Introduce Yourself

If you want to introduce yourself to the group you can do it here.

Please do not post Questions here, this thread is not for discussion
purposes and should be kept for just a friendly introduction.
if you have a question use the appropriate forum and start a new topic.


Welcome to NEPA Crossroads, this is an ongoing project that started out as small forum for my coal delivery site which has blossomed into the foremost place to get information of using coal for heating your home. I'm the "Mayor" here. I worked for and owned a family coal delivery business for 15 years prior to moving onto to full time web development. I host and have built a few sites including the administration of this one. There is lots to come from NEPA Crossroads in the future so stick around. Other notable things I do include being a moderator at phpbb.com which is where the forum software you are using right now was developed.

My name is Steve and the coal man is my brother (oh my). I grew up in a house that was heated by coal and now mine is also. I am 32 years old, married, and I have 3 kids. I am currently employed as a Firefighter/EMT/Haz-Mat Tech/Plumber/Electrician/Janitor/Secretary at the Tobyhanna Army Depot in the Poconos. In these trying times the government expects more for less. I have been a firefighter since I was 16 years old. I have been a paid firefighter since i was 21 years old. I started my paid career at Ft McClellan in Alabama which was (it's closed now) a live agent training facility for chemical and biological weapons. Then we moved to Sunny Point Military Ocean Terminal in North Carolina. Sunny Point is the East Coast's only ocean terminal for weapons shipment. Then back here to good ole NEPA. I know someone may ask no I wasn't in the military. My whole career with the government was civilian. I could tell you more but it's all top secret. LOL that was a joke kinda well maybe not. Anyway there it is wanna know more you can find me at http://www.americasmostwanted.com

Hi,

I'm Tom and I'm located in southern Maine.

I'm looking for a coil boiler to add to my existing oil/hot water system. I burn about 2100 gallons a year heating 4300 square feet.

There is very little talk of coal in this area. The good news is that I located a dealer 15 miles away that has loose, pea-size coal for $200/ton (not delivered).

Hello, My name is Ryan and I live in Vestal NY located just west of Binghamton. I have a Harmon Magnum Stoker and heat my cape style home. Not sure on the sq. footage. It's located in my basement which I keep at about 74 and keeps the rest of the house about 68. I have a Oil fired forced hot air furnace when the temps get really cold. I burned about 400 gallons of oil this year and 4 ton's of rice coal. The previous owner used to burn 1200 gallons of oil. Pretty good savings, I figured I saved about 1900.00 this year alone.. I also have a wood burning insert in my fireplace I burn on the weekends. I had my stove shut down for the season ( I thought) but this weekend and lastnight were in the 40's during the day and 30's at night... so I used my last coal mouse and fired it up saturday night. I can't stand it when the furnace turns on... (makes me cringe)... My wife calls me an energy nazi but she loves the constant warmth on the floors and since I'm the one who tends to it, no sweat off her brow. ha ha ha.. It's not a lot of work, I tend to it a couple times a day always topping off the coal and empty the ashes every 2 to 3 days depending of the temps. I spread the ash on my stone driveway and the rest go into the woods in a pile. I'm glad I found this website and enjoy reading others people questions and chime in every now and again. Thanks CoalMan and everyone else... Have good summers and I'll start stock piling for next year.

I'm Troy in the Oil Region of Titusville, PA - where the first drilled oil well in the world was developed by Colonel Drake. I am a pastor and also do database computer work part time at a local electronics company. I got into coal two years ago and have nearly paid for my stove by now, I think. The biggest hassle is driving 4 hours each way to get it - but getting 5 to 6 tons is worth it price wise. I bought my first ebay car this month, and am getting an old 'restorable' grand piano tomorrow to go with the coal stove. I enjoy getting a good deal. At 41, I still enjoy playing basketball and softball, but now I'm the old guy on the field/court. The best part of my life is my Lord, my wife, and my four kids.

