How to accomplish the best burn

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Scottyjr
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Posts: 5
Joined: Sun. Dec. 17, 2017 10:07 am
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harman MKIII
Coal Size/Type: Nut
Other Heating: Ceiling radiant electric

Post by Scottyjr » Fri. Dec. 22, 2017 4:47 pm

Recently purchased a Harman/Legacy MKIII and have had it going for nearly a week. I have a 3000 sq.ft. house in Pottstown, PA and am well pleased with this stove's performance. I have been heating with anthracite coal for about 30 years, previously with a Colebrookdale Darby. Yesterday I encountered a problem in that I could not shake the ashes. The shaker handle was jammed. I let the stove die this morning and as I expected, there were pieces of coal (nut) that were not burned and stuck between the rocking grates; something I most likely caused by inappropriate fire attendance. I suspect I was allowing some of the outer edges of the fire to go out and then refiring those dead areas with new coal.

What are your opinions on a good solid method for maintaining a good fire with thoroughly burned coal in the ash pan?

Does anyone have experience burning pea coal in this stove. Although I burned pea coal in the Darby, I was reluctant to order pea for the MKIII. Observing the wide openings between the rockers, I expected that I would loose too much unburned coal when shaking.

- Scotty

 
Storm
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Post by Storm » Fri. Dec. 22, 2017 6:04 pm

Scotty, George here. Welcome to the forum. I to have a Mark 111 which has been a learning curve. Coal that gets stuck between the grates can happen in two ways. # 1. The coal itself may have rocks mixed in. #2 the shaker handle was pushed to far in either direction that causes a unburied piece of coal that gets stuck. I usually let it burn itself out. What brand coal are you using?. I use stove and nut size, and on warmer days mixed some pea size. Pea size alone can fall to the ash pan. There are other forum members that seem to have more experience than myself on Harman stoves. Stay tune they will chime soon.

 
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Lightning
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Coal Size/Type: Pea Size - Anthracite

Post by Lightning » Fri. Dec. 22, 2017 6:25 pm

Getting a coal jam with rocker style grates is inevitable. You can cut down it's occurrence by using less travel while shaking. The terms we like to use are "short choppy strokes".

In the event of a coal jam never force the handle. You can take a passive approach and let it burn till it frees up on it's own. You can also take a more aggressive approach and fashion a flossing tool to run between the grates and grate frames from underneath, going in thru the ash pan door.

I've done both but choose to free it up when it happens so I can finish my shaking routine.


 
Scottyjr
New Member
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun. Dec. 17, 2017 10:07 am
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harman MKIII
Coal Size/Type: Nut
Other Heating: Ceiling radiant electric

Post by Scottyjr » Fri. Dec. 22, 2017 6:52 pm

Thanks for the response guys. After the first attempt to shake when it was jammed, I let it burn for about 18 hrs. but the jam persisted which led to the decision to let the fire die and start anew. I do have a 1/4" steel rod and handle with a 90 degree bend on the end that I can use as Lee describes. Thanks for the suggestions. I'm burning Reading anthracite nut.

One another note. One thing I'm displeased with is that the rockers extend (left-right) beyond the ash pan so there's an abundance of ash uncaught and lies in the bottom of the stove. Gonna have to modify that in the spring.

 
franco b
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Coal Size/Type: nut and pea

Post by franco b » Fri. Dec. 22, 2017 11:01 pm

You might be able to fashion some diverter plates for the ash.

Any rectangular fire box tends to have uneven air delivery, leading to uneven burning. Poke from above periodically to clear ash along any side that needs it.

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