We have liftoff

After years of wishing and burning wood, I bought a Vigilant II in June, and it was installed last week and tested with wood fires till today--so now I made a nice fireplace style wood fire and then closed it and began loading coal on the nice hot bed of wood embers. Everything proceeded as hoped, and the coal quickly began the dance of the blue ladies. It is running at 400 degrees on top 30 minutes after the last generous load. Lots of blue flames, and I only get a whiff of coal odor when I open the top to load.

There is a light dusting of snow, but accumulation is predicted tomorrow, and north winds, so cozy is just the thing.

I tried cooking with the wood fires and used a deep iron skillet with lid for meat sauce, and a steel pot for the spaghetti--worked fine with the griddle around 600. I let the stove gradually rise to 600 when I was cooking (after three or four smaller fires).

The stove heats slower with coal--it is still just 400 degrees, as it takes awhile for each layer to get hot. However, the room is 77 near the stove, and 73 at the desk behind the camera. The bathroom down the hall to the right is 68, and the bedroom beyond that is 65--the register you can see over the hallway door lets heat drift back to the bedroom (which I prefer to keep cooler).

Your on easy street now! Yes, the stove will warm up slower with coal but once you figure your stove out it will run whatever temp you want it to all day long. Your house corners stay warmer that way and way less work than wood. Air movement is key. Enjoy.

Looks great! After several weeks of playing here's what I've figured out about the 2310. It is a beautiful stove. A little messy to clean ash and shake down but grate system is well designed. Regardless of claimed burn time seems to work best shaking down in morning and once in evening adding coal each time. Doing this 12hr schedule eliminates recovery lag and is not a big deal as couch is in front of stove where I'm normally at. Coal use is a 3/4 hod in morning and 3/4 hod in evening. Life is good.

Sheeeeeh, when I saw the thread title I thought you had the Mother of all puff-backs. Glad to hear all went well !!!!!!

Welcome to the wonderful warm world of coal.

Paul

Congratulations!

Thanks--morning and evening shake is what I found the first day, and your quantities seem to be my guess too.

Bubbalowe wrote: ↑

Thu. Nov. 15, 2018 12:53 pm

Looks great! After several weeks of playing here's what I've figured out about the 2310. It is a beautiful stove. A little messy to clean ash and shake down but grate system is well designed. Regardless of claimed burn time seems to work best shaking down in morning and once in evening adding coal each time. Doing this 12hr schedule eliminates recovery lag and is not a big deal as couch is in front of stove where I'm normally at. Coal use is a 3/4 hod in morning and 3/4 hod in evening. Life is good.

lol--no puff backs--yet. Am I right that there will be no puff back when there are active flames? Only when new coal is heating up?

Sunny Boy wrote: ↑

Thu. Nov. 15, 2018 1:00 pm

Sheeeeeh, when I saw the thread title I thought you had the Mother of all puff-backs. Glad to hear all went well !!!!!!

Welcome to the wonderful warm world of coal.

Paul

Congrats! I've always liked the looks of that stove. Nice!

charlesosborne2002 wrote: ↑

Thu. Nov. 15, 2018 11:39 pm

lol--no puff backs--yet. Am I right that there will be no puff back when there are active flames? Only when new coal is heating up?

Yes, as long as the gases have a flame source so they can burn off, or be diluted with enough fresh air as they escape, then they won't collect to the point of suddenly igniting when a flame does eventually come up through the coal bed.

Best way is to leave some glowing coals exposed so that the volatile gases burn and you get the benefit of that heat rather than waste it up the chimney.

Paul