Dual Fuel (Wood/Coal) Stove Question

[acp104]

I recently looked at the insert pictured, and in doing a little research found a picture of the tag that should have been on it (attached) which appears to indicate that it could be used with wood or coal. This peaked my curiosity about some things. Was this common? What is typically different about a coal burning setup? Would a dual fuel setup like this have made for poor performance with wood? I've read a couple threads on here that make me think that the openings in the stove floor and the low air intake knob on the ash drawer below the door are possibly characteristics of a coal stove?

Thanks!

 

[venator260]

They were around, although I've never seen a fireplace like that.

Is there a way to shake the grate? It also looks like the grate doesn't extend across the entire bottom of the stove. If that's the case and there's no way to shake it, it would be a pretty poor coal burner.

 

[acp104]

It didn't seem like there was anyway to shake it.

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[venator260]

If it can't be shaken, while it could technically burn the coal that was on top of the grate, it would be really frustrating to clear the ash while keeping the fire. Most coal stoves work by shaking the grate so the ash drops out the bottom of the system, and them more coal can be loaded on top.

 

[acp104]

If it can't be shaken, while it could technically burn the coal that was on top of the grate, it would be really frustrating to clear the ash while keeping the fire. Most coal stoves work by shaking the grate so the ash drops out the bottom of the system, and them more coal can be loaded on top.

Ah, good to know. Thanks! I was mostly interested in burning wood in it. After noticing the ash drawer/grate setup, it makes me wonder if the air could be restricted enough, or if it'd get more than desired even with all three caps closed.

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[venator260]

I would try keeping the bottom cap completely closed tight and use the two on the door to control draft. That seems like it should work. Wood tends to burn up too fast with air from the bottom.



It sounds as though you haven't burnt this setup before. If the chimney system hasn't been inspected lately, I would have that done if I were you.

Edit: as I reread the thread, it looks as though you haven't installed this yet. If so, another consideration is the performance of this unit vs. The expense of getting it intalled. A newer stove will perform much better than your older unit, using less wood and getting longer burn times.

 

[acp104]

I would try keeping the bottom cap completely closed tight and use the two on the door to control draft. That seems like it should work. Wood tends to burn up too fast with air from the bottom.



It sounds as though you haven't burnt this setup before. If the chimney system hasn't been inspected lately, I would have that done if I were you.

Edit: as I reread the thread, it looks as though you haven't installed this yet. If so, another consideration is the performance of this unit vs. The expense of getting it intalled. A newer stove will perform much better than your older unit, using less wood and getting longer burn times.

Correct, I was actually looking at buying this old insert, and modifying the flu outlet to accept a liner/connector. After looking at it closer, it was going to be difficult if not impossible in my opinion to set it up with an acceptable flu outlet so I passed on it.