Looking to step up to coal

kalex13634 · By: **kalex13634** On: Wed Jan 02, 2008 3:11 pm

I just spent $3.399 for 155 gallons of fuel oil, for 30 days which is about $17/day.
I'll use approx 1400 gallons a year. Probably a lot more now that my in-laws are living with us and the house is 68 degrees 18 hrs a day.

So now I'm looking for a coal boiler to plumb into my existing hot water base board boiler.
I'm heating 2600 sq ft 1 & 3/4 stories old farm house
Also using an ss w/w heat exchanger to heat our spa and have an amtriol boiler mate DHWM I did R30 in the ceilings new thermo pane windows all around
walls are only 4" fiberglass.

So questions are?
Good boiler, w/ decent customer support, at a fair price (I believe in the "you get what you pay for" thought)
Coal- bag vs. bulk & suppliers in Northern NY, at three+ a gallon for gas it certainly could eat up any savings traveling to pick it up.

Did I miss anything?
Thanks
Keith

mikeandgerry · By: **mikeandgerry** On: Wed Jan 02, 2008 3:35 pm

kalex13634 wrote:I just spent $3.399 for 155 gallons of fuel oil, for 30 days which is about $17/day.
I'll use approx 1400 gallons a year. Probably a lot more now that my in-laws are living with us and the house is 68 degrees 18 hrs a day.

So now I'm looking for a coal boiler to plumb into my existing hot water base board boiler.
I'm heating 2600 sq ft 1 & 3/4 stories old farm house
Also using an ss w/w heat exchanger to heat our spa and have an amtriol boiler mate DHWM I did R30 in the ceilings new thermo pane windows all around
walls are only 4" fiberglass.

So questions are?
Good boiler, w/ decent customer support, at a fair price (I believe in the "you get what you pay for" thought)
Coal- bag vs. bulk & suppliers in Northern NY, at three+ a gallon for gas it certainly could eat up any savings traveling to pick it up.

Did I miss anything?
Thanks
Keith

Axeman-Anderson 130m or 260m but you'll have to wait. They build to order: 3-5 months.

130m=130,000+ BTU/h 260m=260,000+ BTU/h

auger feed from bulk coal bin
very little handling or tinkering
reliable
fully automatic except ash removal
costs to install are about the same as other "alternate heat" boilers

kalex13634 · By: **kalex13634** On: Wed Jan 02, 2008 9:23 pm

Thanks Mike.
I didn't expect to be able to do it this winter.
But now is the time to " git er done" for next season.

Keith

mwcougar · By: **mwcougar** On: Wed Jan 02, 2008 9:34 pm

AHS 130 alternateheating systems AA 's step brothers I am heating 2 houses total of 3700 feet. ten people. plus one on the way .... 4 kids.... if ya know what i mean. works great.. hopper feed though... can hook up auger system. more modern controls.....

WIcoal · By: **WIcoal** On: Sat Jan 05, 2008 6:44 pm

auger feed from bulk coal bin [/quote]
What various businesses do some of you purchase your auger feed from? I know some feed from a large bulk coal bin and some from a plastic 55 gallon drum. Do I merely go to a farm supply business like Tractor Supply? When asking for an auger, other than the length of travel; what specifications are best for rice coal? I plan to use the 55 gallon drum.

LsFarm · By: **LsFarm** On: Sat Jan 05, 2008 7:25 pm

Hello Kalex, the best way to get some answers to your questions would be to do some searching and reading on the forum. But I'll answer your questions with a few more questions. Do you want a boiler that requires tending [loading, emptying the ash] twice a day, this would be a hand feed type. Or do you want a boiler that is more automatic, and only needs tending every 24-36 hours?? This would be a stoker fed boiler. There are several types of stoker boilers. The one that has allready been mentioned the AA /AHS boilers, Another very popular unit is the EFM stoker, as well as the Keystoker, and Harman stoker boilers.
Do some reading, and thinking about a coal bin or hopper to feed a boiler, or where to store bagged coal [much more expensive] .

Wicoal, I don't think anyone on the site has purchased or posted information about the right auger for moving coal. You may need to take a sample of coal to a TSC and see if they can help. I think an auger that moves dry corn to and from grain elevators would work. But I think they are pretty high capacity, would empty a 55 gallon drum in a few minutes.

You may need to go to an ag supply store that is more equipment oriented than a TSC.

Let us know what you find.

Greg L.

Yanche · By: **Yanche** On: Sat Jan 05, 2008 8:48 pm

WIcoal wrote:What various businesses do some of you purchase your auger feed from? I know some feed from a large bulk coal bin and some from a plastic 55 gallon drum. Do I merely go to a farm supply business like Tractor Supply? When asking for an auger, other than the length of travel; what specifications are best for rice coal? I plan to use the 55 gallon drum.

In June of 2003 Jeff at AHS gave me the following sources for auger suppliers:

Ryder Supply (complete augers) 717-263-9111
James Eagen Sons Co. (parts only) 570-693-2100

Don't know anything about the companies. A Google search on the phone number maps to:

http://www.rydersupply.com/ and http://www.jameseagen.com/

Some other references are:

http://www.screwconveyors.com/index.html
http://www.falconindustries.com/
http://www.uniflyte.com/
http://www.augersunlimited.com/index.htm

There are many others. The proper name for the A-A type auger is "helicoid flighting". Put the term in a search engine and you will find a lot of companies.

On my long list of "to do items" is a custom helicoid type auger to fill the hopper on my AHS S130. You can buy the individual stamped metal "threads" a helicoid and then weld them in your own pipe.

e.alleg · By: **e.alleg** On: Sun Jan 06, 2008 12:51 pm

EFM df520 is a fully automatic auger fed stoker boiler, check the EFM section for complete details. Empty the ashes every day and make sure the auger is supplied with coal and that's it.

1975gt750 · By: **1975gt750** On: Sun Jan 06, 2008 2:04 pm

hello there

just installed a keystoker kaa-2 seems to be working great burning 30# a day keeping the house at 66-68 fully automatic just have to empty the ash tray every 2 days and fill with coal every 4 days.

http://www.keystoker.com
where in northen ny are you

mikeandgerry · By: **mikeandgerry** On: Sun Jan 06, 2008 2:08 pm

1975gt750 wrote:hello there

just installed a keystoker kaa-2 seems to be working great burning 30# a day keeping the house at 66-68 fully automatic just have to empty the ash tray every 2 days and fill with coal every 4 days.

http://www.keystoker.com
where in northen ny are you

mikeandgerry · By: **mikeandgerry** On: Sun Jan 06, 2008 2:09 pm

mikeandgerry wrote:
1975gt750 wrote:hello there

just installed a keystoker kaa-2 seems to be working great burning 30# a day keeping the house at 66-68 fully automatic just have to empty the ash tray every 2 days and fill with coal every 4 days.

http://www.keystoker.com
where in northen ny are you

Sweet

But you need to turn up the thermostat to enjoy it! Try 71. Your wife will only love you more.

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