Although I am freezing, I am a little bit afraid of my Schrock Coal Stove.

[Oldcoldstonehouse]

My lightly used Shrock Coal Stove, made locally up the road by the Amish, is awaiting installation in the basement. I am sure it is a knock off of another brand. It is a simple, hopper feed type stove, with a shaker grate that you shake twice per day.

There is an electric blower on the back, to distribute heat better, with two outlets for warm air on the top of the stove. I plan to hook it up to a new, stainless, insulated double walled chimney, inside a 175 year old stone and brick chimney, approximately 28 feet high, with an inside space about 12" by 24". My plan is to put a tee at the bottom and go all the way to the top, where I will cap it. Needless to mention, this is expensive, but I want it to be safe and to keep the pipe warm.

The stove has been sitting for a couple of years. I am in the process of cleaning it and putting in new door gaskets. It looks like the manual heat damper that is hooked to a dial on the front (which operates a door in the back) is not working and will need repair.

Do I need some type of flue or damper in the chimney pipe?
If I am burning coal, does it really matter which way the crimps face on the pipe?
The chimney is the turn and lock type. I plan to also put screws in it. Should I tape it with the metal tape too?

Most of all, how do I manage any carbon monoxide? My young cousin and his wife died last year from carbon monoxide poisoning from their coal furnace, despite several working carbon monoxide detectors in their house.

 

[bholler]

My lightly used Shrock Coal Stove, made locally up the road by the Amish, is awaiting installation in the basement. I am sure it is a knock off of another brand. It is a simple, hopper feed type stove, with a shaker grate that you shake twice per day.

There is an electric blower on the back, to distribute heat better, with two outlets for warm air on the top of the stove. I plan to hook it up to a new, stainless, insulated double walled chimney, inside a 175 year old stone and brick chimney, approximately 28 feet high, with an inside space about 12" by 24". My plan is to put a tee at the bottom and go all the way to the top, where I will cap it. Needless to mention, this is expensive, but I want it to be safe and to keep the pipe warm.

The stove has been sitting for a couple of years. I am in the process of cleaning it and putting in new door gaskets. It looks like the manual heat damper that is hooked to a dial on the front (which operates a door in the back) is not working and will need repair.

Do I need some type of flue or damper in the chimney pipe?
If I am burning coal, does it really matter which way the crimps face on the pipe?
The chimney is the turn and lock type. I plan to also put screws in it. Should I tape it with the metal tape too?

Most of all, how do I manage any carbon monoxide? My young cousin and his wife died last year from carbon monoxide poisoning from their coal furnace, despite several working carbon monoxide detectors in their house.

First off meke sure the chimney being installed is 316 grade stainless inside and out. If not it wont last long. Get some good instant read co detectors. You want to be able to see the reading to not just an alarm. And make sure who ever is installing it knows how to properly set up the barometric damper.

 

[brenndatomu]

My young cousin and his wife died last year from carbon monoxide poisoning from their coal furnace, despite several working carbon monoxide detectors in their house.

Yeah I heard about that...it was talked about on a couple of these sites too...was so sorry to hear that.
Did they ever figure out what happened exactly? Something installed wrong?

For your chimney look at the class A (Supervent) at Menards, its on 11% sale now and will save you a ton of money vs other vendors/brands, I have used it and its good pipe (but I burn wood, not coal)
Get stainless stove pipe too...the Amish metal shops often times sell the stainless stove pipe for about the same price as the steel stuff at most stores...and yes, you will need a barometric damper...and a stainless tee for the baro too (goes in the stove pipe section normally)

 

[bholler]

Yeah I heard about that...it was talked about on a couple of these sites too...was so sorry to hear that.
Did they ever figure out what happened exactly? Something installed wrong?

For your chimney look at the class A (Supervent) at Menards, its on 11% sale now and will save you a ton of money vs other vendors/brands, I have used it and its good pipe (but I burn wood, not coal)
Get stainless stove pipe too...the Amish metal shops often times sell the stainless stove pipe for about the same price as the steel stuff at most stores...and yes, you will need a barometric damper...and a stainless tee for the baro too (goes in the stove pipe section normally)

It all needs to be 316 or the coal will eat it up in a few years

 

[Oldcoldstonehouse]

The Amish who make the Schrock sell insulated, double wall stainless steel pipe for $108 per 4’ section. I will check on the 316 or rating. The instant reads for carbon monoxide are a good idea. My house is pretty drafty, but I still want to be safe.

