unusual amount of coals

[allstihl]

filled the woodburner on my way out the door this morn. got home today, opened it up to load it and there was no room for wood.it was filled with glowing coals. im burning 2yrs old sugar maple, i havnt changed the draft, or anything else.i never had this before. anyone have any ideas .

 

[Streblerm]

Rake the coals into a pile near where the primary air comes in. Then place a nice dry piece of wood on top of the pile of coals and open the draft all the way. The coals will light the piece of wood and the open draft will burn the coals down.

In my stove the coals burn down near the door where the primary air comes in and the coals build up in the back of the stove. I make it a regular practice to rake the coals to the front every time I load the stove.

Sugar maple is the king of coaling.

 

[allstihl]

Rake the coals into a pile near where the primary air comes in. Then place a nice dry piece of wood on top of the pile of coals and open the draft all the way. The coals will light the piece of wood and the open draft will burn the coals down.

In my stove the coals burn down near the door where the primary air comes in and the coals build up in the back of the stove. I make it a regular practice to rake the coals to the front every time I load the stove.

Sugar maple is the king of coaling.

thats my normal way. never had such a load of coals before . hauled 4 5gal buckets out to make room

 

[c5rulz]

If they are burning good, rake to the front and give a LOT of air till they turn mostly into ash before adding more wood.

 

[allstihl]

been using this woodburner since 95 never had this before

 

[bucknfeller]

I wouldn't try to throw a bunch of air to them and burn them down, just leave it alone and let it go on it's own where you've got it set. Enjoy, the coals put out tons of heat.

 

[michael j]

thats my normal way. never had such a load of coals before . hauled 4 5gal buckets out to make room

Cover the bucket so they smolder out and use em for charcoal this summer

 

[Whitespider]

Enjoy, the coals put out tons of heat.

Not if they ain't gettin' plenty of air. It takes oxygen, lots of it, and to all the coals, otherwise they don't put out crap for heat... a pile of coals sittin' on a firebrick floor, where air can only get to the top layer ain't gonna heat worth half-warm dog squat.

 

[Streblerm]

I wouldn't try to throw a bunch of air to them and burn them down, just leave it alone and let it go on it's own where you've got it set. Enjoy, the coals put out tons of heat.

Do you burn a stove? I'm not trying to be a jerk but what you posted is not true. A load of coals in my stove will put off some heat but not enough to keep the house warm. A stove full of coals equals about a 300 degree stove. You need flames to get the stove good and hot.

This is not my unique observation, it is true of pretty much any wood burning device I have ever been around. Have you ever cooked over a fire? Flames = burnt food while coals = even cooking.

It is a shame to waste coals by pulling them out of a stove. Rake them into a plle and open the air. They will burn down quickly and provide heat.

 

[allstihl]

thanks guys, but this is an unusual, as in never before problem

 

[Streblerm]

It is probably a case of slow draft due to weather conditions. There's no such thing as a setting that is good all the time. If it keeps happening it may be a sign of a plugged flue..

Sugar maple tends to coal more than other wood. Low draft and a stove full of sugar maple is a sure recipe for a stove full of coals. Over coaling is a sure sign of a lack of oxygen. That's how they make charcoal.

 

[bucknfeller]

Not if they ain't gettin' plenty of air. It takes oxygen, lots of it, and to all the coals, otherwise they don't put out crap for heat... a pile of coals sittin' on a firebrick floor, where air can only get to the top layer ain't gonna heat worth half-warm dog squat.

Yeah ok... If the coals are orange and glowing they must be getting plenty of air.

 

[allstihl]

It is probably a case of slow draft due to weather conditions. There's no such thing as a setting that is good all the time. If it keeps happening it may be a sign of a plugged flue..

Sugar maple tends to coal more than other wood. Low draft and a stove full of sugar maple is a sure recipe for a stove full of coals. Over coaling is a sure sign of a lack of oxygen. That's how they make charcoal.

actually it was very windy, so i expected an empty firebox with just a few coals . the flue is clean and the draft is good . been heating with wood for 30yrs havnt had this before.;

 

[bucknfeller]

Do you burn a stove?

Only for about 25 years now.

I'm not trying to be a jerk but what you posted is not true.

So you have never seen a stove full of glowing orange coals with short blue flames rolling around? Are you burning telephone poles?

A load of coals in my stove will put off some heat but not enough to keep the house warm. A stove full of coals equals about a 300 degree stove. You need flames to get the stove good and hot.

Those coals don't just jump out of the wood. Sure flames to get it hot, coals will keep it hot. If I had your problem, I'd try a different stove. Mine is a Nashua, pre EPA BS. Works great, in the basement, 1800 sq. feet above it. Always comfortable.

 

[johnnylabguy]

Maybe it's time to clean your chimney? I was experiencing this (all the usual draft settings weren't enough) and had a lot of fluff in the chimney and the cap built up a little too. Once clean it was back to business as usual.

And I like a lot of coals in my wood furnace...but I do have a spin draft for under getting air under the fire. Can get a couple extra hours out of a nice coal bed by opening it up some. I realize a stove is different, but coals can give good heat with some set-ups.

 

[Whitespider]

Yeah ok... If the coals are orange and glowing they must be getting plenty of air.

No that's not correct.
If they're bright translucent red with white edges and have short blueish flames sprouting from them... then they're getting plenty of air! And that ain't never gonna' happen unless they're burning on a grate with air being fed underneath it. Orange and glowing simply means they ain't dead yet.

 

[bucknfeller]

No that's not correct.
If they're bright translucent red with white edges and have short blueish flames sprouting from them... then they're getting plenty of air! And that ain't never gonna' happen unless they're burning on a grate with air being fed underneath it. Orange and glowing simply means they ain't dead yet.

I think you guys need some new stoves, or different wood or something.

 

[laynes69]

Uh oh, not the coaling debate again! We can fill a firebox with coals, if pushing things. This morning it was around 10 degrees, and the large coal bed was able to maintain our home at 70 or above for a few hours, before reloading. I do what many others do, and rake coals forward and open the damper. They glow white hot and keep things warm, while burning down. If more heat is needed in this process, then we place one split east-west on top. Doing this once or twice manages to burn things down for another load. Here soon I'll be hitting more projects around the home, which will tighten things up. The more efficient the home, the less worry about too many coals. When a home stays warm off a nice coal bed, it's not a problem.

 

[allstihl]

all this advice has been so helpful that i guess i should sell my saws and buy fuel oil

 

[bucknfeller]

all this advice has been so helpful that i guess i should sell my saws and buy fuel oil

Keep your saws, keep your stove, then take any IR thermometers or moisture meters or any other un-necessary gadgets you may have been talked in to and throw them in the river. You'll be better off.