Can a Coal Stove Heat a 3 Story House?

whistlenut wrote:I understand your liking of an AHS 130. I like mine also. It's bulletproof, quiet and doesn't use much coal. People that come to see it in operation all say: it's not big enough to heat 4300 sq ft. Well, it sure does, runs about 8.5 hrs a day on the very coldest days (-10 days, 150 lbs of pea) and about 6 hrs a day now (15 degree days, 100 lbs a day)
I'm sure it would heat your entire home, and provide all your hot water, too. The monoflow is only on the first floor I assume, what about #2 and #3?

from what I know the whole system is a monoflow, 1st 2nd 3rd floor. there is only one pump for all of the water going to the radiators

lowfog01 wrote:Could you use one stove for the main and second story and a second smaller separate stove for the upper level? Would the floor plan on the 3rd floor accommodate this? I remember seeing pictures of turn of the century houses with stoves sitting in the upstairs hallway. Of course you'd need a second chimney or a direct vent. If I had the room, I think I'd go with a direct vent because in this case I wouldn't care if I lost the electricity. Do you have kids who could carry up 30 lbs of coal every day? Food for thought anyway. Lisa

the third would could accomodate a stove. I would have to direct vent it. no kids to speak of yet. so id carry the coal. But how many vent would it be necessary to run throughout the first and second floor for one stove some it is warm every where. we have 4 rooms on the second floor and a bathroom

whistlenut wrote:Hi Lisa. Nearly bedtime for you! I notice your posts at 04:00! The kids do need to get to school on time, and we are also in an area where you must plug em in at night. It's 6 degrees out now, headed for 0 and winds of 15 mph. The deer are looking chilled as they munch on the apples under the trees( and under the snow). I think they would come right into the house if we'd let them..... Back to the topic: Stoves would work, but 3 of them wouldn't be as cost effective as one boiler that could run year round to provide hot water and keep a basement dry and toasty. If the kids got sick of lugging 40 lb bags, then dad might wish he had stayed with a boiler.
Brock, as paulie said, you could eliminate the monoloop and go from one radiator to the next. You do have lots of options; choosing the one that is best for your situation is the hardest part.

what is with the little story ?

it would be me no kids taking coal up and down stairs. wouldnt it be extremely expensive to run new copper to every radiator tare open some walls to get to pipes etc ...

rberq wrote:[quote="BrockWilt"... Your assumption that you can get coal to your house for only $150 a ton may be overly optimistic, too. Add $50 per ton to that and your annual savings all but disappear. Agreed, when a coal boiler is finally paid off you will start saving some noticeable money, but if the extra payment puts you on the financial brink for five years then maybe it's not worth the stress. You can still do the coal thing in another year or two if your finances are rosy then.

P.S. I agree a stove in one room will NOT heat this house. You may be able to produce the heat, but you have to be able to distribute it, too.

150 or less at lenig and harmony which ill be close to.

but if id be paying 4000 - 4500 a year anyway on natural gas what is the difference for paying for a new boiler and coal if it is less then that a year?

Coalbrokdale wrote:Even an underrated Coal Boiler with the NG boiler picking up the slack, is a better choice then a stove. Far more efficent and about the same price. Not to mention DHW, my Brand New VF3000 heats 44000 sq feet and all my domestic hot water. Paid $4200 delivered

is the Harman boiler the same quality as an ahs or aa etc .. I was told they werent ... so I ruled it out. Maybe you could change my mind? I sort of forgot about that boiler I got so wrapped up in the ahs. hmm I might have to call the amish. the amish sell haran stoves and that boiler and also do chimney work. maybe the amish are the solution to all my problems.

Devil505 wrote:Looks like it's pretty well covered here so I'll just throw my 2 cents in. Coal STOVE...No
Coal FURNACE or BOILER...Yes.

thanx it would have to be a boiler, no furnace, I have no duct work

There's no reason any single pipe monoflow system can not be purged in a straight forward way. Bypassing the water pressure regulator with a full flow valve will allow full water pressure power purging. This is like getting the air out out your garden hose when you first connect it. Each radiator's vent value would vent the air trapped in each radiator. The circulator should be on the supply side of the boiler and use a Taco VorTech® Air Separator.

A stoker boiler with properly sized circulator and Danfoss radiator valves will supply economical and comfortable heat.

If you take the chimney down save the bricks. You can, with work remove the mortar and reuse the bricks.

BrockWilt wrote:

rberq wrote:[quote="BrockWilt"... Your assumption that you can get coal to your house for only $150 a ton may be overly optimistic, too. Add $50 per ton to that and your annual savings all but disappear. Agreed, when a coal boiler is finally paid off you will start saving some noticeable money, but if the extra payment puts you on the financial brink for five years then maybe it's not worth the stress. You can still do the coal thing in another year or two if your finances are rosy then.

