Would You Be Burning Coal If Not for This Site?

Would you be burning coal if not for this site?

I was already burning coal.
59
40%
I knew of it and my research led me here.
74
50%
Never knew about coal until I came across this site.
15
10%
 
Total votes: 148

 
cabinover
Member
Posts: 2344
Joined: Wed. Feb. 04, 2009 7:13 am
Location: Fair Haven, VT
Stoker Coal Boiler: Hybrid Axeman Anderson 130
Baseburners & Antiques: Sparkle #12
Coal Size/Type: Pea, Buckwheat, Nut
Other Heating: LP Hot air. WA TX for coal use.

Post by cabinover » Sun. Oct. 19, 2014 6:03 pm

I came here looking for information I guess you could say. Father in law was always bragging up coal that he burned in a RiteWay stove in his basement. You could not go over there in the winter without taking most of your clothes off while our house was FHA propane that is supplemental heat at best to us now.

Knew we could not have a "solid fuel" appliance in the house, thanks friggin insurance companies, so searched until it came to me. An AA130 boiler came from my friend Scott in Malta that was placed in the garage, figured out a separate blower setup and heat exchanger and piping from garage to house with help from many here.

Learned how the AA operates by reading many sage folks bits of wisdom here. Propane has it's place, shoulder months and summer.


 
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joeq
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Posts: 5739
Joined: Sat. Feb. 11, 2012 11:53 am
Location: Northern CT
Hand Fed Coal Stove: G111, Southard Robertson

Post by joeq » Sun. Oct. 19, 2014 7:11 pm

This site, has taken the "work" out of coal burning, and turned it into a beneficial hobby. The knowledge and dedication of so many members here, make it pleasurable to manually heat our homes. I'm still a novice at this function, and appreciate everyone's help.

 
Starting Out
Member
Posts: 157
Joined: Thu. Feb. 20, 2014 5:33 pm
Location: Ringtown, PA
Other Heating: Burnham Oil Boiler with Beckett Gun

Post by Starting Out » Sun. Oct. 19, 2014 7:24 pm

With the price of oil, I was looking to get into coal burning. I stumbled onto this site and with all the help from from some good people, I am on the right track to getting a boiler hooked up to my oil boiler. I was going with a stoker in the living room, and never thought about the heat not reaching all my far away bed rooms and bath off the master. Fantastic forum to belong to.

 
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cheechblu
Member
Posts: 20
Joined: Sun. Feb. 13, 2011 10:42 am
Location: New Paltz, NY
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Marathon Yankee Coal & Wood
Coal Size/Type: Nut/Anthracite
Other Heating: Jotul Fireside 600 Woodstove

Post by cheechblu » Mon. Oct. 20, 2014 11:39 pm

I had a tri-fuel furnace in my basement for 9 years and never knew how to burn coal in it till I came across this forum. Your guys explained to me how to do it. So imagine. I would not be burning coal if not for this site. Thank you. Thank you.

 
Linc
Member
Posts: 242
Joined: Mon. Dec. 17, 2007 6:15 pm
Location: Martville,NY
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Alaska Kodiak Stoker
Coal Size/Type: Rice

Post by Linc » Tue. Oct. 21, 2014 7:03 am

After 19 years burning wood in my wood/coal stove I started getting curious about coal. I started searching the internet for info on coal burning that led me to this sight and I have been coming back here off and on since 2007. I gave coal a try and was hooked tho my wood/coal stove didn't do wood or coal well it gave me a taste of coal. My better half loved it's even heat and a lot less mess than wood. And best yet was no bugs as with wood. LOL. :D :D :D So like they say "if momma's happy, everyone is happy".

I did a lot of reading on what everyone had to say about various stoves and the pro's and con's. I was saving up to buy a Hitzer and ran across an Alaska Stoker Stove for cheap and reconditioned it for a lot less than what a new Hitzer would have cost. The stoker saved me from the learning curve of a hand fed. I have no desire to go back to wood.

Thank you for this site.

 
ddahlgren
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Posts: 1769
Joined: Tue. Feb. 19, 2013 3:30 pm
Location: Mystic CT
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Crane 404
Contact:

Post by ddahlgren » Sat. Oct. 25, 2014 5:14 pm

I burned wood ages ago when I first went into business then later oil when it was a bunch cheaper then back to wood a few years ago because I was cold! Getting decent wood is near impossible and my back is not good enough to deal with it. To be honest a 40 lb. bag is going to be a challenge in it's own. I am thinking of having a kid come by and stack the bags as high as I can reach and cut a bg open and let it fill a hod the move the half bag at 20 lbs. by hand. I could also get some sheet rock mud buckets cheap and get ahead by 3 or 4 then have a few half bags as well so should carry me a few days at a time. I had read here somewhere about using peanut oil to lightly coat the coal and keep dust way down. Any thoughts?

 
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joeq
Member
Posts: 5739
Joined: Sat. Feb. 11, 2012 11:53 am
Location: Northern CT
Hand Fed Coal Stove: G111, Southard Robertson

Post by joeq » Sat. Oct. 25, 2014 5:19 pm

If you had some type of wagon, or furniture dolly, maybe you could push a bag onto it, and use that to transport your bags into the house. As for the dust, don't think anthracite makes enuff to worry about. The ashes, well that's a different story.


 
rberq
Member
Posts: 6445
Joined: Mon. Apr. 16, 2007 9:34 pm
Location: Central Maine
Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS Machine 1300 with hopper
Coal Size/Type: Blaschak Anthracite Nut
Other Heating: Oil hot water radiators (fuel oil); propane

