for getting into the corners of the firebox and ash pan holding area on the F50)... but it has been rock solid otherwise. Doesn't pull coals out with it either, which was the sole concern I had.
brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
I have never tried it but it has been said that a handful of pellets thrown on a pile of coals will help burn them down
bobdog2o02
Minister of Fire
brenndatomu
Minister of Fire
bobdog2o02
Minister of Fire
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