SIGH this is why

I get frustrated with Hubby

This is how the coal fire looked when I went to run errands

nice lovely fire, not full but a good amount .

One hour later what did I come back to???

I grew up with coal stoves and I told Hubby to not load over the full line and not load a lot at one time think of thin layers. Coal burns from the bottom up so there has to be air coming up through the bottom. To NOT poke or stir up like you would wood..

He closed the air off to the coal, then added 40 lbs. (way too much at one time) and then stirred it thinking (not thinking to me) it would help it. THEN he moved the shakers (the vents in bottom) to the point he had a ash tray full of hot coals and the shaker (what controls the vents) stuck open with lumps of hot coal so nothing was staying in the fire box and he couldn't get the ash tray out with the hot coals being bigger than the door way of where the ash tray is. He did say he was sorry he complained I bought 3 buckets for the stove as he used all 3 and the ash tray after he got the coals out of it. He didn't know what he would have used to carry hot coals out. I suggested the bottom of the fire pit that is on wheels and could be rolled in and rolled out and not burn the wood floor if he didn't have buckets (that he made sure was on the fire protector on the floor).

SIGH

AFTER spending 2 hours cleaning up the mess as there was dust everywhere and reloading coal from those buckets as I'm not throwing coal away and getting it going, he went to run his own errands. Saw one of the Amish that burns coal and said something to them about what he did. They asked if he ever burned coal before, nope just wood in fireplace. Asked if I did. Yep  and I had said blah blah blah.... 

The guy asked why he didn't listen to me . Hubby said he thought he knew it all since he was a guy. Just FYI he really isn't that way most times. But it gave the Amish a laugh and was advised the same thing I had told him AGAIN and don't need to add fuel every hour either as coal is not like wood at all. He still struggles on not loading it every hour or two (coal can burn 10-12 hrs.)usually around 3- 4 hrs.  is good to load, you don't want it on the low side and you still don't want to dump a lot on it as you will smother it.