It Was a Great Seasonn for Burning Coal
- Smoker858
- Member
- Posts: 212
- Joined: Tue. Nov. 03, 2009 1:29 pm
- Location: Parsippany, NJ
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 50-93
- Baseburners & Antiques: Reading Stove Works Penn circa 1900
- Coal Size/Type: Nut
- Other Heating: nat gas
KIMMELS from American Coal - bagged Nut
Very few clinkers, 3/4 of a galv. trash can of mostly dust each week.
What were you burning?
Very few clinkers, 3/4 of a galv. trash can of mostly dust each week.
What were you burning?
- freetown fred
- Member
- Posts: 30293
- Joined: Thu. Dec. 31, 2009 12:33 pm
- Location: Freetown,NY 13803
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: HITZER 50-93
- Coal Size/Type: BLASCHAK Nut
BLASCHAK nut/stove mix-bulk-no clinkers & a big ass pile of ash outside to be spread on driveway & around pond sidewalls in the spring. Started in early Sept. probably go till mid to late April. Used 2 2/3 ton so far probably another 1/3 ton before it's over. Heating 2000 sq 200 yr old farm house on top of a hill.
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- Member
- Posts: 1493
- Joined: Mon. Dec. 16, 2013 1:48 pm
- Location: somewhere high in the catskill mountains
- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: harman sf 160
- Coal Size/Type: Nut
- Other Heating: wood parlor stove
Will have used 4 ton from Dec 1st till middle of April. This is with boiler heating the "loop" and DHW. Will switch to wood for a week or so after that. Fred, I am jealous!!! less than 3 ton for the WHOLE season!!
Says a whole lot for the Hitzers. BTW, I will NEVER buy another bag of Reading coal EVER again.
Jim
Says a whole lot for the Hitzers. BTW, I will NEVER buy another bag of Reading coal EVER again.
Jim
- oliver power
- Member
- Posts: 2970
- Joined: Sun. Apr. 16, 2006 9:28 am
- Location: Near Dansville, NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: KEYSTOKER Kaa-2
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 50-93 & 30-95, Vigilant (pre-2310), D.S. 1600 Circulator, Hitzer 254
Hi J F Graham, I burned Reading (Bagged Coal) all winter in the 30-95. It seemed to burn ok in the Hitzer, but what doesn't. I did notice lots of moisture, as well as debris in every bag. What was your experience?J F Graham wrote:Will have used 4 ton from Dec 1st till middle of April. This is with boiler heating the "loop" and DHW. Will switch to wood for a week or so after that. Fred, I am jealous!!! less than 3 ton for the WHOLE season!!
Says a whole lot for the Hitzers. BTW, I will NEVER buy another bag of Reading coal EVER again.
Jim
- davidmcbeth3
- Member
- Posts: 8505
- Joined: Sun. Jun. 14, 2009 2:31 pm
- Coal Size/Type: nut/pea/anthra
I burned 80% Reading, 20% Santa Clause coal. Got it bagged. Lots of moisture, ice & coal really. Was not happy...not Reading's fault but retailer but Reading could control this if they wanted to...oliver power wrote:Hi J F Graham, I burned Reading (Bagged Coal) all winter in the 30-95. It seemed to burn ok in the Hitzer, but what doesn't. I did notice lots of moisture, as well as debris in every bag. What was your experience?J F Graham wrote:Will have used 4 ton from Dec 1st till middle of April. This is with boiler heating the "loop" and DHW. Will switch to wood for a week or so after that. Fred, I am jealous!!! less than 3 ton for the WHOLE season!!
Says a whole lot for the Hitzers. BTW, I will NEVER buy another bag of Reading coal EVER again.
Jim
And wood extras of course with the Reading.
Wifey likes Reading, I like Santa Clause .... get which one we'll get next year?
