Hello Everybody, New Here and Hoping to Be Burning Soon!

Post Reply
 
User avatar
MrsSouthy
Member
Posts: 89
Joined: Fri. Jan. 03, 2014 3:28 pm
Location: Portsmouth, Ohio
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Coal Stove
Other Heating: Natural gas furnace

Post by MrsSouthy » Fri. Jan. 03, 2014 3:57 pm

Started out looking into heating solely with wood and came across a coal stove and started researching and have come to the conclusion that coal will fit our needs well. We are looking into the Hitzer 503 insert so any input on that model is welcomed! What we are thinking will work best for us is to have a little firewood on hand for the times that we don't need a long or hot fire, like in fall and spring but to mostly burn coal the rest of the time. Is this a good plan? Also, we live in south central Ohio, right by the river. I can't find anyone very close who sells coal. Specifically anthracite. Does anybody else live down this way and know where I can get it? And are the advantages of burning anthracite worth the extra money? So glad to have found this forum and thank you all in advance!


 
User avatar
Carbon12
Member
Posts: 2226
Joined: Tue. Oct. 11, 2011 6:53 pm
Location: Harrisburg, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA-6
Coal Size/Type: Rice/Anthracite
Other Heating: Heat Pump/Forced Hot Air Oil Furnace

Post by Carbon12 » Fri. Jan. 03, 2014 4:01 pm

Welcome aboard! We need some particulars. How big is the house and what's the layout? What do you heat with now? That will get things started.

 
User avatar
Hambden Bob
Member
Posts: 8531
Joined: Mon. Jan. 04, 2010 10:54 am
Location: Hambden Twp. Geauga County,Ohio
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Harman 1998 Magnum Stoker
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Blower Model Coal Chubby 1982-Serial#0097
Coal Size/Type: Rice-A-Roni ! / Nut
Other Heating: Pro-Pain Forced Air

Post by Hambden Bob » Fri. Jan. 03, 2014 4:16 pm

Hitzer 503 Installation Photos

Feast Your eyes,Mrs.Southy ! Welcome to the Coal Board ! There's 19 Pages of reading,with Happy Pics of the Hitzer 503 install. We've got the Google Search Bar in the upper right. That gives you access to a Ton of Coal Burning knowledge ! We'll also see if we can get your post moved to the Hand Fired Stove Section for even more exposure and helpful opinions ! Glad to have you aboard ! :)

 
User avatar
MrsSouthy
Member
Posts: 89
Joined: Fri. Jan. 03, 2014 3:28 pm
Location: Portsmouth, Ohio
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Coal Stove
Other Heating: Natural gas furnace

Post by MrsSouthy » Fri. Jan. 03, 2014 4:36 pm

Our house is about 1700 sq ft but was built in the early 1900's and still has the original windows and such so it is drafty (to say the least). We have covered the windows with plastic to try to cut down on that but what can I say, it's an old house. Its 2 story. The fireplace is in the front room/great room and the open staircase is across the room from it. The upstairs will heat easily, I'm sure because we just have a small set of gas logs in the fireplace now and it heats the upstairs quickly. It doesn't do much for the downstairs though. The living room and dining room are attached to the great room by big open double doorways and the kitchen in off the dining room, making it (and the attached laundry room) the furthest from the fireplace. We plan on installing small fans in the doorway of the dining room and kitchen to pull the heat back there as well. We have a gas furnace and keep it turned down to 50 then we shut the doors to the living room and zone heat in there with an eden pure. The gas and electric are going to kill us if we keep this up. I know the coal may cost as much as the gas and electric but at least we'd be able to be a little warmer. We have all this unusable square footage right now because who wants to hang out in a 50 degree house?? Its only been cold for a month and a half or so but my kids and I need a break from being in the same room all the time, lol.