P.S. I agree a stove in one room will NOT heat this house. You may be able to produce the heat, but you have to be able to distribute it, too.

150 or less at lenig and harmony which ill be close to.

but if id be paying 4000 - 4500 a year anyway on natural gas what is the difference for paying for a new boiler and coal if it is less then that a year?

Calvin V Lenig is 140 a ton Picked up bulk loose coal
**Broken Link(s) Removed**On Route 225 5 Miles west of Treverton pa

UAE Harmony mine is 145.00 a ton Picked up bulk loose coal

http://www.local.com/details/map/8977804/Mount-Ca ... Assoc.aspx

Yanche wrote:There's no reason any single pipe monoflow system can not be purged in a straight forward way. Bypassing the water pressure regulator with a full flow valve will allow full water pressure power purging. This is like getting the air out out your garden hose when you first connect it. Each radiator's vent value would vent the air trapped in each radiator. The circulator should be on the supply side of the boiler and use a Taco VorTech® Air Separator.

A stoker boiler with properly sized circulator and Danfoss radiator valves will supply economical and comfortable heat.

If you take the chimney down save the bricks. You can, with work remove the mortar and reuse the bricks.

My plumber put on a taco fast fill valve a few weeks ago. is that what u were talking about in the beginning of the post?

coal berner wrote: Calvin V Lenig is 140 a ton Picked up bulk loose coal
**Broken Link(s) Removed**On Route 225 5 Miles west of Treverton pa

UAE Harmony mine is 145.00 a ton Picked up bulk loose coal

http://www.local.com/details/map/8977804/Mount-Ca ... Assoc.aspx

thank you for justifying my post about coal prices. And anyway it was you who told me about lenig and harmony a few weeks ago ...

BrockWilt wrote:

Yanche wrote:There's no reason any single pipe monoflow system can not be purged in a straight forward way. Bypassing the water pressure regulator with a full flow valve will allow full water pressure power purging. This is like getting the air out out your garden hose when you first connect it.

My plumber put on a taco fast fill valve a few weeks ago. is that what u were talking about in the beginning of the post?

The Taco product your plumber likely put on is a water pressure regulator that reduces the city water pressure to the lower pressure used by your boiler system. It has a so named "fast fill" lever that allows full city water pressure water to flow to the system. It however is not high flow. A high flow valve, usually a ball valve, would be installed to bypass the Taco water pressure regulator. It would normally be closed and would only be opened when first fill a boiler system.

BrockWilt wrote:

whistlenut wrote:Hi Lisa. Nearly bedtime for you! I notice your posts at 04:00! The kids do need to get to school on time, and we are also in an area where you must plug em in at night. It's 6 degrees out now, headed for 0 and winds of 15 mph. The deer are looking chilled as they munch on the apples under the trees( and under the snow). I think they would come right into the house if we'd let them..... Back to the topic: Stoves would work, but 3 of them wouldn't be as cost effective as one boiler that could run year round to provide hot water and keep a basement dry and toasty. If the kids got sick of lugging 40 lb bags, then dad might wish he had stayed with a boiler.
Brock, as paulie said, you could eliminate the monoloop and go from one radiator to the next. You do have lots of options; choosing the one that is best for your situation is the hardest part.

what is with the little story ?

Yes, Whistlenut that was a getting late for me. Driving the school bus does have its drawbacks. It was interesting driving on packed snow and ice on Tuesday. It is 48* in our Nation's capital today and it's supposed to be going to 70* this weekend. The Cherry Blossoms are budding but I think there will be one last blast of winter yet. In the meantime I'll practice idling my stove.

Hi BrockWilt,

You'll have to excuse us. Whistlenut noticed and was responding to the fact that I like to know how folks in other areas of country are doing beyond coal stoves; hence the comments on the weather and local fauna and animals. My biggest Pet peeve on the forum - members who do not state a location or area of the country.

When I suggested the multiply stove's I was thinking about one large stoker for the 1st and second floor which could connect to the existing venting or new venting. In a house that old I doubt that there is much installation between the floors so you'd get the benefit of radiant heating on the second floor, too. I remember in my grandmother's house she had a 3X4 vent in the second floor hallway that was used to move the hot air up before they converted to oil heat. Your could hear everything that was going on on the first floor through that vent. That would leave a very small stove for the 3rd floor. Maybe even something like the Jamesway Freddy has for his sheep. That only takes 15 or so lbs a day but would take the chill off. Lisa

lowfog01 wrote:
Hi BrockWilt,

You'll have to excuse us. Whistlenut noticed and was responding to the fact that I like to know how folks in other areas of country are doing beyond coal stoves; hence the comments on the weather and local fauna and animals. My biggest Pet peeve on the forum - members who do not state a location or area of the country.
Lisa

okay ... well I still don't get it ...

thanx for the suggestion with the stoves.