gases given off by the new charge. A deep charge will give a more even heat and a longer 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. You will have to experi- ment with your particular setting of the damper and con- trols as your 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. 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 you will see 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 re- charged).
Only when the coal is burned down to half its original depth is it time to add fresh coal. When doing so, open your stove pipe damper, 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 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 your furnace. Experience will be your best teacher.
BANKING THE FIRE: For extended operation, such as over- night, you will need to bank the fire. 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. You will also reduce the intensity of the fire without letting it go out. Follow the same procedure as for refueling. 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 to the point where the house does not be- come too cold. It is important that you begin banking early enough before retiring or leaving that you can make neces- sary adjustments after the fire is well established.
To revive a coal fire that is almost out, you should (1) open the ash door and stove pipe damper 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 little) and you will be ready to refuel.
DO NOT burn coke, charcoal, high volatile bituminous coal, sub bituminous, lignite or cannel coal (sometimes called channel coal or candle coal). NEVER burn wax or chemi- cally impregnated sawdust logs - their intended use is for fireplaces only. NEVER fill your stove or furnace above the firebrick or cas iron liner.
SHAKING
Shaking should be done only when there is a hot fire.
The frequency of shaking will depend on the degree of burning. Shaking should be done at least once a day and preferably twice a day.
Best results from shaking the rocker grates will occur if short "choppy" strokes are used rather than long, even strokes.
The amount of shaking is critical. Too little or too much of both can result in the extinguishing of a fire due to blocked air flow. The proper amount normally occurs when red coals first start to drop through onto the bed of ashes.
No furnace ever should be "poled" from the top. This can lead to clinker formation and compacting of the coal and ashes, which results in clogged air passages.
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