 
User avatar
Carbon12
Member
Posts: 2226
Joined: Tue. Oct. 11, 2011 6:53 pm
Location: Harrisburg, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA-6
Coal Size/Type: Rice/Anthracite
Other Heating: Heat Pump/Forced Hot Air Oil Furnace

Post by Carbon12 » Fri. Jan. 03, 2014 4:40 pm

Is it natural gas from the utility or propane from a tank?

 
User avatar
freetown fred
Member
Posts: 30292
Joined: Thu. Dec. 31, 2009 12:33 pm
Location: Freetown,NY 13803
Hand Fed Coal Stove: HITZER 50-93
Coal Size/Type: BLASCHAK Nut

Post by freetown fred » Fri. Jan. 03, 2014 4:42 pm

Where ya from MS--makes a difference pricing coal & type & just basic geography weather wise stuff:) What river toothy

 
User avatar
skobydog
Member
Posts: 275
Joined: Mon. Jun. 10, 2013 9:53 am
Location: Greenfield MA
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 50-93
Coal Size/Type: Nut Anthracite

Post by skobydog » Fri. Jan. 03, 2014 5:44 pm

MrsSouthy wrote: What we are thinking will work best for us is to have a little firewood on hand........................
My initial plan was to burn a little wood in the fall and spring. After 1/2 day of burning coal I said forget about it.

I MAY burn some of my downed trees in my back yard I'm not going to put too much effort into it. My chimney isn't easy to clean so I probably won't do it.


 
User avatar
Wheelo
Member
Posts: 73
Joined: Tue. Dec. 31, 2013 8:14 am
Location: South-central Ohio
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: 1537 US Stove
Coal Size/Type: Bit
Other Heating: Propane

Post by Wheelo » Fri. Jan. 03, 2014 6:55 pm

Welcome MrsSouthy! Great amount of knowledge can be found in this here group! After giving coal a try, you won't go back to anything else! Burning rocks is the way to go. I've got a 1537 Hotblast, in poor condition heating a 3,000 sq ft 100 year old farm house to a very cozy 75+ degrees.Wind blows and the curtains move. I'm new to coal myself, only been burning a month. Even having to work harder than others due to my lousy stove, I'm beyond hooked. Seems that you've done a little research and already have a nice stove in mind! Burning coal isn't really anything like burning wood, and will take a few weeks to get figured out. Or in my case it took about half a ton of lump coal. Hahah. Check into a barometer, and a few great CO detectors! Say goodbye to creosote issues. I'm sure many other great skilled folk will chime in with more knowledge. Welcome aboard!
Wheelo

 
User avatar
Dennis
Member
Posts: 1082
Joined: Sun. Oct. 30, 2011 5:44 pm
Location: Pottstown,Pa
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: AHS/WOC55-multi-fuel/wood,oil,coal
Coal Size/Type: Anthracite/stove size

Post by Dennis » Fri. Jan. 03, 2014 7:07 pm

Welcome Mrs Southy,do you want to heat the whole house and have the rambunctious kids in there own warm rooms or on the entire warm main floor with you.Since your in the planning stage and have not purchased a stove yet,would you be more intrested in a whole house furnace/boiler.I'm not trying to spend your money,just trying to give you more ideas/solutions.

 
User avatar
ShawninNY
Member
Posts: 160
Joined: Sat. Jan. 03, 2009 2:31 pm
Location: Suffolk County , New York

Post by ShawninNY » Fri. Jan. 03, 2014 7:50 pm

Welcome, you are correct in thinking coal will increase your comfort level even at the same expense, as gas or electric is bit coal an option for you? Keep us posted

 
User avatar
McGiever
Member
Posts: 10128
Joined: Sun. May. 02, 2010 11:26 pm
Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Fri. Jan. 03, 2014 7:56 pm

Can not say I heard of any hard (anthracite) coal dealers down south central Ohio along the Ohio River area.