Post by rberq » Sat. Oct. 25, 2014 6:06 pm

joeq wrote:As for the dust, don't think anthracite makes enuff to worry about.
It does if it is dry and you are pouring it from bags into hods or (in my case) sections of stove pipes to carry it indoors. A cloud of black dust rises up, almost like smoke, and I'd better have a high quality dust mask on.

 
ddahlgren
Member
Posts: 1769
Joined: Tue. Feb. 19, 2013 3:30 pm
Location: Mystic CT
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Crane 404
Contact:

Post by ddahlgren » Sat. Oct. 25, 2014 6:19 pm

Going to make a thin lid for the ash pan and dump it outside to the ash can to cool before disposing them. I was thinking of a coating on a small unpaved driveway think barely a car length. Probablly an inch to half inch thick if it will pack down tight and stay put.

 
franco b
Site Moderator
Posts: 11416
Joined: Wed. Nov. 05, 2008 5:11 pm
Location: Kent CT
Hand Fed Coal Stove: V ermont Castings 2310, Franco Belge 262
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood Modern Oak 114
Coal Size/Type: nut and pea

Post by franco b » Sat. Oct. 25, 2014 6:19 pm

ddahlgren wrote:I burned wood ages ago when I first went into business then later oil when it was a bunch cheaper then back to wood a few years ago because I was cold! Getting decent wood is near impossible and my back is not good enough to deal with it. To be honest a 40 lb. bag is going to be a challenge in it's own. I am thinking of having a kid come by and stack the bags as high as I can reach and cut a bg open and let it fill a hod the move the half bag at 20 lbs. by hand. I could also get some sheet rock mud buckets cheap and get ahead by 3 or 4 then have a few half bags as well so should carry me a few days at a time. I had read here somewhere about using peanut oil to lightly coat the coal and keep dust way down. Any thoughts?
One of these small light hand trucks from Harbor Freight might help to bring the coal bag to the stove. Lay hand truck flat and slit coal bag down middle and use small shovel to load stove. Dust occurs when you pour coal if not well washed.

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ddahlgren
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Posts: 1769
Joined: Tue. Feb. 19, 2013 3:30 pm
Location: Mystic CT
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Crane 404
Contact:

Post by ddahlgren » Sat. Oct. 25, 2014 6:34 pm

Was planning any pouring will be done outdoors is my plan.

 
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stovepipemike
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Posts: 1225
Joined: Sun. Jun. 15, 2008 11:53 am
Location: Morgantown ,Penna

Post by stovepipemike » Tue. Oct. 28, 2014 6:52 am

Been burning coal since the supposed energy crunch of the 1970's, so the answer to the question is Yes. Mike

 
kstills
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Posts: 637
Joined: Tue. Jan. 18, 2011 6:41 am
Location: New Britain, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: WL 110

Post by kstills » Tue. Oct. 28, 2014 9:34 am

After 3 winters with the thermostat set at 50 and electric heaters picking up the slack, I got fed up and started looking at pellet stoves, which I supposed would be cheap supplemental heat for my home.

Pellet stoves lead to pellet boilers which lead to a near heart attack over price, which lead to Leisure Line which lead to NEPA which lead to a warm, economical house full of heat the last three winters.

Boilers paid off in fuel savings this year.

I could not have run this thing without the assistance of folks like Rob, Sting and the rest. Great site.

 
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cheechblu
Member
Posts: 20
Joined: Sun. Feb. 13, 2011 10:42 am
Location: New Paltz, NY
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Marathon Yankee Coal & Wood
Coal Size/Type: Nut/Anthracite
Other Heating: Jotul Fireside 600 Woodstove

Post by cheechblu » Tue. Oct. 28, 2014 5:40 pm

No , I would not be burning coal. I was doing it all wrong till this site. Now I am a very happy coal burner. Because of this site. :)

 
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SWPaDon
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Posts: 9857
Joined: Sun. Nov. 24, 2013 12:05 pm
Location: Southwest Pa.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Clayton 1600M
Coal Size/Type: Bituminous
Other Heating: Oil furnace

Post by SWPaDon » Sun. Nov. 02, 2014 12:12 am

My wife's family was burning coal when we were dating over 30 years ago. That's where I got my first taste of the black rocks.

They had a huge coal furnace in the basement, and a Warm Morning stove on the first floor. Didn't take long until I was able to master both of those.

Fast forward a few years, and I was tending the coal furnace in her Grandmothers house.

We lived in a mobile home for several years, so we had oil heat. Then we purchased this house. It had electric baseboard heat, with a small woodburner in the basement, with a hole cut into the dining room floor to allow the heat to rise upwards. Didn't have any wood, and the first electric bill with the heat on shocked us into reality.

I purchased a log splitter, and went to work for a logging company. Wood was free, but the work involved was almost overwhelming.

Burnt the back out of that woodburner that winter, then purchased another used one over the next summer. Installed ductwork all through the house, made a plenum for around the new/used woodburner, added a blower and all was good (or so I thought).

Purchased a new oil furnace (as oil was inexpensive then), added to the ductwork to incorporate the oil furnace and all was well (or so I thought).

Burnt that wood burner up in short order, because oil started rising rapidly..........then replaced the woodburner with a used coal furnace. That (IIRC) was an old Riteway , originally designed for hot water heat..........but had all the piping removed when I purchased it for 75 bucks. That's when oil really spiked and I started using coal.

That furnace burnt out pretty quickly also, and I purchased the Clayton wood/coal furnace I have now.

I do have a 12 to 14 year old oil furnace, that was used 1 season if someone wants to buy it :lol: :lol:

I thought I knew about coal......and coal furnaces, but I have learned so much from this site, it's just unbelievable.

I did learn about anthracite coal from here though, as I never knew it existed until I joined this wonderful forum.

So a big thanks to everyone here for teaching me about Anthracite, and the stoves and furnaces that utilize hard coal.


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