New to Coal Stove and Heating With Stoves in General

I'm hoping somebody here might be able to help me I just recently bought a house in Rumford Rhode Island and it came with a potbelly coal stove and also electric baseboard heat I've never owned a stove before for heating and have no clue on how to use it and after a month or two of the electric baseboard heating bill I am truly interested in figuring it out. I know winter is on it's last leg but I would like to learn how to use it for the future if anyone could give me some tips and point me in the right direction I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!

Hello and welcome! We can get you going! Do you know the make and model of stove and/or can you post some photos of the inside and out?

Yep, welcome to the FORUN TL, pix are mandated outside, inside, the whole kit & kabootle--name, model, etc. Last leg my ass--you need to visit the hill here for a couple days Lookin fwd. to pix & more info my friend--just remember, the only stupid questions are the one's we don't ask

Welcome TL, You must be getting croaked by the Electric Co. Many of us had the same screen name when we started(theoretically speaking) Are you able to upload pictures of you stove? A better description of the stove in question will help although pot belly stoves are basic in design, we would like to know the exact name and model if possible. I have a potbelly that I no longer use because I wanted a stove that could burn through the night and be left alone for a minimum of 12 hrs. I could modify it like some on the forum have done but getting another second hand stove was easier.

I've tried looking for serial numbers before; I had no luck. Maybe I just don't know where to look? I wasn't expecting such a quick response otherwise I would have posted on the forum later today. I'm working and won't be home until later this afternoon. As soon as I get home ill do my best to get as detailed of photos as I can and upload them for everyone to check out. Should be able to have them up by 6PM'ish....

Excellent!

For being Totally Lost, you certainly wound up in the right place...

Since you are new to using a stove, probably the first line of business would be to look it over good. Check for cracks and gaps. Do an inspection of the flue pipe and chimney. Make sure there are no blockages. Look for holes in the flue pipe, determine that its in good condition. The flue pipe may have a manual or barometric damper. Check that they appear in good working order.

If everything looks good, go to the next step. Open the manual damper. Ignite some small pieces of card board to determine if you have some draft. It may leak a little smoke until draft gets going up the chimney..

Since you are new to stoves, I suggest running a couple small wood fires to get familiar with operating the combustion air controls and attempting to control the burn.

After you have that much under your belt, we can guide you into trying some coal..

One step at time..

Sorry the picture quality isnt as great as I had hoped for. Not sure how beat up this stove is, this was really my first time opening it all up so theres still all the crap left in it from whoever lived here before I did. If theres anything specific I should take a picture of let me know and I'll be sure to do that. I can see it probably needs some parts, I was planning to have a chimney sweep come by and clean the chimney piping and tell me what I need to replace, seeing as I havent the slightest clue.

What is the blower fan looking device with dryer hose attached?

No idea I was hoping someone here could tell me, I assumed it was a part of the stove. Looks like its attached directly underneath the stove.

My only thought on that is that it is a fan to blow air over the stove to move it around the room

The blower is in the cellar directly under where the stove is on the floor above, is what I meant to say.

Does this look close?
http://antiquestoves.net/dir/pot-belly-stoves-cur ... -inventory

Yes carbon12, exactly like whats in the photo.

I would only use it to burn some wood or a few bio bricks. Grate is broken, no ash pan, and hearth is too small.