13
COAL BURNING TIPS
Burn ONLY anthracite (hard) coal of the “chestnut” size. Bituminous (soft) coal is not recommended because
it has a high ash and sulfur content which means more cleaning and greater pollution. Also bituminous coal
produces excessive smoke and an excessive amount of dirt and ash, which will plug the heating unit and the ue
pipe possibly causing smoke damage or danger of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Coal is not as easy to burn as wood. It requires patience and a very specic and regular procedure of loading,
shaking, adjusting, etc. If you do not follow the correct procedure, the coal re will go out. This can happen in a
very short space of time and once the process of extinction has started, it is almost impossible to reverse.
After a coal re goes out, all the coal must be emptied from the furnace and the complete starting process must
be repeated. The coal burning learning process is often long and frustrating, but once the proper procedure is
established and followed, coal burning becomes a reasonably simple process, with the benets of long burn
times and evenness of output over the entire length of burn.
STARTING UP A NEW FIRE
The ue draft must be .05” W.C. to allow combustion gases to ow freely out the chimney. Turn the solid fuel
thermostat up to a setting well above th4e room temperature to start the draft fan. Use paper and dry kindling to
start the re. Add small compact pieces of hardwood when the kindling is burning hot. Keep the draft slide plate
in the ash door fully open to establish a hot re. The ash door may be opened for start-up. However, close the ash
door before opening the re door to prevent smoke from emitting out the re door opening.
When a substantial bed of red coals is built up start adding coal, small amounts at a time. Continue adding small
amounts of coal until there is a solid bed of burning coal. Do not add too much at one time. Allow sufcient time
between each small loading (at least 10 to 15 minutes) so that each loading has time to thoroughly ignite before
the next load is put in. For maximum burning efciency, always ll the furnace to the highest level possible. A
deep bed of coal always will burn more satisfactorily than a shallow bed.
Keep the draft fan running until you are sure the re is continuing to burn hot, then turn the thermostat to the
desired room temperature setting. If the ash door has been opened, close it to prevent over ring, which can
severely damage the furnace.
LOADING
Coal should be added to the re at least every twelve hours. Coal never should be added unless there is a
reasonably hot re. If the re is burning hot and there is a deep bed of coals, full loads of coal can be added at
any time. However, if there is not a deep bed of coals, it is best to add small amounts of coal at rst.
SHAKING
Shaking should only be done only with a hot re.
Shaking should be done at least once a day, but not more than twice a day.
Best results from shaking will occur if short “chopping” strokes are used rather than long even strokes.
The amount of shaking is critical. Too little or too much can extinguish a re due to blocked air ow. The proper
amount normally occurs when red coals rst start to drop through onto the bed of ashes. Be sure that a small
amount of ash is left on the grates to protect them from the direct heat of the burning coal. Grates must be kept
level or they will warp.
MAINTENANCE
Ashes never should be allowed to accumulate in the ash pit so they in any way impede the ow of combustion
air to the re. Excess ash accumulation can cause the re to go out, and also can cause severe damage to the
grates because they cannot cool from a ow of air beneath them. Ashes MUST be removed daily and put in a
metal container with a lid.
Clinkers can occur in any coal furnace. They are pieces of fused ash that are hard. They can become large, and
therefore cannot be shaken through the grates in a coal furnace. When there is an appreciable accumulation,
the re will go out because insufcient air is allowed to pass through the clinkers to the burning coal. Once clinkers
have formed, they can be removed only from above the grates. This usually means the re must be allowed to
die out before they can be removed.
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