Stove Firing Hot #2

A while ago I posted a concern that my stove was firing too hot. The answers were helpful but at the time the stove was not burning. Now that it is, I have some follow up data and questions.

I set the thermostat door so when the stove is cold and the dial is all the way to the low end the big door is closed and the little door is open to its fullest extent.

I checked for cracks or open seams by taping up the holes where the ash shaker arms are, stuffing the flue with newspaper and then burning newspaper inside the stove filling it up with smoke. I got a little smoke out the draft door (until I closed it) and around the glass. Nothing around the doors, the gaskets do all look like they are in good shape.

I asked at Coal Heat in Alburtis about replacing the glass as it is all discolored (and leaks smoke) but they do not have the glass gaskets. Any idea where I might mailorder one? Also is this a painful job? I'm handy and have done gaskets before but I am willing to pay someone to do something that I shouldn't.

The hinges in the decorative door infront of the ash pan door are rusted and will not move. I took the decorative door off for now. Does anyone know wherer to get hinges like this?

Once the stove was lit I bought a thermometer and placed it on the top and found the stove never gets really hot (it is just hotter than my Victory 700). With the top decorative cover open the stove temp ranges from 275 at 1 on the thermostat through 375 at 8 on the thermostat. This seems like a narrow range to me, especially since Sempper Fi indicted the stove would go to 600.

With the thermostat set at 5, if left untouched overnight (9pm-7am) the stove burns all of the coal in the burn area to ash and then starts to burn the coal up in the hopper. Should this happen? I guess it should because if it did not burn the coal in the hopper it would go out. After a vigorous shaking there is little visibly burning coal but it comes back if left alone for an hour.

With the thermostat set at 8 the stove will start to burn the coal in the hopper in a couple of hours. Before all the coal in the burn area is gone.

thanks in advance
jfyiii

I used a Franco-B stove for about 13 years. I have a couple of questions for you:

Do you have a barometric damper? One of these may help control the burn and keep the stove from over-firing .

What do you have the hopper set at? I used to keep my hopper set at the highest notches to keep the fire bed at the deepest level. I found that on the lower notches the coal would burn up into the hopper a short ways before the fire would go out.

Also, how is the gasket on the hopper fill cover? You may be getting some air leakage around the cover if the gasket is not good.

I hope this helps.

If the hinges on the decorative door look good but are "frozen' in place, soak with PB Blaster rust penetrant. Let set overnight, soak again let set overnight, then tap the hinge joint itself with a hammer many times. How hard you tap will depend on how heavily made the hinges are. You do not want to deform them. Also tap on the ends of the hinge. Use pliers to work the hinge back and forth. If you can get any movement at all you are winning the battle. Soak with PB again and go right on wiggling the hinge. It will free up if rust was the problem. I do a lot of auto mechanic work and swear by PB Blaster.