USSC Ashley 24AF, Owner'S Manual

USSC

Page 23

Keeping your chimney and stove pipe clean is the best in-

surance against chimney fires.  Note:  Smoke detectors

and fire extinguishers should always be a part of your equip-

ment.

If you clean your own chimney and stove pipe, we recom-

mended purchasing the equipment professionals use.  Wire

brushes are available in enough sizes and shapes to be a

snug fit inside any common flue.

Once a week let your furnace burn with ash door open for

a maximum of fifteen minutes while in attendance.  This

will help minimize creosote buildup.  Also placing a surface

magnetic thermometer on flue pipe is helpful to keep tem-

peratures at 300 to 400 degrees.  Duct temperatures should

be 115 to 125 degrees at 12" above furnace.

BURNING COAL

Your furnace is capable of burning both Bituminous and

Anthracite coal.  Anthracite is perhaps the best coal fuel

because its long even burn time, high heat output, and

cleanliness make it a good choice for the home.  However,

keep in mind it is a much more difficult fuel to use, requires

more care and patience, is not so widely available, and is

usually much more expensive than bituminous.

SIZE OF COAL:

  Most sizes of Bituminous Coal will

work in your New Furnace, for best results we recommend

large nut coal to small egg coal (1-3/4" dia. to 4" dia.).

When burning Anthracite, use egg or broken with sizes

between 2-5/16" thru 4-3/8".  Note that it is important to

the long life of your furnace to buy coal which has been

sized and cleaned.  Cleaning insures removal of rocks and

other materials.  Never use coal smaller than 1" or larger

than 5" in diameter.  Small sized coal will smother the fire.

Too large a size of coal will not burn well.

STOVE OPERATION:  

All coal fires should be started

with wood which will allow the fire to get hot enough to

ignite the coal.  The best ignition fires utilize dry pine or

other resinous soft woods as kindling, with hard wood (oak,

hickory, ash) added to increase the heat prior to addition of

the coal.

BURNING BITUMINOUS: 

 Once your kindling and

wood fire has produced a bed of well established coals,

start adding coal in layers allowing each to ignite before

adding more.  Bituminous has a high volatile content and,

as a result, should be fired with the "conical method" - with

the highest portion of your firebed in the center of the fire-

box.  The first flames will be long and generally orange or

yellow and produce quite a bit of smoke.  As the gases

burn off the flames become shorter, change color

and produce less smoke.  Once the fire is WELL ESTAB-

LISHED add coal to the center of the firebox forming the

cone.  Burning in this fashion allows heat to drive off the

volatile gases, and turbulence created increases the burn

efficiency.  You will have to experiment with your particular

setup as no two chimney's or installations are going to be

the same.  Just remember to allow enough secondary air

to enter the firebox and keep your stove pipe damper open

so that volatiles are properly burned.  Before refueling, take

the time to break up the cone a little with a poker, espe-

cially if it has caked over or formed a crust.  But, be careful

not to mix the coal as this increases the chances of forming

clinkers.  When shaking the grate(s) be gentle.  Just a few

short movements is better than a lot of agitation.  The ob-

jective is to remove a small amount of the ashes without

disturbing the fire.  Stop when you see a glow in the ashes

or the first red coals fall into the ash pan.  Excessive shak-

ing wastes fuel and can expose the grate(s) to very high

temperatures which can cause warpage or burnout.

For overnight operation (long duration burn time) shake

the fire and add coal, retaining your center cone.  Once the

volatiles are burned off, close the feed door and adjust

your stove pipe damper.  Then adjust your thermostat to

the desired heat level.

You will have more MAINTENANCE with bituminous than

with anthracite coal as more soot will collect on heating

surfaces and in pipes, requiring more frequent cleaning.

ANTHRACITE:

  Before starting the fire open - the

stove pipe damper, open the ash pit door and feed door,

place newspaper, finely split kindling on the grate, and light

the paper.  Add larger hard wood after kindling is burning

brightly.  CAUTION:  Never use gasoline, lantern fuel,

kerosene, charcoal lighter fluid, or other flammable

liquids to start or freshen up a fire in this heater.

Place the larger pieces of wood on the fire so that they are

slightly separated and form a level for the addition of coal.

It will take 10 to 20 minutes before this wood is thoroughly

ignited.  Adding coal too soon will cut the air supply and

smother the fire.

Add a thin layer of coal (preferably smaller chunks) to the

wood fire, being careful not to disturb it too much or cut off

the draft.  Then, add a second heavier layer after the coal

is ignited and burning well.  If necessary, add a third layer

to bring the coal up to the top of the front liner (not above!).

Be sure you have closed your ash door.

Before adding further fuel, be sure you leave a red spot of

glowing coals in the center of the firebox to insure that you

have not smothered the fire and to help ignite the