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General Discussion / AC off of OWB??
« on: March 18, 2011, 04:34:21 PM »
I've read about an absorption air conditioner that uses heat to power air conditioners. I'd love to cool my house with coal/wood. Can anyone with more knowledge than me tell me about it?? Ever heard of it??
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General Discussion / Re: Anyone burning coal?
« on: March 18, 2011, 04:31:06 PM »
I set the aquastat at 180 and the differential at 6 degrees. I haven't put a stick of wood in it all year(lit it with a bag of charcoal, hate wood smoke smell, love the sweet smell of anthracite!!) and am quite happy with the performance. With the weather like it is now (50-60) I tend it every two days. No creosote, splitting, stacking, cutting and the propane truck doesn't stop here at all.
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Natures Comfort / Re: Support Natures comfort
« on: February 03, 2010, 06:09:44 PM »
Unaslob,
You need shaker grates. Keep your coal bed 8-10 inches thick and keep the ashes out, from the bottom. That is all important. If you dig around the top it WILL go out or burn like crap for a while. I haven't put a stick of wood in mine since Thanksgiving after struggling, like you are now, all last year. Once you get coal figured out, you won't go back to wood, unless you get it for free. I tend it twice a day and it takes 3 minutes, tops, each time. Coal is cleaner, requires less work, and takes up less room.
I believe you e-mailed me last year. I'm sorry to see you've had no success. I am glad I have this stove now that it has been modified so it burns coal properly. With anthracite, from several different sources, I keep temps constantly between 180-185. It will work, the grates are the key. Don't let anyone tell you that coal is hard to burn. If it was, no one would use it.
You need shaker grates. Keep your coal bed 8-10 inches thick and keep the ashes out, from the bottom. That is all important. If you dig around the top it WILL go out or burn like crap for a while. I haven't put a stick of wood in mine since Thanksgiving after struggling, like you are now, all last year. Once you get coal figured out, you won't go back to wood, unless you get it for free. I tend it twice a day and it takes 3 minutes, tops, each time. Coal is cleaner, requires less work, and takes up less room.
I believe you e-mailed me last year. I'm sorry to see you've had no success. I am glad I have this stove now that it has been modified so it burns coal properly. With anthracite, from several different sources, I keep temps constantly between 180-185. It will work, the grates are the key. Don't let anyone tell you that coal is hard to burn. If it was, no one would use it.
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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / efficiency?
« on: November 17, 2009, 03:17:20 PM »
I keep thinking of the ways to make this OWB more efficient. What has everyone else thought of? Maybe an electric damper, hooked to the aquastat that opens when it's blowing and keeps the hot in when it's not, with just enough opening to let the smoke out when it's off. I look a the heat blowing out the chimney when the blower is on and think of a heat exchanger to heat the air around the stove to make it more burn less often. How about one of those controls to turn the aquastat temp. up and down according to the outside tempature? Has anyone tried any of these ideas???
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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Hay in OWB??
« on: October 27, 2009, 01:38:20 PM »
Well , a bale barely lasted through a 50 degree night. The smell enough is reason not to do it. It was fun giving it a shot though.
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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Hay in OWB??
« on: October 26, 2009, 02:16:20 PM »
Has anyone tried to burn hay bales in their boiler?? A friend with one does it and suggested I try it, so I bought a couple of bales. It smells BAD. The bale slips right in and smoulders, very nasty, for some time. My buddy says a bale burns for a day, and with junk hay selling for 2 bucks a bale I thought I'd give it a shot. If it works I could quit brush hogging an old hay field and buy an old baler and sickle bar mower. In case you're interested, I'll report back on how it goes.
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Natures Comfort / Re: Support Natures comfort
« on: September 20, 2009, 02:44:23 PM »
Anyone try to burn coal exclusivley, besides me, with these things. NC sucks.
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Natures Comfort / Re: Fire Grate NCB175
« on: September 20, 2009, 02:40:39 PM »
I'm not a big fan of Natures Comfort, I'll state that right up front. It burns wood great, but the coal burning side lacks decent shaker grates. After I harassed NC for a year, they sent me some new grate designed by there "engineers" in Alaska. They must be smoking some wicked stuff in Alaska, because the grates were 16 inches(!!!!) to short for the 250 I have and 3/4 inch to wide to fit down in. I was supposed to take off three bolts off the ashpan door(fun when it's 10 below), fish a handle back to connnect to 2 square knobs to turn 2 triangle shaped rollers. In principle, it would have worked good if they'd of actually fit. I called my dealer, who was hoping these grates would allow me to burn coal. He came to see them and immediatley started swearing a blue streak, as I did when I saw them. He than went back to his shop and built his own grates that are actual shaker grates that fit the stove(Grates from another stove manufacturer modified to fit NC's). He also built a hinged ash pan door so I don't have that screwy, burn your hand, too short, ash pan door, that leaks air unless you play with it. It is slick as sh##. They are actual grates that drop the ashes out the bottom, as a coal stove should be. He aslo did some other modififcations. I don't want to explain to much of how they work, because he is starting littigation against NC. Thank God I have a good dealer.
As my dealer says and I agree, "they build a good stove, they just didn't finish it". Check out Mahoning or Freedom if you want to burn coal.
As my dealer says and I agree, "they build a good stove, they just didn't finish it". Check out Mahoning or Freedom if you want to burn coal.
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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Buying accessories online?
« on: January 31, 2009, 06:44:06 AM »
For alot of the electical stuff I go to patriotsupply.com. They have good prices and a alot of stock.
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Natures Comfort / Dave Nyhof
« on: January 30, 2009, 06:51:52 PM »
I wonder if we could get Dave on here to talk a little with us??
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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Nature's comfort
« on: January 27, 2009, 03:18:56 PM »
firebug,
I can understand your frustration, there are alot of variables to play with, quality of fuel burnt, how much air is to much or not enough, water temperature, heat transfer in exchangers, outside temperature... I've come home from work several times when I 1st got it to find mine cold and blowing for all its worth(called it my diesel fuel burner for awhile), but have it down now to two times a day is plenty, with wood, even as cold as it has been. I'm still playing to burn the minimum amount of fuel, and hoping that the new grates will allow straight coal in the colder temps. Coal, to me, is a much better heat source, cheaper, hotter, less mess, less work. If mine won't burn coal like it should, continuously, it's gone for a Freedom or Mahoning.
I can understand your frustration, there are alot of variables to play with, quality of fuel burnt, how much air is to much or not enough, water temperature, heat transfer in exchangers, outside temperature... I've come home from work several times when I 1st got it to find mine cold and blowing for all its worth(called it my diesel fuel burner for awhile), but have it down now to two times a day is plenty, with wood, even as cold as it has been. I'm still playing to burn the minimum amount of fuel, and hoping that the new grates will allow straight coal in the colder temps. Coal, to me, is a much better heat source, cheaper, hotter, less mess, less work. If mine won't burn coal like it should, continuously, it's gone for a Freedom or Mahoning.
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Site Suggestions / Re: Manufacturer List
« on: January 25, 2009, 06:37:40 PM »
How about a section just for electronics, ie aquastats, thermostats, fan controls, transformers, pumps, blowers, wiring...?
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General Outdoor Furnace Discussion / Re: Nature's comfort
« on: January 25, 2009, 08:55:27 AM »
I have a natures comfort 250. I'm very happy with it while burning wood, however when I try to burn coal, the lack of shaker grates presents a problem. The owner of natures comfort is sending me shaker grates. It is made very heavy. I heat two houses and my workshop, plus hot water for the houses. Once I get this shaker grate so it can burn coal, it'll be perfect for me.
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