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Coal leftover in the Stove. Reusable?

Posted: Sat. Nov. 21, 2020 1:08 pm
by FiremanFrach
Hi. I’m new to coal stoves so I have a few questions. I bought a house last year that came with a Harman Mark III in the (small) basement living room (and a pallet of anthracite coal in the shed). I read that you need to load the stove up with coal for it to be efficient. It burns VERY hot for that small room so I was wondering if you control the temperature strictly by the damper knob on the ash door or by the level of coal.
Also, there are a bunch of coals left over that are rust colored and brittle yet still black inside (see photos). Are these reusable or spent? I apologize in advance if these questions were addressed already. I couldn’t find the topics. Thanks.Image[/img]

Re: Coal leftover in the Stove. Reusable?

Posted: Sat. Nov. 21, 2020 2:31 pm
by Sunny Boy
Welcome FF.

Yes, you can mix any unburned coal in with the next refueling and it will finish burning, no problem.

I keep stainless steel BBQ tongs near each stove just for picking out any unburned chunks after shaking ashes. Then I just drop them right back into the firebed.

Paul

Re: Coal leftover in the Stove. Reusable?

Posted: Sat. Nov. 21, 2020 3:24 pm
by FiremanFrach
Thank you very much! They were so brittle I thought they were spent, but then I’m reading that anthracite coals burn down to ash so I was confused. Still wondering about the temperature control.

Re: Coal leftover in the Stove. Reusable?

Posted: Sat. Nov. 21, 2020 7:39 pm
by Sunny Boy
There are a number of Harmon owners on here. If you don't get any response to your question, it's because it's buried in another topic. Try starting a new topic with that stove question in the title. ;)

Paul

Re: Coal leftover in the Stove. Reusable?

Posted: Sat. Nov. 21, 2020 7:51 pm
by lincolnmania
the oldtimers used to save that unburnt coal and stoke it on top of a overnight fire.

Re: Coal leftover in the Stove. Reusable?

Posted: Sat. Nov. 21, 2020 9:10 pm
by FiremanFrach
Hey, it can’t hurt. I’m all about not wasting coal if I can. 😏

Re: Coal leftover in the Stove. Reusable?

Posted: Sat. Nov. 21, 2020 9:14 pm
by Spacecadet
I’ve owned 1 Harmon so far lol. I have been using Hitzer’s in my home since I sold the tlc2000. Anyway. The mark iii doesn’t have a automatic damper. It gets regulated by the door air control. The coal bed thickness is important. A thick bed is easier to control at lower operating temperatures because it will hold a constant temp longer. A shallow bed will heat up faster and burn out sooner. The Harmon I had, had a slide air control on the door. And the lowest setting I would put it on if remember correctly was 2 notches.
Not sure if my reply helps. There are a bunch here that have your exact stove that eventually will chime in

Re: Coal leftover in the Stove. Reusable?

Posted: Sun. Nov. 22, 2020 11:18 am
by Homesteader
Good morning FF. I have a Mark II which is a bit smaller than yours but definitely the same setup. Coal burns best when it has a lot of company. I always keep my firebox nearly full when burning. The spinner on the ash door is what controls the stoves output temp. When my fire is well established my spinner is usually set from 1/2 turn open to 3/4 which keeps the stove temp between 350 Deg. to 400. A little tip that I use is to "index" the spinner; that is before I start for the season I crank the spinner all the way closed then use white paint to paint a strip on the 12 o'clock setting. This makes it easy took look at when checking the stove. So mine usually is set between 6 o'clock to 3 o'clock when spun counter clockwise. Hope this helps.

Re: Coal leftover in the Stove. Reusable?

Posted: Sun. Nov. 22, 2020 8:30 pm
by FiremanFrach
All good advice. Thanks everyone. It helps with the heating bill but is not used to heat the house. The temperature question is because it warms up the downstairs pretty quickly, even with the stove at the base of the stairs. I’ll definitely keep the spinner low. It’s a pretty awesome stove. Too bad Harman got out of the coal stove business.

Re: Coal leftover in the Stove. Reusable?

Posted: Sun. Nov. 22, 2020 8:36 pm
by McGiever
Harman stove product line was bought and production continues by a advertiser here at the CoalPail.

Legacy Stoves now

Parent company is Alternate Heating

Re: Coal leftover in the Stove. Reusable?

Posted: Sun. Nov. 22, 2020 8:38 pm
by nepacoal
Legacy (division of AHS) bought their coal lineup.

https://legacystoves.com/product-category/coal-stoves/

Re: Coal leftover in the Stove. Reusable?

Posted: Sun. Nov. 22, 2020 8:46 pm
by FiremanFrach
Well that’s good to know. The help desk never volunteered the information. 🙄 Wow, I’m glad I didn’t buy it myself. $$$

Re: Coal leftover in the Stove. Reusable?

Posted: Sun. Nov. 22, 2020 9:03 pm
by FiremanFrach
Here are a few photos to give you an idea of the space involved. Sorry about the sideways photos.Image[/img][/img][/img]

Re: Coal leftover in the Stove. Reusable?

Posted: Mon. Nov. 23, 2020 9:55 am
by keegs
Morning FF, I don't know anything about the Harmon but I do recall having an exchange early on with Larry Trainer (owner of Coal Stove Chubby) about maintaining a low temp burn with my Chubby stove. I had been running the Chubby with the windows open and thought surely there had to be a better way. As you mentioned there're essentially three adjustments: the intake/combustion air, output/exhaust air and the amount/level of coal ash on and under the grate. Learning how to work with all three can help you to maintain a lower temperature burn.
I sometimes let the coal fire burn out and when I restart it, I usually shake the loose ashes and build a new starter fire on top of what remains. Occasionally I pick through the ash pan for large unburned chunks but most of the time the ashes just go out on the driveway or in a bag for emergencies. Throw some ash on an icy surface for sure footing. I had an old crank style coal ash sifter but never used it.

Re: Coal leftover in the Stove. Reusable?

Posted: Mon. Nov. 23, 2020 11:40 am
by Formulabruce
I can tell you for certain that the Mark III is Way overkill for that size area. If not being used to heat your whole house, it is going to be more expensive to run it, vs a proper size stove. I would think a Mark 1 would be plenty for that. Harman are great stoves, but getting a Mark 3 to " idle" to keep Temps down For extended periods Will make a mess with ash build up in corners And will become Ashbound. Since you have a "Golden fire" version. You could probably trade it for a Harman mark1, or a Legacy mark 1. Good luck, and buy good quality coal. Less waste.