Hitzer 30-95 New Owner Need Info

I recently purchased a home with a Hitzer 30-95 coal/wood stove in it. The home also has a newer geothermal heating/cooling system so I wasn't to interested in the coal burner at first, but the more I read about it, the more interested I got. After inspecting the unit I was very impressed with the materials of construction and quality, and from what I've read it's a very economical way to heat a house.

I have a few questions about the unit and it's operation and would greatly appreciate some help. Thanks in advance, Dennis

1. Is there a web site that would show the exploded view, so I could see if I am missing any parts. I have what I assume is a coal chute sitting next to the stove and I'm not sure how it fits. There is no grating in the stove now, should there be?
2. How does the auto damper on the back work?
3. Where does one find coal, and how much would I expect to pay?(is it cheaper then geo)
4. This is my wife's question, does it stink and what about the ozone.

Thanks to all,
Dennis in Michigan

I'll take a shot at a few of your questions. But first I will tell you that I did a good bit of research and was ready to buy the exact stove you have. In my part of the country (NW Jersey) a Hitzer is a hard beast to find and I was not about to spend upwards of 2k sight unseen. So I got my second choice - Harman Mark1. Real happy so far, except I just over-shook it and dumped my fire... my bad.

1- Hitzer's web site is terrible as far as specs go, so good luck finding an exploded view. (I asked them to mail me just such a thing and never got it)
2- Never seen the auto damper but it sounds like what I had on my Vermont Castings woody: spring-loaded flap that sucks inward to the frame to reduce draft as fire draw builds. think of it as a governor for the fire.
4- If you burn anthracite there is no smell or visable smoke. Almost freakishly odor free - why you need a CO detector.. if your wood stove back drafts the smoke lets you know, coal won't warn you.

Hang on to that Hitzer.. I bet if you try a few bags of nut coal in it you will be glad you have it.

-Trey

Thanks Trey,
I think your right about the damper, I had just never seen one before. You called it nut coal is that refuring to the size and shape, and do you buy that in bulk or bag? I am trying to get an idea of the cost to heat for 24 hours.

Thanks,
Dennis

I'm lucky to be pretty close to PA so 'nut' costs me 5.50 per 40lb bag. That's about a day of heat for me. Not sure near you, but I expect it is more. I am by no means an expert but the sizing goes something like this (small to large) - rice, pea, nut and stove.

Hello Dennis, where in Michigan are you?? If you call Hitzer direct to the factory, the number is on their website, they will help you, I called them once, had a 15 minute conversation with the owner, and I'm not even a Hitzer owner !! See if you are near a Hitzer dealer so you can go look at a similar stove. There is or was a dealer just west of Grand Rapids, sells bagged coal too. He had several Hitzers in stock when I visited him.

Your stove should have grates between the firebox and the ashpan. There is a handle on the outside that attaches to the grates, so that they can be 'shaken' to get the coal ash to fall into the ash pan. I can't imagine why the grates would have been removed.. Look around the house they should be around, they are heavy cast iron and wouldn't be tossed away buy accident, or at least Ihope not.

The hopper usually is set into the stove from the top, through the top loading door. NOTE; the rope-like gasket MUST be in good shape on this loading door if you use the hopper load feature of this stove..

Nut coal is what the Hopper feed stove likes, I'm not sure if it will burn the next smaller size of anthracite, which is Pea.

Anthracite coal comes only [99%] from eastern Pennsylvania. So it has to be trucked in in our state. There are coal retailers, Family Farm and Fleet, some TSC's have bagged coal. Bulk is available from some retailers in Northern Ohio and Indiana.

The cost to burn coal [the amount burned per day] varies widely, it depends on the house [size], the quality and quantity of insulation, weather stripping, windows , and of course the weather,. today it's supposed to be in the 40's, the stove would just idle along, maybe burn 20-30#, but tomorrow night it's supposed to be in the teens with high winds, so the stove may burn double or tripple, depending on the house and heat needed.

So where are you located in Michigan?? I'm just south of Flint.

Hope the above helps..
Greg L

Hello Greg,
Thanks for the post, you have helped me. The grate or shaker is in place, I was not sure if there should have been a grating above that like my old parlor stove, to hold wood off the bottom.
I am not sure about the hopper/chute, I won't be able to look at the stove until the weekend but I did not know you could open the top, it has the door on the front and I just assumed that is where it went in from.
I know that guessing coal usage is not easy, I just want to get an Idea if it can compete with geothermal.
I live in Grosse ile now but hope to move to the new place in Camden soon, that's if my house ever sells.

Thanks again,
Dennis

If you are on Grosse Ilse, then the closest coal dealer I know of is Dennis farms about 25 miles west of Toledo. He sells bulk and bagged coal.

When you get time, take some more photos, and I'd give Hitzer a call. I didn't go to their website to take a look, but if I remember correctly it is a nice little stove.

If your house is ~1200-1500sqft, with good windows and insulation, you can expect 60-80# of coal a day. Maybe a bit more, depending on your cold air infiltration, and chimney. Coal is around $240/ton with tax from Dennis farms, more if you buy bagged. So you can do the math, for simplicity sake, 100#/day will be about a ton and a half a month, that is probably way high, I'd expect about a ton a month in cold weather. Too many variables.

Take care, Greg

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Greg,
The house I'm moving to is on the Ohio/Michigan boarder about 50 miles west of Toledo, I must drive right by this Dennis farms place every weekend.
It sounds like my house might be to large to heat with this stove. I think it would be hard to beat geothermal for day to day heating anyway, where I think it might help is when I get there friday night and try to raise the temp from 62 up to 68. It takes a very long time to raise the temp with geo if you don't want to bring on the electric heat coil, which can get very expensive. I also like the idea of having the stove installed in the basement for a back up, incase of emergency.

Thanks, have a blessed day.
Dennis

The 30-95 has a removeable hopper, as some people like to burn wood once in a while, and this makes it possible. Personally, I think this will heat the house easily, unless very poorly insulated. I have a larger Hitzer (354) and I expect to use about three ton this winter, only thing less exsensive for me would be wood. Currently coal is about a third the cost of propane, which is what my boiler uses. We keep house about 72, nice and comfortable. I enjoy the low maintenance aspect also. More than twisting a thermostat, but much less costly. I think pea coal is better for you as it is gravity feed.
Good luck!

Hi, I have that same stove and heat a 1500sq/ft cape cod in NE Ohio. Have burned the stove with coal using the hopper nonstop since October and used about 1-1/4 ton of nut coal. Paid $204 a ton. The Livingroom stays at 73* and upstairs at 68*. When it gets down to the single didgets we use a small electric oil heater in the far reacehs of the house. Call Bushes in New waterford at 330-457-7373 and ask for Dale and tell him Bobby from Hubbard told you about him and I am sure he will answer any and all questions. He is a installer as well as a coal burner. Cool guy who is busy, but is willing to help others. Finally, love the stove. Less than 10 minutes a day to mantain. Bought my coal in bulk and go through less than 5 gallons on a 30* day. I burned wood for 12 years and after using the Hitzer I will never go back. Enjoy the stove and the savings.