Trying Coal for the first time today.

[leon]

What you experienced is exactly why I told him to soak the charcoal and leave it
for a while and build logs of pre soaked crushed and dried out briquettes or charcoal
using toilet paper tubes wrapped in newspaper to contain the fire starters and a
second toilet paper tube with rice coal. It works very well for me with my keystoker
and as long as he uses it the right way it will light properly with no flashback.

If he can purchase a bag or two of rice coal to start fires as needed that will not go
to waste and it will last him a long time.

 

[brenndatomu]

I thought most people loaded coal onto hot wood coals to start it...

 

[E Yoder]

I thought most people loaded coal onto hot wood coals to start it...

That's what my brother-in-law said he did growing up.

 

[Bootstrap]

The "minor explosions" are only an issue if you whip open the door. Every time I loaded the stove I cracked the door open for 10 seconds then opened it. Never once had any puff backs.
Having a very slight amount of over fire air is probably not a bad thing.
I have started a lot of coal fires using charcoal and lighter fluid. Never once had any safety concerns about that. It was by far the easiest way to get it going.
Starting a coal fire with wood coals is ok but that takes hours to get a good coal bed built up from a wood fire and the ash from a wood fire chokes out the coal fire to some degree.

 

[stratton]

LC, I have D.S. the aqua gem 3200. Ive had my unit now for 5 seasons. The best move i ever made was experimenting with anthracite.
I mix wood and coal all the time, usually start with wood base then add a shovel or two of coal. In mid winter, i layer wood and coal just like a triple decker sandwich, Ive also added a baffle plate and secondary burn tubes. Huge improvement