Vigilant 2310

Is it possible to set your stove up on the first floor. I tried to heat with a stove in the basement but I don't have the open stairway and floor plan my friend in Quebec has. The stove in my basement did a poor job of heating the house especially on the second floor. When I installed an identical stove on the first floor it worked out much better. My wife resisted to begin with but now she even tends the stove when I'm not home. (major progress here!) You are cosidering spending a fair ammount to insulate and unfinished basement. Would the effort of moving the stove upstairs give a greater payback in usable warmth where you live?

No way to get the stove to the first floor. The house is only 1100sqft.

The foil-faced, poly insulation I looked at online wasn't that expensive at all. I have no problem installing it, just still trying to see if it is going to be worth it. It looks as if the best application for the product is reflecting the heat back down like in an attic. I need to find someone (other than the manufacturer) who knows if the same insulation would make a big difference in a 1/2 height installation in my basement.

I'll know more tomorrow after the builder gets here. Like I said, he is swearing by the in-floor grates with low-voltage fans in them.

The builder came this morning and pointed out where he thought I should put the grates. He is confindent grates with no fans will be fine.

He also suggested I put the coal bin outside because of the dust caused by loading the bin and unloading it by the shovel full. I thought it would be ok downstairs.

Anybody else think a bin in the basement is a bad idea? I don't want a black layer of soot everywhere.

Personally I keep most of my anthracite outside. I put tarps out on the ground and have my supplier dump on them. I fill all the empty bags I've saved over the years and put them in my "wood shed". Then I fill my coal scuttles and about 10 five gallon pails. I only bring the filled coal scuttles in the house. I'll fill my 5 gallon plastic pails as needed from the coal on the ground until that is depleted. Eventually I'll get into the bagged coal. I don't have any BLACK COAL dust in my house. Dry coal will create lots of black dust coming down a shute or shoveling it into coal hods. Also I've heard that bituminous will slowly release volitales into the air. Not something I would want to breath every day. I know that doesn't apply to your situation. I do keep some "wet" coal in plastic bags in my basement for emergencies which haven't happened. I have considered an outside coal bin but after making due the way I have I decided it wasn't a necessity more like a choice. It would save me the trouble of bagging coal but I don't have a spot for it where a truck could get to it. I burn most of my coal on the first floor. A basement bin would add to my work as well as be a source of black dust. Everybodies situation is different. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the reply.

I have been reading about those who apply non-food grade vegtable oil to the coal before it is in the house to keep dust down. I found a post where one person had it in his basement and swore the oil coverd coal didn't have any dust from the coal dumping or loading into his stove.

I'm thinking this may be an option for me. I could spray the coal down before I move it into the basement with a chemical sprayer. Anyne else do this?