Burn coal on a grate with air from below, light it with a hot wood fire first, feed it in small batches rather than one deep load, and keep the chimney clear and the air control open enough that the fire never smoulders. A coal fire damped too low gives smoke and carbon monoxide instead of heat.
Part of Coal Surface Mining
The basic practice of burning coal in a stove or grate: lighting, feeding, air control and ash removal.
Coal Needs Air Through The Bed
Wood burns well on a flat hearth because it releases flammable gas that burns above the logs. Coal burns mainly as a glowing bed, and the air has to pass up through it. The parent article states the requirements: a grate so that air enters from below, draught control (too much air burns the coal too fast, too little gives smoke and carbon monoxide), and an ash pan that lets ash fall clear. Coal also burns hotter than wood, so the stove or hearth must withstand it: cast iron or firebrick-lined.
What You Need
- A grate and ash pan under the fuel
- A chimney that draws properly (Chimney Draft)
- Graded coal: lump for stoves (Sorting & Grading)
- Dry kindling and a poker, a rake and a scoop
- A metal bucket for hot ash
Method
Step 1: Light with wood. Build a small wood fire on the grate. Coal does not light from a match, and it lights best from a hot bed.
Step 2: Add the first coal once the kindling is glowing. A thin layer, not a heap. Leave the air control open until the coal itself glows red and the early yellow smoky flame has died back.
Step 3: Feed small and often. Add a little at a time rather than burying the fire. A deep cold load shuts out the air and smothers it.
Step 4: Keep the bed clear. Shake the grate to drop ash and small clinker; empty the pan before the ash reaches the grate bars (see Clinker Management).
Step 5: Bank for the night. Use a thick bed and close the air down part way, not fully, and open it again in the morning. A completely shut-down coal fire is a source of carbon monoxide.
Common Mistakes
- Closing the air to save coal. It saves nothing: the fire smoulders, smokes and soots the chimney, and the room fills with carbon monoxide.
- Poking a burning fire constantly. It breaks the bed and drops live coal into the ash pan.
- Burning wet coal. It is harder to light and smokier (parent).
Safety
Coal fires produce carbon monoxide, and the flue needs more cleaning than a wood flue
A coal fire that smoulders produces carbon monoxide, which is invisible and odourless: see Carbon Monoxide Risks. Keep the flue and its joints sound, clean the chimney regularly (Chimney Cleaning Schedule), keep hot ash in a metal bucket outside, and keep the stove clear of walls (Chimney & Stove Safety).
What’s Next
- Learn next: Coal Stove vs Wood Stove Differences — adapting a wood stove
- Combine with: Clinker Management — keeping the grate clear