Need a combination wood/coal fireplace insert recomendation

I live in Western NY and heat mostly with wood. I would like to add the ability to burn coal so that I can keep the fire going thru the night. I was wondering if anybody could reccomend a combo wood/coal fireplace insert? (I don't have the room for a freestanding stove and need to use the existing fireplace opening? any problems burning coal with a clay/terracotta flue?

Frank B. wrote: any problems burning coal with a clay/terracotta flue?

I can answer that, No trouble at all. Anthracite coal chimney stays just as clean as if you burning gas or oil. There's 0 build up on the chimney walls except for fine layer of fly ash that doesn't accumulate. Check it once a year for obstructions as you should any chimney, besides that the flue is pretty much maintenance free. This info is for anthracite only, soft coal may be different, I wouldn't know.

The only difference is that you will get a fly-ash build up in the bottom of the chimney and the exhaust pipe coming off the furnace/stove. There should be a clean out area below where you insert the exhaust pipe into the chimney to accommodate for this. Clean it out occasionally, same with the exhaust pipes. We do it once a year but have a 20 inch exhaust pipe and flue entrance. If need be I could allow it to go for 2 or 3 years, but would never consider that.

How much you need to clean this out depends. If you new to burning coal check it every few months until you know how often you need to do this. It is very important that you do this. Nearly every accidental death due to carbon monoxide poisoning is the end result of poor or non-existent maintenance. Properly maintained, a coal heated unit is just as safe as anything else, I would even argue safer in some cases such as compared to gas or wood. You don't have to worry about gas leaks as far as gas is concerned or chimney fires for wood.

In the end proper maintenance and care should be taken no matter what your using to heat your house.

I've been looking at this also, but as far as I know there is no such beast. Coal and wood simply are different animals, and EPA certified wood stoves won't burn coal, and coal stoves, while they probably will burn wood, they will do so poorly and inefficiently. The only coal insert that I've come across is this: http://www.harmanstoves.com/callouts.asp?id=17. It looks very nice, just won't work for me since my fire place is a 0 clearance Majestic. The Harmon won't fit.

If you find any other inserts for coal, PLEASE post them here. I'd love to know if you do find one. Especially that would fit and be certified to install in my majestic.

Thanks, Warren

I'm not awre of any particular models but I do know they make combo units. I have a few customers using those outside furnaces that you burn anything in including live wood. Usually they burn the coal during the coldest parts of the year so they don't have to keep throwing wood in the unit.

wg_bent wrote:I've been looking at this also, but as far as I know there is no such beast. Coal and wood simply are different animals, and EPA certified wood stoves won't burn coal, and coal stoves, while they probably will burn wood, they will do so poorly and inefficiently. The only coal insert that I've come across is this: http://www.harmanstoves.com/callouts.asp?id=17. It looks very nice, just won't work for me since my fire place is a 0 clearance Majestic. The Harmon won't fit.

If you find any other inserts for coal, PLEASE post them here. I'd love to know if you do find one. Especially that would fit and be certified to install in my majestic.

Thanks, Warren

After a little searching, I think I might have found an insert that can do coal/wood It is a Hitzer #983 If you want a coal only insert they also make a #503 http://www.hitzer.com (made in USA as well)

I looked at that and the problem is the Hizter is too large. This site IS one of the first that Pops up when you do a "coal heat" search on Google...I hope some of the appliance manufactures look at this forum from time to time.

Here's a hint guys: make a small insert that will fit into a 0 clearance fire place. Your competition smaller wood inserts: Small Quada-fire, Osburn, Napoleon, Pacific-Energy.

I don't believe either the Hitzer nor the Harmon will fit into a 0 clearance fireplace, even a very large one like the 42" Majestic that I have. Ease of installation and cost are key factors here. The Idea of coal as a heat source is very appealing to me, especially since it's a whole lot easier to deal with than wood. So I'm appealing to the marketing guys sense of "there's dollars to be made" Make a small insert...I think you'll sell a pile of em.

