I Just Had to Do It...
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lobsterman
- Member
- Posts: 727
- Joined: Tue. Sep. 28, 2010 7:51 am
- Location: Cape Cod
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby, 1980 Fully restored by Larry Trainer
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Chubby Jr, early model with removable grates
Tired of burning wood scraps so with the temp predicted to hit the high 40s last night, I lit my first coal fire! Closed the Chubby air down to a crack and the stove temp settled in at 220 and stayed there all night. This morning, outside temp 55 and inside 68. Storm windows not closed yet. Consumed only a couple of ice scoops of coal and that may have been mostly replacing settled wood ash. First shakedown to come tonight after a 24 hour burn as per Larry's video.
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I'm On Fire
- Member
- Posts: 3918
- Joined: Thu. Jun. 10, 2010 9:34 am
- Location: Vernon, New Jersey
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS Machines DS-1600 Hot Air Circulator
Good for you! I'm glad your stove is working. I may try again tomorrow myself. Weather report for me is saying 33 tomorrow night.
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I'm On Fire
- Member
- Posts: 3918
- Joined: Thu. Jun. 10, 2010 9:34 am
- Location: Vernon, New Jersey
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS Machines DS-1600 Hot Air Circulator
Yeah, I was just looking at that too. Its going to be 70 today, 40 tonight, 70 tomorrow and 33 tomorrow night. I just watched Larry's video again only this time I took notes (which I hadn't done before; which may be why I am having problems. Because I can't remember the steps) and I really want to light another coal fire today and follow my notes but its just going to be too warm.
But, its just as well. I really need to make some adjustments to my doors, there is just way too much play in them.
But, its just as well. I really need to make some adjustments to my doors, there is just way too much play in them.
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lobsterman
- Member
- Posts: 727
- Joined: Tue. Sep. 28, 2010 7:51 am
- Location: Cape Cod
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby, 1980 Fully restored by Larry Trainer
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Chubby Jr, early model with removable grates
Fire,
I have only burned one night, my problems are yet to happen (LOL). I have read all your posts and have learned from them and the replies (thanks). It seems you have a lot of variables, and really there is just only one main one, the air vent on the bottom. You have one measure of what that air vent is doing, the stove body temp. I would suggest running the stove with the manual damper closed, watching carefully for odor, smoke, or CO. Then I would learn how to control the stove body temp with that one air control (something that I am still learning). A low temperature of 300 or less should be plenty good to heat your house with outside temps in the 50s. And you won't use much coal. That's where I am at now. I still have to learn where to set my air for the coming cold temps (but cannot do that until it gets cold). Keep in mind that the BTU/hour output of the stove is a strong function of the temp, and a complicated one because of convection. Somewhere on this forum is a nice little table showing this approximate temp dependence. Roughly speaking doubling the stove temp will make FOUR times the heat output and use 4 times the coal. So you really want to learn how to fine-tune the air slot which will be outside temperature dependent because of the draft. Probably a good starting point is 1/8 inch.
lobsterman
I have only burned one night, my problems are yet to happen (LOL). I have read all your posts and have learned from them and the replies (thanks). It seems you have a lot of variables, and really there is just only one main one, the air vent on the bottom. You have one measure of what that air vent is doing, the stove body temp. I would suggest running the stove with the manual damper closed, watching carefully for odor, smoke, or CO. Then I would learn how to control the stove body temp with that one air control (something that I am still learning). A low temperature of 300 or less should be plenty good to heat your house with outside temps in the 50s. And you won't use much coal. That's where I am at now. I still have to learn where to set my air for the coming cold temps (but cannot do that until it gets cold). Keep in mind that the BTU/hour output of the stove is a strong function of the temp, and a complicated one because of convection. Somewhere on this forum is a nice little table showing this approximate temp dependence. Roughly speaking doubling the stove temp will make FOUR times the heat output and use 4 times the coal. So you really want to learn how to fine-tune the air slot which will be outside temperature dependent because of the draft. Probably a good starting point is 1/8 inch.
lobsterman