Crane Model 202

I have a Crane model 202 which I bought used around 1986. I did try some bagged coal shortly after buying it, but have been using wood in it since I get the wood for free. I'm an outside worker, landscaper, so I collect the wood during the summer and store it for winter use. Because of the extreme cold winter this year, I live in NW CT near the MA border in a very cold location, elevation of 1328 ft.

I was going thru too much wood so I found a coal source not too far away and first bought 600 lbs. blaschek nut coal, on Jan. 27, then 800 lbs. about a week ago. I fired up the stove soon after I got the coal using paper and small hardwood sticks. It fired up nicely but I had trouble keeping it going after say 12 hrs. I'm still learning the coal process and don't really know the sequence of loading it and shaking the ash down. I can get two days or so of good burn but it seems I can't get enough ash down and I'm afraid of shaking too much or too little. Around 10 or 11pm, I add coal, wait about 15 - 20 min. then shake it down good. It goes all night then around 8 - 9 am I do the same process and lately this has been working for a couple days straight. But in time, in the morning, it dies out and I shake it down real good, get out most of the ash and restart it. Today I used a Wagner heat gun on high setting which I read about in another internet posting. This worked well but it still takes about 2 hrs to get up to temp. It's easlier and quicker I think then the paper wood method.

Any help or info on this model of stove and tricks to keep it going would help. I found a lot of info on this model stove on here as I knew very little about it. It is still in fine shape as far as I can tell, maybe a crack or two on the cement firebox, I also believe the door gaskets are original and seem to be pretty much air tight. I did replace a glass pane some time ago and also have an extra just in case. My biggest concern it the back side blower unit. It is the original and has been going since day one, can a replacement be found if it ever fails?

the 202 is a great coal stove and with some practice it should serve you well with overnight burns, etc.
Your discovering the largest flaw of the 202 (the shake down), Its just not quite the grate system the 404 has
But as with most coal stoves us die hards usually like to give a little extra help to the shake down on any stove and open the bottom door after the shake to give a lil' extra poke/scratch
(if someone could link to Larry Trainers Video showing Larry poking under his grate please this would help this user!) one dollar bro where are you!

I will be back on tonight when I have some more time and add a little bit more for you... most the guys on this forum are well in tune to what your going through and can shed some light regarding shake times, etc.

Try chubbystove.com

back... this is a video that shows the shake down and time line process for a Chubby stove (which is very much similar to a 202 with round grates). I think it will give you some good ideas.
http://vimeo.com/8506320

Yes, have checked out the video and did learn some. That I must have a nice hot fire before the shake down and I've made a rod with right angle to poke under the grates. I also use a thin piece of flat metal about 1/2 in wide to poke just above the removable grate part that has the knob for the shaker bar to attach to. I do get some ash dust coming out so I use a vacuum hose and keep it just below the main front door to suck in most of the ash as I poke.

I also do have a damper in the pipe about 6" from the stove back, I usually keep this at about 45 degrees during my burn times. I'm not sure about this and any recommendation on damper setting would help. I also may have the front air control open too much as the guy in the video sets his with only about 1/8 inch open. I have a temp gauge on the pipe located about 16" from the back of the stove, I try to keep it between 200 - 300 degrees which will keep the house warm but not too warm, I try to keep the room where the stove is around 70 - 74 degrees, my house is sort of open floor plan so the whole house is comfortable, we just hit 30 degrees here for the first time in about 3 weeks. I'm in a real cold area, NW CT town of Colebrook and a mile from Norfolk CT which is the "icebox" of CT. Thanks for the help and good to know the Crane people are still around and involved with the stoves, I am very happy with this stove.

I close my damper 100% closed during burn cycles (which really means 90% because of the holes in it) , I use it for a couple other things as well #1 to create vac/draft prior to shake/poke down (to force fly ash up instead of out the lower door) #2 to make a blast furnace effect by opening bottom door and opening damper just prior to fill and a few minutes after fill (this helps maintain stove top temps and burn off volatiles to prevent a "blow back" because I don't play by the normal rules of add, lil, add lil , nor do I ensure leaving a cavity for flames to get through the coal bed.... but ive been doing this a long time)

damper, baro use and how YOU best utilize one, the other or both is totally on YOU and YOUR draft, chimney & environment (everyone has an opinion and we can tell you what WE do with our damper and/or Baro but thats only as examples to give you some idea).

I like to see on Crane's to temp gauge on the top plate if all possible (it can be placed off center so you can still place a big potpourri water pot their also). Top Temp ranges on a 202 can go pretty high if you keep your ash area from clogging (no cast liner to worry about), but keeping it between 300-500 enables long burns. The rear of your stove sounds like it has a blower shroud and blower? Its not the best place to gauge temps #1 its a double layer #2 your at times cooling it artificially. The blower is likely a Fasco 1 speed and these are still available direct from Fasco for around $200. (Ouch!) lol

You can use the search function in the upper right of this page to type in anything from "How to reduce ash" to "temps for stove" to "how to shake and load stove", etc.

I hope this helps and im glad you love your stove, my dad is surly smiling down from above

dcrane wrote:damper, baro use and how YOU best utilize one, the other or both is totally on YOU and YOUR draft, chimney & environment (everyone has an opinion and we can tell you what WE do with our damper and/or Baro but thats only as examples to give you some idea).

Best advice.

OMG from Franco... gonna be a good day