Maximizing Efficiency of Hitzer 503

newbiecoal · Post by **newbiecoal** » Thu. Oct. 06, 2011 2:35 pm

I've had my Hitzer 503 for 2 winters and have gotten great suggestions in keeping her running. I'm trying to maximize the efficiency and I have some questions.

1. How do you prevent the ash buildup in the back and front. It seems like no matter how much shaking I do, it accumulates there and I end up having to let the fire go out and clean it out once a month. I always fill the hopper to the max when I load it.

2. I get up at 5am and the wife boss complains if I shake down the ashes because she says it wakes her up. Is it necessary to shake the ashes twice a day? She also likes having the house at 76 degrees, so she's going to have to make a choice.

3. I burn about 50-60 lbs a day. I see other people burning much less, is this normal? I'm still making out better heating with coal. Gas bill is 500 a month in winter and I burn about 3/4 ton a month. I'm just trying to maximize it.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Post by **Rob R.** » Thu. Oct. 06, 2011 3:14 pm

newbiecoal wrote: 1. How do you prevent the ash buildup in the back and front. It seems like no matter how much shaking I do, it accumulates there and I end up having to let the fire go out and clean it out once a month. I always fill the hopper to the max when I load it.

Make yourself a poker from a length of 1/4" steel rod, bend it so that you can poke up through the grates and dislodge that ash. You can also go at it from the top and get things loosened up.

newbiecoal wrote: 2. I get up at 5am and the wife boss complains if I shake down the ashes because she says it wakes her up. Is it necessary to shake the ashes twice a day? She also likes having the house at 76 degrees, so she's going to have to make a choice.

In mild weather you can probably get by with shaking it only in the evening. When it gets colder you may be back to twice per day. What time do you leave the house? Maybe a 6 o'clock shakedown would be a good compromise.

newbiecoal wrote: 3. I burn about 50-60 lbs a day. I see other people burning much less, is this normal? I'm still making out better heating with coal. Gas bill is 500 a month in winter and I burn about 3/4 ton a month. I'm just trying to maximize it.

Some burn less, some burn more...all depends what you are trying to heat with that beast. I'd probably do a table dance if I thought I could heat my place on 60 lbs per day.

Ashcat · Post by **Ashcat** » Thu. Oct. 06, 2011 8:38 pm

newbiecoal wrote:
2. I get up at 5am and the wife boss complains if I shake down the ashes because she says it wakes her up. Is it necessary to shake the ashes twice a day? She also likes having the house at 76 degrees, so she's going to have to make a choice.

Give her a choice--you shake down at 5 AM, or she shakes down and fills the hopper when she wakes up (I assume your off to work by that time).

Dnzeiler · Post by **Dnzeiler** » Sun. Nov. 20, 2011 12:43 am

I have a 503 also and have the same issue from time to time, it can also depend on the brand of coal I have noticed. I have used an angled poker from the top to loosen it up, them move the hot coals to one side and use a small coal ash shovel to scoop out the ashes in the back. Then I move the hot coals back and the do the same to the other side then put on the new coal. While doing all this the damper and ash door is open all the way.

Give it a try