Why is my coal burning red not blue

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Lydo
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Location: Quebec, Canada
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood Oak No 3 1899
Coal Size/Type: Anthracite rock
Other Heating: Wood

Post by Lydo » Sun. Jan. 06, 2019 10:49 pm

We are just beginners with regards to burning coal. We normally burn wood but when trying a couple of loads of BBQ coal (we couldn’t find anthracite in our area) we liked it but found it very expensive to burn. We found someone that had coal in his basement and wanted to get rid of it. The coal had been sitting there for about 30 years. When we burn it (in our Glenwood Oak No 3), the flames are red, not blue like when we used to burn the BBQ coal. Why is that?

 
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Lydo
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Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood Oak No 3 1899
Coal Size/Type: Anthracite rock
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Post by Lydo » Sun. Jan. 06, 2019 11:27 pm

I forgot to mention that the coal size is a mix of pea and nut.

 
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Lightning
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Post by Lightning » Mon. Jan. 07, 2019 7:20 pm

I'd like to see a picture of that red fire :)

 
franco b
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Post by franco b » Mon. Jan. 07, 2019 7:45 pm

Are you getting any smoke? Generally the point at which air mixes with a gas determines color. When air mixes with a gas before ignition the flame will be blue. When air mixes after ignition, the tiny particles of carbon burn yellow as in a candle flame. The base of the candle flame is blue and further up yellow.

Perhaps you coal had a coating of some sort, or some mineral as part of it, to account for the red flame.

With a hot enough environment wood will burn blue.


 
rberq
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Post by rberq » Mon. Jan. 07, 2019 9:45 pm

Is it anthracite coal? Or bituminous?

 
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McGiever
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Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
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Post by McGiever » Mon. Jan. 07, 2019 10:25 pm

Lydo wrote:
Sun. Jan. 06, 2019 10:49 pm
not blue like when we used to burn the BBQ coal. Why is that?
BBQ is mostly if not all charred wood...no coal in it.

Charring wood process done in the absence of oxygen burns off all the volatile tars and gases leaving only pure carbon to which some filler and a binder is added to hold the compressed mix in to the familiar molded briquettes shape.

And starter fluid or matchlight can burn blue until the charcoal is ashed colored all over...

Blues should come later into your burning anthracite coal, that is the carbon monoxide gas burning at that stage. :)

Really, your 30 year old basement coal could possibly be not coal at all...but be actually coke.
Now, coke is to coal, as what, charcoal is to wood. ;)

 
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Lydo
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Location: Quebec, Canada
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood Oak No 3 1899
Coal Size/Type: Anthracite rock
Other Heating: Wood

Post by Lydo » Fri. Jan. 11, 2019 10:11 am

Thank you McGiever for your info.
Well, I just ordered anthracite and hope (at least that’s what I read in all the discussions) that I’ll get a better control of the heat with it. That stuff, what ever it is, burns soooo hot! I spread not even a quarter of a pail on a few wood coals from a starting fire and it burnt to 725+ degrees. I had to put it out, what a scare! :oops:

 
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Lydo
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Joined: Fri. Sep. 21, 2018 3:35 pm
Location: Quebec, Canada
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood Oak No 3 1899
Coal Size/Type: Anthracite rock
Other Heating: Wood

Post by Lydo » Fri. Jan. 11, 2019 10:40 am

Lightning wrote:
Mon. Jan. 07, 2019 7:20 pm
I'd like to see a picture of that red fire :)
Sorry lightning, I’m not going to try that again. Less than a quarter of a pail of that stuff went up and over 725! That was such a scare :oops:


 
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McGiever
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Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Fri. Jan. 11, 2019 11:33 am

Lydo wrote:
Fri. Jan. 11, 2019 10:11 am
Thank you McGiever for your info.
Well, I just ordered anthracite and hope (at least that’s what I read in all the discussions) that I’ll get a better control of the heat with it. That stuff, what ever it is, burns soooo hot! I spread not even a quarter of a pail on a few wood coals from a starting fire and it burnt to 725+ degrees. I had to put it out, what a scare! :oops:
Better control comes from better control of any air entering to accelerate combustion process...reduce air and reduce combustion.
Any air leaks around doors etc. gives up that control.

 
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Lydo
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Posts: 19
Joined: Fri. Sep. 21, 2018 3:35 pm
Location: Quebec, Canada
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood Oak No 3 1899
Coal Size/Type: Anthracite rock
Other Heating: Wood

Post by Lydo » Tue. Jan. 15, 2019 10:07 am

Ok thank you. So should we add some kind of fibreglass insulation in the doors? The stove was given to us and was apparently used as is (without any kind of cement or insulation between the parts.

 
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McGiever
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Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Tue. Jan. 15, 2019 10:51 am

There is a "Dollar Bill Test" for gauging door gaps...

search.php?keywords=%22dollar+bill+test%22&sf=firstpost

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