lighting stoker without starter w/fuse

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swattley01
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Posts: 76
Joined: Mon. Nov. 17, 2014 7:35 pm
Stoker Coal Boiler: Alaska Gnome 40
Baseburners & Antiques: Buckwalters Vale Oak 315
Coal Size/Type: nut / rice
Other Heating: March Brownback potbelly #12

Post by swattley01 » Sun. Oct. 21, 2018 6:03 pm

have trouble starting the alaska gnome 40 stoker stove, i do not have and fire starter for coal yet, and have cleaned out and did the yearly maint. i have tried full brickets of matchlight, broken up matchlight, heating the matchlight with a propane torch nothing will light this stove. i am getting good air supply to coal bed. the charcoal will glow and even flame up but just goes out when done burning

 
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nepacoal
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Posts: 1696
Joined: Wed. Nov. 21, 2012 7:49 am
Location: Coal Country
Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KAA-4 / "Kelly" and an EFM 520 at my in-laws
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Harman SF-260 - retired
Coal Size/Type: Buck

Post by nepacoal » Sun. Oct. 21, 2018 6:08 pm

I use a brown paper lunch bag filled with about 1.5 inches of lump charcoal and a little anthracite. Roll up the bag and put the rolled edge on the bottom. Push it into the coal bed near the top air holes and cover with a little coal. I turn on the stoker and use a propane torch to light the entire bottom edge of the bag along with the charcoal. shut the door and wait until the lump charcoal gets going good. Add coal on top of the charcoal once it gets going good. Has worked every time. (Hardwood lump charcoal is the key to success with this method)

 
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Lightning
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Joined: Wed. Nov. 16, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Olean, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: Modified AA 130
Coal Size/Type: Pea Size - Anthracite

Post by Lightning » Sun. Oct. 21, 2018 6:42 pm

That hardwood lump charcoal burns white hot and even scares me a little when lighting my hand fed furnace. Which is why it works so good :)


 
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StokerDon
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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

Post by StokerDon » Sun. Oct. 21, 2018 8:26 pm

The key point most people new to stokers miss is, you have to get the Anthracite on TOP of the burning wood, charcoal or whatever you are using. You can have a blazing wood fire going and the Anthracite right next to it will never light, it needs to be on top.

Once you get it going, make sure the stoker doesn't push the fire off the grate.

-Don

 
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oliver power
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Location: Near Dansville, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: KEYSTOKER Kaa-2
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 50-93 & 30-95, Vigilant (pre-2310), D.S. 1600 Circulator, Hitzer 254

Post by oliver power » Mon. Oct. 22, 2018 4:15 am

Yes, lots of little tricks..... I once left my hopper empty, and put a piece of tin over the bottom hopper hole. Started a nice little wood fire on the grates. Slowly added coal to the wood fire by hand, till I had a nice little bed of burning coals. All the time stoker, and combustion fan running. Stoker wasn't pushing fire off the grates, as there was no coal in the hopper. No race to have the fire established before it gets pushed off the grates. Once established, I uncovered the hopper hole, and added coal. Worked very well. Kind of relaxing.

 
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2001Sierra
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Posts: 2211
Joined: Wed. May. 20, 2009 8:09 am
Location: Wynantskill NY, 10 miles from Albany
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Keystoker 90 Chimney vent
Coal Size/Type: Rice
Other Heating: Buderus Oil Boiler 3115-34

Post by 2001Sierra » Tue. Oct. 23, 2018 11:10 pm

Tonite I tried something different. I took a typical peanut can, you know cardboard sides and tin top and bottom. I took a church key, "old fashioned can opener" and put the triangle punch outs all along the perimeter of the bottom. I then packed the bottom with newspaper, than crushed charcoal, and then rice coal. The top is wide open, because we had to eat the peanuts and I lit the base of the side, next time I will pop a 1 inch side hole to aid in lighting. It worked quite well.

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