AmsterdamForge Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 Hey just wondering if anyone knows a good way to get anthracite coal to start up and stay lit I have 150lbs in bags at home and really didn't want to buy any coal. So any tips and tricks that anyone knows of would be greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skieve Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 found this info on google begin a fire with rolled newspaper and kindling wood. Another option is fire starter cubes or coal mice.Once the kindling is burning well, add hardwood. Hardwood will burn at a higher temperature and anthracite coal requires a good hot bed of coals to ignite.Keep your stove drafts open during loading and when your coals are hot and ready; add anthracite. Add two shovelfuls, distributing evenly as best you can, then close the stove or furnace door.As the anthracite coal fire progresses, you should have several inches of red coals. When this happens, continue adding shovelfuls of coal until it reaches the top of the firebrick. This will seem like a lot, but figuring how to burn anthracite coal is an act of learning how to get the heat level just right. Too little coal and you won't generate enough heat. Too much and you'll likely smother your fire.Once your coal is fully ignited and burning well, close your ash door and adjust the dampers for your coal stove to control heat output. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unkle spike Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 Found this information in my head I use anthracite, I get it free from the neighbors old coal shed. I ball up 2 sheets of newspaper, and leave a "tail" on it, I light the tail and put it in the firepot, with my air turned on real low I bank coal up around it. Once the whole paper is pretty much burning, I gently toss some of the finer coal on top. I sprinkle water on the outside of the pile, so it does not burn until pushed into the fire. It can be a bugger to keep lit, what I do if I am going to be doing something else for a bit is toss some larger golf ball sized chunks of green coal in it, turn the fan on for a bit until it lights, then shut the fan off. You need to keep a bigger heap going with anthracite, it doesn't like to stay lit. Once lit though, I get plenty of heat. It will coke, and saving some of the coke to start the next fire gives you less smoke to deal with on startup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welder19 Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 Easiest way I found was to start with charcoal in your fire pot, once it was going good start puting coal around the charcoal then on top, once the charcoal is glowing add some air and more coal, once the coal starts to burn add some more coal and away you go. You pretty much have to keep air on it pretty steady to keep it burning, it won't take long for it to go out if you turn the air off. welder19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Trez Cole Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 I wrap a pinecone in news paper then stack on the coal. I use a weed burner light it and set it facing the pile get it going and turn on the air once you get that green smoke trun off the weed burner, remove it and rake on more coal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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