Want to Change From Oil Forced Hot Air to Stoker...

 
Pacowy
Member
Posts: 3555
Joined: Tue. Sep. 04, 2007 10:14 pm
Location: Dalton, MA
Stoker Coal Boiler: H.B. Smith 350 Mills boiler/EFM 85R stoker
Coal Size/Type: Buckwheat/anthracite

Post by Pacowy » Fri. Nov. 08, 2013 9:28 pm

I would agree that you don't want something so big that it never has to work hard.

A lot of different people using different stokers have noticed higher levels of unburned coal during the shoulder months (and summer, for those running for DHW). The good news is that coal use during those times typically is much lower than during the middle of the heating season, so even if some coal is burned incompletely during those times, it should not be a large fraction of the annual burn.

Mike

 
Rigar
Member
Posts: 856
Joined: Tue. Dec. 04, 2012 6:30 am
Location: central new york (syracuse area)
Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Keystoker A 150
Coal Size/Type: anthracite rice

Post by Rigar » Fri. Nov. 08, 2013 9:34 pm

...I agree

 
User avatar
Flyer5
Member
Posts: 10376
Joined: Sun. Oct. 21, 2007 4:23 pm
Location: Montrose PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Leisure Line WL110
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Leisure Line Pioneer
Contact:

Post by Flyer5 » Fri. Nov. 08, 2013 10:16 pm

IMG_20120122_144514.jpg
.JPG | 91.9KB | IMG_20120122_144514.jpg
Just set this as your background. :D


 
User avatar
auntievintage
Member
Posts: 178
Joined: Wed. Dec. 12, 2012 10:07 am
Location: Etna, ME
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Glenwood 116
Coal Size/Type: Stove / Nut
Other Heating: Oil forced luke-warm air

Post by auntievintage » Tue. Nov. 12, 2013 9:20 am

You have all given me a lot to think about.
To give you an idea of what's down there:
This is an old wood furnace that was in use prior-
Image
This is what's in use now, as you can see, there is limited headroom and a dirt floor -
Image
Image
There is also another chimney that they took to top off when the roof was redone... it doesn't look like they let the bricks fall down in... I may have someone look at it and, if it is usable, have it re-topped.
After reading all of your feedback, I am thinking that we may be best to wait a couple of years until the bulk of the remodel is done? I suppose we can just rely on the hand-fired for now.

 
kstills
Member
Posts: 637
Joined: Tue. Jan. 18, 2011 6:41 am
Location: New Britain, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: WL 110

Post by kstills » Tue. Nov. 12, 2013 10:27 am

Is that a tree trunk being used as a support column in your basement? :shock:

 
User avatar
auntievintage
Member
Posts: 178
Joined: Wed. Dec. 12, 2012 10:07 am
Location: Etna, ME
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Glenwood 116
Coal Size/Type: Stove / Nut
Other Heating: Oil forced luke-warm air

Post by auntievintage » Tue. Nov. 12, 2013 10:35 am

Lol, why, Yes it IS! This is Maine, of course, and things like that are certainly not unusual up here. People tended to make due with what they had on these old farms. Part of the remodel includes getting that basement cleaned out, pouring footings and adding new supports.


 
kstills
Member
Posts: 637
Joined: Tue. Jan. 18, 2011 6:41 am
Location: New Britain, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: WL 110

Post by kstills » Tue. Nov. 12, 2013 10:47 am

auntievintage wrote:Lol, why, Yes it IS! This is Maine, of course, and things like that are certainly not unusual up here. People tended to make due with what they had on these old farms. Part of the remodel includes getting that basement cleaned out, pouring footings and adding new supports.
Well, that is just some funny chit right there. .... :)

I'm going to agree with folks here who've recommended that you do the heat loss and then size the unit based on the new improved farmhouse.

Since you've made it through a few winters with the handfired, you're not in danger of not having heat, and once you have the insulation in the way you want and can afford it will for certain change the size of the unit you'll need.

For example, I have radiation capacity in my house of ~160kbtu/hr, which when the house was built was probably required. Over the years, the house has had insulation blown into all the walls, storm windows and storm doors added and landscaping that has significantly reduced the impact of the wind.

With temps dipping into the 20's at night, I'm currently heating it with only three of the downstairs radiators firing. Once it gets real cold, I'll probably start getting calls for heat from the upstairs zone, but no where near what I have the capacity to put out.

Point is that what you need now isn't what you'll need once your finished, so if you can wait it will result in less money being spent on the furnace.

Plus, it will give you a chance to consider getting rid of a scorched air heater and going to hydronics, which is really the only way to heat a home. :)

 
imcloud1
Member
Posts: 54
Joined: Sun. Nov. 03, 2013 6:40 pm

Post by imcloud1 » Thu. Nov. 14, 2013 8:11 pm

Like others said first step is a heat loss, you can can get a good idea by doing one yourself, there are a few online manual J programs for free that will get you in the ball park...
It may take a while but getting the proper heat load is important for comfort and energy costs...

Next is deciding where you want to be with COST... I sell over 100 heating systems a year and the most important quesitno is how much do you want to spend, I know its the worst question a sales man can ask and the hardest to get an answer to, but its the deciding factor in any questions that follow...

Based on what I read so far you want to get rid of oil and use coal, BUT for a bunch of reasons I would "Dual Fuel", oil and coal would be a starting point... First get your metal issues solved, if its new sheet metal that is needed, do that, size it for your load, insulate it properly don't be afraid of round, oval, and flex pipe, it can keep costs down and it is only moving air, boubble wrap insulation with a good air gap will keep the energy in the duct....

Now onto the unit, I did a customers home about 5 months ago, installed a low boy oil furnace with a coal boiler and a Bock water heater, they bought the boiler {buderus} for a previous home but never installed it. I installed the oil furnace as I normally would except I installed a large hydro coil in the duct work, so when they are running coal the oil furnace will not call but will circulate the air via its fan control, an oil fired bock water heater is used for storage with a 40 plate heat exchanger installed so the water heater will not fire while the coal boiler is circulating how water through the plate exchanger and into the tank.... So if the coal is on, the furnace and water heater will not use oil, but if the coal is out the house will run normally as if the coal was not there....

Anyway, buy once and cry once, you may be better off installing an oil furnace correctly and then throwing a coal stove upstairs in the living area, strategically locate the units return so you can use your furnace to circulate warm air from the coal stove....

I do this A LOT and the biggest part of an install is all the planning and thinking it takes before the equipment is ordered...

If that furnace is in working order I would leave it alone, fix the duct work, get the oil unit tuned and checked out, and make a decision on what you want to spend.. and congrats on the new house, good stuff..

Post Reply

Return to “Stoker Coal Furnaces & Stoves Using Anthracite (Hot Air)”