As for the barometric damper, I am clueless, but may ask the Amish about it.

 

[bholler]

The Amish who make the Schrock sell insulated, double wall stainless steel pipe for $108 per 4’ section. I will check on the 316 or rating. The instant reads for carbon monoxide are a good idea. My house is pretty drafty, but I still want to be safe.

As for the barometric damper, I am clueless, but may ask the Amish about it.

Dont trust the amish to install ot correctly

 

[Oldcoldstonehouse]

First off meke sure the chimney being installed is 316 grade stainless inside and out. If not it wont last long. Get some good instant read co detectors. You want to be able to see the reading to not just an alarm. And make sure who ever is installing it knows how to properly set up the barometric damper.

Got single wall stainless installed inside my masonry chimney. No barometric but a tee at the bottom to clean out the fly ash. Amish came over and serviced their stove. Took four hours to build up a bed of coals, and then my fire went out. I think because I had a huge fan pulling air away from the stove, to dry up basement.

The whole thing was so nerve wracking that I decided not to fire again until I get a heat shield below the floor joists. It is 41” to the top of the stove, but my house was finished in 1849 and mostly neglected since 1970s, so the wood is old and dry. Better safe than sorry.

Followed your advice and purchased the instant read detectors. Hoping to warm this iceberg up tomorrow night.

 

[jetsam]

What are the two air ducts on the front top of that unit? Is it a forced air furnace, or is that a coal stove thing?

 

[bholler]

View attachment 233114

Got single wall stainless installed inside my masonry chimney. No barometric but a tee at the bottom to clean out the fly ash. Amish came over and serviced their stove. Took four hours to build up a bed of coals, and then my fire went out. I think because I had a huge fan pulling air away from the stove, to dry up basement.

The whole thing was so nerve wracking that I decided not to fire again until I get a heat shield below the floor joists. It is 41” to the top of the stove, but my house was finished in 1849 and mostly neglected since 1970s, so the wood is old and dry. Better safe than sorry.

Followed your advice and purchased the instant read detectors. Hoping to warm this iceberg up tomorrow night.

So what controls the draft without a barometric damper? What type of liner did they install?

 

[bholler]

What are the two air ducts on the front top of that unit? Is it a forced air furnace, or is that a coal stove thing?

It almost has to be for forced air

 

[Oldcoldstonehouse]

There is a draft on the bottom back of the stove. It is attached by a chain to a bimetal v shaped piece, that is attached by a metal rod to the dial on the front of the stove. You set the dial, one to ten. The draft sets itself, via the bimetal spring piece responding to the heating and cooling of the stove.

The chimney is stainless single. We put it in from the ground through the old masonry chimney.

Shrock makes an electric and non electric stove. The guy who bought this originally got non electric, but upgraded to electric after one year. So there is a thermostat and a squirrel fan on the back. It blows heat out of those top ducts. I set an elbow there but it doesn’t fit. I will get two elbows to direct the heat out and up my basement steps.

There is also a skinny plate on hinges on the top of the stove. It releases heat as needed. I opened it to release heat too.

Once I get cement board up as a heat shield and co2 detectors on, I will try to light it again. It takes Blashek anthracite walnut sized coal.

I only burned it four hours, but it took parts of the house from 30s to 50s in that time.

 

[Oldcoldstonehouse]

Also, the previous stove owner attached ducts to those outlets and heated a 40’ x 80’ building. I don’t know if it heated the whole place but it probably took the chill off

 

[bholler]

There is a draft on the bottom back of the stove. It is attached by a chain to a bimetal v shaped piece, that is attached by a metal rod to the dial on the front of the stove. You set the dial, one to ten. The draft sets itself, via the bimetal spring piece responding to the heating and cooling of the stove.

The chimney is stainless single. We put it in from the ground through the old masonry chimney.

Shrock makes an electric and non electric stove. The guy who bought this originally got non electric, but upgraded to electric after one year. So there is a thermostat and a squirrel fan on the back. It blows heat out of those top ducts. I set an elbow there but it doesn’t fit. I will get two elbows to direct the heat out and up my basement steps.

There is also a skinny plate on hinges on the top of the stove. It releases heat as needed. I opened it to release heat too.

