Anthramax 15 ash buildup and overfire

Post Reply
 
pantosketcham
Member
Posts: 47
Joined: Tue. Dec. 04, 2018 9:20 pm
Location: Vermont
Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS Anthamax 14 & 15. DS Circulator 1300. Hitzer 254.
Coal Size/Type: Nut
Other Heating: Baker's Choice Wood Cookstove

Post by pantosketcham » Wed. Jan. 19, 2022 9:25 am

Hello all - I could use some help from the coalpail brain trust.

I have an Anthramax 15. This is my first winter using it. I have an Amax 14 in my shop that is on its second winter. On the 15 I've been having a dual issue and the best thing I can do is describe what is happening and see if anyone has any suggestions.

My normal procedure for both stoves is shakedown and refill in the morning and evening. What is happening with the 15 is I am only getting a very small area on one side where the ash is clearing enough to see a glow or a few small coals falling through. After I shake down I am seeing that the hopper is mostly emptied. Not long after this the regulator opens and the resulting burn is creating a very hot spot on the stove surface on the same side as where the ash is clearing - hot as in excess of 600 degrees. I understand that over 600 is not good for the stove in the long run. I am also wondering why I can't seem to get the ash to clear more underneath so I am seeing a glow across the whole thing.

With the negative temperatures I have been running my regulator at three and half.

I do poke my corners down once a week to keep ash from building up there.

I don't have this issue with the 14 in the shop.

Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks. Pete

 
User avatar
HandFire
Member
Posts: 195
Joined: Thu. Feb. 11, 2021 6:06 pm
Location: Central PA
Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS 110
Coal Size/Type: Stove/Nut

Post by HandFire » Wed. Jan. 19, 2022 10:43 am

Is that hot spot on the same side as the shaker handle? If so your probably sucking too much air where the shaft goes through and need to block it temporarily with foil or insulation. Do you have a manometer to measure draft? If not get one and install a pipe damper. It may be your drawing excessive draft and need to get it under control.

 
pantosketcham
Member
Posts: 47
Joined: Tue. Dec. 04, 2018 9:20 pm
Location: Vermont
Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS Anthamax 14 & 15. DS Circulator 1300. Hitzer 254.
Coal Size/Type: Nut
Other Heating: Baker's Choice Wood Cookstove

Post by pantosketcham » Wed. Jan. 19, 2022 10:47 am

Thanks Handfire for the ideas. The hot spot is actually on the opposite side of the shaker handle - that is, the right side of the stove where the handle is on the left. I do have an MPD but haven't thought I needed to use it as I didn't think my draft was that strong. This really wasn't an issue until it got super cold.

 
User avatar
mntbugy
Member
Posts: 2042
Joined: Fri. Dec. 23, 2016 2:36 pm
Location: clearfield,pa
Hand Fed Coal Stove: D S 1500, Warm Moring 400
Baseburners & Antiques: Art Garland 145,GW114 ,Clarion 115, Vestal 20 Globe,New Royal22 Globe, Red Cross Oak 56,Acme Ventiduct 38,Radiant Airblast 626,Home Airblast 62,Moores #7,Moores 3way
Coal Size/Type: stove and nut and some bit
Other Heating: Propain

Post by mntbugy » Wed. Jan. 19, 2022 10:57 am

It'll run for days at 650° no trouble.

Poke,lift,fluff corners and front and back edges and sides, every other day. After shake. This might bring clinkers up to the surface for "quick" removal.

Might need to floss grates from underneath with little poker, every other day also.


 
User avatar
HandFire
Member
Posts: 195
Joined: Thu. Feb. 11, 2021 6:06 pm
Location: Central PA
Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS 110
Coal Size/Type: Stove/Nut

Post by HandFire » Wed. Jan. 19, 2022 11:31 am

You mentioned since it has gotten cold and M's ideas are spot on. Running a hotter stove can lead to crusty layers that build if not cleared and compound the issue as time goes on. DS grates are pretty good for breaking them up but have to use a different technique. Long slow shakes followed by short quicker. When you feel them start to grind keep with the shorts and slow down until it passes, then back to some long ones until you find more crust. You get the feel of it after a bit and cuts down on poking and riddling from under. Where are you keeping the wash lever? Keep in to L when running otherwise that can also add air to the bed and burn hotter. DS stoves flow air very well and a manometer will really help you get them under control.

 
pantosketcham
Member
Posts: 47
Joined: Tue. Dec. 04, 2018 9:20 pm
Location: Vermont
Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS Anthamax 14 & 15. DS Circulator 1300. Hitzer 254.
Coal Size/Type: Nut
Other Heating: Baker's Choice Wood Cookstove

Post by pantosketcham » Wed. Jan. 19, 2022 12:36 pm

Thanks to you both for your replies and ideas. I'll give them a try and see. As for the airwash - I have always kept it in the middle. You think low might be best when really cold?

 
pantosketcham
Member
Posts: 47
Joined: Tue. Dec. 04, 2018 9:20 pm
Location: Vermont
Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS Anthamax 14 & 15. DS Circulator 1300. Hitzer 254.
Coal Size/Type: Nut
Other Heating: Baker's Choice Wood Cookstove

Post by pantosketcham » Wed. Jan. 19, 2022 12:37 pm

Do you both think twice a day for shake downs or should I do it say three times a day and not as much so I don't get so much fresh fuel coming down from the hopper?

