Why is nobody burning coal ???

The air quality in Connecticut was indeed horrible last week, when no one had electricity and everyone was burning wood fires in open fireplaces to try to get warm. I took the dogs for a walk and was amazed that my coat reeked of wood smoke when I got home, and the air outside was all hazy with smoke.

And yet I have stopped discussing coal with people, as everyone says "oh that is horrible, all the smoke and dust and terrible for the environment."

My neighbor burned coal for years but has been talked out of it by the naysayers and now keeps her thermostat at 55 degrees all winter. Still has a good pile of coal in her basement, which I may try to talk her into giving me...

I remember when we went to visit my uncle in Maine, who heats his home with a coal boiler. I am so used to 62 degree houses it was amazing to walk into this wonderfully evenly heated home, all cozy and pleasant, no dust, no smoke... And their total heating bill was about the same as mine is for half the square footage heating with natural gas with the thermostat set at 60.

I am planning to install a coal stove in my house shortly, and am looking forward to it. I know it will be work, but I don't mind work.

Well done for making the switch Burning coal need not be to much work, but it does take a little time to get used to, I only have a small stove on the boat I live on but I can get a 12 to 14 hr burn without touching the stove, I never let my stove out. when I first had the stove could not get it to run for more than a hr or so. what type of stoves are you looking at.
good luck

ramblerboy2 wrote:
My neighbor burned coal for years but has been talked out of it by the naysayers and now keeps her thermostat at 55 degrees all winter. Still has a good pile of coal in her basement, which I may try to talk her into giving me....

Neighbor's goofy of course ... (and cold)

ramblerboy, maybe you could talk your neighbor into using "her" coal to live more comfortably, instead of 55f, she must know the benefits and procedures of coal burning. screw the naysayers, you will feel warmer by not taking her warmth.

This is a good topic. I have a cousin just bought a beautiful home about 2 miles from with a kick butt kitchen/dining area with a MARK II coal stove in it. I go to visit and what do I see, a wood fire. His reponse to my gasp, the mrs doesnt want to burn coal, its dangerous . I just shook my head and said sorry. Guess who cuts/moves/splits/moves/loads the stove.

anthony7812 wrote:with the deduction of the past couple of posts, this is a good topic. I have a cousin just bought a beautiful home about 2 miles from with a kick butt kitchen/dining area with a MARK II coal stove in it. I go to visit and what do I see, a wood fire. His reponse to my gasp, the mrs doesnt want to burn coal, its dangerous . I just shook my head and said sorry. Guess who cuts/moves/splits/moves/loads the stove.

That funny well, I hope all his wood is good and dry, or there will be a told you so moment if the flue tars up.

I burned wood for over 40 years and turned to coal this year as I can't do the wood thing anymore . I couldn't be happier with coal . I went to coal as I just don't like where the money goes when buying oil and of course the savings . Many people in my area are getting out of burning wood and turning mostly to wood pellets and a few to coal .

hcarlow wrote:I burned wood for over 40 years and turned to coal this year as I can't do the wood thing anymore . I couldn't be happier with coal . I went to coal as I just don't like where the money goes when buying oil and of course the savings . Many people in my area are getting out of burning wood and turning mostly to wood pellets and a few to coal .

This was the point of my original post, if the coal industry spent some time, and money turning people on to using coal, It might go a little way to help save the industry, While I know that domestic use is going to be a fraction, of the amounts used by the power plants, it would help to get more folk into burning at home, it would at least give the coal industry more vocal support, and how many people are using pellet stoves now, that is only due to good marketing.
Somebody argued that there was not enough coal left that was economic to mine for domestic use in homes, well there seems to be enough to send to China for them to stock pile.

morso wrote:

hcarlow wrote:I burned wood for over 40 years and turned to coal this year as I can't do the wood thing anymore . I couldn't be happier with coal . I went to coal as I just don't like where the money goes when buying oil and of course the savings . Many people in my area are getting out of burning wood and turning mostly to wood pellets and a few to coal .

This was the point of my original post, if the coal industry spent some time, and money turning people on to using coal, It might go a little way to help save the industry, While I know that domestic use is going to be a fraction, of the amounts used by the power plants, it would help to get more folk into burning at home, it would at least give the coal industry more vocal support, and how many people are using pellet stoves now, that is only due to good marketing.
Somebody argued that there was not enough coal left that was economic to mine for domestic use in homes, well there seems to be enough to send to China for them to stock pile.

No kidding, a newbie at work asked me if i was worried about coal running out. I kinda shrugged it off thinking he was a little nuts but I guess folks out thier believe that. With the natural gas prices at bottom and the big wood pellet boom, I think this is the reasons people put out coal. Pellet stoves arent as banging for the buck that i need. No natural gas out here in pennsyltucky, unless I run a hose out the well next door.