Anthracite

rebbelbiker · Post by **rebbelbiker** » Fri. Oct. 16, 2009 4:59 pm

Hi all. A question for the anthracite Guru's. Is there a limit or maximum amount of coal that can be loaded into a burner other than what the burner is capable of holding? Reason why I'm asking this is, my furnace can easily hold 10 bags of nut @ 40lbs @ bag. Now that is alot of coal for one load? (right?) Or can I use less coal than what the furnace can hold and still have reliable burn times? (I dunno, I need answers)

Thanks, Mark

coal berner · Post by **coal berner** » Fri. Oct. 16, 2009 5:32 pm

rebbelbiker wrote:Hi all. A question for the anthracite Guru's. Is there a limit or maximum amount of coal that can be loaded into a burner other than what the burner is capable of holding? Reason why I'm asking this is, my furnace can easily hold 10 bags of nut @ 40lbs @ bag. Now that is alot of coal for one load? (right?) Or can I use less coal than what the furnace can hold and still have reliable burn times? (I dunno, I need answers)

Thanks, Mark

Mark your sunbeam 524 is a pretty big unit not sure if you have the firebrick lining in it If so fill up to the top of
firebrick if you do not have firebrick lining then fill up to the bottom of the loading door maybe 2 or 3 inches below the bottom door frame you will be good to go Anthracite likes to have deep coal beds to burn long and hot control the air vents /flow for heat hotput more air going in more heat coming out less burn times less air going in less heat coming out longer burn times Plus the size of coal will also change burn times and heat output Pea size lower heat output longer burn time Nut size more heat output shorter burn time Stove size coal most heat output least burn time you can mix sizes Pea & Nut or Nut & Stove or any of the three sizes mixed or by themselves

rebbelbiker · Post by **rebbelbiker** » Fri. Oct. 16, 2009 5:40 pm

Hi. Thanks for the quicky reply. I do wonder how you knew the make and model furnace I have....uhmmm. Yes I did recast a new liner, higher than the original liner was. So if I understand what you recommend. I can load her up to the hilt? Even though it'll hold 10 bags of nut? I wanted to get some stove size, I couldn't locate any close to me. So I settled for "Black brand" nut.

Thanks, Mark

coal berner · Post by **coal berner** » Fri. Oct. 16, 2009 6:39 pm

rebbelbiker wrote:Hi. Thanks for the quicky reply. I do wonder how you knew the make and model furnace I have....uhmmm. Yes I did recast a new liner, higher than the original liner was. So if I understand what you recommend. I can load her up to the hilt? Even though it'll hold 10 bags of nut? I wanted to get some stove size, I couldn't locate any close to me. So I settled for "Black brand" nut.

Thanks, Mark

Mindreader

Yor make and model is under your Avatar

Yep the deeper the coal bed the happier the coal will be & burn Nut is a good size with that size stove you will have more then enough heat coming out with nut size coal
Stove size will be good when the temps outside are under 0 F

rebbelbiker · Post by **rebbelbiker** » Sat. Oct. 17, 2009 4:39 am

Well I plum forgot what I wrote in my profile. Blame it on Altzheimers....haha
I think I am convinced that my Sunbeam Behemoth of a furnace just won't burn nut coal. I loose far to much unburned coal after a shake down, and I cannot seem recover the fire. I have read, and read all I can find on burning anthracite to learn how to maintain a fire. I've had "No" success. O, did I tell you I have read till I can't see straight on how to maintain a fire....haha. If you have any advice for me, I surely will appreciate what you have to offer.. A little history on my system. Year 1900 Sunbeam 524 furnace, chimney is clean about 36' tall. I have a manual damper installed Immediately out of the furnace than a fields barometric 8" damper about 18" from the manual damper. My first test burn was with 50lbs of nut I was able to achieve a stack temp taken between the 2 dampers of approx. 150* and the stove temp was approx. 250*. This lasted approx. close to 10 hrs when I checked the burn. The coals were burning red no fire and stack temp was 100* hardly any drafting.. I opened the manual damper fully and than the ash door. There was no recovery of the coal bed and no fire. I added a full shovel of nut being careful not to smother the hot coals. There was no recovery, I poked through the grate from under and there was no recovery. So I shook the grate, lots of unburned coals cometh falling and there was no recovery. From this point it was "all" downhill for a fast death of what heat I had... I know I must be long winded, I am lost on what to do?

