Source of Bagged Coal in Ontario, Canada

I am looking for a source of bagged coal for a vintage 1920s coal-burning fireplace in my home. I have been successfully (if not conveniently) burning wood in it for years, but I would like to try coal if I can. I have searched the forums here but I have found no mention of dealers in Ontario. Because of that, I guess I can't be too picky about type (bit or anthracite) or size (although I guess pea might be the smallest I could go, as the slots in my grate are 7/16").

I live in London, Ontario, which is about 2 hours east of Detroit, and about 2-1/2 hours west of Buffalo. It would be great if I could find a source either in Southwestern Ontario or near the Toronto area. Failing that, I guess I will have to pick something up in NY or maybe MI or OH.

john_new wrote:I am looking for a source of bagged coal for a vintage 1920s coal-burning fireplace in my home. I have been successfully (if not conveniently) burning wood in it for years, but I would like to try coal if I can. I have searched the forums here but I have found no mention of dealers in Ontario. Because of that, I guess I can't be too picky about type (bit or anthracite) or size (although I guess pea might be the smallest I could go, as the slots in my grate are 7/16").

I live in London, Ontario, which is about 2 hours east of Detroit, and about 2-1/2 hours west of Buffalo. It would be great if I could find a source either in Southwestern Ontario or near the Toronto area. Failing that, I guess I will have to pick something up in NY or maybe MI or OH.

Have you done any research on using coal in a fireplace? I have because I was thinking about doing it in a fireplace I have in a small out of the way room. Apparently, it's not easy. Anthracite doesn't burn well in an open fire place because it likes a deep coalbed in a tight well contained area with the ability to get all the air from under the fire. The answer to that is a "coal basket" but I could only find them in England. The basket is still way to open for anthracite. A fireplace has no way to control the burn either so you use a lot of coal fast. From what I've read, bit does better but not by much. I could only find the baskets in England on the internet. If you do manage to get a coal fire going you will lose a lot of heat up the chimney. A fire place is the least economical way to heat your house.

Truly the way to get the most out of your heating dollar is to use your chimney to install a coal stove. That way you can control the burn and keep most of the heat in your house. Good Luck, Lisa

I have done some research, but I am at the initial stages. Some of the "How to light a coal fire" websites show coal being burned with a coal basket in a fireplace, but they don't say what type of coal to use. It's probably bit, as it seems the coal fires are burning more like a wood fire that uses an over-the-coals draft.

However, the fireplace I have is, I believe, purpose-built for coal (although I could be wrong). It is small, measuring only 6" deep and 16" wide. It has both a damper at the top of the chamber where the flue starts, as well as a sliding plate at the fireplace opening that will limit (but not entirely close off) the over-the-coals airflow. The bottom grate is about 4" off the hearth; below this there is an ash-drawer that could also be used to regulate the flow of air from underneath the grates into the coal bed. The front grate extends to about 8" above the bottom grate. I've attached a couple of pictures of the fireplace.

As for anthracite vs. bit, I guess anthracite could be stacked to form a deep coal bed, but not very well; the grates at the front of the fireplace are quite widely spaced and wouldn't hold in anything smaller than about 2". Much of the combustion air could come from underneath, as is necessary for anthracite. But from my limited understanding of burning coal, I agree that bit might fare better in this setup.

I should say that I'm not trying to heat the house with this fireplace, I just want to add some warmth to the room and a bit of old-world ambiance. As I said, I've been happily burning wood in it for years, but I would like to try the coal.

Hi, john new, welcome to the forum. Quite rare to have Canadians here. I don't know if he can help you but he imports Blashak anthracite for the Qc.
www.produitsjl.com
keep us inform and good luck

Thanks. I will put him on my list of contacts.

You're right, there don't seem to be many Canadians on this forum. Coal has gone out of fashion in Canada, probably because of the availability of natural gas. But obviously at one time it was popular; my house still has the coal storage room, which is where I now store all of my fireplace wood, and the coal chute (which is how the wood gets into the coal room).

That looks like a coal burning fireplace that they have in England. It burns bituminous coal. I am not familiar with Ontario, However you say that you are two hours east of Detroit. About an hour north of Detroit is Flint, Michigan. Streat fuel sells Bituminous coal that may work in your fireplace. We want to see pictures of burning coal in your fireplace.

Streat Fuel & Storage
800 Erie StFlint,MI48507-1615 (map)
(810) 232-0167
http://www.streatfuel.com




*

Thanks for the information. Another contact on my list!

My fireplace does look like the ones in England. Thanks for the confirmation that it burns bituminous coal.

I have done some more searching, and it seems that a blacksmith about an hour from me imports coal from the US and distributes 70lb bags through a Canadian hardware store chain (Home Hardware). On his website, he mentions that, "This coal comes from Virginia and is in my experience the best forging coal in North America," but goes on to say, "Note, this coal is bituminous not anthracite. Types of anthracite are sometimes called stove or furnace coal and as the name implies suitable for home heating. Blacksmithing coal is much different in structure and not suitable in a wood stove."

Is blacksmithing/forging coal completely unsuitable for a fireplace? If I give him a call, what questions should I ask him to determine if If the bit he sells is a possibility?

john_new wrote:Thanks for the information. Another contact on my list!

My fireplace does look like the ones in England. Thanks for the confirmation that it burns bituminous coal.

I have done some more searching, and it seems that a blacksmith about an hour from me imports coal from the US and distributes 70lb bags through a Canadian hardware store chain (Home Hardware). On his website, he mentions that, "This coal comes from Virginia and is in my experience the best forging coal in North America," but goes on to say, "Note, this coal is bituminous not anthracite. Types of anthracite are sometimes called stove or furnace coal and as the name implies suitable for home heating. Blacksmithing coal is much different in structure and not suitable in a wood stove."

Is blacksmithing/forging coal completely unsuitable for a fireplace? If I give him a call, what questions should I ask him to determine if If the bit he sells is a possibility?

I have seen blacksmithing coal before It is usually the same size as anthracite pea coal. What I have seen about burning coal in an open fireplace is that You may need much larger pieces. Watch this video. Notice the lumps are much larger than you will find in a blacksmith shop for blacksmithing.

mistake

This is an example of Bituminous coal for a fireplace.

That is the size that I had pictured in my mind when I thought of burning coal in a fireplace. Now I just have to find some!

Just don't eat the yellow snow!

john_new wrote:My fireplace does look like the ones in England. Thanks for the confirmation that it burns bituminous coal.

That's so cool! It sounds like all you need to do is take a trip for coal. I'm jealous. Don't forget a good CO monitor. Keep us updated and post lots of pictures. Good Luck, Lisa

I know of a coal dealer in portville, ny...they deal in bagged and bulk coal and also different kinds for your furnace or fireplace.

Non-coking bituminous coal is what is used in a fireplace like that. I have what you need- a good KY lump coal. If you're ever in the Buffalo, NY area, stop by and I'll give you some. PM me and I'll give you my number. I can also ship you some, but it will be for novelty only as it will cost about $15 per 20lbs for shipping.