Bye bye bit! Well, for now...

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Ky Speedracer
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Location: Middletown, Kentucky
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Florence HotBlast NO.68 & Potbelly
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Coal Size/Type: Ky Lump & Anthracite Nut
Other Heating: Oil

Post by Ky Speedracer » Tue. Dec. 04, 2018 5:26 pm

I've made the switch!
I copied Lightning's "riddling" project (Thanks Lee!) and I'm going to give anthracite a go for the season. I switched the grates in my Hotblast stove and made a poor-man's knockoff of his ash riddler/ash destructor.
Been burning since Sunday morning. Still a "bit" of a learning curve ahead but I can already see a huge improvement in the ash clearing by using this tool and the flat grates verses the stock rocker grates that come with the stove.
Anthracite is not easy to come by in my area. I have a TSC store close and they agreed to bring in a couple of skids anthracite and said they will sell it to me for $6.15 per bag ($308 per ton). I can use what I need and they will return what I don't use, OR if this project doesn't work for some reason then I'm not obligated to buying all of it.
My past experience with burning anthracite in this stove was always frustrating due to it's poor design for ash clearing. It clears ash for a wood fire or a bit coal fire with no problem. However, due to the slop in the joint of the 2 piece factory grate, it would never sufficiently clear enough ash from the rear of the enormous firebox and I would always struggle to manage the fire. Essentially the back half would just go out.
I have some fine tuning in my processes to work through - I'm still trying to learn when to add fuel. The fire bed always looks the same. The first reload was after 12 hours and today I waited for 18 hours (it's in the 30s outside). Then, when I do reload, it seems to take forever for it to ignite. I can have the fire-bed glowing like a red neon sign, leave the ash pan door open, clamp off the barometric damper and it will still take 45 minutes or so to ignite. My guess it has to do with the fire-box design (it's v-shaped and BIGGG).
I am looking forward to long even temped burns and the neighbors are likely looking forward to less stink... lol.
Wish me luck...Fingers crossed!

 
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CoalisCoolxWarm
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Post by CoalisCoolxWarm » Tue. Dec. 04, 2018 6:01 pm

I hear the 'rumor' but without PICS, it didn't happen! LOL.

Congrats on the switch. Cost is the only real downside to anthracite. Once you get the whole Cowboy Charcoal lighting method going, it's not really any trouble to light (the other downside, until you give up kindling)

Let us know how it goes!

You may want to light a candle in remembrance of the SMOKE you won't have to deal with any more.

 
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Jjones6840
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Post by Jjones6840 » Tue. Dec. 04, 2018 6:49 pm

I cheat with my hotblast. I have a draft induction fan that only gets used for reloads. I flip the switch 20 minutes before I go to reload. The fire gets pretty hot (I let my stove pipe temps reach 220F, I have a high temp shut off). After it’s up to temp I use Lees double shake down meathod, reload. The coal takes 5 to 10 minutes to have a nice fire again and I shut it down to idle for the rest of the day. I spend 10 minutes in front of the stove in the morning and about 15 at night ( I shake down in the morning and double shake down after work). Hope this helps

 
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Ky Speedracer
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Hand Fed Coal Stove: Florence HotBlast NO.68 & Potbelly
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Coal Size/Type: Ky Lump & Anthracite Nut
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Post by Ky Speedracer » Tue. Dec. 04, 2018 6:52 pm

Not a lot of pics to show but here a a couple.
Don’t laugh at my homemade “riddler”... lol
There’s a pic of where I had to notch the front liner so I could put the slicer/poker/riddler in above the grate.
A pic of the old grates laying in the barn.
And best of all, a video of the current burn...

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5A39381F-FF26-47D5-A8B0-C02AF18BFCEC.MOV
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Ky Speedracer
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Joined: Sun. Dec. 21, 2014 9:38 pm
Location: Middletown, Kentucky
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Florence HotBlast NO.68 & Potbelly
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Coal Size/Type: Ky Lump & Anthracite Nut
Other Heating: Oil

Post by Ky Speedracer » Tue. Dec. 04, 2018 7:00 pm

Jjones6840 wrote:
Tue. Dec. 04, 2018 6:49 pm
I cheat with my hotblast. I have a draft induction fan that only gets used for reloads. I flip the switch 20 minutes before I go to reload. The fire gets pretty hot (I let my stove pipe temps reach 220F, I have a high temp shut off).
It’s possible I might not be getting it hot enough before I add coal.
I just open the ash door for a couple minutes until I see flames on top of the fire bed and then pile it on... but my stove pipe never gets close to that temp. Maybe 150 or so.
I’ll try and let it go a little longer next time. Thx.


