Switched to coal for a trial tonight.

[Medic21]

Wicked hot.

 

[SpaceBus]

I am coal curious. My cookstove says it can burn coal in the manual.

 

[coaly]

Is that a mix of wood and coal with lots of air? Bituminous will give you dirty yellow flames, but anthracite should only have yellow flames coming through it when loading coal on top of wood. It only takes enough flames through the coal bed to ignite it, then you should have only blue flames. Most of the heat will come from the glowing mass. That much coal in a cook stove is 3 days worth.

 

[Medic21]

Is that a mix of wood and coal with lots of air? Bituminous will give you dirty yellow flames, but anthracite should only have yellow flames coming through it when loading coal on top of wood. It only takes enough flames through the coal bed to ignite it, then you should have only blue flames. Most of the heat will come from the glowing mass. That much coal in a cook stove is 3 days worth.

Yes there was still wood in it. It’s a lot cleaner now. I added another 15-20 pounds.

 

[Medic21]

I am coal curious. My cookstove says it can burn coal in the manual.

This is my first time. I had a load of oak and hickory in it last night and today so I added the coal on top of that with the fan ripping. I have the fan down now and it’s really cleaned up.

 

[coaly]

That’s better. The amount of coal does not affect the output like adding more wood. Once established over entire grate area, the depth will only burn as deep as you give it air. The blue flames are only the gas burning off that escapes from the fresh coal. With little air at idle, you will only have a small flame at the most shallow spot in the fire. For this reason the fire must always have a low spot. In boilers, fire deeper around sides like a horseshoe shape with a lower center. This prevents holes in the fire where cool air rushes through the grate at firebox side wall causing uneven heating of side sheet. If you fire too deep and level, at low fire you can loose the pilot light needed to ignite the coal gas on top. This stinks and does not take advantage of the added heat from blue flames.
Never poke a coal fire from the top.

Coal requires much more controlled air than wood, so if you decide to burn it, adding a barometric damper will keep the air flow through coal bed constant with weather changes and chimney temperature fluctuations. The flapper will close at low fire maintaining draft with little heat and open at high fire keeping the draft constant. Far less fuel is used.

 

[coaly]

You’ll find it doesn’t take much of a wood fire to start coal. Paper, cardboard and kindling can have some coal sprinkled on top. When lit, as long as flames are rippping up through coal it will start. You will notice blue flame from the coal. Keep adding coal slowly until covered with flame coming through. With a induction air blower it’s easier but you need to close off grate area so the air is forced through the coal bed, not around it. Fresh coal is used directly on grate to fill in holes. It will catch all the way across grate. It will seem strange to cover fire with fresh coal until you only see the glow below grate. At the end of season, continue to shake to clean fire, the fuel in firebox will take about 3 days to burn out.

 

[Medic21]

That’s better. The amount of coal does not affect the output like adding more wood. Once established over entire grate area, the depth will only burn as deep as you give it air. The blue flames are only the gas burning off that escapes from the fresh coal. With little air at idle, you will only have a small flame at the most shallow spot in the fire. For this reason the fire must always have a low spot. In boilers, fire deeper around sides like a horseshoe shape with a lower center. This prevents holes in the fire where cool air rushes through the grate at firebox side wall causing uneven heating of side sheet. If you fire too deep and level, at low fire you can loose the pilot light needed to ignite the coal gas on top. This stinks and does not take advantage of the added heat from blue flames.
Never poke a coal fire from the top.

Coal requires much more controlled air than wood, so if you decide to burn it, adding a barometric damper will keep the air flow through coal bed constant with weather changes and chimney temperature fluctuations. The flapper will close at low fire maintaining draft with little heat and open at high fire keeping the draft constant. Far less fuel is used.

This is forced draft. This was just the first experiment and exactly what happened is what I thought it would. It went out on me around four 4:30 in the morning. There’s just not enough load on the boiler right now. But I’m very happy with what I did see out of it and I’m gonna go ahead and get our bags. For when it actually gets cold.

 

[SpaceBus]

This is my first time. I had a load of oak and hickory in it last night and today so I added the coal on top of that with the fan ripping. I have the fan down now and it’s really cleaned up.

Should be less emissions than wood as well. If coal is available as a fuel when I'm unable to process wood that's probably what I'll go to. I think my cooker was made with wood and the coal briquettes as the primary fuel since it doesn't have a shaker. My Morso could be set up to run nut coal if I make the ash pan intake spinner functional.

 

[coaly]

Doesn't it have an adjustable intake for natural draft to maintain a low fire?
The blower should only be needed on a call for heat.

To use less fuel, I adjust low fire air to maintain desired constant temp to allow constant flow through circulators. A zone valved system would need to open zone valves or bypass them for regulated constant flow. Much easier on fuel than high fire burn. I heat one home over 2000 sf. with 2 tons yearly when using coal. I plumbed with oversize Pex for good gravity flow, 2 zone thermostats stay satisfied.
If you can pick up in bulk it is much cheaper than bags here. 5 gallon pails or pickup, all weighed on scale.

 

[Medic21]

Doesn't it have an adjustable intake for natural draft to maintain a low fire?
The blower should only be needed on a call for heat.

To use less fuel, I adjust low fire air to maintain desired constant temp to allow constant flow through circulators. A zone valved system would need to open zone valves or bypass them for regulated constant flow. Much easier on fuel than high fire burn. I heat one home over 2000 sf. with 2 tons yearly when using coal. I plumbed with oversize Pex for good gravity flow, 2 zone thermostats stay satisfied.
If you can pick up in bulk it is much cheaper than bags here. 5 gallon pails or pickup, all weighed on scale.

There is no air control. That’s why I need a heavier load on it. If it calls for heat every 15 min with a 2 degree differential it won’t go out. Last night it probably only called for heat once an hour as it warmed up and I quit making hot water for doing laundry.

 

[Medic21]

@coaly I did some research today. The Heatmaster C Series has a timer that will supply air to the firebox on an infinite setting. Fan on for a couple mins then back off for 30 mins or so. Just enough air that it will keep the fire alive during extended periods of no call for heat.

All the parts to install the same thing on my Crown Royal cost about $80. I’m going to get ahold of the engineering dept tomorrow and send them what I’m thinking. I don’t want to void a warranty. It can be wired through the high limit as a safety so I’m hoping it’s good. Hell, maybe I can sell them the design lol.