Have I lost my touch?
-
- Member
- Posts: 83
- Joined: Sat. Nov. 07, 2009 10:29 am
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Mohawk Industries Temp Coal II
Hi all, I've been burning coal my whole life and for some odd reason I'm having a real hard time getting my stove going this year. Am I big dummy or could there be something wrong with my coal?
I had 3 tons of nut coal delivered last week. I had a hard time starting my first fire and then it went out after a two days. I've now tried to light the stove 4 times to no avail. I have NEVER had such a hard time lighting my stove or keeping it going before. 30+ years I've been burning coal. Other than the new coal delivery, I did have my siding and all my windows replaced over the summer. So my house isn't nearly as drafty as it was. Maybe that's part of my problem. Otherwise, I'm at a loss. I feel like an idiot.
I had 3 tons of nut coal delivered last week. I had a hard time starting my first fire and then it went out after a two days. I've now tried to light the stove 4 times to no avail. I have NEVER had such a hard time lighting my stove or keeping it going before. 30+ years I've been burning coal. Other than the new coal delivery, I did have my siding and all my windows replaced over the summer. So my house isn't nearly as drafty as it was. Maybe that's part of my problem. Otherwise, I'm at a loss. I feel like an idiot.
- tsb
- Member
- Posts: 2623
- Joined: Wed. Jul. 30, 2008 8:38 pm
- Location: Douglassville, Pa
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Binford 2000
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: LL Pioneer top vent
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Saey Hanover II
- Baseburners & Antiques: Grander Golden Oak , Glenwood # 6
- Coal Size/Type: All of them
Check to see that your cleanout door on the chimney is closed. If you have a manual damper, make sure it's actually moving.
- Hambden Bob
- Member
- Posts: 8551
- Joined: Mon. Jan. 04, 2010 10:54 am
- Location: Hambden Twp. Geauga County,Ohio
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Harman 1998 Magnum Stoker
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Blower Model Coal Chubby 1982-Serial#0097
- Coal Size/Type: Rice-A-Roni ! / Nut
- Other Heating: Pro-Pain Forced Air
Naw... You're Not Losing It! Something Changed And Flipped Da' Deal On Ya'! Start with the basics. Did something build a nest in Your chimney over the Summer? Do You have a Manometer,or,can You feel Draft when You open a door? Even if You received a Bogus Load of New Coal,it sure sounds like something else is afoot!! Oh,bye the way,"Happy Thanksgiving"!!
Last edited by Hambden Bob on Thu. Nov. 25, 2021 3:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- StokerDon
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 7502
- Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
- Location: PA, Southern York County!
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
- Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
- Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood
That probably is part of it. Your stove needs to suck air from the outside and you may have reduced what air could get trough the old windows. Also like mentioned above, check you chimney, chimney clean out and check the stove pipe for pin holes.
-Don
-
- Member
- Posts: 83
- Joined: Sat. Nov. 07, 2009 10:29 am
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Mohawk Industries Temp Coal II
Thanks guys, happy Thanksgiving!
I'm getting a good draft from the stove to the chimney. I do not have a manual damper, but will check the door in the back of the fireplace. Good call on that, since I remember having a problem a long time ago and found that door had somehow gotten open. I'm also going to completely empty out the stove again and check to make sure nothing is clogged up. It's just weird. I've never had such a hard time before. Even with that door open it's never been this difficult to start and keep my stove going.
I'm getting a good draft from the stove to the chimney. I do not have a manual damper, but will check the door in the back of the fireplace. Good call on that, since I remember having a problem a long time ago and found that door had somehow gotten open. I'm also going to completely empty out the stove again and check to make sure nothing is clogged up. It's just weird. I've never had such a hard time before. Even with that door open it's never been this difficult to start and keep my stove going.
- freetown fred
- Member
- Posts: 30302
- Joined: Thu. Dec. 31, 2009 12:33 pm
- Location: Freetown,NY 13803
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: HITZER 50-93
- Coal Size/Type: BLASCHAK Nut
O, for starting up, I've always used matchlight charcoal--I hope that door is the problem. Happy T-day my old friend..
-
- Member
- Posts: 83
- Joined: Sat. Nov. 07, 2009 10:29 am
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Mohawk Industries Temp Coal II
Once again, thanks for the help. The fireplace ash door isn't open. I'm trying to get the stove going again. I think it's got to he the lack of draft inside my house. I opened a slider to yell at my barking dog and I noticed my kindling started blazing. I'm starting to think my contractor did too good of a job shoring up my house. Where's my sawzall?
- Lightning
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 14669
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 16, 2011 9:51 am
- Location: Olean, NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Modified AA 130
- Coal Size/Type: Pea Size - Anthracite
Once you get the chimney warm and it's colder outside, it might have enough draft on its own.. if not, you might have to pipe in an air source somehow.. crack a window close by about an inch.. make sure all the windows upstairs are closed tight. Do you have any powered venting? Like bathroom vent, or cook stove vent?
-
- Member
- Posts: 83
- Joined: Sat. Nov. 07, 2009 10:29 am
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Mohawk Industries Temp Coal II
Nope. No power venting or any venting other than plumbing.Lightning wrote: ↑Thu. Nov. 25, 2021 10:39 amOnce you get the chimney warm and it's colder outside, it might have enough draft on its own.. if not, you might have to pipe in an air source somehow.. crack a window close by about an inch.. make sure all the windows upstairs are closed tight. Do you have any powered venting? Like bathroom vent, or cook stove vent?
I have to give the workers credit, they really did a good job shoring up my house lol. It was very drafty before. The siding and windows were rotting off the house. They also sealed up an old cat door and old holes from ac units and a kitchen vent.
- Hambden Bob
- Member
- Posts: 8551
- Joined: Mon. Jan. 04, 2010 10:54 am
- Location: Hambden Twp. Geauga County,Ohio
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Harman 1998 Magnum Stoker
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Blower Model Coal Chubby 1982-Serial#0097
- Coal Size/Type: Rice-A-Roni ! / Nut
- Other Heating: Pro-Pain Forced Air
Do check any elbows for flyash build-up(if you have any at all). That is interesting that your kindling launched when you opened that window!
Last edited by Hambden Bob on Thu. Nov. 25, 2021 9:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
- Member
- Posts: 6077
- Joined: Wed. Jan. 18, 2017 11:30 pm
- Location: swOH near a little town where the homes are mobile and the cars aren’t
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 354
- Coal Size/Type: nut coal
- Other Heating: electric, wood, oil
Well, he’s either warm or froze to death.
Where ya’ at oldpaddy? Update please.
Where ya’ at oldpaddy? Update please.