New to Coal. Coal Chubby.

Natural Gas rates up here in New England are INSANE. His bills look right inline with what our friends pay who have gas.

As for needing 7 tons? I suspect 2.5 will be ample. We burn 1 ton and it heats our home 100% and that is with "She Who Must Be Obeyed" having the balcony door open upstairs constantly because the wife "likes the fresh air" in the winter. And when I say open..I mean open a good 7 to 10 inches. That cold air rushes right through the house. Even with that I am able to keep the house in the 70's.

franco b wrote:At 26 cents per therm your highest bill would be .26x360 =93.60, so your cost per therm must be higher to get a bill for 400

I agree something not quite right there Richard.. But according to the therm usage (assuming those figures are accurate), coal at $362/ton isn't helping him unfortunately..

Nordillaca wrote:Lightning I think you are correct 7.6 tons to totally replace the gas. Doesn't seem like much, if any savings for me. I guess I can hope and pray that the house will at least be warmer. Cant wait to actually get new windows.

As long as all that is accurate, I think yer best money spent would be to tighten the house and use less gas. Some low cost tightening - Fill gaps and cracks with canned foam, get the plastic shrink wrap kits for the windows, check all your doors for good seals..

You could still run the chubby to keep the room you spend the most time in toasty (provided that's where the stove is) and turn the thermostat down which would let the further reaches of the house cool down.. Maybe that would save some money, by concentrating more heat where you want it.. And at the same time you may gain some self reward just by running the stove and enjoying its radiant heat. I love taking care of the coal fire..

Welcome to the forum. I also live on the south shore. I buy stove coal bagged by the ton for 300 bucks. The place is in fairhaven called fairhaven coal. The guy is a farmer by trade who sells coal. You can buy bulk or he ll wash and bag it for you. The guy is a gentleman and a pleasure to do business with. Look him up on the web. You've just became part of the best forum on the www
Happy heating. Kevin

What are you burning the natural gas in?

Do you have a NG water heater also?

Money aside, that chubby stove will make your living area VERY comfortable. I'd get 3 tons and start with that.

ONEDOLLAR wrote:As for needing 7 tons?

Did you look at the therms he used? Is my math wrong?
Hes looking to save money..

Just trying to keep a realistic approach.. My uncle put 5 grand into a Keystoker and after looking at the numbers I don't have the heart to tell him gas would be cheaper for him to use right now...

Lightning

I am just going by past experience. Years ago when I did the "numbers" for my house they came out to 3.5 tons for me so something is "off" with the formula. I think the formula doesn't take into consideration the way you distribute heat is different when you stretch it over a 24hr period as you would do with a coal stove. The heat never stops. There is no "on and off cycle" or "peaks and valleys" that one would get with firewood.

Still the best thing is to always get the house sealed up as tight as you can. No point in contributing to ALGORES "Global Warming".....

Welcome to the forum. I run the exact same stove. When it's really cold (below zero) I burn 50 to 60 pounds a day running the stove at 550° stove temp. I would start with at least three tons of coal.

Nordillaca wrote:I must be looking at this bill wrong. This bill is fo july I'll have to see if I can dig out an older bill. also for the gas supply charge it is .57430. I didnt add that in did I. so that would make it .7557 a therm? that still doesnt come out to $400.00 I must be missing something somewhere.

Just get an old bill or several and divide the charge by the number of therms used. That will give you the cost per therm.

ONEDOLLAR wrote:I am just going by past experience. Years ago when I did the "numbers" for my house they came out to 3.5 tons for me so something is "off" with the formula. I think the formula doesn't take into consideration the way you distribute heat is different when you stretch it over a 24hr period as you would do with a coal stove. The heat never stops. There is no "on and off cycle" or "peaks and valleys" that one would get with firewood.

I understand sir but, I'm only converting BTUs from one fuel to the other based on the therms he used.. so I guess I don't quite understand...

Lightning..

