Introduce Yourself

My name is Ray, I live in Plymouth Meeting, Pa. grew up in southwestern Pa, a coal town called Nanty Glo. Nanty Glo means streams of coal in the old Welsh language. Dad was a coal miner all his life, he had 44 years with Bethlehem mines. He heated with coal up into the 80's (bituminous) I lived with him in the 50's to early 70's. I've heated my home with wood for many years but after going through about six chainsaws and too many birthdays it's time for coal. I have a Treemont 520 wood-coal fireplace insert that I bought new 21 years ago. I made up some steel plates that I put in it when I burn coal, keeps the coal right over the grate, works OK but not as efficient as the stoves you guys are using. Any way thats my story. Love your site.
Ray

I didn't notice this thread before. I'm Bill. I grew up in Wilkes-Barre, PA. My parents heated with coal until I went into the army in 1972. That year they switched to oil. The following year was the oil embargo. My dad kicked his backside for switching. Over the years I've lived in Wilkes-Barre, Va Beach and Reading. We moved back to the Wilkes-Barre area in 1994. The company I worked for had a slot open in the area again and both of our parents were getting on in age so we came back to help out. That was probably the best decision we ever made. 80 year old people could be a royal pain but they're our parents and need the help.

We have 3 grown children. One living in Baltimore county, the second is looking for a new job in the Richmond, VA area and the youngest is still with us. I've had a bug up my butt to get away from oil heat for the last couple of years and plan on switching this summer.

Howdy All!
I am from upstate NY, Ihave burning coal for just three years now. I picked up two nice late 1800's coal stoves from a city boy that moved into the Adirondack country. He decided to switch over propane for big pretty lake house. His loss, my gain. One is nice little ranch stove that heats my back porch, kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room. The other is nice parlor stove. that takes care of the rest of the house. Anyhow, I picked up heating with coal from a friend of mine that heats his house completely with coal. And has since the early 80's. He has been an endless amount of information in helping me out. I just came across your site tonight, and have been sitting here reading for close to two hours now. I have learned so much more in these last two hours. Thank you all

Hi, I'm Chris and for about the last 5 years, I've been building the stokers at efm. We are still producing the same stoker that was introduced in 1951, many of which are still in use and striving to keep creating stokers that will be around in another 50 years.

A few years ago, a guy called and said he had an old efm wood-coal boiler in his cellar and wanted to know if anybody wanted it. It was about 25 years old at the time and I said I'd be right over. I noticed that it was a prototype of the WCB24, a pre-production prototype and that there was a leak at the coil plate gasket. He was happy of my offer of $100 and I took it away.

It sat in my garage for two years. I air tested it and only found a leak at the hardened coil gasket. Finally, I determined to get it hooked into my house boiler and use it as the primary source of heat and using my oil boiler only as a vessel to supply water for my baseboards and domestic water. It was an intimidating project, but with about 3 aquastats, 5 relays and my oil boiler controls, lots of piping, wiring and 3 months of time, I was able to create a fully automatic wood boiler. The hardest part is putting wood in the door.

I've been married 31 years, the kids are all gone, and we're enjoying the afternoon of our lives.

Hi Chris, You're having fun over here, aren't you? Glad you're on board. I'm thinkin', "our cracked boiler gal" is going to do alright. I had to email her to get a response, .. twice!

Hi all. My name is Jeff. I am a 37yo machinist in Rhode Island. Wife, 3 kids, that sort of thing. I grew up my whole life burning wood but when I bought my house, it had a coal stove. It took a couple seasons and the advice of a guy at work who has been using it for years but I finally got it right.

I found this place by searching for information on my father's WESO stove. He had tried to put coal in it a few times but didn't have the patience so we stuck with wood. If anyone has one of these stoves, I have some questions. I'd like to get it up and running again for him due to the high cost of oil.

Thanks for any help. I'll be poking around trying to help anyone I can and learning a little more about coal.

jpete wrote:Hi all. My name is Jeff. I am a 37yo machinist in Rhode Island. Wife, 3 kids, that sort of thing.

Hi Jeff, sorry I can't help you out with your dads stove but it's always nice to see other Machinists...welcome.

