Trry wrote:I saw a video on youtube where a fellow was showing how to fire up a Glenwood. One of the things I learned there was that coal stoves need an area for secondary combustion above the fire. That is the reason stoves are tall. He stated that on the Glenwood the coal should take up 1/3 of the space and 2/3 is left for combustion. I think I have that correct in my memory. At any rate, I started to leave some space over my coal bed, and my stove began to run better, hotter, using less coal and with much less fuss. More efficient, in other words. Another thing I noticed with my Godin round is that when I burn a hot, hot fire it is harder to clear ashes, since the coal lumps seem to never break down into ash. They stay the shape they started in. With a Godin's sort of shaker, it is more difficult to shake down that way and I have to crush those with a tool pushed through the front gate to get a good cleaning out of ash. I also notice that there is less bridging above the grate when the stove is burned more moderately. By moderately, I mean to say that my pipe runs at about 200-250. I do burn it much lower than this on warmer days, about 150, sometimes 125, but 200-250 keeps my house toasty on the coldest days here in Central NY State. If I burn this stove any hotter I have to open windows, it really puts out BTU when it is humming happily along at that rate. I need to get another thermometer to keep on the stove body, because I really have no idea what that temp is. I know it is pushing out a lot of heat though, and that's what I am looking for. Keep in mind that I am using a magnetic thermometer that probably isn't all that accurate.
I still get bridging, and I still get those chunks of spent coal, but less of both and it makes it quicker and easier to keep a good fire going.
I hope you get the hang of your Godin, I am still learning about mine, but it always does the job, and even if I loose the fire once in a while, it beats burning wood every time.
Thanks for the tips Trry. I think I'm on the right path. I am running two stoves. The Godin for me is as simple as it gets. I'm running the stove at 700-750 in the frigid temps. Lately, I dialed the air inlet to 1/3 to 1/2 opening... the IR Gun reads in the hottest spot about 760F....
When after 12 hours, the coal level drops below the center (horizontal) fire-brick line, depending, I may just recharge it (warmer weather) or do a clean out. I can crush
the soft klinckers with my tool or if they have fallen below the bridge, open the fire-grill and scoop them out onto the ash catcher, then I'll close the grill, and use the tool
to scrap away at the rear sides and top until I see the orange glow. Next I recharge with two to three scoops (7.5ils / scoop), opening the MPD and adding two scoops,
set the timer for 15 minutes. I'll return and open the top lid, and the gases will ignite. Then shut the MPD, and come back later and check the fire. Always, I see nice healthy
licks of blue ladies.
If I am home, and some hours later, I might shake the fire... the slight vibration of the shaking motion usually causes some dead ash to fall, opening the lower bridge, allowing the orange glow to emanate.
I do not rely on the shaker to remove major build ups of ash...