Newbie with an Alaska Stoker 2 stove in Nanticoke, PA

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chrisfit
New Member
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat. Jan. 09, 2021 11:48 am
Location: Nanticoke PA
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Alaska Stoker 2
Coal Size/Type: Rice
Other Heating: Electic/small natural gas fire place

Post by chrisfit » Sat. Jan. 09, 2021 12:29 pm

Hello all,

I have been browsing this forum since I fired up this stove in November, and I appreciate the amount of information on here. My wife and I just bought this house and we are new to coal stoves. I learned how to start the fire and it burns hot and correctly (flames 12-15" high, 1-2" unburned coal at the top of the carpet). The issue I am having is smoke and CO2 backing up into the hopper. I have read most of the posts I can find with this issue and have tried everything I am comfortable with/was easy and it has not helped. My house is not airtight so that isn't an issue. I have replaced the stove pipe from the back of the stove to the chimney. I had the chimney cleaned before I lit the stove. I cleaned and vacuumed the inside of the stove. I have tried blocking the combustion fan's intake. I am burning rice coal and had a ton delivered. I bought a bag at Tractor Supply in case the coal was the issue. I have not yet replaced any gaskets, but that is next. I have not yet ordered a manometer, but probably will today. I'm sure I have a draft problem but I'm not sure what a manometer would do beyond telling me what I expect as I am ignorant of what to do with that information.

I first went to Woody's for help and maybe b/c I am so green and don't have $$$$ to buy a really fancy system they were not a lot of help. When I called them again in late Nov, their next appt was Feb for service. I had Harth Enterprise, who swept the chimney, back to trouble shoot and that didn't really tell me anything. They didn't light a fire or test the drafts so I'm not sure what to try next. They said it might be the gasket to the hopper which they estimated at $800-$1400 of a fix.

I'm at a bit of standstill as I really don't know what I am doing so I won't know if I am in over my head or not. Does anyone in NEPA know of any repair people who could help me trouble shoot and fix this issue for a reasonable price? What other things should I try? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 
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Pauliewog
Member
Posts: 1824
Joined: Mon. Dec. 02, 2013 12:15 am
Location: Pittston, Pennsylvania
Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Alaska 140 Dual Paddle Feed
Baseburners & Antiques: Fame Rosemont #20, Home Stove Works #25, Glenwood #6, Happy Thought Oak, Merry Bride #214, Sunnyside, Worlds Argand #114, New Golden Sun , & About 30 others.
Coal Size/Type: Stove, Chesnut, Pea, Rice / Anthracite

Post by Pauliewog » Sat. Jan. 09, 2021 1:25 pm

Give me a call, I live in Pittston and can take a run over to help you out. 570 262 5713

Paulie

 
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Pauliewog
Member
Posts: 1824
Joined: Mon. Dec. 02, 2013 12:15 am
Location: Pittston, Pennsylvania
Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Alaska 140 Dual Paddle Feed
Baseburners & Antiques: Fame Rosemont #20, Home Stove Works #25, Glenwood #6, Happy Thought Oak, Merry Bride #214, Sunnyside, Worlds Argand #114, New Golden Sun , & About 30 others.
Coal Size/Type: Stove, Chesnut, Pea, Rice / Anthracite

Post by Pauliewog » Sat. Jan. 09, 2021 3:51 pm

When you changed the stove pipe, did you install a new barometric damper or use the existing one ?

Did you remove the grate and vacuum the fines from under it ?

It will help if you post pictures of your stove showing the fire and the stove pipes that you replaced.

Paulie

 
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Spacecadet
Member
Posts: 278
Joined: Sat. Feb. 10, 2018 9:36 pm
Location: New Paltz NY
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 30-95, Hitzer 30/95
Coal Size/Type: nut
Other Heating: US stove 6041 pellet

Post by Spacecadet » Sat. Jan. 09, 2021 4:09 pm

It seems you have the chimney clean and working. I know you said you believe it’s coming trough the hopper, It sounds like the chimney is clear and free breathing. However You really need a manometer to rule out the chimney and know how well the chimney is actually working. I would be inclined to ask about the door gaskets as they may have issues. The feed blower is going to force the air through the coal and cause it to burn. If the door gaskets are an issue the fumes could escape there.


 
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WNY
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Posts: 6307
Joined: Mon. Nov. 14, 2005 8:40 am
Location: Cuba, NY
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Keystoker 90K, Leisure Line Hyfire I
Coal Size/Type: Rice
Contact:

Post by WNY » Sat. Jan. 09, 2021 5:52 pm

Definately need to check draft, and your baro damper set correctly. if it's burning back too far towards the hopper, sometimes that is too much draft pulling air thru the hopper and making it burn back farther. Def. post a few pics and have the draft checked and set correctly. you shouldn't have it burn back or smell from the hopper if everything is working correctly.

