New Coal burner- Little help here?

[tac592]

I just had a Vigilant II coal burner handed down to be from a friend...so the price was right and I'm anxious to burn coal as my primary heat in our new house (to us) is fuel oil...OUCH!

My friend has coached me by phone regarding starting up the coal and it's gone well....for a while.

After getting a full bed of charcoal going great I've been slowly adding layers of coal and making sure they're lit before adding the next layer. I do this until it's 3-4 inches deep with red hot coal (w/secondary clue flame). At this point I'm not sure how much to add, where to place the coal in the box, etc. Seems like everything I do causes the fire to drop to 200-300* and remain there for 12 hours. I've tried not touching it, cleaning out the grates,moving the coal around, etc...to no avail.

Seems like a strong draw into the stove....can feel a good amount of air getting sucked into the intake when I stick my hand back there.

HOWEVER- I did notice today when I cleaned it out that 2 of my 'cleanout' plates were missing underneath the grate area.

Anyone know if those open cleanouts would significantly redirect the air within the stove to mess up my coal burn? Or am I doing something else wrong?

I have burned hardwood with some success, but even that seems to like the front door cracked open a bit to keep it in the 500* and up range.

 

[Mike Wilson]

More help here.

-- Mike

 

[Corie]

Don't be so quick to pass this one off! haha

Once you get that first 3-4" of coal rocking and rolling, as you described, its time to fill the stove with coal. Use the top loading door (obviously) and load the coal to the top of air deflectors across the front windows and to just under the two exhaust ports on the left and right hand side of the stove. Leave the ash pan cracked, or at the very least, the primary air wide open, until the load catches and then shut the air control for your desired heat output.

You don't mention the bypass gate. If you're having a hard time getting a hot fire with it closed, then try operating the stove with it open full time. You may not have strong enough draw to operate the stove in bypass mode.

Same goes for the reverse. If you've been operating it open and can't the stove temps very high, try getting the coal fire glowing brightly and then closing the bypass damper. This routes the gases through channels in the sides and rear of the stove and will help extract more heat.

If neither will work, you may have weak draw, or those plates you were talking about may be having some effect on the function of the stove. I was under the impression that they were bituminous plates and should be removed when burning anthracite, but in place when burning soft coal.

Also, you shouldn't have to shake the grates but about twice a day, generally corresponding to when you are reloading the stove with coal.

Let me know how that works, or what you've been doing and we should be able to track down the problem.

 

[seaken]

Those are access ports for cleaning. The cover plates should be in place since these ports will allow for a bypass of the air and will effect the firing rate. Close them up with some sheetmetal.

 

[Corie]

Ahhh, there ya go. Maybe that's the problem.

 

[tac592]

I'll see if I can fabricate something, as my local Vermont Castings supplier is notoriously sslllllooooooowwwww in getting parts.

You guys are the best. With any luck I'll be posting back soon to let you know that I'm ripping along at 600* and higher!!

;-)

-virtus junxit mors non separabit-

 

[webbie]

We have a pretty good article on coal burning here:
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/coaltips

You do have to make certain that stove is set up right, but if someone already used it, it probably is - but you never know! The manual should clearly show that little sheet metal thingy.....which is used to switch (one way or another) from hard to soft coal....

To quoteth the article - this is how full the stove should be:

5. It is important at this point to fill the stove to the highest level possible. A deep bed of coal is critical for the proper function of all coal stoves. Since coal can be regulated better than wood, a deep bed does not mean that you can only run the stove hot - rather you can control the stove by setting the air control on your stove.

 

[tac592]

Well....after replacing the covers for the three cleanouts my little coal stove is humming right along. Once it gets up to speed it hangs around the 650 to 700 degree range. At times I catch it creeping higher if I'm not careful. This type of heat is a beautiful thing- very much a heat that seems to push right through everything. Thanks for all the help guys :cheese:

 

[begreen]

Does this mean we need some secret handshake? Or do we all just get 'stoned'?

 

[tac592]

Didn't mean to post the pic....just use it as my image. Sorry.