Getting Ready to Give it a go AGAIN!

Good evening all.

My last post was back in October when I decided to try and fire up the stove for a colder weekend. Since then, here in southcentral PA, we've had almost every day ranging from the high 50's all the way up to the low 70's a few days during the day. We broke a record two days ago with a high temp of almost 76 degrees, I think.

So after this weekend, the temps will finally settle to daytime highs of no more than maybe 50 degrees with many evenings going below 32. It's finally time to fire up again! However, my last attempt was a failure. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I'm really apprehensive about this time around. I have this horrible sinking suspicion that my stove is not going to cooperate with me. I'm planning to use a combo of matchlight charcoal briquettes and some good hardwood. I'm hoping that the coal will take this time around. I'm still scratching my head from last time, trying to figure out what I did wrong. I had to literally clean out the stove of several shovel fulls of completely unlit pea coal. It was as if the kindling barely even put a dent in the coal. After that first attempt, I was seriously wondering if I had bad coal - wouldn't even remotely ignite in the flames of the kindling.

So, I'm crossing my fingers and praying hard that it will work this time. My thought is that I just didn't have an aggressive enough kindling fire that lasted long enough to ignite the coal....and maybe I put in too much coal at the start.

Still, I can't stop thinking about how before, back 10 years ago, that I only had to use a very small amount of charcoal to get my fire going - same stove model that I have now. It seemed a lot easier then.

Do you think having a stainless steel chimney pipe (thimble through the wall) is different than having an actual masonry chimney? Would that make a difference in the updraft? My chimney on the first stove years back was a masonry chimney with a flexible stainless steel liner that I installed. That was the best chimney I ever had in a house. I'm wondering if this new set up is going to be different.

Sorry for all the ramblings. I just need some good feedback and reassurance that it's actually going to work this time around. I'm really apprehensive about it. My last attempt was really frustrating. Who knows? Maybe I'm fretting over nothing.... LOL!

How high is your chimney and where did you get your coal. I put a pile of matchlight and a couple small shovels of coal and fire starter gel light with a small torch you should hear the coal crackle and keep adding coal a little at a time till you get a good fire going leave the ash door open till that happens do you a temp gauge on your pipe and stove I run around 180 degrees on the pipe and 400 on the stove keep a eye on your stove pipe temp what is the make of your stove Good luck

Was your previous masonry chimney inside the home or on the exterior? You have to get the chimney warm to get the draft going. I always have some cardboard boxes around and I burn mostly wood. I throw some paper in and then some cardboard with some kindling. Light it, do whatever is currently necessary with draft, open ash door for a minute, whatever. And let it go until kindling is going well, then add dome hard wood. Maple usually. The other day when I started up I started the fire before dinner and let the wood go for 2ish hours. I had a nice bed of coals and once I started adding coal it was about 2 hours and I was done. Don't stand there and watch, it feels like an eternity.

You’ll get it just stick with it ( it’s entirely possible you have an extremely hard batch of coal that takes a lot longer to get going) I got a few bags from tractor supply that took forever to light ( first time I ever questioned is there such thing a non burning coal ) once started it burned beautifully but took at least twice as long and slightly different technique to get lit , nice kindling fire in center 2-3 shovels of coal than a few more pieces of kindling than babysit with ash door open so wood is blasting than occasionally adding a shovels as they catch

Check draft with cold stove by holding a lit twist of paper to the exhaust ports. Check with flashlight that air flap is open. Leave ash door open a bit until fire is established.

Thanks again folks, for the advice. I am extremely grateful to all of you and also for your positive attitudes. You have more faith in me than I do! LOL!

At any rate, I will try those things suggested here. I think ShawnLiNy might be on to something with the hard coal. The first time I tried this, I had NO crackling at all when the coal was thrown on the flames - nothing! That was what was really making me question if I had bad coal. Let's hope it's just stubborn and needs time. I'm ready this time around, though. I'm going to make sure my chimney and flue are warmed up decently, too. I'll let y'all know my progress on Saturday late afternoon. I'm getting a head start so I'm not up until midnight trying to stoke the stove!

If you're unsure of how things will go, start earlier than later. It will ease your mind that it has been running steady with no problems before going to bed. Ask me why.

waytomany?s wrote: ↑

Thu. Nov. 10, 2022 9:51 pm

If you're unsure of how things will go, start earlier than later. It will ease your mind that it has been running steady with no problems before going to bed. Ask me why.

LOL! That's why I said I'm going to start in the late afternoon so that I have plenty of time to fart with it until I'm sure it's actually going to ignite. Fingers crossed and a lot of prayers! I assume you've been down this road as well??

musikfan1968 wrote: ↑

Fri. Nov. 11, 2022 6:09 pm

LOL! That's why I said I'm going to start in the late afternoon so that I have plenty of time to fart with it until I'm sure it's actually going to ignite. Fingers crossed and a lot of prayers! I assume you've been down this road as well??

Ohh, once or twice or two years or so. I'm getting the hang of it.

The warmer it is the harder it is to get a fire going. Make sure you warm the flue and have enough draft. This gent does a pretty thorough job explaining how to get a coal stove burning.

Well? Where are things at?

Come on M--ya been here before--just grit your teeth & fire the old girl up!!

OK, folks. Here you go! This was right after I added the first base layer to the stove. All went extremely well with the fire up. Woo hoo!!!!

But I have a question. Every time I close the main door, the beautiful blue flames disappear. Well, actually they don't disappear but they are much softer and not at all as intense as if the door were open. If I open the bottom ash door, the stove glows brighter and looks "healthier". When I have everything close up, my fire acts like it's lacking air. What's going on with that or is it OK ? My brain doesn't remember exactly what it should look like after 10 years. I'm a mess, guys. Temps in the house went up 5 degrees in an hour. LOL!

Low over fire air. Eh, not necessarily low. Do you have over fire air?

M, ya lookin for heat with a lil bit of blue ladies or roarin with outlandish blue ladies????