But, If you scourer the internet you may find one or two. And pretty much if you can find the nearest Amish settlement the coal will be close by. :)

 
User avatar
MrsSouthy
Member
Posts: 89
Joined: Fri. Jan. 03, 2014 3:28 pm
Location: Portsmouth, Ohio
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Coal Stove
Other Heating: Natural gas furnace

Post by MrsSouthy » Fri. Jan. 03, 2014 8:42 pm

Thank you all soooo much for the welcome!! And thanks for the pics!! Its very encouraging to see that your install was in 2008 and apparently you are still very happy :) The furnace is natural gas. We are in Portsmouth. Yes we are looking to heat the entire house. I really want to be able to keep the gas and electric bills steady throughout the year and only have the coal expense. Easier to plan for and more predictable. We have thought about a furnace but I really really want to be able to put my back side right up against the stove (as close as I can anyhow, lol) and get warm. For me its not JUST about having a warm house. That one room in the house that will be super toasty sounds so good to me since I freeze to death allll the time. Plus, its kind of a rule....I don't go in the basement...its a wet dark scary place down there, lol. And I want to be able to refill it if need be and not just leave it all to the hubby. There are PLENTY of Amish settlements nearby. I may have to ask where they get theirs. That might be our best bet. I hadn't even thought of that. I am so excited to get started! Any input or advice is more than welcome!! I think I have looked at this from all angles but you never know! You all might come up with something I've missed! Again thank you so much for the warm welcome!!

 
User avatar
Hambden Bob
Member
Posts: 8531
Joined: Mon. Jan. 04, 2010 10:54 am
Location: Hambden Twp. Geauga County,Ohio
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Harman 1998 Magnum Stoker
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Blower Model Coal Chubby 1982-Serial#0097
Coal Size/Type: Rice-A-Roni ! / Nut
Other Heating: Pro-Pain Forced Air

Post by Hambden Bob » Fri. Jan. 03, 2014 8:53 pm

Well,Yeah ! Like the British say: (Insert Cockney Accent Here) "Ya Gotta treat a Loidy like a Loidy,Mate! " You'll find that Folks here try to do their best to guide you from all angles. They'll provide a lot,you provide the reading ! When you get a chance,fill your info in so that you can be guided to possible area Suppliers. We've also got some Good Folks down in Ohio's Southern Frontier that can give you helpful options if you so chose. Also,I can't take credit for that 19 page thread on your potential choice of inserts. That came from our extensive past Topic Library accessed in that Google Tool Bar I told you about. An Amazing wealth of Info at a glance ! Hang in there,Coal Warmth may be on it's way ! Let's also work on an Anthracite Supplier you can get to. Are you comfortable giving a General Location atleast so Folks can chime in ?

 
User avatar
MrsSouthy
Member
Posts: 89
Joined: Fri. Jan. 03, 2014 3:28 pm
Location: Portsmouth, Ohio
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Coal Stove
Other Heating: Natural gas furnace

Post by MrsSouthy » Fri. Jan. 03, 2014 9:37 pm

Yeah, we are in Portsmouth. If you travel 23 south Portsmouth is the last stop before you cross the river into Ky. Would love to know of a supplier even fairly close by! And, I had no trouble at all imagining the accent ;)

 
User avatar
Hambden Bob
Member
Posts: 8531
Joined: Mon. Jan. 04, 2010 10:54 am
Location: Hambden Twp. Geauga County,Ohio
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Harman 1998 Magnum Stoker
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Blower Model Coal Chubby 1982-Serial#0097
Coal Size/Type: Rice-A-Roni ! / Nut
Other Heating: Pro-Pain Forced Air

Post by Hambden Bob » Fri. Jan. 03, 2014 10:57 pm

Good ! Been to Portsmouth and South Shore,Kentucky years ago during a terrible Ice Storm and a Tornado a day after. Was Tough Stuff. Good People....Like I said,we've got some knowledgeable Folks here. Let's see who chimes in...Berlin,Willis,Carl H.,McGiever,amongst many more with there feet on the ground that know how the Coal Flows ! :up:


Post Reply

Return to “Hand Fired Coal Stoves & Furnaces Using Anthracite”