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- Member
- Posts: 1493
- Joined: Mon. Dec. 16, 2013 1:48 pm
- Location: somewhere high in the catskill mountains
- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: harman sf 160
- Coal Size/Type: Nut
- Other Heating: wood parlor stove
Hey guys, Last year we run Santa Clause coal, my first year & not many problems. This past year, after doing masonry all season I was pretty well tore up, & couldn't fathom unloading 4 ton by hand. Now my Santa dealer was unable to deliver; so I found a reading dealer that would deliver 4 ton for $40.oo delivery fee. It was soo full of fines I kinda had to re-learn burning coal. Ifn I had to guess? about 10% fines in every bag. However got through just fine; but will not ever purchase Reading ever again. Here and there there was a "clean" bag & it did just great; but just too much other junk. Life is all about learning.
Jim
Jim
- freetown fred
- Member
- Posts: 30293
- Joined: Thu. Dec. 31, 2009 12:33 pm
- Location: Freetown,NY 13803
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: HITZER 50-93
- Coal Size/Type: BLASCHAK Nut
It'll come out to around 3 1/2 ton by the end of the season Jim--still real good. I hear that on the Reading!!
J F Graham wrote:Will have used 4 ton from Dec 1st till middle of April. This is with boiler heating the "loop" and DHW. Will switch to wood for a week or so after that. Fred, I am jealous!!! less than 3 ton for the WHOLE season!!
Says a whole lot for the Hitzers. BTW, I will NEVER buy another bag of Reading coal EVER again.
Jim
- harmontlc2000
- Member
- Posts: 20
- Joined: Sat. Oct. 18, 2014 2:12 pm
- Location: Southern Maine
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harman TLC2000, Jotul 507
- Coal Size/Type: Blaschak nut
- Other Heating: FHA Oil Burner
We've burned around 5 tons of Santa nut so far, seems sized a bit larger this year. We've got about 1500 lbs left. If it doesn't warm up soon I'm going to have to buy more, only made it 18 here today.
- hotblast1357
- Member
- Posts: 5657
- Joined: Mon. Mar. 10, 2014 10:06 pm
- Location: Peasleeville NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: 1984 Eshland S260 coal gun
- Coal Size/Type: Lehigh anthracite pea
- Other Heating: air source heat pump, oil furnace
It was a great season! But hopefully it's done soon, I lit the furnace oct 14th and as of today have burned 6231 lbs or 3.1 tons, total count of coal used in the furnace and the garage is 8671 or 4.3 tons, will probably burn another 1,000 pounds in the house, the garage stove is shut down.
- BunkerdCaddis
- Member
- Posts: 708
- Joined: Sun. Jan. 18, 2015 10:26 am
- Location: SW Lancaster County
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Bairmatic-Van Wert
- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Van Wert VW85H
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Saey Hanover II working when I feel the desire, Waterford 105 out on vacation, Surdiac Gotha hiding somewhere
- Coal Size/Type: pea/nut/rice/stove-anthracite, nut/stove bit when I feel the urge
- Other Heating: oil fired hydronic
I agree, it was a great season for burning coal, but all I have to compare it to is burning oil. This was my first year for heating w/ coal.
I installed the chimney and my little stove Thanksgiving weekend and started burning the next week. My first purchase of coal was 1 1/2 ton of pea size from F.H. Kreider of Lancaster and it burnt well but I lost too much thru the bar grate. I got some clinkers w/ it. My next ton was nut size also from Kreider's they told me came from South Tamaqua. It burned very well for me with nary a single clinker and mostly all fine ash if I didn't slice and prod too hard. I have about enough to last till the end of March and then I will shut down.
Last year I used 3 tanks of oil over the winter season and this year w/ similar HDD totals I used 1 tank from Oct. to March 1 heating the finished basement and DHW. The little stove kept the main floor of our 2100 sq ft rancher style house mostly in the mid to upper 70's, well above the settings (as much as 10 or 12 degrees) on the oil boiler's thermostats. Coal made the cold much more bearable for me this winter.
I installed the chimney and my little stove Thanksgiving weekend and started burning the next week. My first purchase of coal was 1 1/2 ton of pea size from F.H. Kreider of Lancaster and it burnt well but I lost too much thru the bar grate. I got some clinkers w/ it. My next ton was nut size also from Kreider's they told me came from South Tamaqua. It burned very well for me with nary a single clinker and mostly all fine ash if I didn't slice and prod too hard. I have about enough to last till the end of March and then I will shut down.
