Hotblast Year 4

 
larryfoster
Member
Posts: 1352
Joined: Fri. Nov. 21, 2014 1:02 am
Location: Armstrong County, Pa.
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 617-B
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Hot Blast 1557M
Coal Size/Type: Bituminous nut (me and the coal)
Other Heating: Propane Kerosene

Post by larryfoster » Sat. Nov. 18, 2017 9:06 pm

Well, that was a little bit exciting.

I got my first puffback.
I've had smoke come out the load door damper before but this was my first puff.

I'd put some coal on several hours ago but the volatiles hadn't burned off and the coal was all lumped together.
I broke that up and just closed the door and then it happened.


 
larryfoster
Member
Posts: 1352
Joined: Fri. Nov. 21, 2014 1:02 am
Location: Armstrong County, Pa.
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 617-B
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Hot Blast 1557M
Coal Size/Type: Bituminous nut (me and the coal)
Other Heating: Propane Kerosene

Post by larryfoster » Mon. Nov. 20, 2017 10:06 am

New windows in the house today.
Should help a little on heating the house.

Siding had to wait until spring

 
User avatar
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. Nov. 20, 2017 10:46 am

You betcha they'll help!!!

 
User avatar
lsayre
Member
Posts: 21781
Joined: Wed. Nov. 23, 2005 9:17 pm
Location: Ohio
Stoker Coal Boiler: AHS S130 Coal Gun
Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Anthracite Pea
Other Heating: Resistance Boiler (13.5 KW), ComfortMax 75

Post by lsayre » Mon. Nov. 20, 2017 10:59 am

larryfoster wrote:
Sat. Nov. 18, 2017 9:06 pm
Well, that was a little bit exciting.

I got my first puffback.
I've had smoke come out the load door damper before but this was my first puff.

I'd put some coal on several hours ago but the volatiles hadn't burned off and the coal was all lumped together.
I broke that up and just closed the door and then it happened.
Better that way than to have it happen right after you open the door!

 
User avatar
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. Nov. 20, 2017 11:05 am

You my friend, are now a member of the "Puffback Club" Congrats.

 
User avatar
CoalisCoolxWarm
Member
Posts: 2323
Joined: Wed. Jan. 19, 2011 11:41 am
Location: Western PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA-6
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: old Sears rebuilt, bituminous- offline as of winter 2014
Coal Size/Type: Anthracite Buckwheat
Other Heating: Oil Boiler

Post by CoalisCoolxWarm » Mon. Nov. 20, 2017 11:47 am

On our older hand fired bit furnace, I noticed it only had the friction style close on it, so I welded a piece of rod and a clasp on it with a notch to have a positive locking when closed.

I've seen too many furnaces over the years with the doors blown open. Granted, most of those were on demand older ones in garages, so mostly over fired, started with used oil, trash, etc, but I was concerned about that in a house.

 
larryfoster
Member
Posts: 1352
Joined: Fri. Nov. 21, 2014 1:02 am
Location: Armstrong County, Pa.
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 617-B
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Hot Blast 1557M
Coal Size/Type: Bituminous nut (me and the coal)
Other Heating: Propane Kerosene

Post by larryfoster » Mon. Nov. 20, 2017 11:54 am

When I was a kid, the coal furnace would boom occasionally.

Door would blow open and fill the house with smoke


 
User avatar
CoalisCoolxWarm
Member
Posts: 2323
Joined: Wed. Jan. 19, 2011 11:41 am
Location: Western PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA-6
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: old Sears rebuilt, bituminous- offline as of winter 2014
Coal Size/Type: Anthracite Buckwheat
Other Heating: Oil Boiler

Post by CoalisCoolxWarm » Mon. Nov. 20, 2017 11:56 am

larryfoster wrote:
Mon. Nov. 20, 2017 11:54 am
Door would blow open and fill the house with smoke
Yep, that was my concern...if we were sleeping.

 
larryfoster
Member
Posts: 1352
Joined: Fri. Nov. 21, 2014 1:02 am
Location: Armstrong County, Pa.
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 617-B
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Hot Blast 1557M
Coal Size/Type: Bituminous nut (me and the coal)
Other Heating: Propane Kerosene

