How to Light a Hand Fired Coal Stove

JLF53 wrote:Will let you know how it works.

It'll work.

Have fun...It gets easier with experience!

Hi,

It was not my fire! I am waiting until tomorrow. I live on East Main Street. I will try to light it again tomorrow after buying cedar shingles to start the coal. I think my issue is trying to heat a large long flue in order to get a draft and using Kingsford which does not get hot enough to ignite the coal.

goto
**Broken Link(s) Removed** & on page 5, remove the "Clean-Out Cover" (lifts out) & put burning newspapers up into the chimney to get a good draft going, then replace the cover & start the main fire.

goto
**Broken Link(s) Removed** & on page 5, remove the "Clean-Out Cover" (lifts out) & put burning newspapers up into the chimney to get a good draft going, then replace the cover & start the main fire.

Thanks I willl try this as well as the other suggestions. Once it gets burning I will no longer have this issue, with any luck.

Definitely try the easy way for establishing the draft with a small fire in the cleanout or newspaper up the stove pipe if you can access it - fans and hair dryers are just going to blow ash and stuff around.

And we are very close neighbors - I'm on North Main. It's the two story colonial with big pine trees out front and one very tall masonry chimney on the outside of the house. What is Agway charging for bagged coal this year?

goto
**Broken Link(s) Removed** & on page 5, remove the "Clean-Out Cover" (lifts out) & put burning newspapers up into the chimney to get a good draft going, then replace the cover & start the main fire.

I live directly across from Hopewell Avenue in a yellow house.

I do not buy coal from Agway. I bought my coal from a company in Easton, PA Blazchek chestnut for $229/ton plus a delivery fee. They delivered it to my coal bin in the cellar through the window.

Do you have the cat with three legs? I've seen it a couple times outside right around there. Hopewell and E. Main is on my summer bike/exercise/walking route around the boro.

Did you get the stove fired up today?

Too bad we burn different coal sizes. It would be a perfect situation to split a load and save money.

tvb wrote:Do you have the cat with three legs? I've seen it a couple times outside right around there. Hopewell and E. Main is on my summer bike/exercise/walking route around the boro.

Did you get the stove fired up today?

Too bad we burn different coal sizes. It would be a perfect situation to split a load and save money.

\

Hi

No cats or dogs. Two college students and a husband. Spent 4.5 hours at the neurosurgeon's office and did not feel like trying to start the stove after cleaning it and the ash pan. I am burning chestnut size just because I had to pick.

Perhaps we could split some pea size if that is what you burn. I am open to pea if I can find a 50 lb bag to try. Today I went to Agway to get a bag of Blasceck pea but Agway is not selling it at the Flemington store this year.

The coal supplier in Easton only delivers 4 tons or less for the same delivery price. but they are very nice and honest.

If I get this stove going I should have enough until at least the end of February since I have 4 tons. But I intend to keep it warm on the house and run the stove at 300 degrees F. Last January to February I spent 700 dollars on natural gas and the thermostat was at 60. I cannot take that cold any more!!!!

Check you PMs

Still unable to get the coal to light. Desperate!

Devil,
Just starting coal fire. Do I initially have both the ash door and bottom coal air draft open ?

I've tried wood fire and throwing some match light on it and at first put about 7 lbs of coal on and around grate. I just put in another 3 lbs of coal after about an hour but I am not getting much action. Ash door is open. What should I try

To JLF & Jack.....leave the ash door open while lighting coal from either wood or charcoal. (You may have to close it quite a bit if it starts to overfire) The slide air control position makes no difference Jack, since you will have the door open anyway. Both of you should make sure your secondary air sliders are closed (down) Control the fire by adding more coal, but make sure you leave a section of flame showing.

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I carefully add a few shovels of coal across the whole fire , making sure flames are still coming up between the coal. (No need to wait for the wood fire to turn to embers...just make sure you don't smother the fire by adding to much coal at a time & make sure you don't overfire your stove by giving it to much air)I play with the ash door to make sure the fire keeps going well & wait a few minutes for each coal layer to ignite b4 I add more coal. When the entire fire is covered with coal (still making sure flames are coming up) I carefully add another layer of coal & watch the stove thermometer. Temp will drop a bit when you add a new layer but as soon as the temp starts to rise again, I add more coal. In very short order you will fill your stove with coal. (to the top of the firebricks) Once filled & at a temp you want....you're done! (I have found that a new fire wants more air than one that has been burning a while so plan on leaving the air inlet open a little more than usual) You'll get the feel for it in no time

I've got about 15lbs of coal in it with the ash door open but the fire won't really flame unless I pour more match light on the coals. Ash door is open should I have the fan blower on while I am in the process of getting and maintaining a fire ? HELP PLEASE---Wanna have this thing going before the wife gets home. I've been at it for 2 hours now

Devil, I didn't see your post before my post. I have wood draft levers closed. I have ash door open .Should I have blower on ? Also My stove pipe located a ft above stove collar stays around 200 degrees.Boy ,That matchlight has the house stinking. the wife will love that with her sinus problem