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[Scott7m]

Updating again. 

Temps yesterday at the time of fill up were around 25 degrees.  They fell through the night into the 8-10 degree range.  Today we had a high of 17. 

Last night at 4pm I put in a descent chunk of coal, probably 30 pound.  There was already a lot of coals in the stove, more than I need to have.  Burning coal seems to make more coals. 

It heated my home for 30 hours.  I went out tonight at 10pm and the stove was down to 140.  It's usually at 158.  I opened the door to a huge bed of glowing coals but the temperature at 10 was already down to 4 degrees.  So we're heading to 0 tonight. 

Natues comfort has an adjustable slider on the fan.  I usually keep it set pretty tight because I have seasoned wood and dont' really need that much air.  Sooooooo...   Tonight I decided to open up my fan almost all the way to give it probably twice as much air.  I'm doing this hoping it will burn up more coals.   I also have to say that I haven't really done much to the stove the past week, i've hardlly stirred up the ashes at all, and have just been refilling.  I can't complain though when it's going over 24 hours per fil in single digit weather. 

The weather man said we should bottom out in the morning between 5 and 10 above.  Boy is he wrong, he said it would be cloudy all night..  There isnt a cloud in the sky and the moon is lighting it up like daylight   By 10pm it was already 4 degrees!  I suspect in the morning we will be somewhere in the -5 range. 

[Scott7m]

I also want to add that burning coal is a lot different than burning wood.  Wood has a certain way or stove set up that it operates it's best at.  I had found that level when I was burning straight wood.  As far as burning wood and coal together, I am in the beginning stages of optimizing the stoves performance. 

My stove doesn't smoke very much anyway, but through the day with that glowing bed of coals left over.  You never see smoke.  Thats something else thats nice, but when you first add coal and its burning the first burn.  You get quite a bit of yellow smoke.

[Scott7m]

Ok.. so last night I had commented I let my stove get down to 140 and it was still like 4 degrees outside.   

I noticed last night my fan was running nearly non stop in the house.  I went out to check the stove and it had a lazy fire and the water temp had dropped to 90.  I couldnt figure it out with the fan being on high.  Sooo..  I'd punch the fire and wait and look inside still lazy, and i'd notice the fire would flare up when I opened the door.   So I slid my ash pan out and stuck my hoe up in the slots between the brich and some powder was packed in there because i let my ash bed get to deep, because I've not been raking it down like I should. 

Sooo..  last night middle of the night it was 2 below zero, stove was down to like 80 and when i put my ash pan back in and opened the door i had a ROARING FIRE!  sooo. i went back inside ..    house was set on 73 and it was 71.    looked outside 20 minutes later and there was sparks rolling out my chimney from my previous adustment.  I went out and put it back in the original spot I had it in and shut the door.  Waited a few minutes and checked the fire, still roaring. 

This morning I went back out at 10 to check on it..  stove was up to temp and operating as normal.  Looks like there is plenty enough wood/coal to take me on for another 12 hours. 

[mikenc]

Glade to hear that you are getting such long burn times with your          NCB-175. I only wish mine would do the same. I have tried everything besides buying  a different OWB and can’t get no more than 20 hours burning coal and wood.  And that’s when I’m home to stir the coal bed occasionally and with temps dropping to 18 at night and highs back to mid 30’s. Single digit temps burn times are much shorter.

I have tried all dry wood, some green and dry mix, large pieces small pieces, wood and coal mix loading with all large wood filling in voids with small pieces, loading with all small you name it I have tried it. Tried reducing load and not heating basement so I am only heating 1850sq. ft. The only thing that has made very much difference in burn times is adding coal. Which puts off a real bad odor when first loaded.

I have tried more air into firebox, less air, found less air is better, more air burns more wood.
Burning just wood single digits at night, I do good to get 10-12 hours with a full load of hardwood, all you can possibly put in and close the door. I usually have to go out after 10 hours or so and move the wood that has not dropped down to over fire grate.

 Using smaller pieces only, seems to produce shorter burn time. So I try to load with as many large rounds as I can then fill in the voids with smaller pieces.
I have my stove set at 145 on, off at 155. Raising water temp more only increases wood consumption.

 So hold on to that stove it is doing you a fantastic job!!!
 

[artbaldoni]

Scott7m Do you have shaker grates in your setup?
I've had mt NCB-175 up and running since the 1st of Jan. and am getting 12-14 hour burn times easily. I would like to experiment with coal also. I'm in PA so anthracite coal is readily available and fairly inexpensive. A 24 hour burn time sounds nice!