New Keystoker 90 on the Way

After two years of contemplating, today I finally pulled the trigger, and ordered a coal stoker. I ordered a Keystoker 90, direct vent, with the larger 350CFM fan, an 8" vent on top, and a Coal-Trol. Should be here in three months. So now, do I get to go to the "Coal Burners Anonymous" meetings... Hello, My name is Mike, and I am a coal burner.

It's interesting, I came full circle in my decisionmaking, and I'd like to thank everyone here for helping out, especially WNY, wenchris, LSFarm, Richard & Europachris, for the advice over the past few years. The original plan, in 2006, was to put a Keystoker 90 in the basement with a closed air loop into the upstairs. That plan morphed into a boiler, but honestly, the boiler project, while probably better for full time, full house heating was becoming a logistical bear. I had issues getting one (2009), and having it installed (dealer doesn't install, local heating guys looked at me like I was going to give them leprosy), and it was 2-3 times the cost of a stove in the basement, which I can install myself, and just has a "mental scale of effort" that fit better with the amount of work I wanted to put into this project.

So, the plan now, in execution, is the same as the original idea, stove in the basement, venting at 350CFM into the main zone (~1900sq/ft) through an 8" closed loop. The coal-trol will go upstairs in the middle of the loop area. I have a Jotul Kennebec which completely heated that zone for the past four years, and I've still got a few cords of wood available in case it gets really cold (tired of feeding the stove 3x a day), but based upon past performance, I think the Keystoker will have no issues heating the main zone. (That said, I've been looking at those Hitzer 503 photos that CapeCoaler posted, and I am very interested... very interested! Swap out the Jotul for a Hitzer... Hmmm...) I also had the house completely stripped, sanded, and caulked this year, so she's somewhat tighter than in years gone by. Going to seal up the sills, etc. downstairs in the next month or so. We're 250' back from a beach here, up a 100' bluff, so it gets windy for 4 months of the year.

Next project is to set up a coal bin in the basement. I am thinking of laying in storage for 5 tons, maybe more, maybe less, there's plenty of space down there. I'll be asking plenty of questions, so bear with me.

Thanks again, and hope to be burning soon...

-- Mike

You will be happy with it, I am going on 4 years with my Keystoker and it does a good job.