TLC 2000 Coal Stove
9
Building and
Maintaining a Coal Fire
Build a wood fire as described but instead of adding
larger wood, limit the size to about 2" in diameter. Add enough
2" wood that the firebox floor is covered with burning wood.
After the wood is burning well for about five minutes,
put the wood air controls in the down position and slide the
coal air control to the right. This makes the primary air flow
up through the grates as is required for coal burning.
Next add a layer of coal on top of the wood. Continue
burning until the layer of coal is turning red and igniting. It is
possible to speed this process by opening the ash door, but
never for more than five minutes at a time.
Operation with the ash door open for more than five
minute will overfire the stove and may cause damage to the
stove. Never let the stove unattended with the ash door open.
After the layer of coal is burning a second layer may be
added. After the second layer is burning more layers may be
added. Do not add coal above the firebricks or grate bars.
The stove is hot while in operation. Keep
children, clothing and furniture away. Contact
may cause skin burns.
As you begin to operate your stove at higher tem-
peratures, you will notice a “hot” or unpleasant smell; this is
just the paint going through the curing process, and will disap-
pear after a few fires.
Overfiring
Avoid overfiring your stove, a potentially hazardous
situation which can lead to overheating of combustible mate-
rials, damage to the stove, and in extreme cases, cause a fire.
Overfiring is caused by: 1. Too much air flowing through the
stove too quickly. 2. You may have positioned the primary air
control level too far to the right. 3. Inadvertently left the bot-
tom door open or 4. Not kept up with routine maintenance,
such as checking door gaskets for wear.
Overfiring results in excessive fuel consumption, and
may cause parts of the stove or chimney connector to glow
red. If you notice signs of overfiring, reduce the air supply to
the fire, and review the Maintenance section in this manual.
Never leave the stove unattended if either the ash
or load door is open. Overfiring may result.
In the event of a chimney fire, call your local fire de-
partment; make sure everyone is safely out of the house.
Reduce the air intake of the stove as much as possible using
the air control lever. Do not throw water on the fire; this can
cause stove damage and create an even more dangerous situ-
ation. Have your chimney professionally cleaned and in-
spected before resuming burning in your stove.
Add Even Layers by pouring evenly across coal bed
2
3
5
1
1. Grates
2. Ashes On Grates
3. Partly Burned Coal
4. Fresh Coal
5. Ashes In Ash Pan
4
4
6
6. Grate Bars
