Cap on the Flue/Better Fire?
Posted: Mon. Nov. 10, 2008 3:59 pm
Hi,
I'm fairly new to the coal stove world. I was getting some decent fires going in my Harman Mark II, but lately I've been running into the situation where the fire starts going out after a couple of days. Last week, I had some 30 degree days and I had the coal stove roaring. Later in the week, the temperature got up to the 60s, ash built up, the coals died and the fire went out. The outside temp. stayed in the 60s, so I didn't try getting the fire going until today.
Temp today is in the 40s. It's very hard to get the fire going. I started a fire with the match-light charcoals, but they started going out. I wondered if I'm not getting a good draft because maybe some leaves got into the flue.
Several questions:
1. How much effect do warmer days have on draft? As I said, it seems my draft was fine on the 30-degree days and then got worse as the temp warmed up.
2. How important is it to have a cap on the flue(s) when burning coal? Someone told me somewhere that coal fires definitely need the cap.
3. Could leaves be causing a lack of draft? Or would it be some other problem? Is it an adjustment needed on the barometric draft control?
I'm fairly new to the coal stove world. I was getting some decent fires going in my Harman Mark II, but lately I've been running into the situation where the fire starts going out after a couple of days. Last week, I had some 30 degree days and I had the coal stove roaring. Later in the week, the temperature got up to the 60s, ash built up, the coals died and the fire went out. The outside temp. stayed in the 60s, so I didn't try getting the fire going until today.
Temp today is in the 40s. It's very hard to get the fire going. I started a fire with the match-light charcoals, but they started going out. I wondered if I'm not getting a good draft because maybe some leaves got into the flue.
Several questions:
1. How much effect do warmer days have on draft? As I said, it seems my draft was fine on the 30-degree days and then got worse as the temp warmed up.
2. How important is it to have a cap on the flue(s) when burning coal? Someone told me somewhere that coal fires definitely need the cap.
3. Could leaves be causing a lack of draft? Or would it be some other problem? Is it an adjustment needed on the barometric draft control?