Burning coal

[HEC]

Anyone else burning coal ? Burned wood for over 30 years and switched to coal 4 years ago and love it . I put in a coal boiler which feeds rice coal much like a pellet stove with a hopper . No more cutting and splitting wood etc. etc . etc. . Takes me about 10 minutes per day in the morning and that's it . The house stays a constant 71 degrees all winter and all the hot water we can use . Last year we used about 3 1/2 ton at a cost of $290 per ton . It keeps my drive in cellar ( where I keep the b2650 all winter ) nice and cozy along with the first and second floor of our cape . The second floor we keep at 55 unless we have company .

 

[Pawatch]

Been burning coal for quite awhile. I currently have a coal stoker stove.
Go through about 3 ton a year. When I first started using coal it was $90.00 ton. Currently $240.00 ton delivered.

Nothing like working outside all day and the coming home to a constant 72 degree heat. Many a good nap.

 

[boomer1025]

I have been burning coal for about 15 yrs. HO is to expensive

 

[bunyip]

We have used it but don't like the yellow ash/dust that seems to get everywhere, ours is brown coal and could be different to yours, is a soft material unlike the black coal we used to get in the UK.

 

[LouNY]

Been using coal for 6 years now, Hitzer hopper fed fireplace insert.
Usually about 3 ton a year, normally knocks 400 to 600 gallons of oil off my usage.
Haven't turned the heat zones on this year yet.
Normally try for 72-74 degrees in the kitchen and living room, at times it will get down to 68 or up to 78.
My cola this year was $256 / ton picked up at my dealer for Lehigh brand.

 

[Oaktree]

Nothing like working outside all day and the coming home to a constant 72 degree heat. Many a good nap.

Someone told me that it's harder to regulate the heat using coal, any truth to that?
I would suffocate in a 72 deg. house...way too hot for me, though my wife would probably like it.

 

[LouNY]

It depends on the stove or system used, some will regulate good, some are a bit difficult to.

 

[HEC]

Someone told me that it's harder to regulate the heat using coal, any truth to that?
I would suffocate in a 72 deg. house...way too hot for me, though my wife would probably like it.

With a boiler it is on a thermostat so my temps stay whatever I set it for . I have 4 zones so each area stays where you set it .

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I burned coal for a few years, it's too dirty for me, but it sure throws the heat...

I would just go get it myself, as needed,

SR

 

[Pawatch]

My stove I regulate the temp off of a thermostat. So it's not difficult at all.
72 in my finished basement gives me about 70 on the 1st floor.

 

[Doofy]

I burned coal back in the 80s and absolutely loved it. 3 tons of coal replaced 10 cords of firewood (spruce). Lost my eyebrows several times when I tried shutting her down to soon. Whoooosh! Door would be blown open and a 10' ball of flame and gas would scare the snot out of everyone. Good Times!

 

[oosik]

My pellet stove - Welenco Pellet Master - says it will burn coal. I have no idea where I would ever get any. I've burned olive pits - one bag - in it and brother, that was a HOT fire. I've also burned wheat in it - wheat does not produce a lot of heat, so you burn a lot, its cheap around here - the house, inside, gets covered in wheat dust. The sack that wheat is put in was never designed to keep the wheat dust inside the sack.

However - I've gone over to electric heat and haven't used the pellet stove for over fifteen years. It's a big 'ol lunkie decoration now.

 

[Doofy]

My pellet stove - Welenco Pellet Master - says it will burn coal. I have no idea where I would ever get any. I've burned olive pits - one bag - in it and brother, that was a HOT fire. I've also burned wheat in it - wheat does not produce a lot of heat, so you burn a lot, its cheap around here - the house, inside, gets covered in wheat dust. The sack that wheat is put in was never designed to keep the wheat dust inside the sack.

However - I've gone over to electric heat and haven't used the pellet stove for over fifteen years. It's a big 'ol lunkie decoration now.

oosik,

Finally sold my ol' King-O-Heat upright coal burner. I sold it for about what it cost new. I like to shake things up a little every 30 or 40 years.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I burned coal back in the 80s and absolutely loved it. 3 tons of coal replaced 10 cords of firewood (spruce).

That Healey coal was good stuff... I burned some coal off the beach too, but the Healey coal was best.

SR

 

[Doofy]

That Healey coal was good stuff... I burned some coal off the beach too, but the Healey coal was best.

SR

I bought hard coal from the old Buffalo Mine in Sutton. First couple of years they had nice Lump coal. Last couple of years, all I could buy was pea size coal. Both worked equally well.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

I guess I shouldn't tell you guys when I worked underground I was allowed to buy 18 ton a year at cost which was somewhere around $30/ton. I never did it because I was 20 something and living in an apartment but the option was there. I would still have to arrange for trucking of course. My FIL still has his coal boiler but wants to switch to propane and a HE boiler that does domestic hot water too.

 

[Bocephous]

I've been burning wood for years now in my Harman Mark III, but will be switching to coal during the coldest months. I ordered 3 ton of bagged palleted Lehigh nut that should be delivered this Tuesday.

I tried burning coal the first full winter we relocated back to PA, but it was trial by error. I was raised in a home where the main source of heat was a wood/coal stove, but was never taught the right way to regulate a coal fire. I've been learning a bunch over on Anthracite & Bituminous Coal Forum - Residential & Commercial Heating | Coalpail.com Forum and am ready to make the switch.

 

[HillStreet]

After burning wood for 25+ years I switched to coal. I bought a DS Machine EnergyMax 160 and it is a monster. It will heat the house to 85 degrees turned way down (its in the basement). Takes 3 bags to fill it. Which brings up a question: 3 bags a day is $24—I can heat with propane much cheaper than that. Does anybody know if I could just use one bag a day in that stove??

 

[LouNY]

The forum coalpail.com has a DS section, that is a massive stove but you should be able to throttle it down by reducing the in coming air. Or possibly by adding more fire brick to reduce the fire bed.

 

[Beltzington]

I grew up on the Colorado Eastern Plains during the 60's and 70's and for ~12-years we heated our old farmhouse with a large cast iron parlor stove. Other than starting the fire we exclusively burned coal and one football size coal lump would last all night long providing you managed air flow correctly. Two of my daily chores were dump the ashes and bring in a bucket of coal, I have allot of great memories from those years and often think America would be a much better place everyone had to work on a farm for at least a few years.