Unburned Coal...I Know...

fuccillo111 · Post by **fuccillo111** » Mon. Feb. 03, 2014 4:52 pm

hi guys. ive searched and tried every suggestions I dare to try myself with this unburned coal issue. some backround: 2yr old koker 160 w direct vent tied into home ducts and cold air returns. ive been burning blacshak for two seasons and am convinced im not burning near what it should be. two people said it look like junk coal or unburned coal. I first called keystoker and got as far as them telling me to turn the white feeder screw to all the way clockwise(more coal) then to four turns counter-clockwise. this didn't do a whole lot as I was already at 6 turns. then I ran 400 lbs of jetson coal through it and the results seemed the same. then I shut down and cleaned everything as im in the middle of burning season anyways and that didn't help either. my draft is never too high or too low but between .02 and .05 depending on weather. ive been as far out as 8 turns and that didn't seem to do anything either, as far as the unburned coal issue. ive posted pics please let me know if theres something im missing. btw I have no issues heating the house whatsoever, the koker is a beast!

Carbon12 · Post by **Carbon12** » Mon. Feb. 03, 2014 4:56 pm

Ash looks much like mine from my keystoker KA6 boiler. How much coal have you been going through?

tsb · Post by **tsb** » Mon. Feb. 03, 2014 5:07 pm

Your ash pictures are about right for coal that sucks.
Really good coal has about half that amount of unburned coal.
There will always be unburned coal. It's just a matter of how much.

fuccillo111 · Post by **fuccillo111** » Mon. Feb. 03, 2014 5:07 pm

id say 50lbs per 24 hrs when it was below zero for that spell in ny, around 40 per 24hrs when is 20's during the day. although I am on target to match last years consumption. logic tells me I burning "rich" either decrease coal or increase combustion air right? ive decreased coal feed to no avail but not sure how to mess with the sacred combustion fan blocking plate. if I move the plate to more open how do I adjust my direct vent?

Carbon12 · Post by **Carbon12** » Mon. Feb. 03, 2014 5:09 pm

Coal consumption does not seem excessive. I have no experience with direct vents. More combustion air might do the trick. Someone more familiar will chime in shortly, I'm sure.

Carbon12 · Post by **Carbon12** » Mon. Feb. 03, 2014 5:11 pm

Did you poke out the air hole in the burner grate?

fuccillo111 · Post by **fuccillo111** » Mon. Feb. 03, 2014 5:15 pm

the jetson coal I tried worked wonders in my buddies hyfax 2. he said "theres less shale in the ash pan and It burned hotter so I could turn the heat down to get the same temp as the other stuff(brand x)". this just didn't seem to do much for my koker.

fuccillo111 · Post by **fuccillo111** » Mon. Feb. 03, 2014 5:16 pm

carbon, no I did not as did this before the season. none looked closed so I just vacuumed the grate. thanks

Post by **Lightning** » Mon. Feb. 03, 2014 5:17 pm

Correct me if I'm wrong but I would think that there is a delicate balance between enough combustion air and too much combustion air that would help burn more of the coal, but also be counter productive since that extra air if excessive , would carry heat out the chimney before the stove could absorb most of it.

How's that for a run on sentence!!!

Carbon12 · Post by **Carbon12** » Mon. Feb. 03, 2014 5:19 pm

Ha! He has a direct vent,.....no dragging a Baro or MPD into this thread!

Post by **Lightning** » Mon. Feb. 03, 2014 5:23 pm

Right

but he considered opening the combustion air adjustment or did I read that wrong?

Carbon12 · Post by **Carbon12** » Mon. Feb. 03, 2014 5:24 pm

He did. I was just messing with ya!

fuccillo111 · Post by **fuccillo111** » Mon. Feb. 03, 2014 5:25 pm

lightning you read that right. is that crazy talk or what. im at a loss.

Post by **Lightning** » Mon. Feb. 03, 2014 5:30 pm

Carbon12 wrote:He did. I was just messing with ya!

I should a known lol.. I'm kinda thick sometimes.

Crazy talk? By me? No. I was being serious.

Carbon12 · Post by **Carbon12** » Mon. Feb. 03, 2014 5:32 pm

Sorry if I went off topic. Many of us have been embroiled in the MPD vs. Baro battle all season. It was a lame attempt at humor. My bad,.....as they say

Unburned Coal...I Know...

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