(no subject)

[layla]

The boiler has now been running for over a week. There were a few starting pains but no major issues, except that I have to go out every so often and put wood and/or coal in it. Compared to a wood stove, it's very efficient -- rather than heating the house with direct radiant heat from the stove, all the heat (and I do mean ALL; it's so well-insulated that you can hardly even feel it from the outside when it's burning) goes into heating the water which circulates through the radiators. In this warmer weather, the water stays hot for hours and hours. Unfortunately this means it's awfully tempting to try to conserve wood, just putting in the bare minimum to warm up the water tank and then letting it go out between feedings. Which means I'm spending far too much of my time starting fires and babying them along until they get going, only to let them go out 12 hours later.

It's good practice for when it gets really cold, though. I'm learning how to handle the stove, how long it takes to burn a box of wood, how much wood it takes to get the tank hot, etc.

My dwindling supply of wood worries me somewhat. It's not like I'm gonna run out tomorrow, but I have no particularly good way to replace it, since the Suburban died so I have nothing to haul with. If I only had a truck ... the News-Miner gives away free pallets, so I could just load up a truck with pallets every so often. They burn good. But they don't fit through the doors of the Suzuki.

Well, I have at least a month's supply of wood, plus 3 tons of coal if I can just figure out how to get it to burn right, so I'm sure I'll be okay when it turns cold. I just don't have a huge safety buffer.

Chopping wood and loading a boiler is a good way to add to my bruise collection. I swear I look like someone beats me with a stick. No, I just beat myself with a stick. At least my hand is healing.

Comments

coal burning can be fun

[(Anonymous)]

STARTING A COAL FIRE
1. Use paper and dry kindling to start the fire.
2. Add small pieces of hardwood when fire is burning hot. Keep the draft control fully open till a hot fire is established.
3. When a decent bed of red wood embers is built up, start adding coal--small amounts at a time. Keep the draft control open!!
4. Continue adding small amounts of coal until there is a 1" to 2" bed of burning coal. Don't add too much coal at one time and allow sufficient time between each small loading for the coal in the stove to thoroughly ignite.
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.
6. After all the coal has been ignited and is burning with a blue flame, then the draft control can be turned down. Serious damage can result if the stove is run wide open for extended periods of time. Make sure that the ashpan door is closed at all times.


RAKING AND SHAKING YOUR STOVE
Shaking should be done at least twice a day and as many as sixtimes if the stove is being run at high outputs. Shake only with a hot stove. If the fire is very low and you must de-ash the grates follow the following procedure:
1. Open draft control and damper fully.
2. Shake or rake fire slightly to encourage air flow thru the fire.
3. Add more coal if needed.
When fire is burning well then shake thoroughly. Best results will occur if short choppy strokes are used rather than long even strokes.The amount of shaking or raking is critical. Too little or too much can extinguish a fire. The proper job has been done when red coals first start to drop through the grate. Always allow some ash to remain on the grate as this will extend their service life.


MAINTENANCE
Ashes should never be allowed to accumulate in the ash pit.This can impede the flow of combustion air into the fire. Coal does not produce creosote, so chimney fires are not a concern.


SAFETY FIRST
Use caution when loading your stove. Always open the door or hatch slowly so as to allow oxygen to enter and burn any combustible gases that are present. Failure to do this could result in"mini explosions" (sudden ignition of unburned gases). With the exception of the start-up period, an ash door should never be left open. Serious damage from overheating can result. Coal stoves should only be used with chimneys that provide a strong and constant draft.

If you have followed the advice given in this pamphlet and your manual, then you probably have it licked. If any problems persist, follow these steps:
1. Make sure you are using low ash high-quality coal. Low heat output, large ash accumulation and difficulty of overnight burning are signs of bum coal. Try buying a bag or two at a different yard.
2. Chimney problem--if you suspect that your draft is too strong then a barometric or manual damper should be installed. If your draft is too weak, try the following: Chimney may not be warm enough. Try a hotter fire. Seal all pipe joints and leaks in the chimney system. Check outside clean-out doors and fireplace sealing plates.---increase height of chimney ---line chimney with stainless steel pipe---install a Vacu -Stak (draft increasing cap)---make sure all heat exchangers and manifolds on your stove are clean--Fly ash accumulation in these areas can restrict your chimney.


So yes, your 3 tons of coal should last you some time.
operator101.com