After 33 years of exclusively wood heating, I'm trying coal

stoker-man · By: **stoker-man** On: Sun Dec 05, 2010 4:36 pm

I'm trying chestnut in my hand-fired efm boiler after 33 years of wood. It's only for about 8 weeks of the coldest part of Winter for this experiment and for the other 10 months, it's back to wood. Let's see if $180 of coal, one ton, is worth the extra work of cutting and burning pallet wood.

Rob R. · By: **Rob R.** On: Sun Dec 05, 2010 5:37 pm

Anthracite will spoil you once the learning curve is over. I sometimes burn wood in my Itasca, but nut size anthracite burns much cleaner and provides burn times three times as long. You should be warned that once you get the hang of anthracite in a hand-fed boiler you will start looking for a DF520.

If you burn wood with the grates covered be sure to take the brick/plates out before trying coal. Don't be bashfull with the coal either; start it with a good wood fire then add 8-10" of coal in layers.

-Rob

Brian · By: **Brian** On: Sun Dec 05, 2010 5:41 pm

Stoker-Man

Once you go black you'll never turn back.

Good Luck

Wood'nCoal · By: **Wood'nCoal** On: Sun Dec 05, 2010 10:31 pm

Well it's about time!!!

What brand coal?

stoker-man · By: **stoker-man** On: Mon Dec 06, 2010 6:58 am

I don't know what brand; I bought it at the local yard and didn't ask.

It was nice to have heat all night and still have red coals after 9 hours of inattention. I'll have to re-hook up my dump zone and start using my thermostats again for the next 8 weeks, or whenever my ton runs out.

stoker-man · By: **stoker-man** On: Fri Dec 10, 2010 6:03 pm

I kind of like this coal heat.

I'm building a small coal bin, on wheels, like a Garden Way cart, with removable slats in front that should hold about 500#. Might as well make it easy.

Wood'nCoal · By: **Wood'nCoal** On: Fri Dec 10, 2010 10:44 pm

You've seen the light.

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2001Sierra · By: **2001Sierra** On: Fri Dec 10, 2010 10:53 pm

Here is my coal bin. I tow it behind my lawn tractor to the woods in the off season.

stoker-man · By: **stoker-man** On: Sat Dec 11, 2010 9:04 am

I can see that some serious work went into that baby.

Will you explain about the drop leg? I know it doesn't drop into a pan.

coal berner · By: **coal berner** On: Sat Dec 11, 2010 10:51 pm

stoker-man wrote:I'm trying chestnut in my hand-fired efm boiler after 33 years of wood. It's only for about 8 weeks of the coldest part of Winter for this experiment and for the other 10 months, it's back to wood. Let's see if $180 of coal, one ton, is worth the extra work of cutting and burning pallet wood.

Well that one ton of coal = 1-1/2 cords of wood as far as BTU value goes Plus you get ant skid from the coal ash in winter
time and a hell of lot less work then burning wood . What no more free Pallet wood from work Being your in the haven
building

2001Sierra · By: **2001Sierra** On: Mon Dec 13, 2010 12:27 am

Drop leg is actually a strut arm from my neighbors Ford Aerostar. Just so you know they do have a direction, when fabricating I had it facing with the piston in the other direction, and it acted weird. Now it moves smooth in both directions. Who would have thought :?:

stoker-man · By: **stoker-man** On: Mon Dec 13, 2010 6:52 am

No, I mean the chute on the bottom. It's low to the ground. What does it drop the coal into?

VigIIPeaBurner · By: **VigIIPeaBurner** On: Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:01 am

Looks like he's got a round tubular coal scuttel under the knife valve. The scuttel is sitting on the tray, right?

Short Bus · By: **Short Bus** On: Mon Dec 13, 2010 3:06 pm

It look's like a vertical drop tube and I assumed he pulled his hopper over a chute into the basment, but if this is the case he lost alot of storage area with that long vertical drop.

Still not sure what I'm looking at, but the coal scuttle, makes the most sense.

Scottscoaled · By: **Scottscoaled** On: Mon Jan 10, 2011 12:29 am

Well,,,,,, it's been a month

Nothing good to report?

After 33 years of exclusively wood heating, I'm trying coal

After 33 years of exclusively wood heating, I'm trying coal

Re: After 33 years of exclusively wood heating, I'm trying coal

Re: After 33 years of exclusively wood heating, I'm trying coal

Re: After 33 years of exclusively wood heating, I'm trying coal

Re: After 33 years of exclusively wood heating, I'm trying coal

Re: After 33 years of exclusively wood heating, I'm trying coal

Re: After 33 years of exclusively wood heating, I'm trying coal

Re: After 33 years of exclusively wood heating, I'm trying coal

Re: After 33 years of exclusively wood heating, I'm trying coal

Re: After 33 years of exclusively wood heating, I'm trying coal

Re: After 33 years of exclusively wood heating, I'm trying coal

Re: After 33 years of exclusively wood heating, I'm trying coal

Re: After 33 years of exclusively wood heating, I'm trying coal

Re: After 33 years of exclusively wood heating, I'm trying coal

Re: After 33 years of exclusively wood heating, I'm trying coal