Need a Anthracite Coal Furnace or Stove Recommendation

 
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StokerDon
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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 7:25 pm

I would second that Mike.

I would also add that, if you are burning anything to heat your home, (oil, gas, propane, wood, coal), A CO detector is your best friend, you should have at least 2.

One thing we have not talked about in this thread are chimneys. Do you have a chimney to exaust a coal burner into? If not, are you willing to un-hook your oil burner from the chimney?

These are important questions for a new coal burner. poeple new to coal burning as a primary heat source need time to develope trust in there decision to heat with coal. Once "TRUST" is developed, you will wonder why you would only rely on oil or electric for heat for your family. Most of us that post advise on this forum are complety comfotable relying on coal without any backup. After all, that is what our Grandfathers used before oil became cheap. These days, oil and propane are far from cheap. coal is still, very resonable.

-Don

 
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davidmcbeth3
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Coal Size/Type: nut/pea/anthra

Post by davidmcbeth3 » Sat. Oct. 25, 2014 4:10 am

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

Will your brother have another exit our of the basement if a fire is by one of the exits/entrances?

But you may have a second option of having 2 stoves ... one for the basement and one for the rest of the house.... just tossing it out there. I wonder if anyone has that? Since you have all the duct work it seems best to get a furnace (save the propane one for selling the house later). I heat my house with coal but also kept the oil burner ... but I don't heat the basement either.

Or heat the basement with the current system (or electric) and heat the rest of the house w/coal.

Welcome to the forum. $3K+ for heating last year .. it was a colder year than normal (I burned 6.5 tonnes of coal last season v. normal 4.5-5). I would have been pissed if it was oil I was using for heat ... $2100 for coal v. $5400 for oil est.).

There is a fuel comparison calculator on this site (look above your name on top of page) to calc. out the potential cost savings. I have found it accurate.

Looks like you used about 1300-1500 gal of propane last year.... and I would estimate a good amount of electric (and looks like electric was the better deal for you if paying $3/gal for the propane and an electric rate of even .12/KWH ! ) .. I have a 2400 sq ft house ... I don't know if you are counting your basement as a "floor".

More info on your house would be helpful.


 
TPACY1010
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Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: None yet

Post by TPACY1010 » Sat. Oct. 25, 2014 4:06 pm

Thank you Don for the information. We have propane so they only hooked up a pvc pipe and ran it across the basement to the other side of the house. The furnace is on the garage side of the house so we would have to vent it thru the garage.

Mike I will keep that in mind.

David, there is a double window and a sliding glass door. I think my cost estimate was high. We spent approx. $2700.00 withpropane and the electric heaters. I keep the house at 65. I used the calculator, but I am not sure if I used it correctly. We used 886 gallons of propane from Jan. 2014 until now. The price of course varies by the time you buy it. We just put 340 gallons in at $1.75 a gallon in Sept. We purchased 546 gallons from Jan. to March. Then we did not fill up again until now. So if we do not get a coal furnace I will make sure this year that the tank is full (500 gallons) before January. That will save us a little too. So you spent $2100.00 on coal?

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