In the end, it will probably come down to personal preference. Let's cover the basics. Batch or hand fired coal stoves are more "hands on," hence the name. You have to load the coal into the fireplace yourself, much like a wood stove. Once your fire is burning, you'll have to check on it every 12 hours or so to keep it going [source: Podschelne ]. This involves emptying the ash pan and raking the coals. Don't worry about being gentle when you rake them.
In fact, long even strokes aren't going to get you anywhere. You need to be aggressive. Quick, rough strokes will yield the best results. One thing to keep in mind is that hand fired coal stoves require chimneys. So, if you don't already have one, you're going to have to make some room. In the end, operating a hand fired coal stove isn't that different from operating a wood stove, but it'll take a lot less coal to heat your home.
If you're looking for something that requires a little less maintenance, the stoker coal stove is probably more up your alley. Simply keep the hopper full of coal and empty the ash pan when necessary. If you do, your fire will never go out [source: Online Tips ]. Stoker coal stoves actually hook up to a thermostat so you can control the temperature in your house. The stove automatically adds coal when necessary to maintain a constant temperature.
The biggest difference between hand fired stoves and stoker stoves is that a stoker stove requires electricity to run whereas a hand fired stove does not. This means that you can use a hand fired stove to keep your house warm even if the power goes out [source: Fireplace Capital]. If you live in an area prone to power outages, you may want to keep this in mind. The ash left behind when coal is burned can actually be incredibly useful. Installing a coal stove in your home shouldn't be taken lightly.
A faulty installation could result in improper ventilation or even worse, it could burn your house down. Whether you choose a hand fired stove or a stoker stove, both can be difficult to install and require an experienced professional. Most likely, whoever you buy the stove from will also be able to install it. There are a few things you need to consider before you install a coal stove in your home. Regardless of the type of stove you're installing, the size of the stove should be proportional to the size of the area you're trying to heat [source: Dowling Stoves ].
A small stove isn't going to heat your entire house. If you decide to go with a hand fired coal stove, you'll need a chimney. If you already have one in your house, you'll probably want to find a way to use it -- chimneys aren't cheap.
Constructing a brand new one usually costs more than the stove itself. If you have to install one, then you need to choose an area in your house where the chimney will not only fit, but the stove will be able to efficiently heat the space you want it to heat. Whoever you hire to install the stove will be able to offer you advice on this matter. The installation of a stoker coal stove will involve electricity.
Allow a few moments for the fly ash to settle and the dancing blue flames to start again. This is a good time to empty the ash see notes later in this guide. Do not allow ash to build up in the ashpan. It reduces airflow and can cause damage and warping to the grates. Top off the stove again and allow the dancing blue flames to restart, adjust your air and you are good to go until the next time.
If not, try this. Some stoves come with tools such as slicers and pokers for moving coal about in your stove. Not my personal favorite thing to do. More often than not it can cause a whole new series of problems. However, on some stoves it works just fine to use these. A slicer is a long flat tool used to slice through coal allowing air to move through it. It is also used on some stoves to slice between the grates from underneath to move coal out of of the way so ash can drop through to the ash pan and to breakup clinkers.
Pokers work much like slicers only they are a long, round rod with a curved end. I have used both before to loosen coal ash that has built up on the sides in front of the firebricks and has not dropped into the ash pan during the shake down process. The problem with this is, that it doesn't always help. Over time, the build up can become so thick that it is difficult to maintain the fire for long periods of time, in a case such as this, it is better to drop the fire and start over.
Never use slicers or pokers to "stir" your coal bed. If you wish to drop some ash follow the directions for shaking down as described previously, there is less chance of clinkers developing that way. You keep mentioning them, what are they? Clinkers resemble a porous rock and can block ash from falling through the grates.
They can also jam in the grates. After a while you will need to shut down your stove and clean it out to remove the clinkers. They are caused by a variety of reasons, one is by stirring your coal. Don't do it, period. The cooler air will hit the burning coals and cause some to fuse together, they may continue burning for a short time but will not fully burn and breakup into dust.
If your coal has layers of impurities in it, such as minerals, that do not burn, they can also cause clinkers to form. Prevention is usually the best medicine.
It will restrict the flow of air to the coal, reducing efficiency and possibly smother your fire. Another reason not to allow the build up is that if it gets up to grates, it can cause an insulating effect. Combine that with the heat of the burning coals above the grates and you could warp or even break your cast-iron coal grates.
In the middle of the winter is no time for a warped or broken grate. When you shake down the coal make sure you allow enough time for the fly ash to settle before opening the door to remove the ash.
Do not leave the stove distribution blower or your ceiling fans on when removing the ash pan. Your wife will maim you. Keeping the airflow in the room to a minimum will reduce ash that releases into the air. You can also make or purchase a cover for your ash pan that you can place over the top of the pan for removal to the outdoors.
The cover should have a wooden handle on it to avoid any possibility of being burned by the hot pan. Always use heavy gloves to prevent accidental burns.
Do not store inside the home as the hot coals are still giving off carbon monoxide and are still hot enough to melt through any other type of container. Coal ash can continue to burn for quite some time, so always err on the side of safety. Some People will use coal ash as cinders for roads, driveways and sidewalks. I do not recommend this, as the ash leaves a powder residue that gets on shoes and boots and can be carried into the house. Your wife will have something to say about that, let me tell you.
Does coal have any benefit to a garden or yard, like wood ash does? No, it doesn't and when coal ash gets wet it feels more like clay and can pack and harden just the same. Dispose of it through your trash company or at a landfill or dump. Wood ash, however, has numerous properties that are good for your garden. I add mine to my compost pile or sprinkle directly into the flower beds.
Then work it into the soil in the spring. As more and more people turn to coal stoves for home heating, they're finding that coal is a lot harder to burn than wood. In fact, burning coal in the home is very nearly a lost art in this petroleum generation. It takes a lot more than a flick of the thermostat to get heat from a coal stove.
You have to know what you're doing. What kind of coal should you burn in the stove? Anthracite, the hardest coal, should be used for home heating. More dense than bituminous soft coal, it also is purer, less polluting, steadier in its burn, and virtually odorless.
Generally, the smaller sizes of coal burn better than the larger sizes because they allow more oxygen-carrying air to circulate over a greater area of exposed coal. Automatic stocker furnaces in a basement use very small rice-size coal.
Automatic stoker furnaces in a basement of a house use very small rice-size coal. Automatic stoker furnaces in a basement use very small rice-size coal. It's important to know and follow the manufacturer's recommendations.
Using too small a size may allow coal to fall through the grate and be wasted. A coal fire will often die out because ashes have built up below and on top of the grate, thus blocking essential oxygen from reaching the coal bed. Unlike wood, a coal fire gathers about 80 percent of its oxygen from beneath the grate. For this reason it is necessary to shake down the ashes and empty the ash pan frequently. Depending on the type of stove and the rate of burning, the grate should be shaken two to four times a day.
Clinkers are the noncombustible minerals of coal that show up as lightweight fused ashes capable of forming larger and larger chunks. Whenever you shake the grate, break up the clinkers with a poker, preferably at the grate level. If possible, remove them, but remember a coal fire does not like to be disturbed. What are clinkers? If your newly ignited coal fire dies out without ever reaching its full potential, the reason may be that you do not have enough coals together in the stove. A coal fire burns best if it is concentrated; therefore, a dispersed bed of coals doesn't burn for long.
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