How to properly heat a stove with wood and coal

What stoves can be heated with coal?

Potbelly stoves are most suitable for using coal. You can store both firewood and coal in them. After all, the material from which they are made is heat-resistant; it can withstand high temperatures for a long time.

Coal is an excellent option for a potbelly stove

Experts do not recommend using coal to heat a Russian stove. After all, its design was originally developed for wood fuel. This is due to the fact that the combustion temperature of coal in a furnace is much higher than that of firewood or other types.

A Dutch oven is also not suitable. After using fuel in such a stove, its condition deteriorates significantly: deformation of the body and parts from high temperatures, accumulation of soot in the chimney.

Heating a brick stove with coal is possible in two cases : if its firebox is lined with fireclay bricks, or if it consists of a steel frame with a wall thickness of at least half a centimeter.

Fireclay brick is resistant to high thermometer values; it can easily withstand the main temperature, while masonry made from ordinary bricks will be affected by less strong indicators. And thick steel will not deform and will easily withstand burning.

The grate in brick kilns fired with this type of fuel should be located two rows lower than usual. Coal fuel also requires an additional exhaust system.

If you equip an ordinary wood-burning brick stove correctly, then you can easily use coal to heat it.

Owners' opinions

Below are some reviews from stove consumers.

“We purchased a stove for the Rus bathhouse with a fireplace door. It looks great and very presentable. And it works even better - a couple of clutches, and the steam room is already 110°C. Comfortable warmth without the feeling of suffocation. Economical fuel consumption coupled with a stylish design and an affordable price - Teplodar with both hands!”

Zarina Radina, Sverdlovsk region.

“The most affordable option for our home was the opportunity to buy a Teplodar gas stove. We doubted for a long time whether this would be an effective solution. But in reality everything turned out to be very simple and functional. The latest design of the stove allows you to steam comfortably after just 30 minutes of intense heating. No worse than wood heating. Thanks to the manufacturer, we were satisfied."

Sergey, Moscow.

“Based on feedback from friends, I decided to purchase a Rus stove from the manufacturer Teplodar. Outwardly, it is presentable; I was attracted by the increased manufacturer’s warranty of up to five years. Well constructed - thick, good steel. It’s a pity I didn’t immediately buy a tank for heating water; then I had to run around looking for a suitable one. I haven’t found any complaints in operation yet.”

Mikhail Badin, St. Petersburg.

“Our bathhouse is small, we only have enough money for it, so an electric stove is enough for us. We purchased a very inexpensive and practical option from the Teplodar company. We steam with pleasure, just like in a real Russian bathhouse. Installation is simple and consumes little electricity. Considering that we use the bathhouse once a week, the operating costs are quite reasonable. Overall, the result exceeded all expectations.”

Peter, Ekaterinburg.

Price

You can buy sauna stoves in many dealer stores, as well as on the website of the manufacturer Teplodar. The table shows the price of equipment without taking into account the cost of additional installation of a gas burner.

What kind of coal is suitable?

There are different types of fuel. Let's look at them in more detail:

1. Lignite. The youngest species, characterized by high friability. It has a fibrous structure. A common fuel in power plants and factories. It is used infrequently for heating homes, as it does not heat a conventional stove properly.
2. Brown. This fuel consists of peat and carbon. It has a low combustion temperature due to the large amount of water and other impurities. Can be used as local fuel.
3. Coal . It has a high combustion temperature due to the large amount of carbon in the composition. Has a high heat of combustion.
4. Anthracite. Contains up to 95 percent carbon. It has the highest degree of combustion heat. One disadvantage is poor ignition.

For heating stoves in households, coal and anthracite are usually used, as they have greater heat transfer. This type of coal for heating a home will be required several times less than brown coal or firewood. The only drawback is poor ignition.

This problem can be solved with the help of firewood: first put logs in the firebox, and after they burn out, add anthracite.

Long-flame coal has the best price-quality ratio. It ignites quickly, has high heat transfer, and is unpretentious in storage and use.

