Sub-bituminous coal

Hey guys, i just found this forum a little while ago and ive been trying to soak up all the knowledge i can since im new to coal. Ive tried to find as much info about sub-bituminous coal and the kind of stoves that can handle it. Being up here in Alaska doesnt really leave me too many options and the only other person ive met here who knows about coal is the guy trying to sell it to me. I was hoping you guys might be able to provide me with some info on sub-bituminous coal and what i should expect. Also the kind of stove im looking at using is just a simple hand fired radiant Hitzer model. Hitzer and Romax are the only stove brands my dealer carries. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Sub-bituminous is in between Lingite and Bituminous, I have no experience with it, but expect it would be very sooty and smokey until the volitiles burn off. If you have close neighbors it might be a problem.

The hitzer stove is a very good product, I have no knowledge of the Romax.

Lingite was used heavily by the Germans during WWII.

Good luck.

Bk

P.S. How is Sarah? Enjoying a normal life I hope.

valley trash wrote:Hey guys, i just found this forum a little while ago and ive been trying to soak up all the knowledge i can since im new to coal. Ive tried to find as much info about sub-bituminous coal and the kind of stoves that can handle it. Being up here in Alaska doesnt really leave me too many options and the only other person ive met here who knows about coal is the guy trying to sell it to me. I was hoping you guys might be able to provide me with some info on sub-bituminous coal and what i should expect. Also the kind of stove im looking at using is just a simple hand fired radiant Hitzer model. Hitzer and Romax are the only stove brands my dealer carries. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Valley trash, I do not understand Sub bituminous coal, however if you are willing to experiment with it you will learn about it through experience of burning it you will not be disapointed. I have never heard of Romax, however Hitzer is a very high quality stove. If you purchase a Hitzer you will not be disapointed. I like to experiment with bituminous coal. I drive a truck so where ever I go I buy some local coal. I have found that in a hand fired such as a Hitzer the bigger the pieces of coal the better. From what I have read, sub bituminous is similar to Powder River Basin coal from Wyoming. The Union Pacific Railroad used PRB coal in their locomotives including the Big Boy 4-8-8-4.

maybe here? http://www.cozycoal.com/

valley trash wrote:Hey guys, i just found this forum a little while ago and ive been trying to soak up all the knowledge i can since im new to coal. Ive tried to find as much info about sub-bituminous coal and the kind of stoves that can handle it. Being up here in Alaska doesnt really leave me too many options and the only other person ive met here who knows about coal is the guy trying to sell it to me. I was hoping you guys might be able to provide me with some info on sub-bituminous coal and what i should expect. Also the kind of stove im looking at using is just a simple hand fired radiant Hitzer model. Hitzer and Romax are the only stove brands my dealer carries. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hello Valley Trash, I asked my buddy in Wassilla about coal and this is his response.
"We use to use coal to heat up here in a good old Riteway wood/coal stove. Here is the site that will tell you about our coal, want me to send you some, LOL.
http://www.usibelli.com/
http://www.usibelli.com/Coal_formation.asp

How much is a ton of coal in Ak.?

Much of the Alaskan sub bit coal according to the data sheets has a high water content of ~8-35%

water and a btu content of below 6000 to 11700 btu/#.Most of the samples are in the 7000-8000

range.They are high in oxygen which further hurts the btu output,ash is as low as 3% high as 35%.

These coals are not as rich as our bituminous or anthracite coals in the lower 48.Since they are so

far from other supplies they have to use whats readily available.

BigBarney

Duengeon master wrote:How much is a ton of coal in Ak.?

As of last week $190 a ton carried out myself. Seeing what some of you guys are paying for higher grades of coal makes me a bit jealous . According to what ive read there is a lot of coal up here but just not enough demand to warrant all the effort and money to get it. Perhaps it is better that way though. Has anyone here had any experience with a Hitzer 55 or 82? These are my main two choices it seems. With a breezy log cabin of almost 1000 sq ft i was thinking that the 82 might be a bit overkill but im away from home for close to 12 hours and i was thinking the bigger the stove the bigger the load, therefore the more burn time. And to answer bksaun, i dont think Sarah will be able to enjoy a normal life for a while as long as the media keeps bringing her up just to sling mud at her. I did see her husband the other day at walmart buying pickles though. Back to coal, im very grateful for your input and any more would be greatly appreciated.

$190/ton is outrageous!! I wouldn't pay that for the best subbituminous, w/ only 8000btu's/lb. that's obscene. by charging rediculas prices like that sellers are not encouraging coal use, they're reducing potential market share and income in the long run, because subbituminous coal can't compete w/ oil, nat gas, or wood at that price. fools!

That is way too much for such a low quality coal,almost over double what I

pay for excellent coal.Usibelli is about the only coal mine I know of in Alaska.

You may have to evaluate other heat options because coal looks to not be a

viable option for you.

BigBarney

lets remember -- and Ill stand corrected if told other - there are no roads to Wasilla.

Everything comes in by barge or air. The cost of goods that keep the home fire going may be skewed by that small issue

Yeah my buddy worked on the pipeline years back and talked of the cost of bread and steaks and such.
the numbers were insane..
its all relative I guess.

except for fresh vegetables (Stuff flown in) and cost of housing-- I found Fairbanks a reasonable place to live.

Thanks for all the info guys. Just to clear up one misconception first. Yes there are roads that go to Wasilla. Wasilla is just like any other town i've been to. The price of food is not as exaggerated as one might think. There are a few different items that might be a bit higher than usual, like fast food items and such. Anyways back to the coal. $190 per ton of this stuff is awfully high i realize but this year i have already spent close to $1400 in heating oil. That not including the price of getting my Toyostove fixed after it had a major malfunction during a few weeks of -30 degrees. I have also found that my small woodstove actually heats the house way better than the toyo which just seems to blow hot air around the house. This being a log cabin has a bit to do with the loss of heat. According to a few people ive talked to it should take around six tons to get me through a winter, and at $190 a ton, im already saving money for a heat source that is more reliable. Of course i would still keep the toyo on for when i leave or i dont quite get a 10 or 12 hour burn. Is a 10 to 12 hour burn realistic for sub-bituminous in a Hitzer 55 or 82?

valley trash wrote: Is a 10 to 12 hour burn realistic for sub-bituminous in a Hitzer 55 or 82?

The 55 would probably be fine however since no one will be there to tend it for 12 hours I would probably go with the 82, bigger firebox= more coal=more heat with longer burn time. The 82 looks to have 7" flue so I would recommend expanding to 8" right off the stove and continue 8" for the entire chimney as this coal you plan to use will be smokey and could produce lots of soot. I would check the flue for soot buildup daily when you first start using this coal to see what the buildup rate is. Hopefully your installation will have a section of stovepipe or 90 degree elbow that would be easy to slide apart just far enough to see how much buildup there is.

Since there are roads, you might want to check coal prices elsewhere, you may be able to save a lot by hauling it in yourself. You could try to find out where your local guy gets the coal and bypass him altogether by getting it directly from his supplier.
BTW, does this local coal dealer (or any others in the area) sell stoker coal (coal size 1.5 inch and smaller)? If he does, you could send me a PM (private message) and I will explain the type of stove that uses this coal. This type of stove can run a couple days with no tending.