Oiled Coal, who burns it and why?

I understand that coal can be purchased oiled. I assume this is to control dust.

What do they oil it with?

Is it much more expensive?

Does it work?

Is it worth it?

Do they use it only on the smaller stoker stove sizes?

Do you use it and why?

I've only been burning coal for one month. I bought oiled because I'm told it helps keep the dust down. Makes sense to me. There is no dust. I think it's another .10 a bag for oiled. I'm told some places use peanut oil and others use a machine oil. I was also told to stay away from the peanut oiled coal as the oil can go rancid and smell where the machine oil will not. I did buy some unoiled today in bags (Blaschak) to try so I'll get to see the difference. My friends that have heated with coal for many years all buy bulk, unoiled.

It's a vegetable based oil, only benefit is it keeps the dust down. It might prevent corrosion and provide some lubricating benefits but realistically the only advantage is keeping the dust down.

I have always avoided it because it seems to easy to create a major mess, often I will drop a few nuggets here and there while transporting from the bin and filling the stove I could just imagine what the house would look like by the end of the season if everyone of them left an oily spot .

I use it to control dust without having to wet the coal. The cost was about $2 per ton. There is no dust and there seems to be very little excess oil--there is no oil spot on the concrete floor where I occasionally drop some coal. There is virtually no oil buildup in the hopper of my boiler.

Yes, my supplier sprays it when running it thru the auger into my bin, it definitely keeps the dust down!
It's about $2-5/ton more to get it sprayed, but worth it to me.!! I have very little dust loading my buckets.
He has a little pressurized sprayer as it flowing down.

http://nepacrossroads.com/download/file.php?id=1053

I use leftover peanut oil from frying turkeys, keep a spray bottle by the inside bin. Just spritz down the coal as I'm loading it into the hod and keeps the dust down. Very noticable difference in the house, I have a light switch behind the stove that is my dust gauge, when black dust is visible on the switch I know I'm not using enough oil.

Another good gauge is whether you find black stuff when you blow your nose after loading coal into the stove.

My first ton I bought oiled, a couple dollars more. Today I picked up another 1000 lbs Un-oiled.. The only advantage was the dust from loading the hopper. Not a big deal to me cause stove is on basement. FYI- My dealer was PACKED this morning..

BinghamtonNY wrote:My first ton I bought oiled, a couple dollars more. Today I picked up another 1000 lbs Un-oiled.. The only advantage was the dust from loading the hopper. Not a big deal to me cause stove is on basement. FYI- My dealer was PACKED this morning..

So you don't have a preference. Where is your dealer?

Not really. I guess the oiled was nice but not necessary. I buy from Warners on Rt 96 in Candor NY. Just north of Owego. Kinda far from Norwich..

I wish norwich had a coal dealer for bulk coal. I may have to start a business. Mirabito's is getting 260 delivered from Sidney. Staelen's is 244 for pick up in Solsville (Madison).

Pellets are extremely popular here as is wood but people don't seem to understand the advantage of anthracite.

Oh well.