I have no problems with your numbers. I am sure they are right!! I just don't see him needing 7 tons. Of course I could be wrong. Wouldn't be the first, won't be the last but based on my experiance 7 tons seems to be way to much. One thing is for sure.. TIME WILL TELL and that TIME will be soon. But my money is on 2.5 tons.

Good night guys.. Big day tomorrow. And Hambden Bob if you are out there... THANKS for the CALL of SUPPORT last night my friend. I appreciate it very much.

Barry C, Onedollar and anyone else that has a chubby do you have a blower on yours? Mine does. Its the newer style that has the two square vents running through the top. I'd be curious to know what the square footage is of your house and anyone else that has a chubby with or without a blower. Just wondering if there is that much of a differnce with a blower and heat dispersed and coal consumed. And an FYI for everyone this is my first time ever using an alternate heat source. I have never used wood pellet or coal before so I'm new to everything about it. I went with coal because of the consitant temp and long burn time. And I didnt want my wife to have to worry about one more thing around the house. Most likely she'll never have to worry about filling the stove like she would with wood. And I don't have to worry about her and my daughter being warm when the power goes out again.

I don't know if you will save money but you will be warmer. Those calculators help but the figures are not set in stone. And if, or should I say when, gas prices rise your coal will be about the same cost. Worst case, you are all set up and ready for when that happens plus will stay warm during power outages. Its not all about money and its not a bad thing to be prepared.

Hi and welcome to the forum.
If you can improve the house's insulation, stop air infiltrations from cracks everywhere, good Windows, you will be warmer and more confortable in the house while having lower heating bills.
About the anthracite needed, too many factors differ from one house to the other. If you can afford 7 tons$, go for it and you will have some provisions for the next ??? years .A blower is a good option to send the heat farder in the house, some are noisy some are less...
Usually, with anth, a 12 Hrs burn time no-touch is not rare. Here my wife never touch the stove (except if a big outside temp. changement occurs) during these 12 Hrs. So far from wood burning chores.

Hello fellow New Englander. Last year was my first year burning coal. I have a antique stove in my basement and it could heat my whole house until temps got down into the middle teens then I would have to supplement with the central heating, but the wife and I like it hot. Yes some rooms get hotter than others, but I still cut my heating bill in half. Similiar house. Built in 1890 with original windows and no insulation. I burn't 7.5 tons last year. I also wasted a little due to the learning curve and I fired up a little to early. My wife can tend the stove while I'm at work. Didn't take her long at all to learn. My basement location is also not the best location. Can't wait till I fire up the new to me parlor stove in my computer room. Brought up my stove because the chubby is similiar. cylinder style. They say a round firepot is the most efficient for coal burning. Make sure you check out Larry's video. You can find a link to it in this thread " coal chubbies may be back", pg. 6 I believe. As far as bulk goes the only place I know of is in Boston. Riverside Coal. Last year 295/ton $40.00 flat rate delivery. There's also a bunch of youtube video's about burning coal. Grab a beverage of your choice and enjoy the shows. Good luck. Matt

PS. One of the local Boston papers had a article on how the natural gas is going to skyrocket. Just because it's cheap now it probably will not be in a couple months. Commodities are down right now, but it's also an election year. I bet after November energy is going to soar. Heating oil is $3.25 a gallon in southern New Hampshire. I'm sure it's going to skyrocket soon though.

Welcome Nordillaca you have made a wise choice searching for an alternative to big gas and oil companies shoving there fuel down your throat and taking all or most of your hard earned money! The Chubby coal stove is an excellent stove to begin your coal burning journey. Your family will be warmer because you will all be in the room with the Chubby with a big smile. The furnace won't be going on and off and the coal stove will quietly keep pushing out the heat! If you can get some insulation in the walls that will be a bonus. If you can't do all the windows pick out the worst and put the shrink plastic to'em and tackle them in the spring.
Were you quoted the price for coal per ton or many times Blaschak is 1.2 ton = 2400lbs.?
Now don't forget the pictures!