 
Hounds51
Member
Posts: 556
Joined: Sat. Feb. 22, 2020 9:46 pm
Location: Bethel, Pa
Hand Fed Coal Stove: 2 Legacy TLC 2000 one in the upper and 1 in the lower part of the house
Coal Size/Type: Wood and pea, nut ,stove and egg coal

Post by Hounds51 » Wed. Jan. 19, 2022 1:17 pm

I know my stove is different than yours, but most of the guy's on here usually tend their stoves once or twice a day. What I mean by that is we only shake down once or twice daily. As far as loading coal, mine is hand fed, so depending on the outside temp I may freshen my bed two to three times daily, at the most.
I know you have a hopper, so you might not have to worry about that. In the warmer weather Ive been known to take my ashes out every other day, sometimes every 3 days, if I really throttle back. But in the colder temps, I tend to burn a little hotter, so it's usually daily now.
As far as having hot and dead spots in your bed, I think you will need to do as recommended by the previous posters. Shaking too often isn't to good, and not shaking often enough is no good either. One good thing about coal is that if you don't play around with your coal bed too much you should have constant heat. Also if you neglect your coal bed you will have trouble. It takes time to get a feel for keeping your bed consistent, but with enough practice you will get there. Also I noticed you have two stoves. Every stove has it's own characteristics so what you might do for one you might have to do something completely different to the other.
Just thinking out loud!


 
User avatar
HandFire
Member
Posts: 195
Joined: Thu. Feb. 11, 2021 6:06 pm
Location: Central PA
Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS 110
Coal Size/Type: Stove/Nut

Post by HandFire » Wed. Jan. 19, 2022 1:41 pm

Twice a day running in the 300°- 400° range should be good if your getting a complete shakedown. That will keep a healthy bed of coals going. As H said too often is going to flatten your bed so it won't breath as well. Try to base you shaking on your fuel usage so you know how much ash should be filling the pan. Only time to cut your shaking rate should be when your idling the stove in warmer weather. Then ash can help you maintain a lower stove temp over a longer period. Wash should be off L before you reload so it can add some more secondary air if there is any gas that needs to be burnt off. If you see blues you can go back. In the middle is a safe setting to avoid any puff back but on L it's still getting air. Hopper might hinder it some. Otherwise it creates a slightly quicker burn while trying to run the stove.

 
pantosketcham
Member
Posts: 47
Joined: Tue. Dec. 04, 2018 9:20 pm
Location: Vermont
Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS Anthamax 14 & 15. DS Circulator 1300. Hitzer 254.
Coal Size/Type: Nut
Other Heating: Baker's Choice Wood Cookstove

Post by pantosketcham » Sun. Jan. 23, 2022 10:56 am

Hey everyone. I was able to break up the crust thanks to the suggestions here and that helped a lot. Now, however, it seems with my shaking I am only getting a glow in the middle of the grates. Can't seem to clear the ash along all of the grates. It makes me think I am not getting the heat out that I should. Any suggestions how to clear ash more uniformly along all of the grates? Thanks.

 
User avatar
HandFire
Member
Posts: 195
Joined: Thu. Feb. 11, 2021 6:06 pm
Location: Central PA
Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS 110
Coal Size/Type: Stove/Nut

Post by HandFire » Sun. Jan. 23, 2022 12:29 pm

If your seeing dark spots along the edges of the grates after a good shake then it is best to go underneath like mntbugy suggested. You need to make a thin tool. Mine is a little unconventional but I can poke and vibrate the bed without disturbing it much. Works great for dropping alot of powder while leaving the burnable stuff behind. I took a scrap piece of 1/2" copper pipe and ran a stiff wire through it. One end is bent 90° doubled over itself leaving 4". The other end is folded against the pipe and taped flat with electrical tape. Make sure the pipe end is sealed with tape or dust will migrate out. Then go to town on the dark spots through the ash door. Poke through the grate and then twist side to side until you see the powder fall. Since the poker end isn't taped you can shake it for a vibrating effect as the loose end will bounce on the pipe and won't disturb the bed much. I only use it when I'm idling with low draft where a regular shake would kill the bed but there is no reason you couldn't use it in your situation to wake up the sides. Usually with good technique ash side buildup doesn't become a problem but if you have been ash bound then you need to be more aggressive by dumping more of the bed, poking above or what I just described.

Post Reply

Return to “Hand Fired Coal Stoves & Furnaces Using Anthracite”