354 burn times.

No basement. Just over half of the house is open floor plan aside from the bedrooms and bathroom. I have to watch the wood stove I have, which is way too big, because it has a tendency to over heat the main living area if I'm not careful and sometimes even when I am careful. During the coldest of weather it's not an issue with the wood stove, only when it warms up.

I suspect some of the issues I've had though were with trying to burn wood too green. It's not so easy to build small fires with green wood...they're either smoking hot or going out it seems. This year I have about a half of a cord of wood that's been sitting all year. I'm going to buy another 2 cords this week, maybe 3, and let them start drying in case I need them. I am hoping to dump in a layer of coal, then some charcoal, and a little more coal to get the coal stove going and leave the wood alone. We shall see.

Even thought the gaskets look new on my 354 I will likely replace them. We'll see what a "dollar test" indicates first though.

EDIT:
Another thing is for certain this year. During the coldest months three hundred ($300) a month for fuel oil isn't going to cut the mustard. Not even $180 a month.

You can slow the burn down on a coal fire...
Don't dick around with a partial wood/coal fire...
Jump into the deep end you will not regret it...
Had my 503 insert running very late into spring at just 150*...
Window-stats when needed...
Buy the coal now for summer pricing...
During the winter we would burn 130 gallons in the coldest weather...
Per month...
25-30 gallons of that was for DHW...
3 7 year olds and 2 adults...
Now just burning oil for DHW...
Going to put coils in the 503 to see if it will help with the winter DHW...

Bill, you can consider burning just one half the grate if it becomes too difficult to hold a low fire on full grate.
Just place a 1/4 or 3/8 in. steel plate cut to proper size or lay or stack some fire bricks so to block or stop any air from moving up from below for blocking. Could pack fiberglass insulation into cracks or irregular small openings.

This will all work well if blocking off that one half of grates so not to hinder still being able to shake the fire side ash down.
As you know, Hitzer sells the bricks...bet they could also cut and sell you the steel plate if that were what was needed.

Hitzer knows their stove way better, so ask them of this thought of partial blocking.

I sure will, Larry.

It has been brought to my attention that my chimney may not be high enough to burn this stove real low. I need to measure it to be 100% certain, but I think I’m right at 12 to 15 ft above the thimble. I’ll guess 15 ft above. Inside masonry chimney with 8”x8” clay liner, no cap at the moment. I’d like to keep the clay in case I want to change stoves again sometime. I will have it inspected, or I may simply replace it myself by getting a small screw jack with rubber feet on it and just lift them out, drip new ones in. I’ve been trying to find some clay tile that is tongue and groove for a nicer more even and precise feline. Sandkuhl here in Ohio is one place I’ve located the pipe, but I’d like to find a few others. I’m open to anything else new as well. Would rather stay away from SS liners unless there’s no other option. Was thinking about new clay... or mine if it’s still good and then having it lined with heat shield which is good to 2200* I believe. Throw me some ideas and thoughts. My chimney comes out near the peek of my roof and is at least 3 feet higher than the peak. I would like to raise it by at least two feet but much more will look goofy I think.

My next purchase though will be a manometer like the Dwyer...just not sure which one I need.

I’d like to get both one that uses red fluid and a dial type with a needle. I can order those this week if need be to have them ready and on hand. I want a nice looking set up and possibly one in disguise... which would make for a nice wood working project for my son and I.

get some pics of your stove up pronto, no air in the ash door still has me thinking WOOD STOVE

KingCoal wrote: ↑

Fri. Aug. 09, 2019 8:25 am

get some pics of your stove up pronto, no air in the ash door still has me thinking WOOD STOVE

I agree , Steve. I am thinking the same thing. I’m hoping later this evening to take some pictures and I should probably start a new thread too.

yeah, to me, a solid ash door and air spinners in the loading doors above the grate does not say Coal stove to me.

we need to see the shaking provision, both the outside handle and the 'rocking mechanism" under the grates. a good pic of the top of the grates would be good as well.

i'm going to be on the road to Colorado and back on family biz from Sunday afternoon to Saturday the 17th but i'll check in to the forum as often as I can.

steve

Before I bought the stove Kyle at Hitzer had told me double doors and spinners were very popular for coal/ wood stoves ... and he indicated they still make them and still offer them, so that’s why I went ahead and bought the stove. I’d say this stove was ordered as a wood stove, but I can’t prove that until I have Hitzer research it a little more. I think I’ try and find out though.

I have the stove cleaned out and getting ready for a wipe down and pictures, then I’ll put it back together and take some more.

The more I look at this stove and the condition of the fire bricks I really don’t think this stove has been used much at all. However, there are two broken fire bricks, and the baffle is bowed slightly. The grates and grate retainer looks to me as nearly new.

I suppose in my excitement of finding my first coal stove I let the ash door slip through the cracks. I had noticed it opened from the left, unlike Glenn’s stove, but failed to even notice no ash door air controls. I can’t recall noticing it now or not. Having an ash door made or modified shouldn’t be that hard or cost prohibitive.

The gaskets looked like new...nice and white for their age...and I’m fairly certain they’ve never been replaced. However, as I started vacuuming things the window gaskets pulled apart slightly. I’m guessing from age. So, all gaskets will need replacing.

Other than the things I’ve described already this stove is nearly identical except to the one Glenn had...aka grobinson2 on this forum... his stove had ash door air vents and spinners on the doors...and Kyle at Hitzer confirmed that style of 354 coal stove, so I didn’t sweat it.

Will start taking pictures later on this evening. Going to wash the house down while the weather is nice.

Ok gang...I have the pictures taken and will be posting them in a new thread since I sort of high-jacked this one.

Give me a little while...lots of pictures to come in the new thread.