WELL I HAVE BEEN LURKING ON THE COAL FORUM FOR ALMOST A YEAR. I JUST ORDERED A HITZER 50-93 COAL STOVE SO I THOUGHT I SHOULD GET REGISTERED. I KNOW I WILL NEED ALL THE HELP I CAN GET. I'VE BEEN BURNING WOOD FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS AND BECAUSE I HAVE TO BUY MOST OF MY FIREWOOD I THOUGHT COAL WOULD BE THE WAY TO GO. THERE ARE 5 OR 6 PEOPLE IN MY AREA (MID MICHIGAN WHO ARE NOW BURNING COAL. PRE BUY'S THIS YEAR FOR FUEL OIL WERE 2.85 OR MORE A GALLON. I CAN'T DEAL WITH THAT!

I LOOK FORWARD TO CONVERSING WITH ALL OF YOU!

Hello All!
Well I made the jump. I have bought a Alaskan 140 auger Feed system. Im planning on Ducking it in to my existing Natural Gas Unit.
I live in a little town of Campbell in the Southern Tear of NY. The winters are here are moody some times. My wife and I (no kids yet but she’s nagging me about that, and im just practice) bought our house in 2002 and have delt with the rising price of NG in our area. Our house is 15 years old and about 2000SqFt with a full wood shop in the basement.

From what I see this is a well run and very useful site.

Thanks in advance
Eric

Hello, My name is Shawn and I was on this site alot last year. I live in Western Md. On the Wv. border. I work for the Bureau of Prisons as a powerhouse operator in Hazelton Wv.
I am a little unique here because I don't burn anthracite. I burn soft coal ( bituminous). I have an AHS muli fuel boiler that I just installed last year. Before that I had a wood eating outdoor furnace. Thankfully i found someone to take that thing off my hands. I bet you guys are wondering why I don't burn Anthracite. Well, for one it is hard to find in my area and secondly there are about 6 coal mines within 5 miles from my house and soft coal ( Big Vein ) is only $50 a ton.
Can't wait till this board fires up again for the heating season. I learned a bunch last year and hopefully i will learn even more this year...

My name is Smitty, and I'm an alcoholic.... (only on weekends...)

Have a Harman Mark I in my basement burning anthracite. Bought it due to (obviously) rising fuel costs. The initial payout was high, but in the long run I'll save a mint.

I'm a blue-collar Republican who busts his ass every day, only to have my pay drained by the one of the most expensive places to live on earth (besides California), Massachusetts. I drive a truck for a living, and, in any other part of the country (again, besides Cali or Hawaii) I'd be making a decent wage. Not here.

I am a self-taught jack of all trades. I repair & maintain all mine & my wife's vehicles (junk), ATV's, dirt bikes, motorcycles, & lawn equipment. I make a few extra bucks fixing co-workers cars, lawn-mowers. etc. I've also done masonry work around the house, as well as roofing, plumbing & electrical. I pay NO ONE. Learned mostly out of necessity growing up (again, I love to blame our democrat-controlled house & senate here in Mass. for all my financial woes...) I try not to bring up politics in general conversation, because we are both right, & it solves nothing. But, I am very passionate about the way I live my life. I don't force my blue-collar lifestyle on anyone (hey, if you were born rich, so be it), but living here feels like EVERYONE is trying to force their lifestyle on me. Our lovely state wanted to give DRIVERS LICENSES TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS!!!!!!! That about sums up Massachusetts politics in a nutshell. Pick up our local paper & you'll see anti-ATV, anti-hunting, anti-gun...basically anti-American people trying to tell us, ME, how to live. I drive a pickup truck with 256,000 miles on it. I like my Harley LOUD. I like having parties, drinking whiskey, and acting like an a**hole with my lifelong friends. I LOVE off-roading. I vote Republican because it jives with who I am. End of story.

OK,enough. That's my introduction... Now back to the coal....


