Throwing in the towel on coal

[Dustycloud]

Kinda hate to give up on coal but I think it has alot to do with the design of the furnace and the coal itself. My wife is also getting on me about all the soot in the yard and everyone tracking it in our back room. I have black icicles hanging off the roof too lol.

[Dfmihm]

I can say that the coal has a lot to do with it. Had all sorts of trouble with that coal you have. I have soot in the yard too. I’m alright with it though cause it’s on the opposite end from where my door is. All in all, I’d try some different coal. When I had the Somerset, I had to prop open my load door flapper for a little bit to burn off the volatile, but then it was straight bottom air with the blower through the ash pan. Again I also mixed in some smaller wood with it to hold the heat. This stuff just had a terrible heat curve and gummed up something fierce. You get some better coal and get it back to original settings, then maybe try it.

[nut]

I never have soot in my yard or black icicles on the roof. Except for a strong smell right after loading new coal in the stove my exhaust is not noticable. What's up with that?

[k-2]

Its all about the coal.This year im using a lot of coal because the coal is crap. lots of clinkers ,have the feed on max most of the time. Coal quality is way more variable than just about any other heating fuel with the possible exception of wood. Im still getting heat, just using twice as much crappy coal to get it. Ash pan is full everyday. That is very rare.

[Dfmihm]

I never have soot in my yard or black icicles on the roof. Except for a strong smell right after loading new coal in the stove my exhaust is not noticable. What's up with that?

I don’t have the black icicles, but around the stack I have some soot around on the ground. It’s only noticeable with the pure white snow backdrop. It’s not terrible but it’s there. Better out than in I suppose

[carlherrnstein]

The gap in the back and the holes I believe are too big to smear furnace cement in.

The Rutland furnace cement that I have used is very stiff. It doesn't flow much, I used it to patch a hole in the floor of my stoker hearth. It was about an inch wide about 4" long and there was nothing to keep the cement from falling through. I simply filled it up and let it dry for a day an used the furnace as normal.

[waytomany?s]

Not really but it's for sure not pine. My dad does. He is getting old but I could prob coax him out from hibernation with a hot coffee. I do know what pine looks like though.

That was going to be my suggestion, find someone who has that knowledge to go with you. You can burn wet wood and I'd bet it still wouldn't be as difficult as what you had going. If it's stored out in the weather it will have some moisture no matter how long it has been split and cut. If you can get it all or most in the basement it'll dry better than stacked on a porch.

[Dustycloud]

Yep finally did it. Went to a local coal yard that also sells wood. Got about 1/3 cord to try first. Seems to be burning well and I get good heat output once the stove is up to temperature. Looks like I'll be going back for atleast a cord for now.

[Dustycloud]

I never have soot in my yard or black icicles on the roof. Except for a strong smell right after loading new coal in the stove my exhaust is not noticable. What's up with that?

Because I have a metal roof, so when the snow melts or we get rain the soot runs down the roof and makes black icicles. I say most of my problem was bad coal. I still have some and may or may not mix it with the wood kinda dout it though.

[waytomany?s]

Eh, you paid for it, might as well get some heat. Use it on a day you're home to at least make it convenient.

[k-2]

Eh, you paid for it, might as well get some heat. Use it on a day you're home to at least make it convenient.

I agree.I was gonna store my extra coal but now that i know its subpar i want to use it up. Not worth moving it and taking up a space. Better to extract the BTUS and be done with it.

[joeq]

New to this thread, but if you have a Clayton furnace, I'm surprised Lee hasn't chimed in. I'll bet he could offer you some tips on your set-up. Not sure if you've mentioned, but have you used this furnace in the past? Is it a new application? I was under the impression Clayton was a good one. And I too was under the belief, coal was coal, no matter what the stickers said. But even with anthracite, just saying nut coal, some bags have better looking contents, such as Blaschak, and their washed coal. Some have more sticks, or fines and crap, and in one weird instance a few years back (I just spoke of this in another thread), I had a hard time getting some coal to heat up my house. And proved it was the coal. It would be nice, if you could try another coal source, just to eliminate that variable. Good luck with your issue.

[Dustycloud]

New to this thread, but if you have a Clayton furnace, I'm surprised Lee hasn't chimed in. I'll bet he could offer you some tips on your set-up. Not sure if you've mentioned, but have you used this furnace in the past? Is it a new application? I was under the impression Clayton was a good one. And I too was under the belief, coal was coal, no matter what the stickers said. But even with anthracite, just saying nut coal, some bags have better looking contents, such as Blaschak, and their washed coal. Some have more sticks, or fines and crap, and in one weird instance a few years back (I just spoke of this in another thread), I had a hard time getting some coal to heat up my house. And proved it was the coal. It would be nice, if you could try another coal source, just to eliminate that variable. Good luck with your issue.

This is my first year using it but I knew the man that used it for a long time before. He also said they never could get coal to burn well. However, when I moved in he had a bucket of coal left and it was small like 1" and under. The coal I have now could be classified as lump. It ranges from 1.5 - 5". I sifted all of the small stuff out and all of the fines. I know it's the coal, and coal is by no means the same. Every seam and location will give different grades of coal. Mine was the dirtiest, smelly, and had the most soot i have ever seen. I would burn for 5 days before my flu draft starting dropping about .01wc everyday till I cleaned it out. My uncle has been burning coal for 50 years and said he has never seen so much soot. Would burn extremely hot and fast for the volatiles, then would drop severly in temp, and my heat output was gone. The furnace burns wood really nicely. Kinda was forced to switch to wood. The wife was really sick of the soot getting Into to the house. I bought some good seasoned wood to try and really like it. I got a long burn overnight but it went out at some point cause my oil kicked on. Yea I have to throw a few pieces in every few hours but atleast I don't have to sit there for an hour or more watching coal burn to make sure it didn't run away. Wood smells alot better too, my place smells like hickory smoke outside it quiet pleasant. Plus I found out today that a family member has alot of good firewood there willing to give me so I think I will be sticking with wood. Coal is nice if it came from a good seam. I just am burnt out on trying stuff and just want to get the heat I want. This thing just won't burn it how I like unless i make modifications to the stove that I don't really wanna do even from the ones I have done its still a compromise.

[joeq]

Just curious, is your coal bit coal, or anthracite? Can't believe a Clayton furnace doesn't perform better. And if you're admitting to "bad coal", why don't you give another source a try?

[k-2]

Im running flat out full feed this week 24/7 on hi-fire trying to put out the K2 max output of 2 million BTUS a day to keep this 3000SF 100 year old barn warm for a week now. The crappy coal dont help but iv been able to stay above 74 all week. Normally i dont have to run at maximum feed for there temps.