I'd even be willing to test out a model or two for ya!!

wg_bent wrote:I looked at that and the problem is the Hizter is too large. This site IS one of the first that Pops up when you do a "coal heat" search on Google...I hope some of the appliance manufactures look at this forum from time to time.

Here's a hint guys: make a small insert that will fit into a 0 clearance fire place. Your competition smaller wood inserts: Small Quada-fire, Osburn, Napoleon, Pacific-Energy.

I don't believe either the Hitzer nor the Harmon will fit into a 0 clearance fireplace, even a very large one like the 42" Majestic that I have. Ease of installation and cost are key factors here. The Idea of coal as a heat source is very appealing to me, especially since it's a whole lot easier to deal with than wood. So I'm appealing to the marketing guys sense of "there's dollars to be made" Make a small insert...I think you'll sell a pile of em.

I'd even be willing to test out a model or two for ya!!

What is your current source of heat? do you want a small insert to supplement your current source or do you want to entirely heat with coal? What is the size of the area you need to heat?

I currently heat with oil. two zones, one upper, one lower. The house is a two story with a 1 story Living room at one end. Cathedral Ceiling with ceiling fan. Two entrances into the LR. both around 5' wide. One entrance into dining room the other into foyer and stairs diretly outside of the foyer entrance. Overall, not too bad for wood/coal stove usage I believe. I've seen worse. Given the distance of the Master br from the stairs, I expect to use a little oil to suppliment the upstairs, but I'd expect the coal stove to do most of the work. I expect it to heat the first floor which is around 1200 sqft (1500 if I fudge in for cathedral and some heat going upstairs)

A stove with the heating capacity of the Harmon Mark I would be just about perfect I think. If Harmon made a Mark I insert version, that would be very nice.

For what it's worth, Coal and wood heat aren't foreign to me. My parents heated with a Warm Morning mid-size coal stove for years. Not bad, but REAL dusty and REAL stinky when first loading. I'm convinced newer stoves are much better designed. No one seems to complain about either of these problems.

wg_bent wrote: Not bad, but REAL dusty

That would depend on the cleanliness of the coal. As I suggest to everyone get it when it's warmer. If your purchasing from someone where it's stockpiled and it's loaded directly into the truck this problem can be exacerbated, evertime the coal is moved there's some breakage. The coal we're delivering right now is washed over a screen with water jets right before it goes into the truck.

Hey FrankB...I was hoping you'd respond that you're a manufacturer and your working on a small coal insert
Any thoughts? or were you just engaging in the discussion.

wg_bent wrote:Hey FrankB...I was hoping you'd respond that you're a manufacturer and your working on a small coal insert
Any thoughts? or were you just engaging in the discussion.

Sorry not a manufactuer .. I just bought a hitzer 983 insert. I did some searching and the smallest opening coal insert I can find requires 30.5in. wide X 24.5in. high X 14inches deep it is a Hitzer model 503 gravity fed insert. What is the size of your opening? If I come across anything I will post it in this thread. Any chance of using a freestanding stove with the legs removed?

FrankB,
In your original post you asked about teracotta chimney flue. You are planning to run a stainless steel liner through that chimney aren't you? You should be, you will get much better performance. It is also required by the manufacturer & code.

Mlou wrote:FrankB,
In your original post you asked about teracotta chimney flue. You are planning to run a stainless steel liner through that chimney aren't you? You should be, you will get much better performance. It is also required by the manufacturer & code.

I ran approx 8ft of 8in. dia stainless chimey liner into the existing chimney. A local stove and insert dealer (not the same dealer I purchased the Hitzer from) told me that I should be fine as long as I ran chimney liner past the smoke shelf (about 2-3 ft above the fireplace opening in my case) of the existing fireplace. The chimney at my house is located in the center of the home it drafts really well.