Types of coal

Such fuel is a rock consisting of a carbon compound and non-combustible components that, when burned, form ash. In different regions there are deposits with different amounts of impurities.

Depending on the level of specific heat of combustion, humidity and age of impurities, the following types of fuel are distinguished:

Lignite

A young type of coal with a specific calorific value of no more than 2.8 thousand kcal/kg. The raw material has a loose structure and a high percentage of ash formation. Lignite ensures the operation of industrial facilities - plants, factories, power plants, but is poorly suited for domestic use as fuel.

Brown coal

Product of the transition phase between black lignite and coal. During the combustion process, it forms a large volume of ash and coking derivatives. The calorific value of the fuel is 5 thousand kcal/kg. With an average humidity of 50%, the raw material is used for industrial boiler houses and chemical production plants. Due to the rapid clogging of the chimney system and heat exchanger, it is not recommended to burn household stoves and boilers with brown coal.

Coal

High-quality fuel with a calorific value in the range from 5 to 5.7 thousand kcal/kg. It is an intermediate link between brown coal and anthracite. It contains about 70% carbon and only 3% ash. Due to low humidity (20%), the raw material is not used for gas generating units, but is suitable for most models of household boilers and stoves.

Hard coal is divided into two groups:

1. Long flame. The fuel is suitable for most domestic heating installations, provides a high flame and long-lasting combustion, and does not require additional blowing. You can use a small amount of wood or wood chips to light it.
2. Low caking. The raw materials are suitable for heating a private home, bathhouse or industrial facilities. It is characterized by high thermal conductivity and lack of caking. The combustion process takes place without flame or smoke.

Anthracite

The best type of fuel raw material with a dense structure and rich black color with a calorific value from 7.1 to 9 thousand kcal/kg. At a relatively low level of humidity (7%), anthracite forms a small amount of ash, which is removed from the heating equipment along with gases. It comes in different sizes: small as a seed, medium as a pea, and large as a fist.

As a result of the release of a large amount of heat, heating of rooms with anthracite occurs quickly and efficiently.

Preparing the stove for lighting

Firing a stove with coal requires preliminary preparation of the heating device itself.

Before the start of the heating season, take a number of actions:

• Inspect the oven carefully. If defects are identified in the housing, repairs must be made: seal the cracks with mortar, replace parts, if necessary.
• Clean the chimney of soot. Large accumulations of combustion waste can cause improper air circulation or even fire in the structure.
• Check all doors, dampers, and latches.

If you have verified that there are no defects and that the heating structure is in good condition, you can proceed to the next step.

Coal laying

How to heat a stove with coal correctly? Correct use of this type of fuel requires its special storage. Stones are poured into the firebox only after it is fully heated with the help of firewood.

First, paper, thin wood chips, sawdust or other flammable material are placed on the grate. The logs are not stacked very tightly on top, creating air gaps for better combustion.

Coal laying

Ignition

After burning a batch of logs and pouring coal into the firebox, you need to monitor its ignition. If a small amount of coal fuel has already burned out, you can safely add the next one.

Adding additional coal

You just need to make sure that there are air gaps between the stones. They can be made with a poker. By opening and closing the blower we regulate the combustion process.

What kind of coal burns for the longest time?

Often, long-flame coals are used to heat private homes, which are suitable for any type of solid fuel boilers, stoves and fireplaces. This is due to their long combustion process, rapid combustion and high calorific value. Charcoal for the firebox is easy to use and burns for a long time due to the formation of a flame with long tongues.

The combustion process of one load of fuel lasts several hours and contributes to the release of a large amount of thermal energy.

In addition, it is cheaper than anthracite, so it is used as the main fuel for heating government buildings. Marked with the letter "D".

Features of kindling in winter

How to properly heat a coal stove in winter? In winter, cold air creates a special draft. It prevents smoke from escaping into the street.

