In Alberta, Canada. What stove should I install? Bit Stoker?

there's no problem using a soft coal stoker in town, and, provided you fire it carefully, a hand-fired stove may be ok provided you don't have neighbors right under you, not because of smell, but the little bits of "fly-soot" that will be within 30' downwind of your chimney with a hand-fired (they're harmless and won't damage anything, but your neighbors may notice). as far as the chimney goes, there is NO need to reline w/ stainless if using coal, in fact it will last longer and be safer if you didn't.

Just blame the smell on the dog. They won't know the difference!

It's true, most people don't know what burning coal smells like.

BTW bluesmobile, I wouldn't take out the gas furnace if if you're planning to move in the near future.

Yeah....was wondering if my buddy knew whatof he spoke....think i'll hunt around for locals using coal, as you suggested....our building is right on main street in a small town (3500 popluation)...mix of business and living quarters....right across street (from the 2 storey part of our building) are a few upstairs living suites above businesses....about 100 ft behind me across the alley is a small apartment with about 4 suites all upstairs, above offices...also a strip of single family residence homes start up same distance in the same direction. The apartment and houses would be closest to my stack if i put it in rear, a decision which is yet to be resolved....


thanks for the more positive feedback...will keep digging....a little confusing....Alberta gets i think 70% of it's electricity from coal burning power stations, yet it's not cool to burn it directly?...and you should see what the natural gas industry has done/is doing to the farmland and overall landscape....oh well, no one said it was a perfect world or that it was going to be easy...

not giving up yet....barry

In your favor I think it's too cold outside most of the heating season for many people to have reason to complain. Also, looks as though you might be out on the prairie and from what I've heard and seen there is usually a wind about.

personally i'd use the brick stack for the coal, and use a "b" vent metal gas chimney for the gas furnace - vented through the house somewhere nearby, then just pull out the metal liner inside the brick stack and discard, sell etc. I'd also be looking for a bituminous coal stoker stove, you might have to drive a bit to pick it up, but i prefer it to hand-fired and then you could be sure about not having issues w/ the close neighbors.

Just information- but I agree with Berlin. I live 100 klms east of Edmonton, in Alberta. -17C outside right now- and +20 in my house. Have 1800 Sq Ft on main floor, 3 bedrooms on next level, and 1/2 basement. Open design. Basement not heated. Just took out an old wood stove and installed an older Warm Morning Coal stove, Hand fed. We had rigged the wood stove to burn coal- but could not keep the heat up without babysitting the stove. This one is still hand fed, but it burns coal real well and hot as you want- sometimes too hot for the pipes. (Average flue temp 170C) The way we run it we fill it (about 35#) every 4 hrs. And we get our coal from Dodds. That unit hooked up to your brick chimney would heat the brick too. So you would get secondary heat gain out of the brick, something you wouldn't get with a liner in it. The one thing I noticed with this unit is I have no more smell. It turns the coal into coke- and burns that. Locke (manufacturer) is out of business- too bad. These things really work well, burn inexpensive coal, and no smell.
For burning in town, you may get upset neighbors with a plain coal stove. I know before (with the converted wood stove) I could smell my place in my car before I got to my corner- some 1,000 feet away. Now we have no smell in my yard.
I would think the biggest worry you would have is insurance, if you need it. I don't know if you can find one that will insure you to run a coal stove in the house. So you may be stuck with the outside boiler. Something to think about.

looks quite congested area for an outdoor boiler the boiler i have is for a rural application heating multiple buildings ,the stokermatic room stove is the way to go less smoke with a stoker and try to use that brick chimney looks like real good shape

markc

thanks again for good advice...looks like will be putting my coal burning aspirations on hold for awhile....need to check out the insurance (wise concern), and if that's ok, either wait for a deal on 30 ft of stainless insulated chimney and install that or reclaim my brick chimney and install a vent flue for my natural gas (which i will not be taking out, as next owner probably wouldn't like that)...then look for a bit loving stoker.....even better, if we sell the building we can look for an acreage to live on so anything goes at that point....meanwhile bought a decent wood stove and am going to try that stuck in the rear location and see how the flue draws....and yes we do get quite a bit of wind, but also mixed in with stillness so coal smoke could indeed linger long enough to annoy the neighbours...like today it's just brutal cold but no wind...would you believe -35 C and colder overnight and colder up in Edmonton - at -40, both F and C scales are the same....wish i had something warmer going on than the gas furnace right now....barry in three hills

Ok Barry, stay warm

whatever you decide, avoid a stainless chimney for the coal-burner.