Blaschak Coal Quality Issues This Year?

Davian · Post by **Davian** » Wed. Jan. 29, 2014 8:38 pm

Greetings All,

Is anyone else having serious issues with Blaschak's coal quality this year? I switched to them from Reading Coal this winter and I've noticed a couple of somewhat annoying issues with their bagged product this year:

1. Massive inconsistencies in the average size of their nut coal. Some bags come out with lots and lots of nearly stove sized chunks and other bags from the pallet have been essentially completely pea or even buckwheat-sized which has led to some seriously inconsistent burns and lots of vent adjustment. I never dealt with that issue with Reading bags or with Blaschak in the past when I used it.

2. The level of inpurities seems much higher too. Lots of sulfur smell...way more than normal and way, way more clinkers in my grate. Both have been pretty annoying...its been a very ashy coal too. I've noticed I'm filling my ash bucket far more often than last season too.

I'm obviously committed to this pallet of bags and I'm hoping it was just a bad batch but I was wondering if anyone else has noticed the same.

Well?

warminmn · Post by **warminmn** » Wed. Jan. 29, 2014 8:57 pm

Ive got inconsistent size like you mentioned. But there are no fines at all and its the best/hottest Ive burned in my 4 short years of burning Blaschak. No complaints here.

Davian · Post by **Davian** » Wed. Jan. 29, 2014 9:02 pm

warminmn wrote:Ive got inconsistent size like you mentioned. But there are no fines at all and its the best/hottest Ive burned in my 4 short years of burning Blaschak. No complaints here.

It's definitely burning hot and with the hand fired, the huge chunks aren't a major issue but I never had that with Blaschak before. For example, my last 4 bags, 3 have been more like pea and then the other was basically stove sized (I ended up dropping it a few times on my cement pad to break it up a bit.

Been getting a good number of unburnt slate pieces in my tray too which has been annoying.

I've never ever had issues with Blaschak before so it's really throwing me off. I will say this, my stove has been going round the clock since before Christmas and its still a nice steady heat and I've gotten some really long burns out of this batch at least even with those issues.

Just a bit of a surprise though. I had a couple of softball size chunks in that last bag which were funny to see.

Post by **coaledsweat** » Thu. Jan. 30, 2014 11:06 am

Burning nothing but Blaschak pea this year, went through about three and a half tons already. Great coal, no fines or trash here and the sizing is consistant.

freetown fred · Post by **freetown fred** » Thu. Jan. 30, 2014 11:49 am

Well, I'm pickin up 85 bags of SANTA--NUT this week & I hope I can confirm cs's results--I've never done but a dozen or so bags over the yrs before--BUT, I've never been displeased for 6 seasons doing bulk--time will tell & I'll take notes:)

Davian · Post by **Davian** » Thu. Jan. 30, 2014 1:29 pm

coaledsweat wrote:Burning nothing but Blaschak pea this year, went through about three and a half tons already. Great coal, no fines or trash here and the sizing is consistant.

That was always my experience with it too...I'm thinking that the quality control guy took a nap for a couple hours or something as I've never ever had issues with Blaschak before. Very odd.

Post by **dcrane** » Thu. Jan. 30, 2014 1:39 pm

coaledsweat wrote:Burning nothing but Blaschak pea this year, went through about three and a half tons already. Great coal, no fines or trash here and the sizing is consistant.

Ditto for me... Ive tried them all (including Reading)... Blaschak for me beat Reading in terms of burn time & heat output & no fines in the bags & no sticks, hay, twigs, rocks like I see with Kimmel (I will admit Reading was pretty darn good though).

freetown fred · Post by **freetown fred** » Thu. Jan. 30, 2014 6:00 pm

Well I picked up 30 bags of NUT today w/ my 1/2 ton & cut 2 bags open--very uniform, not frozen together--15 more bags of NUT & 40 bags of STOVE tomorrow & Sat. I'm pleased

buffalo bob · Post by **buffalo bob** » Thu. Jan. 30, 2014 6:46 pm

does anybody know where reading gets their coal from there ain't no coal mines in reading???

Davian · Post by **Davian** » Thu. Jan. 30, 2014 7:32 pm

dcrane wrote:
coaledsweat wrote:Burning nothing but Blaschak pea this year, went through about three and a half tons already. Great coal, no fines or trash here and the sizing is consistant.
Ditto for me... Ive tried them all (including Reading)... Blaschak for me beat Reading in terms of burn time & heat output & no fines in the bags & no sticks, hay, twigs, rocks like I see with Kimmel (I will admit Reading was pretty darn good though).

I definitely agree on Kimmel. I can get that cheaper than Blaschak but never do because of all the foreign objects that seem to be included in the bags "free of charge".

maurizziot · Post by **maurizziot** » Thu. Jan. 30, 2014 10:18 pm

The ash content is about double over the reading, as soon as I introduce the santa rice, the stove drops 100 degrees, I'm getting lot of slate like pieces also. I'm only using the Santa rice on warmer days, just to get rid of it. Not happy at all with the qaulity of blaschak.

tomcat · Post by **tomcat** » Thu. Jan. 30, 2014 11:19 pm

Reading is strip mining in the Wadesville area of Schuylkill county PA

buffalo bob · Post by **buffalo bob** » Fri. Jan. 31, 2014 8:35 am

tomcat wrote:Reading is strip mining in the Wadesville area of Schuylkill county PA

thanks t.c. been wondering that for awhile.what is near wadesville, not familiar with that area..

tomcat · Post by **tomcat** » Fri. Jan. 31, 2014 10:56 am

Wadesville is a few miles west of St Clair PA along state route 61 about 8 miles south of the intersection with I-81 and 61

plumber · Post by **plumber** » