US Stove Hot Blast Furnace Problems

can anybody tell me what im doing worng with my hot blast 1500 I can keep the temp on the stove up more than a hour or two and if I opean the ash pan draft more then 2 turns it over fires . I m using strip coal it burns good but if I go and stir the fire it will heat the furnace back up to 400 to 450

dmay wrote:can anybody tell me what im doing worng with my hot blast 1500 I can keep the temp on the stove up more than a hour or two and if I opean the ash pan draft more then 2 turns it over fires . I m using strip coal it burns good but if I go and stir the fire it will heat the furnace back up to 400 to 450

What exactly are you calling strip coal? Is it bituminous or anthracite? It sounds like you are burning bituminous. Explain a little more. Why do you need to open the bottom draft more than necessary?

dmay wrote:can anybody tell me what im doing worng with my hot blast 1500 I can keep the temp on the stove up more than a hour or two and if I opean the ash pan draft more then 2 turns it over fires . I m using strip coal it burns good but if I go and stir the fire it will heat the furnace back up to 400 to 450

dmay:
you have a us stove like the clayton 1600 and 1800.there is a 22 page thread on "successfully burning anthrite in a clayton furnace", read that thread most of all your answers to your questions are in that thread,some may work and some may not, but will get you started burning. I believe most of the problems are from the above air draft. Dennis

Are you saying you do like the 400F to 500F temp range? I feel that is the sweet spot for burning coal. Do you wish to cooler or hotter than that range? That can be accomplished by decreasing or increasing the amount of air you let in under the fire. Coal needs air from underneath the fire. Not above or across the fire like wood does.

the strip coal is sub bi coal ,and yes 400 to 450 is a sweet spot but the furnace will not hold that temp for more than 2 hr then it drop back down to 300 and it will hold the 300 temp ,if I missed anybody reply sorry

Vinmaker wrote:Are you saying you do like the 400F to 500F temp range? I feel that is the sweet spot for burning coal. Do you wish to cooler or hotter than that range? That can be accomplished by decreasing or increasing the amount of air you let in under the fire. Coal needs air from underneath the fire. Not above or across the fire like wood does.

Dont some also mix in pea overnight to reduce the airflow and stack temp thus acting like an additional mpd?

I responded to your PM. In addition to allowing more air into the firebox for a hotter fire, you should also make sure you do not build up ash. This does not appear to be your immediate problem since the fire dies down within a few hours.

That being said. Bit coal does burn different than anthracite. You may wish to make a post there also as I am not sure if Bit fires like air to flow over the fire (air from the load door). With anthracite, one likes air to only come from underneath.

vin.

You say you are running sub bituminous which is coal that hasn't quite formed to bituminous coal yet. It has a lower carbon rating and lower BTU output/lbs as you can see in this chart. http://geology.com/rocks/coal.shtml

Rank
(From Lowest
to Highest)
Properties
Peat
A mass of recently accumulated to partially carbonized plant debris. Peat is an organic sediment. Burial, compaction and coalification will transform it into coal, a rock. It has a carbon content of less than 60% on a dry ash-free basis.
Lignite
Lignite is the lowest rank of coal. It is a peat that has been transformed into a rock and that rock is a brown-black coal. Lignite sometimes contains recognizable plant structures. By definition it has a heating value of less than 8300 British Thermal Units per pound on a mineral matter free basis. It has a carbon content of between 60 and 70% on a dry ash-free basis. In Europe, Australia and the UK some low-level lignites are called "brown coal".
Sub Bituminous
Sub bituminous coal is a lignite that has been subjected to an increased level of organic metamorphism. This metamorphism has driven off some of the oxygen and hydrogen in the coal. That loss produces coal with a higher carbon content (71 to 77% on a dry ash-free basis). Sub bituminous coal has a heating value between 8300 and 13000 British Thermal Units per pound on a mineral matter free basis. On the basis of heating value it is subdivided into sub bituminous A, sub bituminous B and sub bituminous C ranks.
Bituminous
Bituminous is the most abundant rank of coal. It accounts for about 50% of the coal produced in the United States. Bituminous coal is formed when a sub bituminous coal is subjected to increased levels of organic metamorphism. It has a carbon content of between 77 and 87% on a dry ash-free basis and a heating value that is much higher than lignite or sub bituminous coal. On the basis of volatile content, bituminous coals are subdivided into low volatile bituminous, medium volatile bituminous and high volatile bituminous. Bituminous coal is often referred to as "soft coal," however this designation is a layman's term and has little to do with the hardness of the rock.
Anthracite
Anthracite is the highest rank of coal. It has a carbon content of over 87% on a dry ash-free basis. Anthracite coal generally has the highest heating value per ton on a mineral matter free basis. It is often subdivided into semi-anthracite, anthracite and meta-anthracite on the basis of carbon content. Anthracite is often referred to as "hard coal"; however this is a layman's term and has little to do with the hardness of the rock.

My guess is, the sub-bituminous burns up quicker and doesn't hold the heat as well as bituminous and anthracite. When I burned bituminous coal it help high temps the entire time. If closing down the manual flue damper isn't working then it must be the low BTU coal you are burning. Try bituminous or anthracite and see if you notice a difference.

Sub bit is whole other animal. The quality varys hugely and you are never going to get the sort of burn times that people are getting out of anthracite or good bit coal. Check out some of Kielanders TCL 2000 threads (is that the Harman model number?) He's up in Alaska burning sub bit along with Shortbus and others. They might can help you.

Sub-bit must be ultra cheap right?

Smokeyja wrote:Sub-bit must be ultra cheap right?

In Alaska, they call it combustable dirt.

yes it was ultra cheap it was free but I have found the problem was the draft was'nt good ,it working great now it is 24 outside and 73 inside great thanks everybody for the help .hope to be able to help someone else with the info.

I m still not getting the burn time you'll ,if the burn times you ll are talking about is no adding of coal ,Im having to add sub-bit coal around every 3 to 4 hrs then stove losses temp down to 300 can you help me get longer time with out having to load again shaking ash around every12 hrs

What seems to be working for me. I filled in the three air vents in betten the firebrick and load door. Looked like two more in back corner. Also just the top vent for air inducer. Leave the bottom one open. That way if you get air injecting it blow at grate level only.

Tractor supply has 16oz bottle of fire brick cement for 3 dollars.

dmay wrote:I m still not getting the burn time you'll ,if the burn times you ll are talking about is no adding of coal ,Im having to add sub-bit coal around every 3 to 4 hrs then stove losses temp down to 300 can you help me get longer time with out having to load again shaking ash around every12 hrs

I doubt you'll ever get 12 hours using sub bit coal. 3-4 hrs is about right with decent sub bit. The only way you'll ever get 12hrs out of that furnace is by using anthracite or good Kentucky lump bit coal. That's just the way of the world, the nature of the beast etc... The only guys getting those burn and shake times are NOT using sub bit. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you need to know what you're chasing is not really viable with that fuel.