Thanks, Mark

CapeCoaler · Post by **CapeCoaler** » Sat. Oct. 17, 2009 9:04 am

Pictures of the stove install and the inside of the stove will help...

Dann757 · Post by **Dann757** » Sat. Oct. 17, 2009 10:11 am

Mark, do you have a manometer hooked up? I just hooked one up and it's telling me what my draft is. Sounds like your chimney is plenty tall for really good draft. Do you adjust your baro? I adjust mine to maximum draft when I'm trying to revive a fire. Sounds a lot like my hand fired problems.

dlj · Post by **dlj** » Sat. Oct. 17, 2009 10:30 am

rebbelbiker wrote: My first test burn was with 50lbs of nut I was able to achieve a stack temp taken between the 2 dampers of approx. 150* and the stove temp was approx. 250*. This lasted approx. close to 10 hrs when I checked the burn. The coals were burning red no fire and stack temp was 100* hardly any drafting..
Thanks, Mark

First, I don't know anything about the stove you are using so keep that in mind when reading this...

Your description sounds to me like you were running too cold. I think your stove temp should be more up towards 450* F. I have no idea of the relationship between stove and stack temp on that stove... But your description sure sounds like a fire that never got really going...

dj

rebbelbiker · Post by **rebbelbiker** » Sat. Oct. 17, 2009 10:33 am

[quHi! Well I do not own a camera. I don't think I would want pics posted of the dungeon of a basement I have. Could possibly be considered scary for others and someone may get horrified to see how some homes were built in 1900.......lol All I can say is imagine a monstrous octopus coal furnace in a dungeon basement with ceiling heights of 5'7" (good thing for me I'm 5'6")ote="CapeCoaler"]Pictures of the stove install and the inside of the stove will help...[/quote]

rebbelbiker · Post by **rebbelbiker** » Sat. Oct. 17, 2009 10:48 am

Hi!
Well you may be right? I can no longer deal with the shortcomings of burning wood. Burning anthracite is all greek to me. This is why I used 50lbs as a test burn. I didn't want to load in close to 400lbs of nut to find out I have a cluster of a mess to deal with. Furnace has alot of iron area to have to bring up to temp. For this time of year, I was satisfied with the test burn till I had to reload nut. It just wouldn't catch fire from the red hot ambers left from first burn. It's been raining here with temps in the 30's and I have no heat.....brrrrrrrrr......Mark

dlj wrote:
rebbelbiker wrote: My first test burn was with 50lbs of nut I was able to achieve a stack temp taken between the 2 dampers of approx. 150* and the stove temp was approx. 250*. This lasted approx. close to 10 hrs when I checked the burn. The coals were burning red no fire and stack temp was 100* hardly any drafting..
Thanks, Mark
First, I don't know anything about the stove you are using so keep that in mind when reading this...

Your description sounds to me like you were running too cold. I think your stove temp should be more up towards 450* F. I have no idea of the relationship between stove and stack temp on that stove... But your description sure sounds like a fire that never got really going...

dj

rebbelbiker · Post by **rebbelbiker** » Sat. Oct. 17, 2009 10:56 am

[quHi,
No, I do not have a manometer. I was using my cigar smoke and the pull on toilet paper by draft opening of determing my draft. The barometric damp was being sucked open with my test burn. I know this means nothing in the way of how much draft. I fiqured that if the stove pipe was 150* and the Furnace body was 250* and I was warm I was good to go! This is all greek to me. ote="Dann757"]Mark, do you have a manometer hooked up? I just hooked one up and it's telling me what my draft is. Sounds like your chimney is plenty tall for really good draft. Do you adjust your baro? I adjust mine to maximum draft when I'm trying to revive a fire. Sounds a lot like my hand fired problems.[/quote]

Post by **franco b** » Sat. Oct. 17, 2009 5:59 pm

If your furnace can hold 10 bags and you only put one bag in, then the bed of coal was much too thin to hold a fire. Put enough coal in so it is at least 6 inches deep, more would be better. Adjust burn time with the air control in the ash pit door. Once the fire is going well you probably will have to close the air fully as that old furnace is most likely to be not very air tight. Stack temp. should be above 250.

Richard