Once I get cement board up as a heat shield and co2 detectors on, I will try to light it again. It takes Blashek anthracite walnut sized coal.

I only burned it four hours, but it took parts of the house from 30s to 50s in that time.

Ok that does not control the draft that controls the intake. A furnace like yours really really needs to have a properly adjusted barometric damper on it.

And i know it is single wall stainless. But i was asking what thickness and alloy it is. If it isnt right it could be destroyed in a few years.

 

[Oldcoldstonehouse]

I cannot find a lot on the reason to have a barometric damper. When I held a match up to the new chimney, it pulled the flame up and out. Seems like good draft. Any thoughts on why?

There was no mark on the as pipe, so I am not sure about the grade.

Another night of brrrrrrr til I get the heat shield installation and co2 reader/alarm figured out.

 

[bholler]

I cannot find a lot on the reason to have a barometric damper. When I held a match up to the new chimney, it pulled the flame up and out. Seems like good draft. Any thoughts on why?

There was no mark on the as pipe, so I am not sure about the grade.

Another night of brrrrrrr til I get the heat shield installation and co2 reader/alarm figured out.

A barometric damper doesnt create draft it stabalizes it so your coal stove doesnt overfire due to excessive draft. Coal can melt a stove down if it is overfired that is why it is so important.

Did the installers not spec out what pipe they were using? It is important you find out because if they used the wrong alloy you need to make them change it now.

You need a carbon monoxide CO detector not a carbon dioxide CO2 detector.

 

[Oldcoldstonehouse]

Also, it is my understanding that the little door/dial setup controls the air intake. The chimney pipe pulls air out. In the picture I cracked the bottom door open to pull in more air while I was starting up the kindling to start the coal.

 

[Oldcoldstonehouse]

Yes, my mistake. I bought carbon monoxide detector/alarm. I had fire extinguishers on my brain, because I bought a ten pounder ABC but was looking at the co2 extinguishers.

 

[bholler]

Also, it is my understanding that the little door/dial setup controls the air intake. The chimney pipe pulls air out. In the picture I cracked the bottom door open to pull in more air while I was starting up the kindling to start the coal.

Yes that is how it works. But it can still over draft which is why you need a barometric damper

 

[bholler]

Yes, my mistake. I bought carbon monoxide detector/alarm. I had fire extinguishers on my brain, because I bought a ten pounder ABC but was looking at the co2 extinguishers.

The abc is what you wanted anyway. The co2 extinguisher would not be effective

 

[Oldcoldstonehouse]

We bought the pipe at the stove company who makes the stove.

Can you explain the reason you think a barometric is so critical? When I leave can’t I just dial the stove down to 2? Crank it up to 5 when home? What do you foresee? Does overdraft pull out so much air that the stove goes out? I thought a barometric was fit poor draft, not strong draft?

 

[Oldcoldstonehouse]

He has barometric dampers in his shop, but he says they rarely use them. When I looked st installation techniques, it took a special instrument and expertise that I don’t have.

 

[bholler]

We bought the pipe at the stove company who makes the stove.

Can you explain the reason you think a barometric is so critical? When I leave can’t I just dial the stove down to 2? Crank it up to 5 when home? What do you foresee? Does overdraft pull out so much air that the stove goes out? I thought a barometric was fit poor draft, not strong draft?

Are you sure everything is sealed up perfectly? Does that flap have a seal on it? Most coal stoves arent sealed well enough to prevent over fire. And again a bafometric damper limits and stabalizes draft.

 

[bholler]

He has barometric dampers in his shop, but he says they rarely use them. When I looked st installation techniques, it took a special instrument and expertise that I don’t have.

Then he shouldnt be installing coal units. And i have to question his level of knowledge.

 

[brenndatomu]

@bholler is absolutely right on these barometric dampers...I won't run my wood furnace without one, I can't imagine running coal without one...might wanna up your fire insurance policy $ amount if you are gonna try it.
Who are you dealing with on this install? I wanna stay away from them...

 

[bholler]

@bholler is absolutely right on these barometric dampers...I won't run my wood furnace without one, I can't imagine running coal without one...might wanna up your fire insurance policy $ amount if you are gonna try it.
Who are you dealing with on this install? I wanna stay away from them...

I dont like to see them on wood appliances but sometimes they are nessecary. That dilution air is not good for creosote buildup