Got the Word Today: No Coal

Yep, I got the word straight from my domestic supervisor (wife); no burning coal when her mother and father stays over in two weeks. I told her I already put the sign up on the door, "No Menopausal People Allowed."

As I type this, I am in the farthest room away from the coal stove, and it is a cool 76 degrees in here. Out in the kitchen...I have no idea how hot it is, but our butter, which typically is left in a butter tub on a shelf, has long melted into a puddle of oil, and we use real salted butter!! The floor in front of the stove is barely tolerable with bare feet, and I literally was breaking a sweat while eating supper...which is a room removed from the stove.

I told the wife, just as long as my hand is on that coal stove door, YOU WON"T BE COLD!

But in two weeks her parents will be staying with us, and they have oil heat. They also have little money and have yet to turn their heat on this season...they live in New Hampshire in the North Country. When they do, they set the thermostat at 62 degrees. When we go to their place in the winter...we FREEZE. I asked her last time if it would be rude to bring an electric heater, electric blanket and extra blankets with us? She said it would be. I am thinking they need to get a coal stove, stop paying 2 grand in oil, and be comfortable...or at least go the other way like me and have the house hotter than hades!

Sounds like the inlaws are not used to a house being so warm.

I wouldn't turn the coal off, that would be a battle if it were me.

As far as them getting coal how old are they? Coal isn't exactly ideal for older people. My Grandmother still has coal but she hasn't seen the boiler in 15 years because she can't go down the steps and probably hasn't put coal on it in 30 years. It's kind of humorous because when I lost customers when I was delivering it was usually due to old age or they died.

it would be nice of you to show the inlaws how to have a nice comfy and cozy house without spending half your salary doing it

My house I'll heat it in any fashion I choose, they choose to heat their house their way with out your interference.

Might be a good compromise & mellow out on the sauna concept.

Melted butter? Maybe you could back it down a little?

Rob R. wrote:Melted butter? Maybe you could back it down a little?

Truthfully that warm would drive me nuts. I like it right around 70 and wouldn't have an issue with 60 even during the day.

I couldn't get my house that warm unless it was 80° outside! Coal or no coal!

SMITTY wrote:I couldn't get my house that warm unless it was 80° outside! Coal or no coal!

My stove is in my downstairs 4-season sun room. That room will be around 85 degrees on the coldest day in N. Vermont (where it gets wicked cold)...the rest of the house will be 65-70 with just the stove going.

Good insulation and good windows go a long way I guess. My stove isn't that big...only around 25K BTU normally (though I think its max heat is around 30K if it was going full blast).

Damn, seem to have lost NoSmoke. I hope he didn't melt.

I know I would have at those temps! That's thermonuclear territory as far as this house is concerned ...

Davian wrote: .... Good insulation and good windows go a long way I guess. ....

Yeah I had a crash-course in that fact the first winter we spent here. It was WAY worse before I fixed most of the leaks too, if you can believe that one. That first winter we toasted 4 tanks of black gold just to keep the house at about 58° all winter. The hell with that!

That would be the day I would let anybody tell me how to heat my house. I told my family (about 15 people) that I was trying coal this year ,they think I'm crazy as hell. They think I'll get "the black lung" just loading the boiler,little do they know l'll have my wife do it. Good luck with the outlaws

Rob R. wrote:Maybe you could back it down a little?

↑↑What he said↑↑

NoSmoke wrote:The floor in front of the stove is barely tolerable with bare feet

If there is combustible material around the stove that you cannot hold your hand on indefinitely, then it's too hot and is a potential fire hazard.