Where is the bulk Anthracite in MI ?

Hey all I'm new to this site and exploring my options of heating with coal. Bought a house SE MI (Fraser) with a Warm Morning model 420 in the basement. I know not a thing about burning coal, but I do know that $300.00 a month for natural gas is killing me.I know i have a lot of research to do. Hopefully with all your help I can get this done before it gets cold. So I'm interested in splitting some bulk if not starting to late.

Welcome to the group Babbajamin.

Wow, 300 a month for natural gas in Michigan is a lot of gas!!! It would seem to me that you need to weatherize a few things even if you do go to coal use. with the cost of shipping to the Midwest coal is not the best thing to be using, natural gas with the prices being so low is the way to go. Call your Natural gas supplier and see if they will come into your home and do an audit of your house to show you what needs to be done to save yourself lots of money. They might be able to even point you in the direction of how to apply for a free grant to help with the cost of insulation and what not.

I hope others will chime in with more info for you and I will see what I can come up with as far as a supplier in your area. But I will be honest here and say that you will most likely be paying around $300 to $400 a ton for coal. You will need to get someone in to make sure that the stove and chimney is in proper working order. Coal gas is deadly and does not give off any oder per say to let you know that levels will kill. Make sure you have at least 3 CO detectors that operate in the house. Get the chimney checked and make sure that the stove is on it's own chimney and not piggy backed to the furnace or a wood burning fireplace. Coal burns hot and dry and can easily set creosote on fire and burn you house down. Not trying to scare you, just trying to keep you and your family alive. Others should chime in and help you also. Come on fellas chime in!! lol

Thanks jeromemsn for the information. Sorry it took so long to respond but I'm doing what you sugested, weatherizing. My house was built in 1928 and there's no insulation what so ever in the walls. Thanks for the list of what I should do, it's a start. I dont know anything about burning coal but its something Im interested in. From reading other post I do see that it can cost a bit for a ton but how long would a ton last on average? Thank again for all you insight.

One ton of anthracite burned at 80% efficiency has roughly the heating equivalent of the following:

1) 5,777 KWH of electricity at 100% efficiency.

2) 164 gallons of #2 heating oil at 87% efficiency.

3) 229 gallons of propane at 94% efficiency.

4) 210 therms of natural gas at 94% efficiency.

So how far a ton of coal will take you is pretty much dependent upon how far you are getting on a given quantity of one of the above.

For example, if you typically used about 800 gallons of #2 heating oil per year, and if your oil burning furnace or boiler was 87% efficient, and your new coal burner is 80% efficient, you will typically use about 4.88 tons of anthracite a year. My guess is that most older oil burners are well below 87% efficiency. I can only pretty much guess at 80% efficiency for coal burning furnaces or boilers. Others with more knowledge regarding efficiencies are welcome to assist here.

Last season I bought mine bagged from Noble Supply on 8-Mile in Farmington Hills. This spring they quoted me $300/ton plus delivery, not real cheap. I'm in Hamtramck and have access to a 3/4 ton pickup and I'd be in for going in on part of a load. It'd have to be a reasonable distance for multiple loads. I think I need about 2 ton for the winter.

$300 per ton with delivery is pretty darn good for these parts! I get mine up in Clare, on my way to my U.P. house for what amounts to $308 per ton, incl tax, although I get 2400# at a time, since that's how Blaschak packages their coal. 60 40# bags per skid @ $367 per skid. I haul it myself in the bed of my Chevy 3500. I think it's now $380 per skid with the early fall price increase.

I live in Charlevoix and have been looking for a rice coal supplier to sell me a semi-truck load of wholesale loose or bagged coal in bulk for two years. Sent emails and voice mails to ALL of the major coal players in PA and beyond. I had one guy from Escanaba contact me to say he couldn't help and "Karen" from Blaschak emailed me as well. (5 WEEKS after I sent in the "contact us" form) Once she found out that I had already made my coal purchase (10 ton) for this year she never responded to my request for pricing, availability, etc. I emailed her two times after that and she still never responded. The last email I sent her included the sentence.... "please provide me the professionalism of a response..." And she still NEVER responded. Incredible.

I'm getting my coal out of "Hershbergers Hardware" in Clare but that's almost 3 hours South of me. Good price though and the delivery (Greenway) is reasonable as well. I used to buy my supply from another guy selling coal in that area, however, he is an ASS and I decided to take my business elsewhere.

I any event, I am STILL looking for a level 1 supplier that will sell me a semi-truck load of wholesale loose or bagged coal in bulk for next season, delivered in spring of 2012. I'm thinking 20-30 tons. If anyone can help, please let me know.

Hey bbnx, just for the heck of it, try contacting Premium Fine Coal, Inc. aka American Premium Coal Sales.

They are located in Tamaqua, Penna. Ask for Peggy 1-877-386-4987

I heard they are shipping all over the creation, and she may be able to help you out.

Good Luck Ron

Thanks! I will call her tomorrow.

We are just a few miles south of the MI border, here in Indiana (Shipshewana, IN) and there are about a half dozen coal dealers in the area. I filled my bin in august at $211 a ton. Prices are surely higher now. Bagged was runing around $240 when I bought my bulk. Good clean coal here. If you want the name & number of a coal yard or two, private message me. St Joseph County (around centerville) may have some coal yards too, there is also an amish community there.

Not Michigan, but close. The amish community in north eastern indiana has several coal yards. Some are:

1. Otto's Coal Yard and Stoves - Kenneth Otto. DS Machine dealer. Nut and rice in bulk and 50# bags. He bags his bulk and resells it. He has a truck with elevator and does deliver for a reasonable fee. He also has a skid on site and will load up your truck. 10435W 50N, Middlebury, IN 46540 - (260)768-4977 Ext 2. He's amish so it's a voicemail and you'll have to leave a message.

2. Miller's Coleman and Variety - Hitzer dealer. They only carry the 40# bags of Blaschak in Nut or Pea. They do not deliver, it's pick only. 6220 S. 300 W, Topeka, IN 46571 - (260) 593-2861. Also Amish so you'll have to leave them a message. They are closed on Thursdays.

3. Topeka Coal Sales - Nut and pea in bulk or 50# bags. The advertise that it's very clean coal. 617 N. Main St, Topkea, IN 46571 (574) 642-1188 also a voicemail so you will need to leave a message.

4. Topeka Seed & Stove. Not sure of their address. They are across the street from the livestock auction in Topeka, IN. Their stove and accessory prices are always very high, so I haven't bothered checking out their coal prices. But they do sell coal. (260) 593-2407

5. Ora Bontrager Coal - Blaschak Coal in bags. By the bag or by the skid (60 bags). 3175 W 050 N, LaGrange, IN - Voicemail is 260-463-4224.

Jeromemsn,

Hello, I'm in Cassopolis on Decatur road north of Diamond Lake so we are fairly close. I'm making the switch from wood to coal and wanted to find out about where to bulk buy coal and had some questions about running and maintaining coal stoves. I'm really good with wood stoves and I want to be just as knowledgeable with coal stoves for safety concerns and to get the most out of the coal. I look forward to hearing from you. I tried the PM but it was confusing.

BPatrick