I Need Some Help Here

 
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markplusone
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Post by markplusone » Fri. Dec. 17, 2010 10:36 am

That hot air blast tube goes right out the top of the firebox. Its closed off by a sliding steel door about 3" in dia. It just throws hot air out the top of the box to heat whatever you put over it. Ok so the little draft door thingy is non op for anthracite. OK. If I only vibrate the grates, how does the larger chunks of coal come out? Also when I open the MPD all the way, the stove gets red hot(the cast iron side is glowing orange) despite what I do with the lower air controller. Right now, I got it at 1/3 of the way open and the lower air control 1/2 open and the temp in the stove is enough that the cast iron side is just starting to turn a dull red.

 
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jeromemsn
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Post by jeromemsn » Fri. Dec. 17, 2010 10:45 am

Does the smile slide at the front bottom actually move anything? if so then you need to move it very little if the side of the stove will start to glow with it moved to a third of the way open. take small steps.

A manual damper in the exhaust pipe would be for a wood stove set up not coal.

 
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jeromemsn
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Post by jeromemsn » Fri. Dec. 17, 2010 10:59 am

Am I to understand that the stove has a coal hopper built in that you keep loaded with coal and as you shake down the ash the coal falls into the fire?

If so, when you go to reload the coal fire with the shake down, don't shake it down all the way at one time, do it in steps of two or three so that you give the fresh coal a little time to catch on fire and build up the fire gradually. This step might take a few more minutes when your reloading but well worth the effort in the long run.

Also before you do your shake down/reload take a few minutes to rev-up the fire. Open the smile air gate a bit and let the coal get nice and hot, about five minutes should do. Then do your shake down/reload.


 
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markplusone
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Post by markplusone » Fri. Dec. 17, 2010 11:05 am

The original owner of the house put this in a long time ago. I was told by his daughter that he used to burn nothing but wood in there but it is a coal stove. I thought all stove, irregardless of fuel, have to have some kind of damper.

 
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markplusone
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Post by markplusone » Fri. Dec. 17, 2010 11:05 am

Oh and the smile lever does move a grate just on the inside of the door that covers/uncovers the air slots in the door to regulate airflow under the fire. No there is no hopper at all. everything goes into the front door.

 
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Stephen in Soky
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Post by Stephen in Soky » Fri. Dec. 17, 2010 11:19 am

I don't mean to be argumentative, but we used the shuttered opening on the rear exhaust as a manual barometic damper. When the temperature plunged and/or the wind got up, we'd let some room air in to reduce the significant increase in draft caused by the change. This vent is in the exhaust stream, not above the fire pot, so it wouldn't provide over fire combustion air unless the stove were in an overfire. These stoves are no where near airtight so draft can't be controlled by shutting down the air supply as on a newer appliance. Consequently a MPD is required to slow the air and prevent overfiring and running though coal in no time flat.
Last edited by Stephen in Soky on Fri. Dec. 17, 2010 1:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.


 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Fri. Dec. 17, 2010 11:50 am

outstanding stephen--and--that's what this FORUM is about--people shareing thier experience & knowledge :)

 
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LsFarm
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Post by LsFarm » Sat. Dec. 18, 2010 2:12 am

I believe this stove is designed to burn bituminous coal as well as wood and anthracite coal.. The hot air vent that blows heated fresh air onto the top of the fire would ignite the volitiles from burning Bituminous coal, and make for a very effiecient and clean burn with Bit coal..

Do everything you can to seal up the stove below the fire box.. make sure the ashpan pit is tightly sealed,, use furnace cement to seal any joints in the pieces of the stove.. Make sure the ashpan door seals. You should be able to slow the fire way down with the air below the fire controled and the MPD closed.

Greg L

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