 
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CoalKracker
Member
Posts: 115
Joined: Sat. Oct. 03, 2015 10:56 am
Location: Northeast Pa
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Alaska Channing 3
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 460
Baseburners & Antiques: Pittston Stove Co. Magnet No.2
Coal Size/Type: Anthracite rice (reading coal co)

Post by CoalKracker » Sun. Jan. 10, 2021 10:04 pm

$800-$1400.....ummm...u better get a second opinion on that one!

 
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Spacecadet
Member
Posts: 278
Joined: Sat. Feb. 10, 2018 9:36 pm
Location: New Paltz NY
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 30-95, Hitzer 30/95
Coal Size/Type: nut
Other Heating: US stove 6041 pellet

Post by Spacecadet » Tue. Jan. 12, 2021 12:09 am

Do you have some pics of your system and set up? Maybe that would help.

8-1400 to fix the hopper gasket? Ummm I don’t think so. Maybe to disassemble the whole stove. Clean everything and replace all the gaskets and the door glass with new I could see a shop charging you a good penny but definitely not over a grand. That’s just to me insane. You could take the whole stove apart your self, replace all the gaskets and the door glass and repaint it for less than a couple hundred bucks.

Here is a pic of my manometer. I got them from eBay I think one was $20 and the other $25 shipped to my house. Ebay usually has all kinds of ‘good’ stuff. I have 2 stoves a Hitzer in my house and an Alaska in my garage.

Attachments


 
chrisfit
New Member
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat. Jan. 09, 2021 11:48 am
Location: Nanticoke PA
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Alaska Stoker 2
Coal Size/Type: Rice
Other Heating: Electic/small natural gas fire place

Post by chrisfit » Mon. Jan. 18, 2021 12:05 pm

Pauliewog wrote:
Sat. Jan. 09, 2021 3:51 pm
When you changed the stove pipe, did you install a new barometric damper or use the existing one ? I did not. Most likely a mistake. The old one seemed in good shape.

Did you remove the grate and vacuum the fines from under it ? I did not I poke all the holes clean and vacuumed then but I did not remove.

It will help if you post pictures of your stove showing the fire and the stove pipes that you replaced. I am going to try a few more things and then I will. Thank you.

Paulie


 
chrisfit
New Member
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat. Jan. 09, 2021 11:48 am
Location: Nanticoke PA
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Alaska Stoker 2
Coal Size/Type: Rice
Other Heating: Electic/small natural gas fire place

Post by chrisfit » Mon. Jan. 18, 2021 12:09 pm

WNY wrote:
Sat. Jan. 09, 2021 5:52 pm
Definately need to check draft, and your baro damper set correctly. if it's burning back too far towards the hopper, sometimes that is too much draft pulling air thru the hopper and making it burn back farther. Def. post a few pics and have the draft checked and set correctly. you shouldn't have it burn back or smell from the hopper if everything is working correctly.

Thank you and I will post some pics after I do a few more fixes. I got bogged down with a few other projects and broke the glass after replacing that gasket. If the coal is burning too far back near the hopper is that just a draft issue or indicative of another problem?

 
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freetown fred
Member
Posts: 30293
Joined: Thu. Dec. 31, 2009 12:33 pm
Location: Freetown,NY 13803
Hand Fed Coal Stove: HITZER 50-93
Coal Size/Type: BLASCHAK Nut

Post by freetown fred » Mon. Jan. 18, 2021 12:12 pm

Take advantage of Pauliewog's offer--sometimes a pix is NOT worth a thousand words!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 
Paul k
Member
Posts: 32
Joined: Wed. Nov. 28, 2018 7:34 pm
Location: Moscow, Pa
Stoker Coal Boiler: Alaska model 140
Coal Size/Type: Rice

Post by Paul k » Fri. Sep. 24, 2021 4:18 pm

Dam wish pauliewog would have offered to stop by my home for my problems. I would have bought him beer

 
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Pauliewog
Member
Posts: 1824
Joined: Mon. Dec. 02, 2013 12:15 am
Location: Pittston, Pennsylvania
Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Alaska 140 Dual Paddle Feed
Baseburners & Antiques: Fame Rosemont #20, Home Stove Works #25, Glenwood #6, Happy Thought Oak, Merry Bride #214, Sunnyside, Worlds Argand #114, New Golden Sun , & About 30 others.
Coal Size/Type: Stove, Chesnut, Pea, Rice / Anthracite

Post by Pauliewog » Fri. Sep. 24, 2021 11:09 pm

Paul k wrote:
Fri. Sep. 24, 2021 4:18 pm
Dam wish pauliewog would have offered to stop by my home for my problems. I would have bought him beer
Send me a PM. I'll be happy to stop up. 😆

Paulie

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