Coal Fire Went Out, Suggestions Are Welcome

Have Asheley 1602R, filled it up last night with about a full 50 pound bag of antracite nut. Burned ok until this morning about 9:00. the coals were red and then 1/2 later went out. I tried shaking it this morning to get rid of some of the dust (was that a mistake?) Also I think I have clinkers? look like flat quarters with a light brown ring? Not sure if I filled it up too much? I left the bottom drawer spinn vent open and 10% on the top. Should I shake the grate harder?
Any help is appriciated.

It is possible to put out the fire if it is really low/burned out when you shake the grates. If you discover a really lazy fire when it is time to reload, try adding a few scoops of coal and open the air to revive the fire...THEN shake the grates.

The brochure for that unit says it holds 150 lbs of coal. Can you post a picture of the firebox after you have "filled it"?

It seems to me that you exceeded the heat output for the amount of coal in the fire box. The coal was mostly burnt up.

Once you have a few layers going, close down the bottom air quite a bit and load a few more layers.

To save a dying fire first give it plenty of air and add a little coal. Once that is going good then shake down and add a few layers at a time to build up the fire again. Close down the air for a long burn. You will have to experiment with your stove to get the right feel.

Great suggestions by Rob and Franco. Sounds like you exhausted the load of coal and shook the stove on a low fire. I've lost fires due to shaking on a low fire, live and learn! Put some fresh coal on top and open the primary air. Get the fire going good before shaking it. If the coal bed is really low than fill the stove in layers like Franco said. Good luck!

thank you, I'll try again tommorow to start it up and once I get it going i'll take a pic.

thank you.

I try to tend, shake & refill my coal stove every 8 hours, not 12. Despite what they say about hard coal it needs your attention. I've been burning hard coal since 1986 in 3 different homes using 3 different Harman stoves. At this point, I can look at the coal in the firebox and know exactly what it going on and what it needs. Especially at night, when I get up to use the bathroom, I always walk past the stove to check on the glow of the coal. Very small adjustments to the draft will make significant results to your hard coal fire. Keeping the ashes from choking the fire is important so I'm not afraid to gingerly shake them down anytime I think it will improve the draw. I will also add a shovel full of coal here and there to even out the burn. I always attach a Chimguard Thermometer to a hot spot on the stove, not the flue, and monitor the temperature of the exterior of the stove (275 - 350 degrees F). This gives me insight into how hot the coal fire is really burning. Shaking and adding coal to a weak fire is a recipe for an eventual burn out. I agree, make sure your coal is hot and ready for the next load. I always stay close and make sure the added coal begins to catch either by the bright red glow under the new coal in spaces between the nuts or until I see the dancing blue flames. I may need to open the ash door for half a minute to a minute as the increased draft will help to quickly heat-up and catch the new coal. Never leave the ash door open and unattended. Learning the ins and out of your stove to keeping your coal fire HOT enough to maintain a long steady fruitful burn is all about testing advice and experience. I hope some of my OCDness wll help you.

You probably did not fill it up to much since it was still burning in the morning, You should never EVER shake a dieing coal fire (First open the draft or bottom door entirely if your staying with the stove for a few and add a lil' bit of coal to try and get the new coals burning before you give it the shakedown!), this will helps soften the clinkers during shakedown as well. The quarter size brown ring thingies you refer to are indeed "clinkers", Clinkers have alot to do with the quality of coal your using more then anything else so I suggest trying some variety to find the quality you find best.

Dudleymass wrote:filled it up last night with about a full 50 pound bag of antracite nut.

Rob R. wrote:The brochure for that unit says it holds 150 lbs of coal. Can you post a picture of the firebox after you have "filled it"?

Quit being bashful with her It might take 150 pounds to fill it to the top of the fire brick at first, but don't worry.. At each 12 hour interval (depending on your needed heat output) you might only add 30 to 50 pounds (possibly a little less or little more). Fill it to the top of the fire brick and even mound it up in the center. I'll run mine 12 inches deep in the center and 9-10 inches deep around the edges. I agree with the others, the fire had burned out too low to be shaken, it needed some CPR first.

When refueling a fire that is still burning well, I don't rev it up (some people do, it will help with recovery time). I'll open the ash pan door and shake till a good amount of orange embers are falling thru the grates and there is a dominating glow radiating down thru them. I've never been able to "over shake a fire" I suppose anything is possible though Then I'll add 20-30 pounds, mound it up in the center. Leave the ash pan door open (DON'T FORGET ITS OPEN) till my pipe gets up to 250 degrees or so with the blue ladies.

Unless you really gotta push that furnace hard, 12 hour refueling intervals should be plenty. In warmer weather its easy to get 24 hour intervals. As suggested by another member, monitoring devices like thermometers and a manometer can give you real insight to what the furnace is doing. Most of us have a mano permanently installed. I have 6 thermometers on mine one of them is a remote BBQ thermometer with temp alarms that gives me pipe and furnace (over the door) conditions on my night stand, or in my pocket up to 300 feet. Do you have a barometric damper on the flue pipe? It can help give you steady heat output.

Didn't mean to throw too much at you at once there
So yeah, fill her up man

ok, sorry I did not get back in time weather has been crazy and my fan limiter switch broke. Went out on me again last night. This is what I did today. Got a wood fire going, then added small amount of coal over 3 to 4 hours gotr a pretty good bed going red hot. Then added a bunch and shut the bottom door. now it's bed time so I took a pic of what it looks like, then pic 2 is when I added a big mound in the middle. The top spin draft is only a few spins open, the bottom is almost full open. I hope it does not go out on me again. I got it hot and shook it down good just before I added the big mound in the middle a few minutes ago.

here is it after the mound

Looks to me like you don't have the firebox full of coal. You said you left the air open wide? It'll probably be dead by tomorrow.

Just my 2 cents but it sure looks like this model of ashley looks like a hot blast. Fill that firebox up to the top of the brick work and control the temp by adjusting the air flow.

It appears that there is a combustion air fan on the front of this unit?

Are you using it?

Rev. Larry

Thank you for responding, I mean the llittle spin door on the bigger door. I was burning this morning, so I open the door, shook it down hard and put more coal on top. My big proble is my house went down to 58 last night and everyone is pissed at me. I't just not producing enough heat. Please help.

Fill the stove to the top of the firebrick.your stove is a US Stove,us the search button top right corner and type in-clayton,hotblast,firecheif, they are all the same type of stove and very simular to your furnace and good luck
Successfully Burning Anthracite Coal in a Clayton Furnace
US Stove Hot Blast Furnace Problems

Dudleymass wrote:Thank you for responding, I mean the llittle spin door on the bigger door. I was burning this morning, so I open the door, shook it down hard and put more coal on top. My big proble is my house went down to 58 last night and everyone is pissed at me. I't just not producing enough heat. Please help.

Always fill it to the top no matter what. Then adjust the primary air to suit you heating needs. Full tank always. You go 500 miles at half throttle or 300 miles at full, just so get the analogy. As the others said, before shaking down your ashes always open the stove up first for 15 or 20 min. (or whatever is needed) to get it ripping. Then add fresh coal and shake.