Bulletin rc454

a guide to Burning coal in your furnace

Before adding further fuel, be sure to leave a red spot of glowing coals in the center of the firebox to insure that the fire has not been smothered and to help ignite the gases given off by the new charge. A deep charge will give a more even heat and a lon- ger fire, but it may take one to two hours before the whole bed is fully ignited.

When the fire is well established and the room is becoming warm, partially close the dampers. Some experimenting will have to take place with each par- ticular setting of all dampers and controls as the chimney provides the draft necessary to not only exhaust the smoke, but to pull combustion air into the heater as well - and no two chimney’s perform the same. Under ideal draft conditions, one should be able to turn the secondary air supply below the feed door (some models) to a near closed position - but leave the ash pit damper at least partially open to prevent the fire from going out. Adjust the stove pipe damper to reduce the draft on the fire. With anthracite there will be short blue flames above the coal, except when the fire is started or a new charge is added. If, however, there is no flame then the fire needs more air from the bottom (unless it is near the end of its burn cycle and needs to be recharged).

Only when the coal is burned down to half its origi- nal depth it is time to add fresh coal. When doing so, open the stove pipe damper and turn the thermostat damper to high, which will allow the fire to burn off any accumulated gases. Open the feed door, and with a small rake, hoe, or hooked poker pull the glowing coals to the front of the firebox. Try not to disturb the fire too much. Next, add a fresh charge to the back being careful not to seal off the top. Close the feed door, but leave the spin damper (or thermostat) open for a few minutes until the volatile gases have burned off. It is not necessary to shake down the ashes each time you refuel the furnace. Experience will be your best teacher.

BANKING THE FIRE:

For extended operation, such as overnight, the fire will need to be banked. To do so heap coal up along the sides and back of the firebox so that the fire gradually burns it over a longer period of time. The intensity of the fire will also be reduced without let- ting it go out. Follow the same procedure as for refu- eling. If possible, avoid shaking, as a heavier layer of ash will help reduce the intensity of the fire during this time. After loading, let the fire establish itself for about 30 minutes. Then close your damper and automatic control to the point where the house does not become too cold. It is important that you begin banking early enough before retiring or leaving that you can make necessary adjustments after the fire is well established.

To revive a coal fire that is almost out, (1) open the ash door and stove pipe damper and close the spin damper under the door to get a good draft through the grate. (2) place a thin layer of dry coal over the entire top of the fire. DO NOT POKE OR SHAKE THE FIRE AT THIS TIME! (3) after the fresh coal has become well ignited shake the grate (just a lit- tle), refuel.

DO NOT burn coke, charcoal, high volatile bitumi- nous coal, sub bituminous, lignite or cannel coal (sometimes called channel coal or candle coal).

NEVER burn wax or chemically impregnated saw- dust logs - their intended use is for fireplaces only.

NEVER fill the stove or furnace above the firebrick or cast iron liner.