First year coal burner questions

Hi, as my first winter of burning coal, or anything for heat for that matter, moves along I've gathered quite a list of questions. Some are about my current set-up and some are about potential future plans.

Firstly my set-up is a Harman SF150, which I like, it can really pump heat out. Chimney is 6", with the 90's you see and the final one and goes straight up 25 feet. I'm in eastern PA so I'm burning anthracite (Blaschak nut if that matters).
Here's my coal bin, holds 3 tons perfectly. It's so nice having it less than 10 feet from my stove.
Time for the questions (oh boy):
Current Set-up
#1 - If I put a baro damper in would it go in the vertical section right after the first 90? (I've had to fight the stove on really windy days)
#2 - M or RC type baro? (general consensus is RC is better, I could be wrong though)
#3 - Would I just have to play with and adjust the baro the next time I fire the stove up? (scientifically speaking)
#4 - How the hell do baros not let smoke into the house? (this one just popped into my head)
#5 - Is there a "best" baro brand? (this one could open a can of worms)
#6 - Would a baro help me reach these 16-18 hrs of burn time that legends speak of? (currently i can get 10 to if the conditions were perfect maybe 13)
#7 - Is it normal to get a ton of coal ash? (cause my god my wood burning buddies say its ridiculous)

Potential Future Plans
#8 - Can I burn wood with a baro?
#9 - Could I burn wood in the Fall/Spring to heat my house not quite as much as coal?
#10 - What kind of burn times could i expect with wood? (I know there is a lot of variables but I'm assuming there is an average range)

Here's where I'm thinking of putting a wood rack.
Thanks for any help.

Do a search upper right corner on forum .Rear manometer an Baro use .Do it twice .There are a lot of strategic Info there . jack

Longer burn times equals more fuel equals larger burner.

And, of course, don't send too much extra heat out through chimney.

Welcome to the forum!

Some answers to your Q's.....

Coal will generate a lot more ash than wood. If you are able to tweak the burn characteristics of your stove and perfect your shaking technique you can burn the coal more completely and maybe get less ash than you are seeing.

I would suggest a couple things for you. Get a manometer to see what the draft is for your set up. A Dwyer Mark II Model 25 will work or a magnehelic gauge will also work. This will be used to set the baro when you get it in place. Also pick up a probe style temp gauge to put in flue pipe and maybe an IR to get stove body temps. Comparing these temps will tell you if you are sending heat up the chimney. These things can help as you tweak air settings to optimize the burn and get longer run times. 10 - 13 hour burn times are not terrible in cold temps but you may be able to do better. How much coal is going into the firebox when it is loaded up? The real measurement is if the house is warm enough!!

Since it looks like you can move your stove a little, I suggest putting the baro T fitting between the 90 and the thimble. I would also put a T in at the exhaust port of the stove rather than a 90 so the fly ash can drop into the capped end of the T for easy cleaning. Air is pulled into the baro from the room due to draft so it won't leak smoke.

Burning wood with a baro is not a good idea, a chimney fire would have an air supply to keep it roaring. Chimney fires are not a concern with coal. If you plan to burn wood then install the baro so you are able to cap it off when burning wood.

If you are buying wood I'd suggest to just burn coal and not deal with the mess of wood for the shoulder seasons. If you are using up free wood from your property for shoulder season's which is what I did for many years in a Harman Mark III, then get the exercise and have at it. I would use up about a wheelbarrow load of wood per day depending on the quality of wood/temp/wind/etc. Light it early evening, load it up a few times and the fire would be out by the morning.

Thanks for the help, I definitely appreciate it. I knew this winter would be the learning curve for me. I think with a baro, manometer and probe temp gauge, I'll get a noticeable improvement in efficiency. I'm gunna skip wood, cause it takes me about two minutes to get my bin filled, why put time into the wood side of things. I think tinkering with this stove is pretty fun, everyone told me the heat from a coal stove is none other and they weren't kidding.

Current Set-up
#1 - If I put a baro damper in would it go in the vertical section right after the first 90? (I've had to fight the stove on really windy days)

Yes, with the baro door towards the side instead of facing forward. The baro will greatly smooth out your heat output.

#2 - M or RC type baro? (general consensus is RC is better, I could be wrong though)

The type RC seems to be the favorite among us coal burners.

#3 - Would I just have to play with and adjust the baro the next time I fire the stove up? (scientifically speaking)

Once it's set it generally don't need any tinkering afterwards. Every couple weeks it's wise to brush off fly ash from the back side of the baro door to keep it accurate.

#4 - How the hell do baros not let smoke into the house? (this one just popped into my head)

Under normal conditions there is always negative pressure in the stove pipe so air is always trying to go into the pipe, not out.

#5 - Is there a "best" baro brand? (this one could open a can of worms)

The Field Controls model RC

#6 - Would a baro help me reach these 16-18 hrs of burn time that legends speak of? (currently i can get 10 to if the conditions were perfect maybe 13)

It will help you get longer burn times if the stove is currently over heating the house because of excessive draft pressure. I consistently get 24 hour burn times down to 25 degrees average outside air temp. Try getting more coal into the fuel bed, don't be afraid to build it up to 10+ inches deep.

#7 - Is it normal to get a ton of coal ash? (cause my god my wood burning buddies say its ridiculous)

Coal is normally 10-15% ash by weight, wood is only 1-2% so yes you will have ten times the ash to deal with.

Potential Future Plans
#8 - Can I burn wood with a baro?

Not a good idea.

#9 - Could I burn wood in the Fall/Spring to heat my house not quite as much as coal?

Yes, but cover the baro.

#10 - What kind of burn times could i expect with wood? (I know there is a lot of variables but I'm assuming there is an average range)

4-6 hours? Maybe more maybe less.

My most important newbie notions...
1) Multiple CO detectors, and
2) A countdown timer (watch, phone, egg timer, etc) set and reset for 10 or 15 mins at a time after loading until your stove is firmly in cruise mode! It’s too easy to get distracted and let your stove gallup!

I've found wood to be a good fuel during mid-late spring and fall up here in northern Maine. The Chubby is pretty air tight and with the primary air shut down almost all the way I can get 5-6 hours on a full load of hardwood. I'm heating a small 800 sq ft two story house with the Chubby on the main floor.

R/C is a great baro and reasonably priced. The M is what Field Controls recommends for coal. It is designed to swing both ways to keep it from blowing off in the event of a serious puffback. It also costs about twice as much.

Burning wood with a baro will render it useless as the creosote sticks to it and upsets its balance. Pull it or wrap with foil when burning wood.