Sulfur smell

Wondering what I can do to minimize the outdoor odor of sulfur.

I burn Blaschak nut coal, but I suspect all coal gives off this smell - especially after a fresh reload. I think this might be the only thing that might derail my plan to heat 100% with coal: my neighbors might start raising a stink about *my* stink..!

I guess I might be out of luck but just thought I'd see if there are any tips for knocking down the odor from the chimney - I live in a small town and some of my neighbors are, eh, a pain.

Are stokers any better?

I really cannot think what may be causing your sulfur smell problem??? I have been burning coal for many years (hand fired stoves) & have never detected any smell outside at all. (Maybe sometimes on warmer,dank & still days I might get a hint of sulfur smell either inside or outside but that's it)
Do you get that smell even when you burn hotter?

I think it all give off some type of smell when it burns...

Probably depends on how high your chimney is, my inside brick chimney that vents above the 3rd story, I can't smell anything, around the outside of the house. The other stove that is a direct vent that is only 12' high out the back of the house, I do get some smell depending on which way the wind blows.

WNY wrote:I think it all give off some type of smell when it burns...

Probably depends on how high your chimney is, my inside brick chimney that vents above the 3rd story, I can't smell anything, around the outside of the house. The other stove that is a direct vent that is only 12' high out the back of the house, I do get some smell depending on which way the wind blows.

That makes alot of sense as my chimney vents to the top of the gable end of my house & I never smell anything.

I can smell it inside on occasion inside after a reload, even with a short chimney I never get a wiff outside. Unless they are living in your backyard, they may never know you even burn coal. Unless of course you keep them up on cold nights with evil laughter.

How they would trace it back to your house since there's no visable emissions?

Coal smells better than when next door leaves his diesel pickup idling to warm it up. Quieter too.... I personally can't stand the smell of #2, raw or burned.

treysgt wrote:

Are stokers any better?

I would think a stoker would spread the loading of new coal out over time - the smell may be less concentrated - but more constant.

My neighbors would'nt know what coal smells like if I stuck their noses right up to my vent pipe . *IF* they ask - tell 'em its your "burner"

MY neighbors oil burner is out of whack right now & it smells horrible - but I would never go over there and tell them - if I did, they would look at me like I had two heads. (sort of like the look you get when you tell people you burn coal)

i'm not a big fan of the smell of number 2 either, but i do enjoy the smell of diesel...

treysgt wrote:Wondering what I can do to minimize the outdoor odor of sulfur.

I burn Blaschak nut coal, but I suspect all coal gives off this smell - especially after a fresh reload. I think this might be the only thing that might derail my plan to heat 100% with coal: my neighbors might start raising a stink about *my* stink..!

I guess I might be out of luck but just thought I'd see if there are any tips for knocking down the odor from the chimney - I live in a small town and some of my neighbors are, eh, a pain.

Are stokers any better?

Hard for me to tell if the stokers are any better since I have both types and the chimneys are at either end of the house...but...when I was up on the roof installing the chimney cap on the flue to the cellar the stoker was burning and there was very little sulfur odor.
When I load up the hand-fed there is an odor outside if the wind is right. Try refilling the stove in stages, let each load of fresh coal ignite and flash off before loading in the next.

If the neighbors complain, which they shouldn't, just act innocent and the next time they have their car warming up in the driveway go over and complain about the sulfur smell from their car's catalytic converter exhaust and whine about how the smell is getting into your house. Then immediately go home and fill the stove with lots of damp and rotting firewood.

Thanks for the info - I guess the key is getting to a quick blue fire chamber. I've noticed that when I reload and there have yet to be any flame that there is a stronger smell. I'll try reloading in batches like you suggest - that may help.

My problem is that I have one neighbor who insists on burning his plastic recyclables - even though we have free recycling pickup in town. 'Someone' near him has called the cops on him several times for doing so, and I expect if he could point a finger elsewhere he'd be quick to do it.

treysgt wrote:Thanks for the info - I guess the key is getting to a quick blue fire chamber. I've noticed that when I reload and there have yet to be any flame that there is a stronger smell. I'll try reloading in batches like you suggest - that may help.

My problem is that I have one neighbor who insists on burning his plastic recyclables - even though we have free recycling pickup in town. 'Someone' near him has called the cops on him several times for doing so, and I expect if he could point a finger elsewhere he'd be quick to do it.

How does he burn them? In a stove, the fireplace, a burn barrel? I can't see throwing plastic bottles in the coal or wood stove. And why is "someone" in quotes?

Wow! Burning plastic is a great way to kill yourself, or anyone who breathes too much of the results.

Yes, I think your batch reloading will help -- those gases that are given off as the coal heats up can be pretty stinky if they go up the chimney without burning. I have only had about two days all winter when the weather conditions were just right to make a strong sulfur smell outside, but one of those was enough to burn my nose and eyes. If you did much of that, I expect the neighbors would complain.

once a month or so his burn barrel gets loaded with old milk jugs, etc. - just as his dad did before him. Pretty sad. Several citations later, he still sneaks a burn in whenever he can. Very scarey and weird..

Had the Harman go out today for the first time in a few weeks. Told the wife it was due for a shake before I left for work but she forgot - she needed the practice doing a restart anyway, I guess..

I worried about that too when I put my stove in. I have a direct vent and it's smelly when I get too close to the vent. I would think it would be better for you since you have a chimney. I would also think that in the winter the neighbors won't have much opportunity to smell the fumes since their window are closed and they probably spend most of their time indoors. If they get an occasional wiff I can't imagine it being a problem. Have they said anything to you yet?