So, we're in that time of year when fires are here and there vs. 24/7. So, I am about to start a fire because it is supposed to get cold overnight. Yesterday's fire is now completely out. I can pull out ash and get it into the can, but how about the black coals? Are they useless, at this point and should I just completely clean this stuff out, or, after getting the ash out, should I just build up some newspaper and kindling on top of those old coals?
Do cold coals have any value?
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firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
chutes said:
Definitely keep them . . . you may find that they catch on fire even easier than kindling and get the fire up and running faster . . . the only thing that should be shoveled out and disposed in my opinion is the fine ash. . . . if nothing else, sift them out and put them in one of your kid's Christmas stockings this year.
madison
Minister of Fire
Agree with BG.
a "koal keeper" shovel helps separate the coals from the ash. warning! be extremely careful with first use of this shovel as it is made in china and has nasty paint which fumes off on first use. It also takes a few uses to learn how to minimize ash floating into your room when separating the coals from the ash inside your stove.
$13 - $25 depending on vendor. Google "Koal Keeper" for vendors.
a "koal keeper" shovel helps separate the coals from the ash. warning! be extremely careful with first use of this shovel as it is made in china and has nasty paint which fumes off on first use. It also takes a few uses to learn how to minimize ash floating into your room when separating the coals from the ash inside your stove.
$13 - $25 depending on vendor. Google "Koal Keeper" for vendors.
Wood Duck
Minister of Fire
Coals will burn, so I would keep 'em. Anyone know what percentage of the BTUs that were in the wood are left once it turns to charcoal?
Actually, I think it has a fair amount of heat value. Charcoal is used as fuel still in several parts of the world. It is outgassed by colliers in large piles, then sold as cooking fuel and in rural Japan/Korea/China as heating fuel for use in hibachi style heaters. http://www.trocadero.com/stores/eastwestdesigns/items/694439/item694439.html.
There is a modern effort to use this fuel.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090205133828.htm
http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf1983/baker83a.pdf
"The proximate analysis of charcoal is
about 20 to 25 percent volatile matter, 70 to
75 percent fixed carbon, and 5 percent ash.
The higher heating value is about 12,000 Btu/lb
(28,000 J/kg)."
There is a modern effort to use this fuel.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090205133828.htm
http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf1983/baker83a.pdf
"The proximate analysis of charcoal is
about 20 to 25 percent volatile matter, 70 to
75 percent fixed carbon, and 5 percent ash.
The higher heating value is about 12,000 Btu/lb
(28,000 J/kg)."
Stevebass4
Minister of Fire
good question - last year during the week i would always clean out my insert to start a new fire when i get home from work (small insert). now i use a metal paint stainer for those five gallon buckets of paint and sift the coals from the ash and dump the ash in my ash bucket - fires light up much quicker now
Valhalla
Minister of Fire
Save and reburn those unburned coals. Also great during cold restarts.
I use an ash shovel that I drilled holes in to scoop them out.
I use an ash shovel that I drilled holes in to scoop them out.
So it is ok to use the coals that remain in the stove but it is not ok to use Coal in a Cat stove? I have read somewhere that burning "Coal", the one purchased in bags or by the ton, can ruin the Cat Comb. Please clarify for me as I have not used "coal" to heat.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Stevebass4
Minister of Fire
two completely different things from my understanding - we're talking about unburnt wood coals - you mean coal as in rock from the ground - coal burns much hotter than wood
i'm sure others much more knowledgeable than me will answer your question but i've always thought you should not burn coal in a wood stove
i'm sure others much more knowledgeable than me will answer your question but i've always thought you should not burn coal in a wood stove
It's all carbon in the end. Coal from the ground might be a little denser - hence high heat per volume, but pound for pound, I doubt there is any difference. Coal from the ground will also have trace heavy metals, sulfur, etc, which is why they advise against using it with a cat stove. While the charcoal you've made only has what the wood brought initially.
http://bioenergy.ornl.gov/papers/misc/energy_conv.html
So according to that, pound for pound, your charcoal is almost equivalent to the best anthracite coal.
http://bioenergy.ornl.gov/papers/misc/energy_conv.html
So according to that, pound for pound, your charcoal is almost equivalent to the best anthracite coal.
Green Energy
Feeling the Heat
The cold coals that are left after a wood fire are carbon with most of the hydrogen already burned off. Straight carbon still burns when heated in the presence of O2 and provides BTUs. It won't hurt a cat.
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