Post by larryfoster » Mon. Nov. 20, 2017 12:31 pm

You wouldn't sleep through the booms, as I recall

 
User avatar
Ky Speedracer
Member
Posts: 492
Joined: Sun. Dec. 21, 2014 9:38 pm
Location: Middletown, Kentucky
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Florence HotBlast NO.68 & Potbelly
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: HotBlast 1557M
Coal Size/Type: Ky Lump & Anthracite Nut
Other Heating: Oil

Post by Ky Speedracer » Mon. Nov. 20, 2017 5:09 pm

Hello Larry. I'm signing on!
Wow! Year 4. It just seems like "year 2 still freezing" was yesterday... LOL

 
larryfoster
Member
Posts: 1352
Joined: Fri. Nov. 21, 2014 1:02 am
Location: Armstrong County, Pa.
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 617-B
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Hot Blast 1557M
Coal Size/Type: Bituminous nut (me and the coal)
Other Heating: Propane Kerosene

Post by larryfoster » Mon. Nov. 20, 2017 5:22 pm

Hey, Ky Speedracer.

Season's young.
Who knows what Perils Pauline will find herself in?

 
Jgib4
Member
Posts: 308
Joined: Sun. Jul. 30, 2017 7:08 pm
Location: Carroll county maryland
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Fire chief 450

Post by Jgib4 » Mon. Dec. 04, 2017 2:41 pm

So I have now read season 1 and 2 and I’m on page 31 of season 3. Can you help a brother out and tell me what fixed your issue lol. I still have 70 something pages to go.

 
larryfoster
Member
Posts: 1352
Joined: Fri. Nov. 21, 2014 1:02 am
Location: Armstrong County, Pa.
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 617-B
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Hot Blast 1557M
Coal Size/Type: Bituminous nut (me and the coal)
Other Heating: Propane Kerosene

Post by larryfoster » Mon. Dec. 04, 2017 3:10 pm

Are you one of those people who skip to the end of the book to find out whodunit?

I'll try and give you the Cliff's notes version.

"Fixed" may be too strong of a word.
"Improved" may be more appropriate.

The next week or so will tell the tale on how much improvement.
It's dropping into highs of 30s and then 20s.

In no particular order, here goes:

I'm a slow learner and not very bright.
That's why I take up hundred of pages before I finally get it a little.

Ky Speedracer's methods helped me finally learn that secondary air is important.

Better housekeeping.
Making a curved poker allows me to clean the back corners better as well as rake the grates.
I spend a lot of time several times every day picking little rocks, big rocks , clinkers and other things that don't burn.
Leaves more room for coal and coals in the fire box.

Finally, a realization that this furnace won't heat a cold house fast.

I'm still trying to get some kind of sweet spot between long burning and more heat with damper adjustment and something gives me less fused rocks.
I, mostly, leave the bottom spinner open 4 turns.
The slider on the burn door is mostly open the whole way, too. But, sometimes, I'll close it half.
But I don't know why.
Mostly, the manual damper on the flue can only be closed by about 1/3.

Much more than that and my manometer drops to .02 or lower.

Hope I didn't spoil the ending.
But, this may be more of a serial with a continuing saga

 
Jgib4
Member
Posts: 308
Joined: Sun. Jul. 30, 2017 7:08 pm
Location: Carroll county maryland
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Fire chief 450

Post by Jgib4 » Mon. Dec. 04, 2017 3:32 pm

Lol thanks from as far as I got it seemed like a lot of small things just kept adding up to make it slightly better. Did you ever try mixing wood and bit to get more heat?

 
corey
Member
Posts: 1035
Joined: Fri. Nov. 14, 2014 11:14 am
Location: Southwest VA
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Buck Stove Hybrid
Coal Size/Type: Eastern KY bituminous

Post by corey » Mon. Dec. 04, 2017 4:19 pm

Hey Larry. Hope this year works out for you.


Post Reply

Return to “Hand Fired Coal Boilers & Hot Air Furnaces/Stoves Using Bituminous”