TSC 2017-2018
3 or 4 seasons (years fly by and blend in when your busy) with TSC Rice and with Winter in full bloom still have no issues..except first season's burlap bags made from Polyethylene that rot's in the sun. Great stuff.. slightly damp... no wood or chunks.. no fines at all.
Bought 6 tons last Summer on layaway and will again this coming summer. I've been burning Coal for 37 yrs.. Nut then Rice.. Coal is Coal.. buy at the best price.. always... Sure beats Splitting wood or paying the Arabs..and rich Oil Tycoons ... and keeps me so warm in my home in the woods 24/7 here in Northern NH... Were below zero is the norm.
Bought 6 tons last Summer on layaway and will again this coming summer. I've been burning Coal for 37 yrs.. Nut then Rice.. Coal is Coal.. buy at the best price.. always... Sure beats Splitting wood or paying the Arabs..and rich Oil Tycoons ... and keeps me so warm in my home in the woods 24/7 here in Northern NH... Were below zero is the norm.
- warminmn
- Member
- Posts: 8108
- Joined: Tue. Feb. 08, 2011 5:59 pm
- Location: Land of 11,842 lakes
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Junior, Efel Nestor Martin, Riteway 37
- Coal Size/Type: nut and stove anthracite, lignite
- Other Heating: Wood and wear a wool shirt
I do think, and have posted several times, its best to buy bagged coal in spring or summer and I see Capt does that as I try to do. It needs some time to dry. The new TSC bags are fairly air tight and I noticed the ones I poked holes in did dry out well. The ones I didnt poke holes in were still damp but not as wet as when I got them. Mine were nut sized. After I stack a row I just poke a bunch of holes in the sides of each one. It just takes a minute.... but if your storing outside Im not sure what will work as mine are in buildings.
I store mine out in the open.. maybe its the Nut stuff not so much the Rice.. I like the slight dampness coming out of this 6 ton I've been burning 24/7 since October 1st. I had some dry stuff stored inside all summer and it was so dusty when opened I now appreciate damp or wet coal even.
- uggabugga
- Member
- Posts: 39
- Joined: Mon. Sep. 21, 2009 10:03 pm
- Location: Bowie, MD
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 30-95
- Other Heating: Harman Hearth Hero
Burned a leftover bag of TSC last night. Couldn't keep it going today. Cleaned out the Hitzer and this is what I found. Buncha rocks.
Now I feel sorry for the poor ba5tard who got the pallet I waited for weeks to arrive.
Now I feel sorry for the poor ba5tard who got the pallet I waited for weeks to arrive.
Attachments
- 2001Sierra
- Member
- Posts: 2211
- Joined: Wed. May. 20, 2009 8:09 am
- Location: Wynantskill NY, 10 miles from Albany
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Keystoker 90 Chimney vent
- Coal Size/Type: Rice
- Other Heating: Buderus Oil Boiler 3115-34
That looks like some of the stuff I had with fires when using Blazchak when I was burning it at low heat mode and it would go out from lack of incoming air I'd dump it then restart.. Warm weather..low draft and or grate clogging with ash etc .after a good cleaning out the Blazchak would burn fine until next time. Could be a day or so or more depending on weather and my shaking ability. In all the hand fired stoves have to be totally cleaned out frequently to run proper.
He may be right that a stoker is more forgiving. But my stoker ash is the same with TSC for 4 seasons now as it was burning Blazchak for a few seasons.
I burnt coal for 37 yrs and from all sources.. 28 yrs hand fired. I wish I did the stoker from the onset.
- Lightning
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 14658
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 16, 2011 9:51 am
- Location: Olean, NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Modified AA 130
- Coal Size/Type: Pea Size - Anthracite
That's good to know! I see a stoker boiler of some sort in my future at some point
I'm not questioning your experience, but many guys run the whole season without a clean out (myself included) with "good coal". But I've also had coal that required a clean out once a month because of the accumulation of foreign material (slate, clinkers, dinosaur bones lol, ECT) Total clean outs do in fact, suck...