Last year I used 3 tanks of oil over the winter season and this year w/ similar HDD totals I used 1 tank from Oct. to March 1 heating the finished basement and DHW. The little stove kept the main floor of our 2100 sq ft rancher style house mostly in the mid to upper 70's, well above the settings (as much as 10 or 12 degrees) on the oil boiler's thermostats. Coal made the cold much more bearable for me this winter.
I burned about 2 ton of coal from various local sources. I buy coal by the bucket, 7 buckets last a week. We have been blessed to have 5 yards within 15 miles. One is so close that the engine doesn't even warm up by the time I get there!!!
We heat or DHW with oil in the dead cold and when I get to the shoulder months I heat it with a bucket a day. I swing the vent pipe over to the bucket a day and put the oil boiler in cold storage. We usually burn about a half tank a year in oil. This winter it was colder here and when it got stupid cold the coal stove needed some help so the oil boiler kicked in.
There was a week when we took a trip and we had the oil boiler thermo set at 60. It took almost a full day of burning to get the house heat loaded and comfortable again. All in all we heated our 985 sq ft two story three bedroom and all our DHW for about
$550.
We heat or DHW with oil in the dead cold and when I get to the shoulder months I heat it with a bucket a day. I swing the vent pipe over to the bucket a day and put the oil boiler in cold storage. We usually burn about a half tank a year in oil. This winter it was colder here and when it got stupid cold the coal stove needed some help so the oil boiler kicked in.
There was a week when we took a trip and we had the oil boiler thermo set at 60. It took almost a full day of burning to get the house heat loaded and comfortable again. All in all we heated our 985 sq ft two story three bedroom and all our DHW for about
$550.
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- Member
- Posts: 283
- Joined: Tue. Jan. 13, 2015 8:49 am
- Location: Springwater NY, (Western NY)
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Keystoker 105 - SOLD
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 30-95 - Garage
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: HITZER 50-93 - HOUSE
- Coal Size/Type: NUT
- Other Heating: PROPANE FURNACE, ELECTIC BASE BOARD, AND WOOD FIRE PLACE
I guess I'll post my results for the season so far. This is my first year burning coal and it's been great. Bought the house in start of September last year. I've burned just over 3 ton. Can't give an perfect number due to some coal being left by the previous owner. I burn rice and I am currently burning Reading. I like it very much. I started with Santa Claus coal and switch to Reading. It burned better and cleaner. I've tired the Santa coal a couple of times here and there and am not a fan. I'll stick with the Reading Rice. Must be a different story from the Nut and stove coal. I will say though there is a lot of water in the bags.
As for house set up.
Heating about 1600 sqft with an old Keystoker Ecno 70. Also used 150gallons of LP since December 30th heating hot water tank, kitchen oven/stove, and a 500 sqft inlaw sweet on the back of my house.
3.5 tons coal: $1,015 ($290 per ton bag. Switching to bulk next year @$215 per ton)
150 gallons LP: $283.50 ($1.89 per gallon)
All and all heated the 2000 sqft+ house and hot water and cooking stove/oven for less then $1300. I'm happy with it.
There will be much improvements over the summer. I got way better with the stove as the winter when on. I was very much a newbie when the year started coming from heating with wood before. I really enjoy this. I now have a dollar amount that I need to be for next year. We'll see how I do. Starting with running some heat ducting to the inlaw suit so I stop burning LP to heat that area.
As for house set up.
Heating about 1600 sqft with an old Keystoker Ecno 70. Also used 150gallons of LP since December 30th heating hot water tank, kitchen oven/stove, and a 500 sqft inlaw sweet on the back of my house.
3.5 tons coal: $1,015 ($290 per ton bag. Switching to bulk next year @$215 per ton)
150 gallons LP: $283.50 ($1.89 per gallon)
All and all heated the 2000 sqft+ house and hot water and cooking stove/oven for less then $1300. I'm happy with it.
There will be much improvements over the summer. I got way better with the stove as the winter when on. I was very much a newbie when the year started coming from heating with wood before. I really enjoy this. I now have a dollar amount that I need to be for next year. We'll see how I do. Starting with running some heat ducting to the inlaw suit so I stop burning LP to heat that area.