 
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Jjones6840
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Post by Jjones6840 » Tue. Dec. 04, 2018 7:10 pm

This is my first year full time burning and before I realized I needed to get it pretty hot, I would spend hours in front of it watching my ashpan emit bright yellow then slowly dwindle down to dark orange and it would finally catch.

 
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CoalisCoolxWarm
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Post by CoalisCoolxWarm » Tue. Dec. 04, 2018 7:11 pm

Nice!!!

Now that I see the video, I found your problem. You're supposed to install these burners VERTICALLY!!! LOL

 
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Lightning
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Post by Lightning » Tue. Dec. 04, 2018 8:34 pm

Yeah man, rev that fire up nice and bright just before your ash clearing routine. Once ash is cleared well enough, load her up! Then leave the ash door open until the fresh batch ignites all the while giving it some secondary air to keep the volatiles diluted until they are ready to safely ignite.

What did you use for a flat grate?

 
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Ky Speedracer
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Hand Fed Coal Stove: Florence HotBlast NO.68 & Potbelly
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Coal Size/Type: Ky Lump & Anthracite Nut
Other Heating: Oil

Post by Ky Speedracer » Tue. Dec. 04, 2018 9:03 pm

Lightning wrote:
Tue. Dec. 04, 2018 8:34 pm
What did you use for a flat grate?
I bought 2 of these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004V7F09Y/ref= ... UTF8&psc=1

I used one entire grate and cut one of them down to fill in the remainder.

I reloaded today at about 1pm with approximately 50lbs. It’s 30 degrees outside and she’s idling along at 239 over the load door and 108 in the pipe. The house is 71 degrees. Supposed to get down in the mid 20s tonight.

I will shake her down about 6am or so and reload.

 
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Lightning
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Post by Lightning » Tue. Dec. 04, 2018 9:53 pm

Sounds good man! Yeah the nut size might take a little extra time to ignite a fresh charge. I'm using a mix of stove/nut. Don't be afraid to pile it in there, 10+ inches deep mounded up in the center. I think you'll like it :)

I'm currently lighting up a fresh batch myself lol

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Ky Speedracer
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Hand Fed Coal Stove: Florence HotBlast NO.68 & Potbelly
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: HotBlast 1557M
Coal Size/Type: Ky Lump & Anthracite Nut
Other Heating: Oil

Post by Ky Speedracer » Wed. Dec. 05, 2018 9:50 am

It's looking like the sweet spot for tending will be 12 hours and roughly adding 30 to 40lbs of anthracite. The 18 hour tend might have been a bit ambitious in upper 20 to low 30 degree temps for a 1700 square foot, 100+ year old house. It held steady between 235 and 245 over the load door for the entire 18 hours but 85% of the fuel was used up. So recharging was a little concerning with such a long, big firebox. The hot stuff that was left was not very deep. The fire came back though. It took about 40 minutes but it looked good. A nice even glow underneath and full bed of blue flames on top when it ignited

Live and learn...

 
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Ky Speedracer
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Joined: Sun. Dec. 21, 2014 9:38 pm
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Hand Fed Coal Stove: Florence HotBlast NO.68 & Potbelly
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: HotBlast 1557M
Coal Size/Type: Ky Lump & Anthracite Nut
Other Heating: Oil

Post by Ky Speedracer » Wed. Dec. 19, 2018 9:29 am

An update in case anyone reads this thread down the road...

The "riddling method" for clearing ash and the grate change from the stock rocker grates to flat grates has completely changed the performance of my HotBlast multi fuel furnace regarding it's ability to burn anthracite. It is literally a game changer for me...
I will continue to burn bit in my living room fireplace. We really enjoy those fires. With that said, I'm not sure I will ever switch back to bit in the furnace. Anthracite is the way to go... (As most of you have said...)
I still have some work to do with my burn management in warmer weather as it relates to idling the fire but I think that will come with experience.
Thanks again to Lightning and his never ending quest to make his stove a super stove! His successes have been tremendously helpful to many of us!

Here is a link to his thread that started this project for me Post by Lightning - Riddle Method for Ash Clearing

Steve

 
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Lightning
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Post by Lightning » Wed. Dec. 19, 2018 10:06 am

Wow Speedracer, that is awesome news! I'm happy that the riddling method has been as enlightening for you, as it has for me :) Thank you for the kind words partner, Rock on!

 
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Hambden Bob
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Post by Hambden Bob » Wed. Dec. 19, 2018 10:16 am

Well,it sure seems like Lightning Lee has Helped another Coal Bretheren! Developments like these have helped countless Fine Folks plow through the fog when it comes to getting things flying right! Nice!!

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