Takin`the plunge

Looks like my wife and I are making the dive into coal.I have researched all I can and now throwing this at the folks who have done it.Our current setup is a coldstart Pensotti oil boiler,75,000 btu net, a Rannai on demand hotwater heater and a Hotblast hot air wood furnace.
Taking out the wood and looks like we will be installing a KAA-2 Keystoker.The install should be pretty straightforward as the two boilers will be pretty much back to back. Our home is a 1974,1500 sq.ft. ranch with many updates.Just the wife and I,no kids home,and we would like to have coal heat that my wife can operate as well. Let me know your thoughts and opinions as well.Thanks all....

Welcome!
You won't regret the move to coal heat!

Get the DHW coil. If it's burning, you might as well make DHW.

The thought did occur to me, no sense in wasting the free hotwater....Thanks for the "WARM" welcome...

Nothing is free, and domestic hot water (DHW) places a much larger demand upon a boiler than most would ever imagine.

Lets consider 3 GPM of hot water at 120 degrees F. and flowing for 20 minutes (a nice long teenagers shower, or two back to back more normal showers). Incoming water at 50 degrees F.:

120 - 50 = 70 degrees of temperature elevation.

3 GPM x 8.34 lbs/gal = 25 bs. of water per minute. 25 lbs./min. x 20 minutes = 500 lbs. of hot water

1 BTU = 1 degree of rise for 1 lb. of water (by definition)

500 lbs. of water x 70 degrees of rise = 35,000 BTU's

Continue that same 3 GPM flow of hot water for one straight hour, and your boiler would need to be rated for 105,000 BTU's per hour of "output" (not input, which most boilers are rated at) just for hot water alone, not considering any demand for your homes heat requirements.

O.K.

I was searching and looking for the BTU calculation method for producing DHW while you were typing the last post. Thought I would add this thread also.
Ballpark coal consumption for various DHW tasks

So what would be more economical,coal at $350 per ton or propane at $2.45 per gallon? Just the wife and I, some laundry and daily showers.

mope#2 wrote:So what would be more economical,coal at $350 per ton or propane at $2.45 per gallon? Just the wife and I, some laundry and daily showers.

Coal!

If Downeast is as far downeast as I am, coal is still cheaper then anything. I have the coil in my VF-3000 and it works fine, just the boiler is undersized for my house. Don't make the same mistake as others, figure your heating and DHW needs and get the right size boiler. You wont be disappointed. Plenty of help in here from experts.

kevin

During the hearing season, coal wins by a mile. For just summer DHW, propane may be more economical...or at least close in cost. Does your Peerless boiler run on propane?

We have a Pensotti oil boiler,cold start, and a rannai on demand propane water heater.We will more than likely use the propane during the summer as we are usually gone a lot from home and couldn`t maintain the coal..

Hell yeah, I shut mine down for at least 6 months, more like 7 actually. I have a regular propane hot water heater but the cost is not enough to keep coal burning all summer! I start in Oct. if cold enough and go until it gets warm. That is a variable as you know. Thinking of shutting down anytime now. Shortest heating season ever for me.

Kevin

Welcome to the World of Black Rocks!
First, advise Rob that your boiler is a Pensotti, a very fine European style boiler. Similar to Budureus and Biasi boilers from a land where home heating oil is about 8 bucks a gallon.
You must have a hot water baseboard or radiant system, and I'm here to tell you that you might need more boiler than the Kaa2. The little keystoker is a very fine unit and extremely reliable, well made and affordable.
DHW will drag it down somewhat, and simply cause longer 'run times'. Perhaps you might be a little short on btu production a few days a year.
There are some other options out there that might keep you warmer without any lack of btu production.
I know how bone-chilling it is 'downeast' in the 'other 3 seasons', so I'll PM you with a few options as I see them. You aren't down in Calais are you?
You might PM member 'sterlingman' up in Ft Kent who says the polar bears can't stand the cold where he is! He has a Keystoker Polar Bear warming hut ...well that's what his wife calls it.....Bob has a K-6 Keystoker and a very good ahndle on what it takes to stay affordably warm upwind of 'downeast' Member 'Klook' is close to you also, and he has a VF3000 Harman stoker boiler. You won't be alone in your desire to not pay for a 'turban of two'. Keep the money within the borders, and get to know some fine folks in Pennsylvania. By the way they have plenty of trucks to deliver their product, so 'getting product ' is NOT an issue.

It has been a decent winter here in the downeast, looking at the brown ground now. 50 degrees popping up once in awhile.Definitely looking forward to the coal thing and keeping my dollar here though..Thats another topic for another day!!