Need a Anthracite Coal Furnace or Stove Recommendation

 
TPACY1010
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Post by TPACY1010 » Wed. Oct. 22, 2014 9:32 pm

Hello all,

I stumbled across this site by reading a few forums. I was hoping someone could recommend a good brand furnace or stoker that burns anthracite coal. I live in Eastern PA on a very windy lot. Our propane bill last year was almost $3000.00. Plus we ran 3 portable infrared heaters on top of that. After looking into pellets and reading on coal, I think it would be a better value to buy a coal furnace. I was looking at the Hitzer 82, but read that one may not be as good as say the Keystoker econo lite. My max budget for the stoker or furnance is $2500.00. I think the furnace would be the best bet. We have 3 story's and my brother who is handicapped in a wheel chair may be moving into our basement this winter so we can take care of him. So I need to keep it warm and keep costs down, because we still need to finish the basement, etc. If anyone has any recommendations it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for you help in advance.


 
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McGiever
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Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Wed. Oct. 22, 2014 9:38 pm

Ran 3 infrared heaters...were they electric?

Was this to save on propane?

Do you have all duct work?

 
TPACY1010
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Post by TPACY1010 » Wed. Oct. 22, 2014 10:44 pm

Yes they were electric and yes it was too make the rooms more comfortable. Even though, we have a newer home the floors are cold. We have tile and hardwood and high ceilings, etc. Everyone here is always cold...not me lol! The cost of propane last year was terrible. Yes we have propane fueled furnace with duct work.

 
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LDPosse
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Post by LDPosse » Wed. Oct. 22, 2014 10:58 pm

How many square feet are you trying to heat?

 
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blrman07
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Post by blrman07 » Thu. Oct. 23, 2014 7:00 am

Welcome to the forum!!! You will be warmer and your pocket will be heavier with the money you are going to save by switching to coal for heating. Since you have the duct work in place may I recommend you go with a coal fired hot air furnace and keep your propane furnace as a backup. A backup is nice in the event you want to travel an extended period of time and don't have to worry about having someone feed the furnace. If your furnace is currently hooked up to an existing chimney you can shutoff the propane furnace and disconnect the flu pipe and run the coal furnace to it. When you want the propane you disconnect the coal stove and reconnect the propane furnace. You just have to make triple sure that you shut the valves off for the propane and disconnect the electrical to the propane furnace when you have the coal furnace hooked up.

I do that now with a coal fired water heater called a bucket a day. It "shares" the chimney with the oil boiler. I physically remove the fuse at the power supply box on the oil boiler so it can't accidentally start. Just in case I have a mind poof I also disconnect the wire going to the burner in the control box so WHEN I have that mind poof and energize the system by mistake, the burner won't start until I reconnect that wire.

Since your total budget is $2500 you may want to consider doing some searches on craigslist for used coal furnaces. If your handy with tin knocking you can make your own duct work to tie the coal furnace into your existing duct work. If not then it's not expensive to hire an HVAC guy to custom make you some duct work connections.

Just some things to look for. Use the custom search box in the upper right corner of the screen and type in what your looking for. A search term like "furnace tie in" will give you all the information you never wanted to know about adding on a second furnace to existing duct work.

 
titleist1
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Post by titleist1 » Thu. Oct. 23, 2014 7:06 am

Welcome aboard!!
Absent a heat load calculation, the square footage you are trying to heat will be useful info and also the propane gallons used last year. Is there a BTU rating on the propane furnace? Although it seems you may be heating more area (the basement) with coal than what the propane furnace is sized for so keep that in mind when sizing the coal furnace.

 
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StokerDon
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Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Thu. Oct. 23, 2014 8:58 pm

If your house has hot air ductwork you should be able to plumb a Keystoker hot air furnace in. If you are handly, I would go with a used one. Used Keystoker, Alaska, ect.. can be found on craigslist, sometimes VERY inexpensively.

