How much coal are you burning?

Hey guys. I'm new to the coal burning world ( 1st season) I realize there is a million factors to how much coal you burn but I'm curious on how much everyone is using. I'm currently going through 4-5 5 gallon pails a day. It seems like a lot to me but I'm still trying to get my detached garage up to temp for the first time and the return water is only like 60 degrees so the boiler is constantly running. I'd love to hear how much coal most are using this time of year

Hey Matt, everyone has a different "normal", but you already mentioned that. I burned 120 lbs yesterday, and that was the most I have burned in a single day so far this season. I'm heating 3500 sq. ft of basement & 2 story house, most of which is 100 yrs old...that also included hot water for 3 people. If you are trying to get a radiant slab up to temperature, that is definitely going to put a load on the boiler. I hope you aren't returning 60 degree water straight to the boiler.

There are SO many variables. Sq feet, insulation (or lack thereof) Type of burning machine, type of coal... all the things add up. You are burning a lot, but until you get your slab up to temp all bets are off on guessing what you might use. Then if you want us to guess we'll need to know more details. I can promise you one thing..... it'll cost less for coal than for the oil to do the same job!

I run about 5 ton a year through an Axeman Anderson 130 heating a 30 by 50 foot ranch, basement, & non-attached two car garage.

Like like Freddy said, too many variables and too many different types of heating situations. If it's really cold outside (20 or below) I can easily burn thru 80-100#'s. I would think most of us on the average use 30-60#/day depending on house size temps, etc....I got thru about 4-6+ ton a winter, running 2 stoves (Keystoker and Hyfire)

Look up the Thread for COAL USAGE, you will many different numbers.....

Once you get the slab up to temp, you usage should go down, it should maintain nicely.

Geeze, I wish I could help with this, but, being an old antiquated hand fired kind guy heating a 2400 sq 200 yr old farmhouse with a HITZER 50-93 & going through 3 ton of nut per year to stay at a toasty 72-74*, I suppose I'll have to leave all you girly-guys guesstimateing on this one. Oh, did I mention my $40.00 a month elec bill for lighting, well pump, & 50 gal. hot water??? I know, it ain't easy being un-HIP here on the hill. Well, with all that goofin with you, I've got to look at the fact that in a few days, I am heading into my 67th yr. whodathunkit. It's all been tit since coming back from the NAM at 21. Have a Happy, healthy, safe New Years my friends. Freddy my good friend, how the hell did you end up in New York on a Monday

freetown fred wrote:Geeze, I wish I could help with this, but, being an old antiquated hand fired kind guy heating a 2400 sq 200 yr old farmhouse with a HITZER 50-93 & going through 3 ton of nut per year to stay at a toasty 72-74*

Ever tried getting the basement floor and walls up to 80 degrees?

freetown fred wrote:......... I've got to look at the fact that in a few days, I am heading into my 67th yr. whodathunkit. .......

Congrats Fred - Happy Birthday & Thanks for your service!


We have about 1,600 sq.ft. of drafty dumpage here. I go through between 4.5-5.5 tons per year in my hand fired Mark III, depending on how long that "year" is -- for example, last season I started burning earlier, and ended later, than ever before. 5.5 tons that winter - a record so far. But that also allowed me to go a record 15 months on the same tank of oil for DHW ( keep in mind, I have HW coils tied into the oil boiler). Ends up being 1/3 of what it would cost burning just oil ... and that's with a warm basement, and 8° warmer in the house on average too. Can't beat that.

When we first moved in, we heated with oil the first & second floors of the house. Basement was cold - no heat down there at the time. We went through 4 tanks of oil ( average fillup 230 gallons ) keeping the house no warmer than 62° on the weekends. All week, the house was 56°, then turned up to 58° when we got home. Miserable ... and STILL expensive! There's just no comparing oil vs. coal in this house!

Thanks guys. I'm not complaining just trying to figure out how it's doing. I know the previous owner spent $6000 on propane last year to heat the place. Since April 1st I've spent approx $1200 on propane and it wasn't cold yet. I bought 11 tons of buckwheat so I'm not worrying about running out. I also had a indirect water heater installed so I'm not using any propane and that is a wonderful feeling. If things go right the unit will pay for itself in 2-3 years. How can you beat that.

Rob R. wrote:

freetown fred wrote:Geeze, I wish I could help with this, but, being an old antiquated hand fired kind guy heating a 2400 sq 200 yr old farmhouse with a HITZER 50-93 & going through 3 ton of nut per year to stay at a toasty 72-74*

Ever tried getting the basement floor and walls up to 80 degrees?

Hey Rob. I keep my basement at 60 and trying to get the garage up to 50 just to keep it bare able and melt snow off vehicles. I will be happy when everything equalizes out and just has to keep up. I'm def loving the benefits and cost savings of coal

It takes a solid 24 hours here to heat up all the rock, dirt, & water in my basement. The good part of all that is if I get lazy & let the stove burn too long, the basement is like a giant heat sink. Keeps the house comfortable for hours with no aid from the stove. That's quite the feat in this place. Sometimes it will take 3 hours or more for the stove to start putting out heat if I let it go too long before a reload.

SMITTY, calm down my young friend- I only said I was HEADING INTO that yr. God knows it sneaks by quick enough. I'll know precisely when because sterling40man is right on top of that dept.

SMITTY wrote:

freetown fred wrote:......... I've got to look at the fact that in a few days, I am heading into my 67th yr. whodathunkit. .......

Congrats Fred - Happy Birthday & Thanks for your service!


We have about 1,600 sq.ft. of drafty dumpage here. I go through between 4.5-5.5 tons per year in my hand fired Mark III, depending on how long that "year" is -- for example, last season I started burning earlier, and ended later, than ever before. 5.5 tons that winter - a record so far. But that also allowed me to go a record 15 months on the same tank of oil for DHW ( keep in mind, I have HW coils tied into the oil boiler). Ends up being 1/3 of what it would cost burning just oil ... and that's with a warm basement, and 8° warmer in the house on average too. Can't beat that.

When we first moved in, we heated with oil the first & second floors of the house. Basement was cold - no heat down there at the time. We went through 4 tanks of oil ( average fillup 230 gallons ) keeping the house no warmer than 62° on the weekends. All week, the house was 56°, then turned up to 58° when we got home. Miserable ... and STILL expensive! There's just no comparing oil vs. coal in this house!

For December I'm burning about 47 lbs. per day on average (so far, with a very mild winter here to date), while heating a 1,680 sq-ft ranch upstairs, and also an 840 sq-ft family room downstairs (in the finished basement), and keeping the 2 car attached garage at 45 degrees. My coal boiler also supplies the homes DHW. My house was made in 1964 and it has had some insulation added to the upstairs walls and attic. Doors and windows are in need of replacement. Overall I'm on a pace to go through about 4.75 to 5 tons of coal during the heating season (assuming that this winter will suddenly become normal). I'm guessing that it probably amounts to roughly 4.25 tons for heat and 0.75 tons for hot water.

My basement with 2" styro over all windows & having skimmed the stone walls PLUS 2" styro between floor joists/trees just with my elec. water heater on, it stays around 50-55*

Been burning since nov 27,1600 lbs.Stove is in the basement heating 3400 sq foot ranch

Harman Mk I in the basement of a 70's raised ranch, roughly 1500sq ft heated to 70 degrees. I started burning just after Halloween and will go until the end of February at least on just over a ton of stove coal.

If it gets cold from here on out, maybe a ton and a half. It's been pretty much one hod a day. Maybe 30 pounds?