If I were asked to name 4 things that bring me the greatest joy in life, they would be:

My wife, (seriously, I probably wouldn't be here if it weren't for her...long story)
My ATV,

My Harley (and if it weren't for these toys, I'd lose my mind!!)

AND, last but not least,

COAL HEAT in the winter!!

Coal reduces my high stress level by providing cheap, easy (except for unloading it...) heat.

'Nuff said!!

My name is Kirk, I'm 54 years old. I live in northern Maryland, 10 miles south of the PA line. I have a wife, 3 children, 2 dogs, a cat and 15 Koi. I've heated my home for 20 years with a wood boiler. Too old to screw with all that mess anymore. This will be my fourth heating season with a Harmon VF3000 stoker boiler buring rice coal. When I researched it, my projected break even point was going to be the end of this coming heating season but with the jump in oil prices, I've already recouped my investment. Alternative energy is my hobby and I really enjoy sticking it to the oil company. I love the look on the oil mans face when he can only squeeze 50 gallons of oil in my tank.
I was on the forum last year as "kirk" but when the format changed, I was suddenly unable to log in so I had to rejoin with a new name. I really enjoy this forum and am happy to see it starting to come alive now that we are all thinking about the approaching heating season. The Harmon does everything i hoped it would. My oil boiler only fires occaisionally when all heating zones are on and my teenagers are taking marathon showers. I only wish we had a "coal man" here to deliver into my basement window. Happy heating.

George from NJ here...

38, married three kids and am a certified cheapskate. I'm in real estate, selling, building, flipping & renting. Jack of all trades, pay no one as well.

I hate the idea of someone in the mid east making money on me trying to stay warm.

Last Sept, the day after Katrina hit (when gas jumped to $3.50 I ran out and bought a hand fired stove. I saved alot of money last year with the coal stove. This June a friend of mine sold me a new (old stock) Gibraltar stoker and can't wait to fire the thing up. I look forward to not having to shake this thing down & feeding it twice a day, not that it's so bad, but once I'm busy I won't feel like doing it.

I can't understand why more people aren't burning coal today, everyone I tell loves the idea of saving alot of money, but are just too lazy to do anything about it, I guess.

I sold a commercial building/hotel in PA that I owned almost two years ago, then I was paying $1200 monthly for oil, I can't imagine what the new owners payed last winter. I told him about coal, sure hope he switched.

Hello:

Living in West Pittston all my life I have seen lots of Coal and Mining operations. I am always interested in a road trip or any new info involving coal and mining and railroads.

Anyone interseted in joining me on a roam around can post here.

Thanks LC

hello,i am Jim..i got the nickname Bugize after some work friends took me out and fed me straight whisky for my birthday 20 yrs ago Smitty and i have alot in common(LOL). I work in a papermill,swing shift,i live in central maine 15 mins north of Augusta,got tired of messing with wood all the time as i have 2 camps and a garage that i heat with wood,going to coal this year when i make my mind up which stove to get(harman tlc 2000 or mark 2)i have learned alot just on this site,anyone wanting to im me i use bugize64 on yahoo messanger,i wouldnt mind picking your brains for more info. c-ya all......

Thanks for this excellent site, Admin - great way to share information and learn from more experienced folks.

I'm in Elmira, NY, first full year with a Keystoker K-6 and am looking forward to my continuing education here. I looked long and hard for a site like this and appreciate the work you've put into it.

My wife is looking forward to a cozy house and no NYSEG bills to contend with. I will be building an outdoor coal bin, perhaps feeding the coal boiler hopper if I'm able, as I'm sure that will be much easier than carrying 3 tons into the basement like I did this year.

Keystoker will be in my general area in 2 weeks, and will meet with them then. They are the friendliest folks I've ever dealt with, for sure. I am loving the K-6 and would highly recommend the unit and the Keystoker company for their support.

Looking forward to sharing info and learning from everyone here!