Buckwheat Vs. Pea Coal Size

kootch88 · Post by **kootch88** » Mon. Oct. 13, 2008 4:14 pm

I have been dying to have a first burn and my proper coal size won't be in until the end of the month. Are there any ramifications if I burn pea just so I can get this first burn out of my system? This is probably a dumb question, but I am a newbie.

John

Highlander · Post by **Highlander** » Mon. Oct. 13, 2008 6:02 pm

John
Your Reading Lehigh should burn rice, not buckwheat. I think you might do some damage to the stoker using the larger coal, pea is a lot larger than rice. At the very least, it won't burn very well if at all.
Bill

kootch88 · Post by **kootch88** » Mon. Oct. 13, 2008 6:08 pm

The manual calls for Rice or Buckwheat but I was told rice will burn more efficiently. We bought a bag just in case the forum thought it would be okay. I don't see how it would damage the stoker though. Can you explain that to me please?

John

coal berner · Post by **coal berner** » Mon. Oct. 13, 2008 6:18 pm

Pea is to big for any stoker stove unless it is a AA soker boiler or a AHS stoker boiler You need Rice or Buckwheat for your stoker stove Not all stoker stove's can burn buck either do to hopper fires always contact the manufacture of your stoker stove before you try to burn buckwheat look at the link below on standard Anthracite coal sizing

http://www.readinganthracite.com/images/coal%20si ... 0front.pdf

Post by **Richard S.** » Tue. Oct. 14, 2008 12:54 am

Other than the size presenting a problem for the mechanics of the stove e.g. you can't fit a 3/4 inch piece of coal through a 1/4 inch hole the pea is also easier to burn because you have larger areas for air to flow through. This can possibly lead to a situation where you have a draft going into the the hopper and lead to a hopper fire. Jerry from LL doesn't even recommend more that 30% buck mixed with rice in his stoves.

Freddy · Post by **Freddy** » Tue. Oct. 14, 2008 4:04 am

Getcha self into the big city & find a bag of rice coal. Blue Seal feeds should have it, or Aubuchon.

kootch88 · Post by **kootch88** » Tue. Oct. 14, 2008 7:35 am

Aubuchon will have my order at the end of the month. I'll check Blue Seal in Yarmouth. Everyone carries Pea and nut around here but so far rice coal is an ordered item. Paris union told me they had it but fo course they didn't have it in stock. By the way, for you Maine folks, Aubuchon is the cheapest I have found so far. $6.29 a 40lb bag as long as you order 60 bags. $6.99 otherwise, IF IT EVER COMES IN!!

billkirwan RSC · Post by **billkirwan RSC** » Tue. Oct. 14, 2008 10:40 am

I work for READING STOVE COMPANY. THE ' TRI-BURNER ' STOKER was not designed to use PEA Coal. Rice works best, but if you run your stove really hard Buckwheat also works well. The sizing of rice coal varies from breaker to breaker. I've seen rice coal that is very close to barley work fine in our stoves also.