Burning coal

[dnw64]

First of all, yes - a coal fire needs to be started with wood. Unless maybe you're a magician...

Secondly, agreed - coal needs air under the fire, wood - above.

I've had two wood/coal stoves. Only burned coal in one. I think the one I burned coal in was more suited to wood. I burned mostly wood (it was "free") but I ran a few bags of coal through during colder weather to keep it going overnight without having to load it.

The one I haven't burned coal in is more suited to coal. To compensate for that, I put some 3/8" thick pieces of steel on the grates, to keep the wood coals falling down prematurely.

Thirdly, I don't recall the definition of the size coal my stove was designed for - maybe "chestnut"? Anyways, it was all but impossible to "shovel" a load in. It was like trying to move 2" stone with a shovel (and remember, it comes in a bag...).

 

[Doofy]

My King-O-Heat coal stove was an upright, barrel-shaped beast. Loaded just fine with a coal bucket.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

When I saw the instructions for lighting the coal, it said to get a good pile of " kindling" going to start the coals...so I figured why couldn't you just burn a few chunks of wood for a quick fire to just take a chill off. I definately like the idea of the metal plate on the grate. I have some 3/8 " plate I'll cut to fit. Did you raise it at all or just leave it down on the bottom? When it gets really cold, I'll just take it out then go to coal for the longer burn times.

I really like Lou's idea of the matchlight charcoal to start it up...sounds really easy!

 

[dnw64]

I definately like the idea of the metal plate on the grate. I have some 3/8 " plate I'll cut to fit. Did you raise it at all or just leave it down on the bottom?

I laid the steel right on the shaker grate. I used three pieces about 4" wide, leaving maybe a half inch of space between. This allows some air from the bottom to get the fire going, and also a place for the ash to fall down into the ash tray (I do have to operate the shaker to get the ash to fall down through).

 

[LouNY]

When I saw the instructions for lighting the coal, it said to get a good pile of " kindling" going to start the coals...so I figured why couldn't you just burn a few chunks of wood for a quick fire to just take a chill off. I definately like the idea of the metal plate on the grate. I have some 3/8 " plate I'll cut to fit. Did you raise it at all or just leave it down on the bottom? When it gets really cold, I'll just take it out then go to coal for the longer burn times.

I really like Lou's idea of the matchlight charcoal to start it up...sounds really easy!

Morning,
A question for you what do you have for coal in New Mexico?
Is it hard coal, anthracite, or is it soft coal Bituminous or soft coal.
All my experience in home heating is hard coal, I know that a lot of coal from Wyoming that got
rail cared south was soft coal.
I don't know of any coal being mined in the NM area, although there is coal there.
Much of the gas in the 4 corners area was coal gas. I was involved with that a bit 25 or so years ago.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Morning,
A question for you what do you have for coal in New Mexico?
Is it hard coal, anthracite, or is it soft coal Bituminous or soft coal.
All my experience in home heating is hard coal, I know that a lot of coal from Wyoming that got
rail cared south was soft coal.
I don't know of any coal being mined in the NM area, although there is coal there.
Much of the gas in the 4 corners area was coal gas. I was involved with that a bit 25 or so years ago.

No coal is currently being mined here that I am aware of. We are not far from an old mining town called "Madrid". There are still large piles of coal all around the area. I believe it is anthracite, due to it being very shiny and hard. Nothing available commercially however.

Being the coal stove is essentially to be used as a backup heat source for the brief cold snaps, I was planning on ordering a pallet of bagged anthracite coal through TSC. I was told it comes out of WV or PA.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Oh, and yes, they are still bringing in coal to the power plants in the Four Corners area by rail car. There's a big push to close that plant down due to " pollution "

 

[HEC]

When I saw the instructions for lighting the coal, it said to get a good pile of " kindling" going to start the coals...so I figured why couldn't you just burn a few chunks of wood for a quick fire to just take a chill off. I definately like the idea of the metal plate on the grate. I have some 3/8 " plate I'll cut to fit. Did you raise it at all or just leave it down on the bottom? When it gets really cold, I'll just take it out then go to coal for the longer burn times.

I really like Lou's idea of the matchlight charcoal to start it up...sounds really easy!

I use the matchlight charcoal also , but also use some of the same stuff that is used for starting pellet stoves . I put a good amount on the charcoal and it starts right up as my bag of matchlight is getting old and didn't start as easily as it did when new .

 

[Doofy]

I use the matchlight charcoal also , but also use some of the same stuff that is used for starting pellet stoves . I put a good amount on the charcoal and it starts right up as my bag of matchlight is getting old and didn't start as easily as it did when new .

Buying matchlight charcoal seems a little expensive when kindling is basically free. Perhaps your coal is harder to get started then ours was. Our coal was a soft subbituminous and lit off fairly easily.

 

[oosik]

Doofy - I remember there was a place north of Anchorage - I think it was on the old Fairbanks Hwy. Years before we were there - the story goes - some hunters "accidentally" lit an exposed coal seam and it was still burning in '72 when I was hunting in that area. It must have been soft coal also - the smoke stunk real bad. We would gather and use "beach coal" when we went spring clam digging down at Clam Gulch & Ninilchick. It burned but you did not want to stand in the smoke.