Keystoker HF-70 hot

 
Josh
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Hand Fed Coal Stove: Keystoker HF-70

Post by Josh » Sun. Jan. 14, 2018 2:57 pm

Hi. First question on the forum. I've been a wood heater for 6 yrs but anytime the temps are unseasonably cold our house gets really cold at night. Decided to try a coal stove hoping it would burn all the way through the night. Found a Keystoker HF-70 on craigslist last weekend. It is now installed in our kitchen. Still have the wood stove in the center of the house and still plan on using it but definitely want to try out the coal.

So, it is in my kitchen which isn't ideal because the kitchen isn't very large but I see references to people who are able to get really long burns out of their coal which makes me think I should be able to add a small amount of heat to our kitchen for a really long time. After spending 3 hrs trying to get it started yesterday, it had burned out sometime in the middle of the night. It seemed hot to me so I had closed the vents (front and thermostatic on back) all the way. It burned for quite a few hours with the vents closed. When I got up the coal was completely burned out and the stove was cold.

So my question.... Is there a way to run the stove lower? I am running nut coal in the stove. Barametric damper set so low that a butterfly flapping its wings makes it open up. :D Vents all the way closed. Brick chimney with a 6" stainless liner. Chimney runs through the house not on the exterior. The kitchen is in the 83F! I've got the circulater fan on. If there is a way for me to burn less coal and get less heat I would be thrilled!

Thanks!


 
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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Sun. Jan. 14, 2018 3:09 pm

Welcome.

That is a lot of stove for a small area, but if you keep it full of coal and cut the air way back, you should be able to throttle it down.

Make sure the door gaskets are in good shape, especially the ash door.

 
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warminmn
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Post by warminmn » Sun. Jan. 14, 2018 3:14 pm

(typed before seeing Robs post) You may have leaky gaskets, especially below the fire, if it is still burning hot with your air intake closed. Check the hopper gasket too, making sure to never have any little pieces of coal on it when you close it.

There arent many members with the Keystoker hopper stoves but they get good reviews here. You can use most of the advice given to Hitzer handfeds with hoppers on this forum for your stove too, as long as your stove has an auto-type air intake and not just the sliding doors in front. Just in case you dont have one here is a manual. https://www.discountstoves.net/v/vspfiles/downloa ... Manual.pdf

 
Josh
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Hand Fed Coal Stove: Keystoker HF-70

Post by Josh » Sun. Jan. 14, 2018 3:25 pm

Thank you for the very quick feed back. Just to clarify, my stove isn't one of the hopper stoves. You shovel it in the front. I think the hopper one is the HFH-70?

So what am I looking for with the gasket? Are we talking about something really obvious like the gasket has clearly fallen off or could something small like a tear in the gasket (which I have) or the gasket isn't squishy anymore (which is also the case)? The feed door apears to have a new gasket. The ash door is the one with the little tear and seems compressed. To my untrained eye the gasket seems reasonable but not perfect.

 
Josh
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Post by Josh » Sun. Jan. 14, 2018 3:29 pm

If the gasket is good should I be able to cut the air enough that the fire goes out?

 
Olllotj
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Post by Olllotj » Sun. Jan. 14, 2018 3:35 pm

If you close a dollar bill in the ash door, and latch it, can you slide the dollar out?

 
Josh
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Post by Josh » Sun. Jan. 14, 2018 3:42 pm

Yes. I closed a bill in the ash door, gave it a little tug and it comes right out. Time to replace the gasket?


 
Den034071
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Post by Den034071 » Sun. Jan. 14, 2018 3:59 pm

Josh go to stove shop an replace the gasket .You need to buy the small tube of gasket glue .Obviously you must shut stove down an cool off .When running stove fill it all the way up with coal to top of firebrick .jack

 
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warminmn
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Post by warminmn » Sun. Jan. 14, 2018 4:05 pm

Den034071 wrote:
Sun. Jan. 14, 2018 3:59 pm
Josh go to stove shop an replace the gasket .You need to buy the small tube of gasket glue .Obviously you must shut stove down an cool off .When running stove fill it all the way up with coal to top of firebrick .jack
I agree. Yes, sounds like you need a new gasket.

If the stove is sealed up airtight it should go out, or barely burning if there is a little air somewhere. Another possibility if the gasket doesnt help is a bad air leak around your shaker handle, where it enters the stove. I am unfamiliar with your stove though. I didnt know they offered these without a hopper. I do know they are sharp looking stoves.

 
Josh
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Post by Josh » Sun. Jan. 14, 2018 4:15 pm

Okay. I will give it a shot.


I also noticed that the handle doesn't quite shut the way I would like it to so that may be contributing. The handle on my wood burner is a lot more solid. Other than the handle though, this thing is amazing! 460 lbs for such a small stove. Previous owner used it for 14 yrs and I don't see any reason we couldn't use it just as long if we end up liking it. I was concerned when I got it my wife would think I was bringing something "ugly" into the house but she really likes how it looks and is pretty enthusiastic about having a warm kitchen!

I think I'll shut it off and adjust the handle. Retry the dollar bill test. If it still fails the dollar bill test I'll get some more gasket material. I think I'll shut it down in the morning. Need the heat tonight!

 
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warminmn
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Other Heating: Wood and wear a wool shirt

Post by warminmn » Sun. Jan. 14, 2018 5:05 pm

Feel free to share a pic or two of it. This is an easy forum to add pics. you dont need to have a pic host. Just click on the full editor and preview button, click on attachments, then click on add files.

 
Josh
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Post by Josh » Sun. Jan. 14, 2018 7:43 pm

Looks like the gasket rope comes in different sizes. How do I know which one to use?

 
Josh
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Hand Fed Coal Stove: Keystoker HF-70

Post by Josh » Tue. Jan. 16, 2018 9:09 pm

Want to see a pro in action:
IMG_0445.JPG
.JPG | 80.5KB | IMG_0445.JPG
This was my first stove gasket replacement. 1/2" gasket. I'm pretty excited about it. The other was so compressed. With this one you have to press firmly to close the door. I'm guessing the air control will be a LOT better.

Also started the fire in 30 minutes this time. 1st one took 3 hours. 2nd took 2 hours. 30 minutes! I think I'm going to love coal!

Thank you guys for your help!

 
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warminmn
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Coal Size/Type: nut and stove anthracite, lignite
Other Heating: Wood and wear a wool shirt

Post by warminmn » Tue. Jan. 16, 2018 10:25 pm

If it doesnt seal right, just do it again. its not too bad of a job. After your stove has heated a few times, it will kind of shape your gasket to fit, then you never have to put much force on again. It seats itself in a set position, if that makes sense.

Once you figure your stove out you can often run it all year on one lighting. I dont have a hopper and have been running since late October on first fire as have many on here. its all just learning your stove and you have a good stove.

 
Josh
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Hand Fed Coal Stove: Keystoker HF-70

Post by Josh » Wed. Jan. 17, 2018 6:52 am

So I started the fire last night, shut the manual draft off, and set the thermostatic draft to the setting that seems to be about right to keep the kitchen at 70F. When I got up the kitchen was warm and the stove was warm but out of fuel. :(

Since I was asleep I don't know whether it ran too hot (kitchen above 70F) or if it ran exactly the way I set it but doesn't hold enough to be able to go 9 hrs at that temperature. I should be able to start it earlier today since I won't be replacing the gasket, so I can watch it for a few hours to see what it is doing.

I'm actually fine with turning it down more ( don't really want the kitchen 70F while I sleep ) as long as I can figure out how to get it to stay on for the 12 hrs I keep reading about.


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