Any recommendations - hand fired coal/wood combo?

You have galvanized chimney for a fireplace chimney????????????????????????????????????? You got a block chimney you're gonna put this stove in????

Right on - that's what I had heard from other people as well. Thanks!

Slightly confused to what you have for a chimney. Anyways if you have a metal chimney it should be double or triple wall insulated. Back in the day when the chimneys first came out yea there were triple wall galvanized. They got upgraded to stainless steel.
As for the temps. Coal chimney is. It as hot as a wood chimney. My coal idles along at @ 125 -150 degrees. When burning wood the best temp is 350-550 which keeps the creosote levels down. Essentially you can sometimes or rather most of the time, touch the single wall chimney while it’s in operation

Yeah, it's a difficult chimney to describe. It's a built in fireplace, like an insert, running out to a single wall (i think) galvanized chimney pipe (maybe 8" diameter). Outside it is boxed in with lumber and siding, to match the house. My understanding is that the existing chimney pipe that runs up through the framed in exterior would have to be removed and replaced with a class A triple wall chimney, running it back down through the framed in exterior and out through the chimney. Sounds like a lot of work, but I'm trying to think of options. Overall, like the fireplace, but it's no heat generator, just nice to look at... Definitely get some heat from it, but it's not very much.

running it back down through the framed in exterior and out through the chimney.
- Meant to say, "running it back down through the framed in exterior and out through the fireplace."

the duck wrote: ↑

Sun. Feb. 28, 2021 5:29 pm

On my current fireplace, that I hope to connect to, the flue/chimney pipe look like regular galvanized (probably 25 years old). Would you want to upgrade that flue/chimney metal if you were attaching a hand fed coal stove? My understanding was that it had to be the class A, triple walled stuff?
Thanks!

Please tell us this is not a "zero clearance fireplace" with a very large diameter galvanize flue...

Might be - like an insert, flush with the interior wall.

What does the galvanized flue diameter measure...inside or outside doesn’t matter?

Might as well get the height measurement too!

10" diameter and looks like regular (but old) galvanized - not glossy, matte. Height is between 20' and 24' (that's an approximation, but close).

the duck wrote: ↑

Sat. Feb. 20, 2021 8:01 pm

Hi everyone,
I've been using a Keystoker in my basement, attached to my ductwork, for 5 winters now and love it. I'm considering getting a hand fired for my living room to attach to my fireplace chimney. Do any of you have any experience and recommendations for a hand fired, free-standing stove that can burn both wood and anthracite? Please let me know if you have any suggestions.
Thanks very much,
Matt

I’m no pro, but A 10” zero clearance chimney is going to present some problems for operating a 6” or 8” stove.

Maybe another member can step up and recommend a solution.

the duck wrote: ↑

Mon. Mar. 01, 2021 9:32 pm

DSCF6264.jpg10" diameter and looks like regular (but old) galvanized - not glossy, matte. Height is between 20' and 24' (that's an approximation, but close).DSCF6265.jpg

Yes. You have a zero clearance metal chimney. If it’s got a dull finish it’s galvanized. If you use it for coal you may get 2-5 years out of it. It’s not designed for coal. The acidic coal exhaust gases will eat and rust the pipe fairly quickly. That chimney was designed for wood A brick with a clay flue is best. Coal chimneys don’t typically get hot - the average run temp for a wood chimney is 300-500 to keep the creosote from building up. Under 300 for wood is too cool and creosote builds up in the chimney. Over 550 and the chimney is over firing which could cause damage or a chimney fire. The average temp of my 30/95 is 150 and when after I load it and it’s burning volutes (dancing blue ladies) it’s has gotten as high as 450/500 and that’s for 10/15 minutes max. So temperature wise the chimney will be fine, as for longevity - Unfortunately It won’t last. And being it is inside that wooden box, it will be difficult to tell from the outside it’s overall condition. The single wall pipe I have coming out of my stove going into my chimney gets 2 years use. I can see at the end of the 2nd year, from the outside that it is starting to get some rust on it which means it’s getting thin and won’t be safe to use for a third year.

McGiever wrote: ↑

Mon. Mar. 01, 2021 10:06 pm

I’m no pro, but A 10” zero clearance chimney is going to present some problems for operating a 6” or 8” stove.

Maybe another member can step up and recommend a solution.

The 10” outside zero clearance chimney is either 8” or most likely a 7” inner triple wall chimney that is, according to which company manufactured it. The 6” inner triple wall could be 8” or 9” outer according to who manufactured it.
Anyway. The best solution unfortunately isn’t the least expensive, however for its a one time never replace it solution. And that would be a brick chimney with clay liner.

You’ll be better off finding a mason to build a clay lined chimney. At least here in Ohio any sweep I have spoken with only wants to install metal and I haven’t found a sweep here yet that knows anything about burning coal. Every single one of them only knows a little about bituminous and none I have talked to even knew what anthracite is. The mere mention of burning coal and immediately they don’t want anything further to do with the conversation or the job. They think it is all dirty, black, and sooty.

Thanks for all the input and ideas.
I'd love to have a masonry chimney, but I don't think financially I can swing it. My original hope was to remove the single wall galvanized and replace it with a triple wall Class A set up, like I have on the Koker Lite coming out of my basement. When I had that chimney installed (for the K-Lite), I got some estimates on brick chimneys, and they were very expensive. Given that I already have the framed siding "box" surrounding the fireplace chimney, my thought was the simplest, most cost effective thing might be to remove the insides (the galvanized), and replace it with a better (class A) pipe. Even to tear down the existing framed-in box would be a fairly significant job. Ultimately, my reason for exploring this possibility is to have the ability to heat my house entirely without electricity, and to supplement my reliance on the K-Lite, which is a workhorse, I have to give it its props. The fireplace is pretty, but not a heat generator, and in power outages I use it, but it's simply not meant to warm a 2300sqft house.
Thanks again for all the input and ideas, it's interesting to hear about different ideas and experiences.

Go ahead and get your prices for to do it all with stainless steel, labor for all included, then wait a while. I’d bet you can find a mason to match the price.

Four feet (4’) of 8”x8” clay liner cost me $20. Price 4 ft of Stainless steel. You can’t buy a 6inch stainless steel extension for $20, let alone a 1 ft extension for that price. The sweeps that gave me estimates wanted as much labor costs for install metal as the mason wanted for his labor, so the labor there was the same. Plus those guys make a killing off of the metal and the good stainless 316Ti isn’t cheap even if I buy it myself through Rockford Chimney Supply.

I can’t imagine using anything galvanized for a chimney lining after cutting and torching miles and miles of guard railing. That nasty yellow and toxic smoke is horrific. You learn real quick to stay on the upwind side of the smoke.