- freetown fred
- Member
- Posts: 30293
- Joined: Thu. Dec. 31, 2009 12:33 pm
- Location: Freetown,NY 13803
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: HITZER 50-93
- Coal Size/Type: BLASCHAK Nut
I've never had to do a total clean out--mid-season-- with my 50-93 burning BLASCHAK for 10 yrs.
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- Member
- Posts: 1829
- Joined: Tue. Mar. 12, 2013 3:00 pm
- Location: NW ohio
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: ds circultor1500 \chubby coal stove
- Coal Size/Type: nut/ pea ant.some bit.
- Other Heating: kerosene\cold nat. gas
that mess can be reburnd i did it in the past almost look like the bit coal i had at one time / but it will burn for you but you shouldnt have to buttttt there it is hope it works out for you !!
- warminmn
- Member
- Posts: 8108
- Joined: Tue. Feb. 08, 2011 5:59 pm
- Location: Land of 11,842 lakes
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Junior, Efel Nestor Martin, Riteway 37
- Coal Size/Type: nut and stove anthracite, lignite
- Other Heating: Wood and wear a wool shirt
I used to do a cleanout a time or two a year but dont anymore. I dont even use my beast of a tool to work over my coal anymore. I just slice it, work the edge, and dump in another pail. (I decided I was making too much work out of it) No hopper but one light up using both TSC and Blaschak.... that said I sure wish I had a shaker grate as Im really really sick of slicing.
That said, I can understand having to clean out a few times if I was using crappy coal all the time with rocks in it.
I do plan to scrape the inside walls and one horizontal pipe the next time it warms up outside but I dont need to shut down to do it.
That said, I can understand having to clean out a few times if I was using crappy coal all the time with rocks in it.
I do plan to scrape the inside walls and one horizontal pipe the next time it warms up outside but I dont need to shut down to do it.
- windyhill4.2
- Member
- Posts: 6072
- Joined: Fri. Nov. 22, 2013 2:17 pm
- Location: Jonestown,Pa.17038
- Stoker Coal Boiler: 1960 EFM520 installed in truck box
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Crane 404 with variable blower
- Coal Size/Type: 404-nut, 520 rice ,anthracite for both
I never had to clean my stove out during the heating season... in fact, since my wife died Feb 27,2016, i have yet to clean the stove out at all... anytime....I just lite it when heating season starts,it works just fine.
This is not to advise others to ignore their stove in the off season...
This is not to advise others to ignore their stove in the off season...
I did in my Mark III with Baschak for sure.. runs hard here...often well below zero.. Norhern NH... Lancaster.freetown fred wrote: ↑Fri. Feb. 02, 2018 7:47 amI've never had to do a total clean out--mid-season-- with my 50-93 burning BLASCHAK for 10 yrs.
I had to brake down the box once in a while in my Mark III burning Baschak for sure.. runs hard here in Northern NH...often well below zero. And when the stove is purged and started new the stove will run better. ..Same in my Chubby which was worse do to the not nearly as good shaker system..
Last edited by captcaper on Sat. Feb. 03, 2018 4:01 am, edited 2 times in total.
- 2001Sierra
- Member
- Posts: 2211
- Joined: Wed. May. 20, 2009 8:09 am
- Location: Wynantskill NY, 10 miles from Albany
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Keystoker 90 Chimney vent
- Coal Size/Type: Rice
- Other Heating: Buderus Oil Boiler 3115-34
My old Buderus hopper fed 3115 had a shaker grate that would build up ash along the sides something awful. It was all cast iron which really didn't suffer from corrosion like my Keystoker 90 which is 95% steel. The shaker grate rotated left to right causing the build up. White ash coal was my friend, but back then no forum and it was just learned by the school of hard knocks. Weekly I would run the fire way down so I could shake, and knife the fire box to rid it of the built up ash. The TSC coal I use now is rice and it does clinker a bit but the Keystoker doesn't care much.