EFM or a Keystoker?

I love my 1953 EFM highboy, upstate NY, mohawk valley, real winter weather and wind, 150 year old house 4,400 sft house, 8 tons last winter and it was 72 or better all winter in here, it's as simple as it gets.

Glenn

8 tons for 150 year old 4000 sq. ft. house? That is incredible. Im on my third year with my sf 5-20, house set at 70 deg. wich also heats domestic hot water. Runs 9 months out of the year in a 2300 sq. ft new house in upstate NY. 1st year, 8 tons blashac. 2nd year, 7 tons superrior. This is a real account of fuel consumption. Still much cheaper than fuel oil. Just want you to know the truth about fuel consumption.

It's my understanding the Highboys are a little more efficient than a regular 520 due to a larger heat exchange area, but I'll leave discussion of that to the boiler pros. Glenn also didn't mention whether he was making DHW with the Highboy, or whether it was getting any help making heat from his Harman Mag. For example, kevin12973 might be burning 6 tons for heat and 2 tons for DHW. Even the 6 tons sounds a little high for the house he describes, but I probably shouldn't talk. We burn way more than that to heat a big, drafty 1890 Victorian with a single-pipe steam system and to make DHW, but we still save like 2/3 of what it would cost to heat with oil.

Mike

Not so incredible at all. Someone here said they use 9 ton for 7000 uninsulated sq ft with 30 ft ceilings. You all must be doing something wrong.

That was me. Our heat load is calculated at 400,000 BTUH

kevin12973 wrote:8 tons for 150 year old 4000 sq. ft. house? That is incredible. Im on my third year with my sf 5-20, house set at 70 deg. wich also heats domestic hot water. Runs 9 months out of the year in a 2300 sq. ft new house in upstate NY. 1st year, 8 tons blashac. 2nd year, 7 tons superrior. This is a real account of fuel consumption. Still much cheaper than fuel oil. Just want you to know the truth about fuel consumption.

Check you set up there is something wrong you should never have to use that much coal for that little space.
I burned 2.5 tons of coal heating 3140 sq ft in a Non Insulated walls 1948 coal cinder block ranch in the winter months OCT to March T -Stat set at 70F House Temp 72 to 73 F . In spring and summer time heating DHW I use 1900 lbs from April to Oct. You need to check the system out You are using way to much coal for what your heating Your Numbers are
more like heating a 4200 sq ft + House .

Runs 9 months out of the year in a 2300 sq. ft new house in upstate NY. 1st year, 8 tons blashac. 2nd year, 7 tons superrior.

Something ain't right. My place is about 2000 sq. ft., old and mostly uninsulated. Without checking my records I can't say exactly how much I burned last winter, but I know I didn't go through that much coal, and that's with the Alaska stoker in the cellar and the Harmon Mark 1 in the dining room. Of course it most likely is colder where you are, gotta factor that in.