- DennisH
- Member
- Posts: 336
- Joined: Mon. Feb. 21, 2011 8:35 am
- Location: Escanaba, MI
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Yukon-Eagle Klondike IV
- Other Heating: Propane
I used about 240 bags of mixed nut and stove coal. Ironically, I have 40 bags of each left. I started out with 320 bags total in the fall. 200 bags nut, 120 bags stove. Started burning 31 October. Burned continuously except for one three-day period, when my bride whisked me out of town for our 31st anniversary in November. Stopped burning mid-March when we had a really nice warm up period here in 'da U.P. eh! Been burning propane (and now wood again since it suddenly got colder in the past couple of days). I have a minimum buy of propane of 500 gal per year, so I have to burn SOME of it!! Plus we use it for hot water, cooking, dryer, etc. But both last year and this year, which were pretty brutal in terms of cold, it looks like my plan to have at least 300 bags of coal stored in the basement is the right number. Maybe next year we'll have a "warmer" winter, like we did in 2012, and will use less coal. But I will not be caught shorthanded. Even with 300+ bags to start out the heating season, I also have 360 bags on pallets outside for use, in case it is just insanely cold. Good heating season overall though!
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- Posts: 846
- Joined: Sat. Dec. 10, 2011 4:07 pm
- Location: Berks County
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS Machine 1400 WH ciculator; 1880's small cannon in reserve
- Coal Size/Type: Nut
- Other Heating: small New Yorker oil fired boiler; mostly used for domestic HW
Wow, DennisH, that doesn't sound too bad for where you live! Especially if they are 40lb. bags. Even with a little propain and wood.
I've gone through about 4 tons since Oct. 9th in my fairly small hand fired. Mostly DiRenzo bulk, but also some TS Kimmels, about a half ton bagged Lehigh and my last drum of some garage mined old metallurgical coal. It was all OK, but the best stuff, overall has definitely been the Lehigh. The metallurgical coal is mostly stove to egg sized and seems as hard as steel. It's a pain to burn unless mixed with higher volatile stuff. It does burn a real long time. I'm down to about 8 bags and some of the drum coal. Should make it to the 6 month mark, as usual.
Also used about 300-350 gal. of Heating oil. That was about 98% for DHW only.
I used exactly 4.5 tons last winter. Winter of '12-'13 I only used 3 tons for 6 months. Previous Winters, I used about 3 tons in an 80 lb. Warm Morning for about 4 to 5 months. Been lovin' the coal all Winter! Tonight is going down to 16F in Eastern Pa. Probably the last real cold night. I'm always ready for Spring, but it's a little sad when the coal fire is gone.
I've gone through about 4 tons since Oct. 9th in my fairly small hand fired. Mostly DiRenzo bulk, but also some TS Kimmels, about a half ton bagged Lehigh and my last drum of some garage mined old metallurgical coal. It was all OK, but the best stuff, overall has definitely been the Lehigh. The metallurgical coal is mostly stove to egg sized and seems as hard as steel. It's a pain to burn unless mixed with higher volatile stuff. It does burn a real long time. I'm down to about 8 bags and some of the drum coal. Should make it to the 6 month mark, as usual.
Also used about 300-350 gal. of Heating oil. That was about 98% for DHW only.
I used exactly 4.5 tons last winter. Winter of '12-'13 I only used 3 tons for 6 months. Previous Winters, I used about 3 tons in an 80 lb. Warm Morning for about 4 to 5 months. Been lovin' the coal all Winter! Tonight is going down to 16F in Eastern Pa. Probably the last real cold night. I'm always ready for Spring, but it's a little sad when the coal fire is gone.
- 2001Sierra
- Member
- Posts: 2211
- Joined: Wed. May. 20, 2009 8:09 am
- Location: Wynantskill NY, 10 miles from Albany
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Keystoker 90 Chimney vent
- Coal Size/Type: Rice
- Other Heating: Buderus Oil Boiler 3115-34
Lit the Keystoker Oct 19th. Used 5800 lbs so far about 500 more than last year. No complaints house is 68/70 24 x 7 , downstairs 73/75.