New Home Owner Looking for my first coal Heating Solution

Hey Gang, well am not exactly new but am back, recently had the ink dried on my new home purchase and i've been here before just soaking up information on alternative heating and making the jump to coal. Just looking for some direction as you can imagine a first home purchase can be daunting $$$$$. i've definitely been a strong advocate for coal and alternative heating over /oil/propane.
So enough with the introduction, am looking to purchase a CoalFurnace to provide Heat and HotWater. But won't break the bank am looking to heat 3500 square feet home. Any and all suggestion and assistance greatly appreciated. i know there's a wealth of knowledge here thanks all. Side note am in the North Eastern PA section. Near Stroudsburg PA

if you are near Stroudsburg, check availability of Natural gas first, someone told me the gas company are easy to deal with and they'll install the pipes to your place if you are close by a tap point.

On the other hand, no matter how much you'll save on heat by using coal, the crooks at the court house of Monroe county, will siphon from you in form of property and school taxes.

for 3500 Square feet, your best option is an EFM or a similar unit, and Glenn Harris seems to always have some on hand, without you having to pay the retail price.

Believe me if Natural Gas was available i'd be on it over Propane. Everything up here is so Monopolized , need to get of the greed grid. Am looking to do a coal furnace for hot water using a heat exchanger in the duct but primarily looking for top efficany. i'll take a look at your suggestion and do some research, but i've been looking at the prices for these furnaces its out there $$$$$, and yet still cheaper than this propane bill.

You have several coal companies there to get your coal from. People's Coal is one of the companies there. Up here in Pike County where I am, there may be gas service somewhere, but; not anywhere near where I live.
You could get an inexpensive stove to make do until you have the big bucks to get a central unit. If I were you I would get off of the propane as quickly as possible.

What do you guys think about a Vented fireplace insert for the time being before i commit to a FURNACE / OR Boiler. am still a little lost on my best option. Long term am thinking Either a boiler so that i can use the heat exchange thru the duct work but if i understand i can do the same for the furnace.

what about a Insert i've got a large fireplace vented fireplace.

My hitzer 983 insert has heated our 3500 square foot house this winter so far. No oil heat needed so far. If you have a full masonry chimney this insert might work for you. Hand feeding is really not a chore, 5-10 minutes in the morning and 5-10 minutes at night. I paid about $2300.0 plus tax installed. I'm looking at EFM or Axeman boilers but don't think I'll need one. It would be REALLY NICE, but the payback to simply make cheaper hot water would would take decades. Maybe when I get older and lazier or when the oil boiler goes I'll more seriously consider a stoker boiler......with oil back up. Oh, the 983 will burn wood also! It comes in a single door model for coal mostly or a double door model with over fire vents and under fire vents for wood and coal. I have the double door model. LOVE IT!

Take a look down at the bottom of the Forum Board Index and check out the classified ads. There are several good stoves listed there for good prices. If you are new to the area, you will find that this Winter has been very mild compared to what we normally have up here. It also depends on your elevation. It can be five degrees or more in temperature differance from the bottom of the mountain where I live and the top. There have been lots of occasions where it is raining in the valley and snowing like heck up on top of the hill where I live.

So here's the unit am thinking of. http://www.starbrickstoves.com/acatalog ... TU_s_.html
It absolutely expensive but I'd work with a good used unit if i can get the price down. I could use it in conjunction to heat the hot water reduce the use of the propane for the boiler. That is the dream am thinking, feedback welcome/suggestion welcome.

Update: or a VF3000 Coal Boiler
http://www.harmanstoves.com/Products/VF ... oiler.aspx

DellPoconoPA wrote:So here's the unit am thinking of. http://www.starbrickstoves.com/acatalog ... TU_s_.html
It absolutely expensive but I'd work with a good used unit if i can get the price down. I could use it in conjunction to heat the hot water reduce the use of the propane for the boiler. That is the dream am thinking, feedback welcome/suggestion welcome.

Thats a K6 but that price seems like way to much. I thought for a direct vent they were around $5600 I would call a dealer and see what they cost.



Eric

DellPoconoPA wrote:So here's the unit am thinking of. http://www.starbrickstoves.com/acatalog ... TU_s_.html
It absolutely expensive but I'd work with a good used unit if i can get the price down. I could use it in conjunction to heat the hot water reduce the use of the propane for the boiler. That is the dream am thinking, feedback welcome/suggestion welcome.

The summer is coming, this should drop to half of what he is asking , this is a hot air unit, but it should give you an idea of what's available outside the dealers network

http://altoona.craigslist.org/for/2823204577.html

Dell - I second Carbon12's vote for the Hitzer 983 insert. The 983 is a powerfull stove that should serve you well. My situation may be similar to yours, except with oil, in that I have an oil-fired forced air furnace and an oil-fired hot water heater. Rather that spending a large amount money on a new coal fired heat and hot water system, I opted for coal heat and oil-fired hot water. The cost of the oil to heat my hot water is negligible as compared to the cost of an entirely new sytem. Since I bought my stove used and did my own small refurbishing job it paid for itself in oil savings in less than two months. Just my thoughts - it's all about staying warm and saving money. Take care, CW

Thanks Coal Wrangler , appreciate the feedback, I appreciate all the help guys. Thats my silver lining the fact that the summer is coming and i can look for a good deal before next season.

is that Hitzer 983 insert compatiable with an already existing Vent. or would i need to build out a chimney pipe.?>

I just noticed the list price of a VF 3000....6700 and that is with no options. Someone is getting a FAT paycheck on that rig. A Keystoker K-8 is less that that and 6 times the machine. WTF!!!! Harmon must issue several tubes of 'install lubricant' right at the dealership, because that is more than fair for such a gouging!!!!! Common sense is not prevailing in their marketing plan.