Hunterdon County New Jersey Coal Burners?

Badfish740 · Post by **Badfish740** » Mon. Jan. 07, 2008 11:23 pm

Hey everyone. I'm new here and heard about this site from https://www.hearth.com. My fiancee and I are looking for a house in Hunterdon County and have made an offer on an older ranch that I'd like to put either a coal stove or boiler into. The area we're looking at is only 30 minutes from Easton, PA, so I was hoping that I would be able to pick up coal myself (I have a one ton with helpers in the rear) at a savings over having it delivered. How many others are burning coal in the area and who do you buy from? Do you pick up or do you have it delivered?

JiminBucks · Post by **JiminBucks** » Tue. Jan. 08, 2008 2:05 pm

Welcome Bad Fish! Interseting name. Anyway, I'm in Bucks Co, just south of Hellertown exit I78
Have you bought a stove yet?
I'm planning to take a ride out to Pottsville to pick up load, a ton in my trailer in a couple of weeks.
It's a $130 a ton of good deep mined stuff. Almost half of the local dealer charges, so worth the trip.
It's gonna be my first time so Coal Berner is gonna meet me and take me to the breaker. Jim

Badfish740 · Post by **Badfish740** » Wed. Jan. 09, 2008 10:37 am

JiminBucks wrote:Welcome Bad Fish! Interseting name. Anyway, I'm in Bucks Co, just south of Hellertown exit I78. Have you bought a stove yet?

I haven't even bought a house yet...lol But hopefully that will happen soon. We were pre-approved for a mortgage in late December so we'd like to find a home within the next month or so. In Hunterdon County (we're actually looking in Warren as well) there is very little if any gas service, so oil heat is the norm with propane here and there. We're hoping to get into a home just as the cold weather is ending, and having a coal stove installed by fall 2008.

JiminBucks wrote:I'm planning to take a ride out to Pottsville to pick up load, a ton in my trailer in a couple of weeks. It's a $130 a ton of good deep mined stuff. Almost half of the local dealer charges, so worth the trip. It's gonna be my first time so Coal Berner is gonna meet me and take me to the breaker.

Pottsville would be a three hour round trip for me, but I can be in Easton in 30 minutes, and Allentown in 45 minutes. Are there any breakers in that area? I'm just trying to keep in mind the cost of delivery vs. the cost of diesel fuel and time. At $3.29 a gallon and no sign of going down anytime soon I have to do some careful math

Of course I love a good excuse to use my truck for what it's actually built for.

JiminBucks · Post by **JiminBucks** » Wed. Jan. 09, 2008 10:52 am

No breakers in the Lehigh Valley, cause the coal mines are north/ NW of here!

If your gonna go with coal from the get go, look for a place with electric heat and a fireplace. Better if the chimney is on the inside of the house but on the outside will still work! Alot of folks what to get either a coal or wood stove but when they find out how much a double wall SS chimney pipe is gonna cost, might as well build a real one!

av8r · Post by **av8r** » Wed. Jan. 09, 2008 11:22 am

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&rls=com.microso ... sults&cd=1

tvb · Post by **tvb** » Wed. Jan. 16, 2008 1:35 pm

I'm in Flemington.

I buy bagged coal and pick it up myself. Agway sometimes has it and just yesterday, I picked some up in Neshanic Station. I haven't burned any of it yet however.

Skylands Energy in Three Bridges will deliver two tons minimum. If I recall correctly, it was around $220/ton delivered for chestnut size.

Post by **Richard S.** » Wed. Jan. 16, 2008 2:35 pm

Badfish740 wrote: The area we're looking at is only 30 minutes from Easton, PA, so I was hoping that I would be able to pick up coal myself (I have a one ton with helpers in the rear) at a savings over having it delivered.

Have you called around for prices? Whether its worth it to pick it up yourself depends on the delivery prices in your area. For example locally to pick it up at the breaker it's $130, same coal delivered is about $155. That's locally now, its not even worth it to do it yourself if you factor in your time, gas and the work. Not even close IMO. I always got a good laugh when you'd see these guys at the breaker in their loafers and $30K brand new trucks filling up a few buckets of coal. Now if it costs $200 to get it delivered or you have to make the trip to get it for $130 certainly worth it especially if you can get away with 2 ton or better.

CoalHeat · Post by **CoalHeat** » Wed. Jan. 16, 2008 9:49 pm

Badfish740 wrote:
In Hunterdon County (we're actually looking in Warren as well) there is very little if any gas service, so oil heat is the norm with propane here and there. We're hoping to get into a home just as the cold weather is ending, and having a coal stove installed by fall 2008.

Avoid propane at all costs! You won't have any money left over for the mortgage!