When to shovel/remove coals?

[hoverwheel]

My stove is new, a 30nc. Still learning how to run it properly.

Having not much good, dry wood, I'm supplementing with "fuel blocks". Those ginormous "wood pellets" for stoves.

They burn well and we're keeping plenty warm.

However I have LOTS of coal bed. There's a large quantity of glowing coals, as in half way up the side firebricks quantity. They glow merrily when stirred but are taking forever to burn down to just ash. When I rake through it, some of the deep stuff is just black, but when I mix it in, all glows. I shoveled some out and quenched in a bucket with water, but it seems wasteful to take out still burning material, not to mention, doesn't seem as safe as leaving it in the stove.

So... when is a coal bed just a pile of warm ashes? No glow when stirred in the dark?

 

[JA600L]

Get a bag of wood pellets. Sprinkle them on the coals. It will burn them down faster. If you have no ash pan, you will have to let the stove cool down to effectively remove ash safely.

 

[hoverwheel]

Pellets I have, and tried that. The did make *remarkable* flames but didn't seem to do anything to the coal bed.

There is an ash pan and a trap door to push ash through, but I'm unsure whether these are *ready* to be removed.

 

[edyit]

pull the coals forward and place a smallish split of wood e-w across them and open the air all the way up, this burns the coals down and throws off a lot of heat while doing so. it might take more than 1 split burning it down like this to lower the coal bed.

 

[JA600L]

What I use is a homemade rake with 4" points. You need to expose more surface area of the coal so the air can hit it. Raking channels also sifts through the ash and might help it drop.

 

[jatoxico]

Honkin' bed of coals is good for burning up marginal wood. Split it down a bit, open the air a little more.

 

[bobdog2o02]

pull the coals forward and place a smallish split of wood e-w across them and open the air all the way up, this burns the coals down and throws off a lot of heat while doing so. it might take more than 1 split burning it down like this to lower the coal bed.

This, do this, it works.

 

[Grisu]

This, do this, it works.

Indeed. And I do it religiously every time I load the stove. That way the coals burn down with the fresh load and stay manageable. I am actually surprised you get a lot of them with the artificial blocks. Leaving little ash is usually a benefit of them. What brand are you using?

 

[hoverwheel]

Indeed. And I do it religiously every time I load the stove. That way the coals burn down with the fresh load and stay manageable. I am actually surprised you get a lot of them with the artificial blocks. Leaving little ash is usually a benefit of them. What brand are you using?

Trying this now. Hopefully works...

I bought these at Lowe's: "Fuel Blocks". This is the product: (broken link removed to http://www.eco-energyfuel.com/products.html)

 

[JA600L]

You can do the same thing with the wood pellets.

 

[bsruther]

You can do the same thing with the wood pellets.

I tried the pellets and they do work.

 

[BobUrban]

open the air all the way and let the stove finish it's burn cycle. This coaling stage is still heating the house and with open air will burn up. The stove does not and will not have visible flames throughout the burn cycle and I suspect this is what you are looking for?? Let the cycle complete its process.

You should not run into heavy coaling issues unless it is Polar Vortex cold out -then we all(or most of us) have the issue.

Small splits and/or pellets or bark chips etc. will expedite the process but the key is opening the air again and letting the stove eat.

 

[clark77]

Raking the coals forward, opening the air all the way and putting one split on top is good advice. ive been doing this for years with great results. Sometimes it takes a couple rounds of letting it burn down and raking forward to get the coals to a good height.
The stove will throw out good heat during these cycles so no worries there.
As far as the polar vortex comment, I've definitely noticed this when we had the last bit of low single digit weather a few weeks ago. I had a mountain of ash every load I had to burn down. My stove burns much better at 30 degrees

 

[Ashful]

Small splits and/or pellets or bark chips etc. will expedite the process but the key is opening the air again and letting the stove eat.

To elaborate, putting just two small splits on the coals will keep heat output up while burning down those coals, since you can usually run with the throttle set fairly wide on such a small load. The trouble with the coaling stage is that heat output is generally lower, which is why Bob mentioned trouble during very cold weather, when those with a stove as their primary heat source start short-cycling the stoves.

 

[Gpsfool]

Hoverwheel,

Just a FYI - around here you can buy those exact same fuel blocks at Tractor Supply (TSC) for $1.50 less per pack than they cost at Lowes. They will have the TSC "Redstone" label, but they are the same. Also, some TSC stores carry the Eco-blocks (a so with the "Redstone" label), they come in a six-pack and are a superior product to the ones you use but cost the same - $3.49. TSC also often puts both brands on sale for 2.99 a pack. If your local TSC does not stock the Eco-blocks they will get some for you if you ask. Sorry if this sounds like a TSC ad - I don't work for them, just a satisfied customer.

I too am short on dry wood this year and so have been using blocks - have same coaling problem - with blocks or wood. I stir them up and break them into smaller chunks, use small splits and pellet stove pellets in effort to shrink them, some success, yet I usually end up shoveling some out every morning if I burn 7x24.

 

[maple1]

When you can't keep your house up to temp.

Coals generate heat, but it's diminshed. So there will be a point where it won't put out enough heat to give you the warmth you want & the house will lose temp. At that point, you pretty well have to either let the house keep losing temp, or shovel out coals & start over with a load of fresh fuel.

 

[BobUrban]

My stove burns much better at 30 degrees

Technically your stove probably burns better in the lower temps but cannot keep up. Better, more efficient draw the colder it gets - But I agree: in the 25+ temp ranges my stove is a gem, easy on wood and keeps this place above 70 24/7

 

[Ashful]

Technically your stove probably burns better in the lower temps but cannot keep up. Better, more efficient draw the colder it gets - But I agree: in the 25+ temp ranges my stove is a gem, easy on wood and keeps this place above 70 24/7

When temps drop below where your stove keeps up, then you just start heating the way I do every day. I keep one stove going 24/7, and a second going 24/3, but the furnace still runs and cycles to keep up in any weather much below 40F. I'm not heating 100% with wood, but I'm putting one heck of a dent in the oil bill.

 

[velvetfoot]

I open the door a little for a while and it burns down the coals fast.

 

[-Nuddin'Amiss-]

This topic is exactly why I joined the site! Hello to all!

I've been burning an osburn 1100 insert for little over a month now. Small stove, but didn't have much of budget and fireplace not much more accommodating...

Anyway, I'm noticing that until a few days ago, after a good 24hour burn you'd be left with mostly ash upon morning.
But recently I've seen more and more unburned charcoal briquettes... Even starting to notice them later in evening no matter how much I stir and get fire raging... They just won't burn off. What gives?

I am using wood that's been spilt/covered for over a year and things have been going so smooth. This has caused some discouragement. I was getting away with empeating ash every 3 days, but now seems day and half tops.

I can say one difference is- I use to stir coals more frequently before adding new fuel. But have become more lazy and like to just get wood in and close door. Not sure what could have happened or changed but that's why I've come to the more experienced for assistance!!

To anyone in northeast (as I am)- be safe!! At least we can stay warm!

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Stir the crap out of the coals. This drops the fine ash to the bottom and let's the coals rose to the top. I then just pull forward the coals, then push some back so I have a hot bed to lay the wood on. Load her up for the next 10 hours.

 

[Polarbear]

I don't use splits. I use 2" branches. Load a few in on top raked up coals and air open. nice hot fire. I will fill a few 5 gal buckets with the pieces and store in garage. easy

 

[Woody Stover]

I am using wood that's been spilt/covered for over a year

When your wood stacks are 2 years dry (3 for Oak,) you'll have less coals to deal with....and more heat in the house.