Chubby Settings

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MSpangler
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Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby
Coal Size/Type: Nut/Stove

Post by MSpangler » Sun. Jan. 01, 2017 12:14 pm

Hi All!

This is my first post on this forum after a year or so of watching and reading from time to time.
I finally decided to post.

I have a Chubby stove with the small Mica window and the upgraded fire pot. No Blowers.
This is my second season burning with it. I use primarily Nut coal but at the end of Last year I bought a ton of Stove to mess around with too.

Last year was a breeze. The house was always about 75 degrees during the day and most of the night with the low being about 65 in the morning.
It seems this year I can't keep the stove as hot.
Last year I was burning coal from Tony Lopes Fairhaven Coal. This year I'm burning some stuff I scored cheap on craigslist. Its the same clear plastic bags that Larry has in his chubby how to video. Though its is supposed to be nut it seems a little smaller. Could be from the multiple moves of the bags between me and the last owner and the hardware store he got it from... breaking it all down?

Could the coal be the issue? If memory serves me correctly I did all of my burning by the book last year. Or by the video I should say. This year I feel like I have to have the intake open more and actually crack open the MPD to get better draft and keep the stove burning hot enough.
I have burned a few bags of the Stove size but I learned last year that if there's a windy night I could wake up to having burned through all of it.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Happy New Year to everyone.
Thank you for looking!

 
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SWPaDon
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Location: Southwest Pa.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Clayton 1600M
Coal Size/Type: Bituminous
Other Heating: Oil furnace

Post by SWPaDon » Sun. Jan. 01, 2017 12:17 pm

Welcome to the forum.
Mix the two coals, stove size on bottom, the smaller stuff on top. See if that helps.

Look here also, it will help you: https://coalpail.com/coal-heating-encyclopedia/anthracite-coal-hard-coal Coal sizes are listed there.

 
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warminmn
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Location: Land of 11,842 lakes
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Junior, Efel Nestor Martin, Riteway 37
Coal Size/Type: nut and stove anthracite, lignite
Other Heating: Wood and wear a wool shirt

Post by warminmn » Sun. Jan. 01, 2017 2:25 pm

It could be gaskets need replacing (top door most likely), a partially plugged stove pipe, a leak somewhere in stove pipe, poor coal, or a combination of any of these or other issues. If possible go get a couple bags of different coal somewhere and see if that helps first. Process of elimination. Door gaskets are real easy to change and inexpensive. If your bottom gasket were leaking it would overfire, not underfire.


 
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ONEDOLLAR
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Joined: Thu. Dec. 01, 2011 6:09 pm
Location: Sooner Country Oklahoma
Hand Fed Coal Stove: 2014 Chubby Prototype
Coal Size/Type: Nut/Anthracite
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Post by ONEDOLLAR » Sun. Jan. 01, 2017 2:41 pm

Mspangler

Check to see if there is a buildup of ash clogging the exhaust as Warminmn has mentioned. Also Chubby's are designed to burn nut size coal. Not to say one won't have success with Stove or Pea in the mix but nut size is preferred.

Gaskets would be the second thing I would check. It isn't a bad idea to change them anyway every year.

Can you tell is a little bit about how you have the stove installed? This can help us figure things out sometimes. :D

Please feel free to contact either myself or Larry with questions. We are happy to help in anyway we can.

Mark

http://www.chubbystove.com

 
MSpangler
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Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby
Coal Size/Type: Nut/Stove

Post by MSpangler » Sun. Jan. 01, 2017 3:03 pm

Thanks for the quick replies!
The upper door gasket makes sense. It doesn't quite have that cushy feel when I cam the door lever closed. Could that be a sign of a bad gasket?

It's a back vent model. Turn damper on the horizontal. 90 degree elbow. Baro damper above that and 90 degree elbow into the chimney.

I'll swing by the hardware store tomorrow for some new gasket and see if that helps. So if that's leaking does it just allow air to be pulled from that door instead of the bottom? Taking power away from the draft? Can I test for this by holding a candle or match near the door to see if it's drawing? Thanks!

 
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ONEDOLLAR
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Joined: Thu. Dec. 01, 2011 6:09 pm
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Hand Fed Coal Stove: 2014 Chubby Prototype
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Post by ONEDOLLAR » Sun. Jan. 01, 2017 3:14 pm

MSpangler wrote:Thanks for the quick replies!
The upper door gasket makes sense. It doesn't quite have that cushy feel when I cam the door lever closed. Could that be a sign of a bad gasket?

It's a back vent model. Turn damper on the horizontal. 90 degree elbow. Baro damper above that and 90 degree elbow into the chimney.

I'll swing by the hardware store tomorrow for some new gasket and see if that helps. So if that's leaking does it just allow air to be pulled from that door instead of the bottom? Taking power away from the draft? Can I test for this by holding a candle or match near the door to see if it's drawing? Thanks!
Sounds like you have a gasket issue on the front door. Which would cause draft issues. A candle will work and while you are at it check the bottom door as well. (I would replace both sets of gaskets) Also grab a flashlight and see if you have an ash buildup blocking the exhaust. Open the door and damper and shine the light towards the back of the stove. Accumulation of fly ash can clog the pipe at the elbow.

Please keep us posted and don't be shy about giving us a call either.
Mark

ps We do have precut sized gasket kits on the website.


 
MSpangler
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Posts: 18
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Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby
Coal Size/Type: Nut/Stove

Post by MSpangler » Tue. Jan. 10, 2017 8:56 am

Ok so a quick check with a candle shows no leaks.
Gasket appear to be in working condition.

I do remember messing with my Baro damper earlier in the season when I was burning wood for a few weeks.
I have a feeling I adjusted it to be too sensitive. Last night I adjusted the weight to give it more resistance and the fire burned beautifully.
Looks like I need to invest in a manoneter. Dweyer mark II 25? Is that the one to buy?
Rookie mistakes.
Thanks for the help guys!!!

 
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windyhill4.2
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Location: Jonestown,Pa.17038
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1960 EFM520 installed in truck box
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Crane 404 with variable blower
Coal Size/Type: 404-nut, 520 rice ,anthracite for both

Post by windyhill4.2 » Tue. Jan. 10, 2017 10:01 am

The Dwyer Mark 2 is what many use..
Some of us prefer not messing with putting liquid into a tube...
We do it the easy way & buy the Magnehelic gauge instead Cat # 2000-00 is the 1 I use,1 on my hand fed , 1 on my coal boiler.

 
MSpangler
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Posts: 18
Joined: Sun. Jan. 01, 2017 11:59 am
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby
Coal Size/Type: Nut/Stove

Post by MSpangler » Tue. Jan. 10, 2017 11:08 am

So it's used in the same manner without the liquid to deal with? Thanks man!

 
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windyhill4.2
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Posts: 6072
Joined: Fri. Nov. 22, 2013 2:17 pm
Location: Jonestown,Pa.17038
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1960 EFM520 installed in truck box
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Crane 404 with variable blower
Coal Size/Type: 404-nut, 520 rice ,anthracite for both

Post by windyhill4.2 » Tue. Jan. 10, 2017 12:49 pm

MSpangler wrote:So it's used in the same manner without the liquid to deal with? Thanks man!
I got my 2 used ones from Moses B Glick.com ,$53 with shipping ,iirc.

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