Running OWB on Anthracite

 
cuda567
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Coal Size/Type: Nut
Other Heating: OWB burning Anthracite

Post by cuda567 » Mon. Dec. 10, 2018 1:09 pm

Hi guys, first post on this site and hopefully the pros on here can help me,
I have a heatmor 200 outdoor wood boiler that I have been running on wood for approx 10 years. Amazing boiler and have never had an issue with it. I am converting it to nut anthracite and can not seem to get it to last past 6hrs without it dying. The pic is after 5hrs and when it goes out there is alot of coal left in the box as shown. Doesnt seem to burn the coal completely. The stove has an aquastat that controls the combustion fan on and off, I have it set at 160 with a temp differential of 5 degrees so the fan will come on often. I have tried cracking the ash cover to allow a natural draft but it did not seem to do anything.
any help would be appreciated.

Image


 
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hotblast1357
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Post by hotblast1357 » Mon. Dec. 10, 2018 1:12 pm

Need to be shaken and add a lot more coal to that. It should be rounded up from brick to brick, you can prob put another 40 pounds on it, there’s not much life left in the picture, it’s mostly burn up, especially in the front.

 
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McGiever
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Post by McGiever » Mon. Dec. 10, 2018 1:52 pm

cuda567 wrote:
Mon. Dec. 10, 2018 1:09 pm
Hi guys, first post on this site and hopefully the pros on here can help me,
I have a heatmor 200 outdoor wood boiler that I have been running on wood for approx 10 years. Amazing boiler and have never had an issue with it. I am converting it to nut anthracite and can not seem to get it to last past 6hrs without it dying. The pic is after 5hrs and when it goes out there is alot of coal left in the box as shown. Doesnt seem to burn the coal completely. The stove has an aquastat that controls the combustion fan on and off, I have it set at 160 with a temp differential of 5 degrees so the fan will come on often. I have tried cracking the ash cover to allow a natural draft but it did not seem to do anything.
any help would be appreciated.

Image
No matter the changes in heating load, unlike wood, you ALWAYS fill the coal up way deep and throttle the air to make it roll slow. :)

If having Natural Draft w/ door open did nothing then your "all important bottom air" is mostly "BYPASSING" the bed of coal.

Seal off all areas that would allow air to bypass...you want near zero air to travel anywhere but from bottom up through the coal bed.

Does the combustion fan use a timer along with using the aquastat?

And you need good door gaskets (NO Leaks) all around to give you the Ultimate Control of the Burn by controlling the air.

On a side note...Some of the OWB boys place pallet loads of bagged coal next to the boiler and just throw unopened bag and all into the fire box as needed...maybe with a arm load of wood too...oh, and shaking as required beforehand. ;)

 
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artbaldoni
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Post by artbaldoni » Mon. Dec. 10, 2018 2:37 pm

Is this a wood only boiler?
Does it have shaker grates? If not, how are you clearing ash? Be prepared for A LOT MORE ash.
More coal!! 8" deep or more.
Oh, and forget anything you know about burning wood. Coal is a completely different animal.

I just changed over to coal in my OWB yesterday. Added a 40# bag of nut coal to a nice bed of coals from a wood fire. A couple hours later, once the coal was established, added a second bag. 14 hours later still had a nice fire this morning. Ran a poker under the coal bed to remove ash (no shaker grates), used a hoe to move unburnt coal from the back and edges back to the center of the firebox, and added another 40# bag right on top. Checked 40 min later and fire was nicely established.
185 degree set point, 9 degree diff. Blower fan door 1/4 open. Nature's Comfort NCB-175 with a home made coal grate.

Image

 
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Lightning
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Post by Lightning » Mon. Dec. 10, 2018 2:42 pm

This unit does have shaker grates I assume? Personally I would do away with the upright fire bricks and not worry about the sloped sides. You'll be able to get a lot more coal in it and have much longer burns.

A friend of mine has a outdoor boiler dedicated for coal usage. It has sloped sides also.

 
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artbaldoni
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Post by artbaldoni » Mon. Dec. 10, 2018 2:47 pm

^^^ Yeah, what he said...lol

 
cuda567
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Other Heating: OWB burning Anthracite

Post by cuda567 » Mon. Dec. 10, 2018 3:27 pm

Thanks for the info guys, I do have shaker grates in the boiler, I was leaving the ash door open (the ash tube runs under the firebox and out to the back, the combustion fan inlet is in front of the stove blowing back towards the ash door.) but when the combustion fan kicks on I loose some of that air through the ash door if it is left cracked. Good point on the door gaskets I'm sure mine could use replacing and also I have thought about a timer for combustion fan, this may help with air flow through the grates, because the stove does simmer for periods of time.
So is it normal to have full pieces of coal that are white and solid or is the stove not burning them completely because the combustion fan is shutting off.


 
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McGiever
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Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
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Post by McGiever » Mon. Dec. 10, 2018 8:56 pm

cuda567 wrote:
Mon. Dec. 10, 2018 3:27 pm
So is it normal to have full pieces of coal that are white and solid or is the stove not burning them completely because the combustion fan is shutting off.
Not normal...that is what you have with air not flowing correctly and/or not deep enough.

It may be possible to reduce the size of the fire box from front to back with fire bricks...although shaker grates would determine that it they are not split and one half can be immobilized and covered by steel plate or more bricks.

 
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CoalisCoolxWarm
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Post by CoalisCoolxWarm » Mon. Dec. 10, 2018 10:02 pm

TIP: Pics of coal fires are best without the flash. It captures the red v black much better ;)

The guys seem to have you covered on the other parts ;)

 
cuda567
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Other Heating: OWB burning Anthracite

Post by cuda567 » Mon. Dec. 10, 2018 10:16 pm

I took hotblast1357 advice and mound it up as high as I can and a little shake, and it seemed to take off, checked it at 10 PM and looked great with dancing blue flames, we will see if it lasts till 6am, fingers crossed.

 
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McGiever
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Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 9:42 am

Deeper will always be better burn w/ coal.
Increasing sqaure inches on the grates of the deeper coal would get more BTU/Hr. for longer time too.

Deeper coal will not correct if air can bypass, but reported blue flames sure sound incouraging.

 
cuda567
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Other Heating: OWB burning Anthracite

Post by cuda567 » Wed. Dec. 12, 2018 9:56 am

Thanks for all the help guys, it seems to be going pretty good although nights are only in the upper 20s, curious if I will have to make my frame alittle larger to hold more coal. I think the height is ok but I made my frame the same size as the shaker grate, I was thinking the coal that would not have any air going through would not burn, but now I am 2nd guessing myself. When it gets real cold I may need more btus.

 
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artbaldoni
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Post by artbaldoni » Mon. Dec. 17, 2018 5:42 pm

Coal fire in my OWB after 12 hours.
https://i.imgur.com/MApptdo.mp4

 
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cArNaGe
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Post by cArNaGe » Tue. Dec. 18, 2018 12:36 am

The air in my Heatmor 200 came out right below the door and from under the grates. If you have the clean out door open in the back your probably loosing air from under the grates.

 
cuda567
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Other Heating: OWB burning Anthracite

Post by cuda567 » Thu. Dec. 27, 2018 5:58 am

I've been keeping the clean out door shut,

I can hardly get an 8 hr burn, usually at 8hrs watertemp is down around 100deg and I'm panicking trying to get the temp back up


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