Spacings for grates.

[packrat]

I am planning on putting some grates in my oil tank evaporator this year. I was wondering what I should use. I have some 1x2 flat mil surely that should hold it. Was wondering how far apart I should put them. I am thinking 1 in spaces should be good. Any help? Harold

[Jec]

Yeah it also depends on what size coals you want to fall. But, 1 inch is probally the minimum.
Hope this helps,
Joey

[packrat]

I will be burning beaver killed ash. It makes lots of small coals so figured it might work. I just built a fire in it last 2 years but I figured with grates I might get a hotter fire. This way I can also shoot some air in underneath the fire to see if that helps anything.Thanks

[hillbillybee]

Blowing air will help lots. You'll find it will burn your coals too, they won't build up like a wood stove.

[packrat]

I am going to try to use my regenerative blower that I use in the summer to aerate my minnow pond.

[RileySugarbush]

I use 2" heavy wall angle welded with the fee pointing down and 1/4" gaps. With a blower they stay clear and now coals drop through. I wouldn't go much bigger on the gap

[Peepers]

Riley - does your grate look like this then: /\ /\ /\ /\ with the open part of the angles aimed down?

Would you guys think a larger gap than 1/4" would be needed without forced air? I was thinking of going about an inch apart on mine also as I'll only have a natural draft.

[RileySugarbush]

Nope. You put the open part of the angle V up so it fills with ashes. It helps insulate the angles from the heat of the fire. The problem with 1" or larger gaps is that big coals will fall through and build up under the grate. The heat from those can wreak the grate.

If at all possible, put a small blower for air under the grates. It keeps the grates cool and will really increase your evaporation rate. I used an electric leaf blower when I had a block arch. Noisy but effective.


If you are up this way I'd be happy to show you my setup.

[Peepers]

gotcha - only want ash under the grate, not coals otherwise you'd basically have a second fire beneath the main fire. And the ash filling the angles makes sense too, I used an old fireplace log grate in my block arch last year and by the end of the year it was pretty flat. If my stack is glowing red then I suppose the grate in my arch would be as well and then the weight of wood stacked on it eventually flattened it out.

Thanks Riley, I'll let you know if I'm heading out your way.

[RileySugarbush]

Same here with the Menards fireplace grates. The sag down pretty quick. My angle grate has lasted for years without problems

[deckers007]

If you have a bucket of old ash, would it hurt to fill the angle up before the first use the grate?

[Ecnerwal]

It would help. Same thing with a cast iron woodstove - last a lot longer if you shovel some ash in the bottom of a new one before you light it. Natural refractory insulation...