Coal stoves

[JDgreen227]

I am thinking that some of the advantages of coal over wood is that you would pretty much get a uniform BTU from coal, and no worries about rot nor insect infestation. May be a stupid question, but does anybody know if coal does absorb moisture, and can you burn wet coal without a problem?

 

[RoyJackson]

I am thinking that some of the advantages of coal over wood is that you would pretty much get a uniform BTU from coal, and no worries about rot nor insect infestation. May be a stupid question, but does anybody know if coal does absorb moisture, and can you burn wet coal without a problem?

One thing I think I'd like about it is no creosote build up in the chimney...no chance of a chimney fire.

 

[Sterff]

One thing I think I'd like about it is no creosote build up in the chimney...no chance of a chimney fire.

That's not always true. Our neighbor had a chimney fire and he burns coal. Clean your chimney once a year and it shouldn't be an issue.

 

[wamsutta]

We got a harmon stoker coal stove this fall. It works great. At medium setting I put two bags of rice coal in the hopper once a day. And empty the ashes at the same time. Ten minutes all together. It is adjustible and even ahs a thermostat. Will put out up to 85000btu. It heats my 1500 sf basement with field stone foundation to 70 we will burn 5 ton this season

 

[bearcreek paul]

Wet coal burns fine and it keeps the dust down.I usually pick it up right from the breaker and shovel the coal into my bin wet.
When I was young coal was all we had.In the kitchen we had a combination gas and coal stove.The cellar had the old octopus furnace filled it at night and dampened it down good until the next day.
My wife and I switched back to coal 12 years ago with a Harmon mark 3.The hand fired was nice but was constant work,shake down and load in the morning and evening.
We switched to a Keystoker about 5 or 6 years ago now just fill it up and empty the ash pan once a day when its cold.When it warms up to the high forties every 2 or 3 days and we are heating a 3400 sq ft home with just coal.
12 years ago coal was 80$ a ton last week it ranged from 170 to 190 a ton locally.This year I might only do 5 or 6 tons and I burn from sept to june so even with the price increase it's still a lot cheaper than oil or propane.
If you don't mind a little work and have a place to put the ashes I'd say go for it.
Oh and my wife likes the house warm with oil that wasn't going to happen with coal constant 72 and shorts.
Here is a picture of the stoker burning I ducted to the 1st and 2nd floor.

 

[Dutch445]

i think that's one advantage of the stoker stoves, you can dial
them down to an idle easier than that mark III. it wants to burn
hot, and with warm days the draft lessens and it's harder to keep
that firebox happy

 

[JDgreen227]

For those who burn bulk coal, how does it get to your house? I remember that my grandma had a bulkhead in a room of her basement and a truck would dump a load using a chute through a window into the room.

 

[RoyJackson]

For those who burn bulk coal, how does it get to your house? I remember that my grandma had a bulkhead in a room of her basement and a truck would dump a load using a chute through a window into the room.

That's what I remember too...

From what I've read, one can buy coal by the bag (50lbs, I believe) or in bulk.

 

[JDgreen227]

That's what I remember too...

From what I've read, one can buy coal by the bag (50lbs, I believe) or in bulk.

I am thinking the bagged coal would cost a lot more per pound than the bulk stuff. If you go to the home center store and buy a 3 cubic foot bag of hardwood mulch, it's a couple of bucks per bag. Yet if you go to a landscape supply place and have a bulk yard of mulch dumped into your truck or trailer the cost per cubic foot is a lot less. I may be wrong about the coal though.

 

[RoyJackson]

I am thinking the bagged coal would cost a lot more per pound than the bulk stuff. If you go to the home center store and buy a 3 cubic foot bag of hardwood mulch, it's a couple of bucks per bag. Yet if you go to a landscape supply place and have a bulk yard of mulch dumped into your truck or trailer the cost per cubic foot is a lot less. I may be wrong about the coal though.

No doubt...
It would depend if you used coal as a primary form of heating or just supplementing another form of heat.
When I was looking at house in WV, the coal stoves I saw were similar to wood stove...not big furnaces (like our grandparents had).
Supposedly (!!!!!), the bagged coal was cleaner to handle (probably washed) and less dust then the bulk stuff.

A couple of the houses used pellet stoves, BTW. We passed a company that produces those.