1. To ignite the stove in severe frost, you can use improvised means.
2. If you have a hair dryer, take it.
3. Close the ash pan door, open the firebox and valve.
4. Preheat the oven for a few minutes and proceed with normal operations.
5. After heating, smoke will not go into the room, and the fuel will ignite.

Firebox rules and coal combustion temperature in the furnace

Basic Rules:

• Coal is added as it burns. Its thickness should not exceed 60 mm.
• When opening the firebox door, the vent should be closed.
• If the stove is equipped with a hob, the vent should be covered at any load. If this is not done, smoke will enter the room.
• The fuel should burn evenly.
• If you have a large amount of coal dust left over during coal storage, you can use it. How to properly heat a stove with coal dust? Wait until the bulk of the fuel burns, and then add a small amount of dust.
• When the combustion ends, you need to cover the vent.
• The chimney closes only when the coals have completely burned out.

It is not recommended to immediately heat the oven too much. It is better to do this gradually, so that a comfortable temperature will be maintained in the room for a long time. You should pay attention to the moisture content of the coal.

If the fuel has an excess of moisture, then less heat will be released during the heating process. This is due to the fact that drying requires significant energy expenditure.

The combustion temperature of coal in a conventional furnace can reach thousands of degrees. But usually it is much less - 600-800 degrees. The combustion temperature of anthracite at home is 500-600C, and the highest reaches 2100C.

Ignition of fuel

You cannot fill a chamber full of coal; this is the difference between it and wood fuel. When burning, you need to add a small amount up to one third of the entire firebox. Solid fuel material can provide three hours of stable heat. One portion of the bookmark should be enough for 12 hours. It is recommended to heat the stove several times a day, but no more than 3 times. It is thoroughly checked beforehand and, if necessary, cleaned.

Additional fuel can be supplied manually. Be sure to close the vent before doing this. When lining it is necessary to focus on the water temperature. Typically the recommended temperature is 80°C. For longer burning, you can fill the firebox with coal up to half, no more. Adding more fuel than required may damage the grille. All the coal does not burn out, but is sintered, solidifying on the grate, after which cleaning is quite difficult.

In order to properly heat the boiler, you should add fuel alternately - wood, then coal, then wood again

For charcoal lighting, you need to prepare small wood chips. We lay them on a layer of paper, preferably in a hut, and light them. As soon as the wood chips flare up, you can pour a thin layer of up to 15 cm of small pebbles or crumbs. Only after everything has flared up do they add coarse coal and continue to heat the boiler. After turning the coals from caking and for a better flow of fresh air, you can add another portion. The recommended stacking height is up to 60 cm. For better combustion, a constant flow of air is necessary, this can be ensured by opening the door at the bottom.

A stove with a closed ashpit will not provide the necessary heat, as the fuel will begin to fade and smoke, and may even go out completely.

As soon as the coal no longer glows with blue lights, the view can be closed. To be safe from carbon monoxide, you need to make sure that everything has burned out, then clean out the accumulated slag and ash. Only then can you cover the chimney. If it is not closed in time, the cold air will quickly cool the system and the entire room. The remaining coal and large slag can be heated again.

Design of the boiler automatic ignition device

Cleaning the stove from slag and ash is a little different from cleaning it after firewood. Burnt firewood falls into the chamber below on its own. The burning time with coal is much longer, so removing the slag on time is quite problematic. You can solve the problem by starting to burn the material in layers, one row is wood, the next is coal. Or another way using increased temperature. When you can regulate the air draft, the need for firewood will disappear.

If you follow all the recommendations, the boiler will last for many years, and once you learn how to heat it correctly with coal, it won’t be difficult.

Conclusion

Coal is the most common type of fuel. Its heat transfer is significantly higher than that of firewood, briquettes and pellets. Not all types of stoves can be heated with this product. To use it, you need a special firebox made of fireclay bricks or dense steel.

The process of laying, igniting and burning a corner will not require much effort if you follow the basic rules. But it will not be possible to heat the room with this type of fuel alone, since additional materials are required for ignition: paper, wood chips, small logs.