Stove for elderly mother

I've been hanging over in the hand feds for years, as that's all I use in my house. But it seems I need to think about a fuel alternative for my mother and she is not up to handling a hand fed at this point. She's pushing 90 years old, still lives in her own house but isn't able to lift things as she used to. She's spending about $350 a month on fuel oil, this just can't go on... She lives in upstate New York, I'm sure I'll find a coal dealer close enough to her. Anyway, I think I need a stoker for her; here's what I'm looking at:

I'll need to install a stove in her house on the first floor where she can get at it. I'll need a thermostat controlled unit that is very simple to control. It's got to run for at least 24 hours without any attention, better longer. My sister lives up close to her, I'm way too far away to do anything. My brother-in-law is a freaking angel in disguise! He'd come over to take care of the stove without a problem. But he works real long hours. So I know I can count on him to take are of the stove for my mother, but that why I need the greater than 24 hours...

The stove has to be able to be functional when there is no power. Now, that can be OK to have more attention then, once in awhile that would work.

If you can give me feedback on units that sound like they'd be a good unit in this situation, I'd really appreciate it. Any question you may have for me to help in the suggestions, also let me know. The house is not big, maybe 1500 sq.ft. and pretty tight...

Thanks a lot,

dj

Alaska stoker II with a battery back up

Poconoeagle wrote:Alaska stoker II with a battery back up

What he said.................


Any stoker unit will NEED ELECTRICITY to run. That is their method of operation. They need an electric fan to push air up through the coal to burn it.

Any stoker will work, you will just have to have that battery backup to keep the combustion air flowing.



Rick

check out

coaljack alikat
leisure line pocono
alaska 140
hitzer 50-93


Some have bigger hoopers, some may even offer an auger option. Building an ash pit or ash auger can extend ash removal times on some stokers not sure if anything is possible on hand feds.

If you have extra money it may be worth a refurb efm set on low with hooper and auger. Maybe scrapper or Rob can help you.

Does her house have a chimney available to vent a stove? otherwise a powervent is required or installing a chimney..

If she has a chimney available, and the house is pretty small, then I'd look at the hopper fed Hitzer 'hand feed' stoves. they can go 24 hours between tending,if the burn rate [heat output] is fairly low.
They have a simple bimetal thermostat to control heat output..

And no electricity is needed, but most have a blower to wash heat off the stove, but the fire will continue to produce heat without electricity.

Something to look into.

Greg L

LsFarm wrote:Does her house have a chimney available to vent a stove? otherwise a powervent is required or installing a chimney..

If she has a chimney available, and the house is pretty small, then I'd look at the hopper fed Hitzer 'hand feed' stoves. they can go 24 hours between tending,if the burn rate [heat output] is fairly low.
They have a simple bimetal thermostat to control heat output..

And no electricity is needed, but most have a blower to wash heat off the stove, but the fire will continue to produce heat without electricity.

Something to look into.

Greg L

No chimney, that would be something I'd have to put in. I think it's actually easier to put in a chimney than a powervent just because of her set-up. I'm a little leery of the hopper fed hand fed stoves, as she lives in upstate NY and it gets real cold, running on low wouldn't likely be a good long term solution. Although, the nice part of the hand fed stoves is they run without power... What size coal will the Hitzers run? Pea? I'm thinking stoker for long burn times between tending and also because they tend to use small coal like rice. In a pinch I think my Mom could hand feed in small coal with a small hand scoop easier than larger coal sizes, although pea is pretty small. I'll have to look at it again, I haven't run pea in 2 or 3 years... She does loose power more often than I'd like... All good thoughts...

dj

I hate to be the Grimm Reaper here, but, contrair, contrair, a lot of variables even in coal units--wives calling hubby at work, hoppers all of a sudden catching fire, etc, etc. My Mom is 98 & I personally would be looking into something furnace wise, more efficient. I think that sometimes as avid coal burners, we might get a little stupid, sorry dlj, but how available is that Angel of yours, should a serious situation arise. And they do, sometimes arise. I'd probably feel pretty bad if I burnt my mother up in the middle of the night--my only suggestion would be a Coal-Jack with it's safety features. Come on Jim D help me out here.

That is a misconseption that a stoker will give a long burn time. the only time a stoker will out burn a hand fed is when the burn is low. Think of it this way if it takes 90lbs of coal to generate enough heat then that is what it takes. Does not matter which stove it comes from. So if your hopper only holds 100lbs you are getting pretty low. Now I think the LL pocono holds 200. But then you get into battery backup and the hole nine yards if the power goes out. Personaly I would go with the old harman mag, that deep coal bed is more foregiving during power outages.

Eric

So Eric, correct me if I'm wrong. This means that if the brother in law couldn't get to the MOM's in an emergency situation, you would be there to straighten out any problems??

freetown fred wrote:So Eric, correct me if I'm wrong. This means that if the brother in law couldn't get to the MOM's in an emergency situation, you would be there to straighten out any problems??

Potentially, I could hop in my truck and be there in 8 hours. So before the emergency happens let me know 8 hours in advance so I can be there on time



Eric

I hope you re-read what you just posted. I'm talking a safety situation, not a day trip. Maybe in my oldness, I'm missing something here

freetown fred wrote:I hope you re-read what you just posted. I'm talking a safety situation, not a day trip. Maybe in my oldness, I'm missing something here

I was being sarcastic, that is why I said let me know 8hours before so I could be there in time for the emergency. If you go with a stoker there it is, personally I would do something differant then the original plan



Eric

Well, WTF. There's no sarcastic Smiley. Yep, something way different!

the stoker II alaska has a 180# hopper and deep ash pan. comes with a t stat and is very adjustable. We put a new one in and fired it up last month. 3 bd room ranch. it just idles mostly and keeps the place toasty. used 80# rice from wed to sunday.

battery back up using a optima marine works great. this place has a widowed mom with 2 teens who are not mechanically inclined and they are thrilled with the ease of use and heat out put. they have always burned wood before thier dad passed

Jim d 's stoves look like a great choice also....

a little 2 kw honda or yamaha gen nearby would also be a wise investment. with all the needs for this situation i count about 5k investment total

2.5for stove1k for gen 1.2k for chimney 3hun for misc.......

5K investment , you could buy alot of fuel oil at that point. I don't know the health of this women, but one question comes to mind how much longer will she be living there? The best option may be to just leave it as is and if there is a problem with money just shoot a little cash her way


Eric