Wow, This January Is Different (and Cold)! I'm Eating Coal!

lsayre · Post by **lsayre** » Fri. Jan. 17, 2014 6:08 pm

Well, it's not me eating it, but rather the boiler. I just loaded the AccuWeather.com forecast info for my area into my spreadsheet through the end of the month, and my spreadsheet says I'm on target to burn 2,285 lbs. of coal this month! The previous two January's I was burning in the general range of 1,750 lbs.. That's a difference of 500 lbs., and if I allow for 4.5 lbs per day to heat our DHW, that means 69 lbs. per day to heat the house this month.

The January HDD's here are on target to hit 1,404, and the mean average temperature for the entire month is on target to be only 19.7 degrees.

kstills · Post by **kstills** » Fri. Jan. 17, 2014 6:12 pm

lsayre wrote:Well, it's not me eating it, but rather the boiler. I just loaded the AccuWeather.com forecast info for my area into my spreadsheet through the end of the month, and my spreadsheet says I'm on target to burn 2,285 lbs. of coal this month! The previous two January's I was burning in the general range of 1,750 lbs.. That's a difference of 500 lbs., and if I allow for 4.5 lbs per day to heat our DHW, that means 69 lbs. per day to heat the house this month.

The January HDD's here are on target to hit 1,404, and the mean average temperature for the entire month is on target to be only 19.7 degrees.

Yep, the next two weeks look to be brutal down here.

The good news is, I'll be able to take delivery of another two tons of coal once the ground freezes again.

SMITTY · Post by **SMITTY** » Fri. Jan. 17, 2014 7:36 pm

And freeze it will! Looking at single digits up here starting next Tuesday.

Looks like I picked a great year to install a stoker!! Always hated the temp swings when I was running the handfired. Now, I couldn't care less.

As far as consumption goes: I've been cutting my bag corners like I used to with the hand fired, and I used MUCH LESS coal than the handfired from October 28th to December 28th. It's also been MUCH colder, so this is good. There are a few variables, though, that could take it either way ....

One is my choice of starting the season at 170° HI limit with a 10° diff (which maintained an average of 155°), and then switching sometime in December to 190° (which maintains a 175° average). 170° kept things nice and smooth, with long circulator run times ... but it struggled to maintain temps when the mercury dipped. 190° is great when it's cold out, but short cycles during 20's & 30's, and up. Might have to settle on a happy medium of 180°. The other is the fact that I need a Flochek valve on my indirect HW tank. It's been ghost flowing, and maintaining a 176° water temp during temps above the teens. Below that, it runs like before, by set temperature (ghost flow is impeded by multiple zone return flow in colder weather). Since we've grown to love the scalding hot water and the resultant clean dishes, I set the DHW limit to a max of 150° ... so it won't go below 140° with the 10° diff. We normally keep the limit at 127° with a 10° diff when on oil for summer. After I install the Flochek at the end of the season, we'll probably save a bit more coal next year. We shall see - the experiment continues ....

Keepaeyeonit · Post by **Keepaeyeonit** » Fri. Jan. 17, 2014 8:26 pm

Well Larry if it makes you feel better I have used 865# so far and I'm not heating DHW,during that cold spell I ran almost 70#in a day with a ice scoop 5# at a time

never that much in one day and the stove was over 600* keeping the house at a Meer 72*

but I think I did ok

.Keepaeyeonit

lsayre · Post by **lsayre** » Fri. Jan. 17, 2014 8:30 pm

Keepaeyeonit wrote:Well Larry if it makes you feel better I have used 865# so far and I'm not heating DHW,during that cold spell I ran almost 70#in a day with a ice scoop 5# at a time never that much in one day and the stove was over 600* keeping the house at a Meer 72* but I think I did ok .Keepaeyeonit

Sounds like you are doing really well with your insert there Keepaeyeonit! I just topped off, and I've put 1,150 lbs. of coal into the Coal Gun so far this month.

Keepaeyeonit · Post by **Keepaeyeonit** » Fri. Jan. 17, 2014 8:42 pm

I think so but I wish I had a boiler or a BaseBurner,or a stoker but I'm glad to have a stove that will burn almost anything that I can put in it.I'm worse the a woman when it comes to my stove(

) , some days I would like one of the others but I'm stuck with Hitzer for now and my Doctor says it's ok

.Keepaeyeonit

DennisH · Post by **DennisH** » Sun. Jan. 19, 2014 6:43 am

Since Nov 29, when we came home from a vacation, I've burned 110 - 40# bags of Blashak, so that averages about 2 bags per day. But I'm heating a 2500sqft ranch with high ceilings in LR and Kitchen. Plus I keep the center of the house between 70-75 degF. But this winter has been pretty cold. I'd hate to think what amount of propane I'd have burned in that time period. My propane tank is at 55%, and with the propane shortage here in the U.P. of Michigan, I'm sitting pretty well. Still have 120 more bags of coal in the basement and 8 skids stored outside. And there's always the 8 cord of split & stacked hardwood.

Post by **Rob R.** » Sun. Jan. 19, 2014 8:56 am

lsayre wrote:Well, it's not me eating it, but rather the boiler.

You aren't kidding me, I know you at least sniff and lick a few pieces from each delivery.

Last year there was 2500 lbs leftover from the TT load..this year I think the entire load plus the 2500 lbs from last year will be burned.

coalnewbie · Post by **coalnewbie** » Sun. Jan. 19, 2014 9:01 am

I had 30 tons of rice in the bin and good for two/three years right? Wrong! I've eaten about a third aleady.

The good news is that POS pellet stove is now history and I still don't know if the oil CH even works, I have my doubts.

Post by **Rob R.** » Sun. Jan. 19, 2014 9:04 am

Time to start shutting down parts of the house. Maybe put up a tent in the living room.

coalnewbie · Post by **coalnewbie** » Sun. Jan. 19, 2014 9:06 am

Maybe put up a tent in the living room.

Don't you dare not send pics of that one.

Post by **Lightning** » Sun. Jan. 19, 2014 9:07 am

coalnewbie wrote:I had 30 tons of rice in the bin and good for two/three years right? Wrong! I've eaten about a third aleady. The good news is that POS pellet stove is now history and I still don't know if the oil CH even works, I have my doubts.

Wow, you running all yer stuff at the same time??

coalnewbie · Post by **coalnewbie** » Sun. Jan. 19, 2014 9:16 am

Running right now is

AnthraKing AK 110
Hitzer 50-93 (I did not even count the nut used so add 2 tons)
Pocono
DVC 500

As from Tuesday add Second AK 110 and intermittent Keystoker.

About 13000 sq ft on and off being heated. I can't even afford a tent for the living room. How does 3000 galls of HO that was used in a really c rappy winter grab you. Love that coal.

Post by **Lightning** » Sun. Jan. 19, 2014 9:21 am

coalnewbie wrote:About 13000 sq ft on and off being heated.

Wow that is some serious heating

lsayre · Post by **lsayre** » Sun. Jan. 19, 2014 9:25 am

Lightning wrote:
coalnewbie wrote:About 13000 sq ft on and off being heated.
Wow that is some serious heating

If I extended my house to 13,000 Sq-Ft, I'd be looking at burning about 25 tons a year.