If you live in central or eastern PA anthracite coal is the least expensive way to heat your home without a doubt.

-Don


 
TPACY1010
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Post by TPACY1010 » Thu. Oct. 23, 2014 10:14 pm

Hi StokerDon,

We live in York County too. I was looking at the Keystoker. I know that Anthracite coal is very easy to come by around here. How long is the life span of these type of furnaces?

 
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StokerDon
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Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Fri. Oct. 24, 2014 9:30 am

Sorry about the Keystoker being sold. I've been looking at that one for a month now, and suddnly, when I have someone to recomend it to, POOF, it's gone.

The Keystoker products are built to last a lifetime. I had an A125 furnace that was built in 1981. I sold it last year, it was still in very goog shape. Other possibilities are Reading, Lesure Line, Alaska, ect...

Here is a Reading in Allentown, $600. These are more of a "stove" that can be hooked into the ductwork than a "furnace". The difference is, a furnace has all sides and top covered by an air jacket. The air jacket is what the distrobution blower blows through to push heat through your duct work and into you home.

A stove is designed to radiate heat in the area the stove occupies. Stoker stoves have distrobution blowers to move the heated air around and can be plumbed into ductwork. Stoves do NOT have all sides covered by the air jacket, nomaly just the top and the back. That leaves the front and sides to readiate into the room the stove is in and only a part of that heat goes into the ductwork.

-Don

 
titleist1
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Post by titleist1 » Fri. Oct. 24, 2014 9:37 am

The other features of the furnaces that make them perform better than a 'stove' beside the jacket that Don mentioned is the return air is connected to the jacket and the distribution blower is sized to move the heat through ductwork not just out into a room. This results in better heat distribution throughout the home.

 
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StokerDon
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Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Fri. Oct. 24, 2014 9:38 am

Heres a good example of a Reading stove hooked into ductwork.

**Broken Link(S) Removed**

Thats a good deal for $525. BUT it is not a furnace. If you hook it up in your basement like this, you will likely have an 80+ degree basement to get 70 degrees upstairs.

-Don

 
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StokerDon
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Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Fri. Oct. 24, 2014 9:41 am

titleist1 wrote:The other features of the furnaces that make them perform better than a 'stove' beside the jacket that Don mentioned is the return air is connected to the jacket and the distribution blower is sized to move the heat through ductwork not just out into a room. This results in better heat distribution throughout the home.
Very good point.

If you do not remove the cold air from a room you are trying to heat, the heated air will not go there.

-Don

 
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StokerDon
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Posts: 7486
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 11:17 am
Location: PA, Southern York County!
Stoker Coal Boiler: Gentleman Janitor GJ-5, Van Wert VA-600, Axeman Anderson130 X3.
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Harman SF3500 reduced down to 3 grates connected to its own plenum
Coal Size/Type: Rice, Chestnut and whatever will fit through the door on the Harman
Other Heating: Noth'in but COAL! Well, Maybe a little tiny bit of wood

Post by StokerDon » Fri. Oct. 24, 2014 9:50 am

Check out.

For Sale Coal Boilers, Furnaces, Stoves & Heating Related Items

That is the thread where we offer our overindlugences in coal burning supplies to other members.

-Don

 
TPACY1010
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Post by TPACY1010 » Fri. Oct. 24, 2014 12:20 pm

Thank you for all the helpful information! I will check these links out! That's a pretty good price! Thank you.

 
Pacowy
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Stoker Coal Boiler: H.B. Smith 350 Mills boiler/EFM 85R stoker
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Post by Pacowy » Fri. Oct. 24, 2014 4:14 pm

TPACY1010 wrote: How long is the life span of these type of furnaces?
If you're going to look at used ones it is very important to look closely at the condition of the combustion chamber and heat exchanger. I don't think there is any single number that defines the lifespan of a coal furnace, but with used ones you need to make sure that the separation between the combustion gases and the air being circulated in your house is sound.

Mike


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