Hi Jeff
I was a machinist in a plastic factory for 18 years, saw a job in the want-adds for a building maintenance man 17 years ago and went for it, payed a buck more an hour than I was making and I don't have to sweat about one onethousand of an inch anymore. I'm new to this site also.
Acesover

acesover wrote:I don't have to sweat about one onethousand of an inch anymore.

LOL! You should see me doing carpentry! Looks great but the least bit of humidity causes all my doors to stick!

jpete wrote:

acesover wrote:I don't have to sweat about one onethousand of an inch anymore.

LOL! You should see me doing carpentry! Looks great but the least bit of humidity causes all my doors to stick!

Make sure you paint all the edges of the door, including the top and the bottom, then the door is sealed, expansion due to high temps and humidity will be less. It's the ability of exposed bare wood to absorb moisture that causes the problems, most people don't seal the top & the bottom.

Also, welcome to a fellow Mark I owner!

Hi,

What a great site. I've gotten some excellent advice and information. My name is Frank and I live in NY. I have an Alaska Stoker. I can't say enough about how much I love burning coal. My house is much warmer than it ever was. I love to tinker and fix things. I always have. I was that kid who took the T.V. apart when no one was watching. I remember my parents getting cable, when it first was available, and I ran a cable from their box to my TV so I could watch movies I shouldn't have been watching. I own a 4 bedrrom colonial am married and have one kid. I also have a solar heater for my 20 x 40 pool and it keeps the water temp at 86 throughout the summer. I may look into getting one panel for domestic H.W. I want to get off the grid. Beam me up Scotty!!

Hello everyone, I'm new to your site and new to trying coal as a supplemental heat source.I just purchased a used brunco coal burning insert and have yet to install it.my last experience with coal was as a child it was our only heat source in our 100 year old home it was a basement furnace with gravity flow vents. now I'm back due to the high cost of oil.hopefully everything will go smoothly. if anyone has pointers or suggestions on threads to read first please do so as all help is appreciated. thanks from northern ohio

Howdy...
I have been heating with wood for over 30 years. In the dead of winter I run two woodstoves. Wood is there for me for the taking and preparing, but that doesn't make it free. I have been thinking of putting in a coal stoker stove and have looked pretty hard at Keystoker and Leisure Line. Either one would do me. It is a matter of my perception of the character and experience of the vendor.
I am interested in securing a coal supply. I am located about 90 miles north of Scranton in Otsego County, NY. Is it possible for me to get delivery of palletized, bagged rice coal? What tonnages and prices should I expect? Does anyone have any leads for me.
Thanks, BruceH

Happy the man, and happy he alone,
He who can call today his own:

Hi my name is bob . i live in central ny . been burnin coal for 20 years . i finally broke down and bought a new k6 keystoker boiler. whatta machine . this boiler gives burning coal a whole new demension . I have been feeding and shaking my old boiler way to long . this is an awsome forum , i hope i can participate in helping and i hope you all dont mind a few questions about my new boiler . Thank you

jpete wrote:Hi all. My name is Jeff. I am a 37yo machinist in Rhode Island. Wife, 3 kids, that sort of thing. I grew up my whole life burning wood but when I bought my house, it had a coal stove. It took a couple seasons and the advice of a guy at work who has been using it for years but I finally got it right.

I found this place by searching for information on my father's WESO stove. He had tried to put coal in it a few times but didn't have the patience so we stuck with wood. If anyone has one of these stoves, I have some questions. I'd like to get it up and running again for him due to the high cost of oil.

Thanks for any help. I'll be poking around trying to help anyone I can and learning a little more about coal.

Hi, Jeff. We had a Weso stove back around 1980 when I was in middle school! I don't recall too much about it except that it was designed for pea coal and to close the butterfly draft vent below the load door for coal. The main draft is thermostatic with the control at the rear right side, I recall. It had a nice shaker grate system and ash pan, and overall was a beautiful stove. We burned wood 95% of the time and did a brief stint burning bituminous coal in it (along with the Woodchuck add-on furnace in the basement). THAT was a real mess! Never did burn anthracite in it (couldn't get that where we lived at the time).

I imagine that once you got a good wood fire and bed of charcoal burning, just add pea coal scoop by scoop until it's fully burning and loaded.

Chris