'LL Pioneer burning 25% more coal

Thanks all.Draft and combustion air ok.Ash looks same just more of it.Suppliers are Reading and Blachek.
Guess I'd have to agree about poorer quality coal.
I'll post if I find out anymore.
Thanks again

tster wrote: ↑

Fri. Jan. 21, 2022 4:24 pm

Thanks all.Draft and combustion air ok.Ash looks same just more of it.Suppliers are Reading and Blachek.
Guess I'd have to agree about poorer quality coal.
I'll post if I find out anymore.
Thanks again

Not being a smart alek, but draft that isn't measured is simply a guess, as is its balance with combustion air on a stoker.

Did you measure with a manometer?

Also- is your coal bone dry, or damp?

Manometer readings average between 4" -6" .coal is oiled so damp but not with water.

tster wrote: ↑

Sat. Jan. 22, 2022 8:55 pm

Manometer readings average between 4" -6" .coal is oiled so damp but not with water.

LL calls for .03-.05" so you are just a little high, but shouldn't be enough to use 25% extra coal. Glad to hear you have a manometer.

I don't oil my coal, so I can't say much about that.

Maybe someone with the same stove might have more info for you

First load last fall seemed to burn pretty good, next load in Jan seemed to have more shale in the ash pan, usually burn 4 ton a year, had to pick up an extra 1000 lbs end of march, just ran out today, time to use what's left in the oil tank, not about to buy more oil until the price drops. Old drafty uninsulated clapboard sided over a 100 years old farmhouse. Wind really affects my oil and coal usage, without an accurate wind speed database all i can say is it did seem unusually windy this winter. Draft is .02-.03 with a man-o-meter, if it gets up to .04-.05 it's just heat up the chimney. No chimney for me, powervent works great for 12 years so far.Once the temp gets below freezing the oil burner will cycle occasionally as the Pioneer isn't big enough to do the job by itself (1800 sq ft),on windy days oil cycles a lot, one tank of oil about 1/4 left

Also use bulk unoiled coal, extra 1000 lbs was bagged bought from a hardware store, seemed to be oiled, clumped in the hopper along the sides, don't have a problem with dust pouring coal into hopper with bulk, pile is outside on a plastic tarp and covered with same, it's usually wet when shoveled into 18 cat litter buckets and stacked inside, pick dry days to fill the buckets, damp when poured into hopper.

It's a Pioneer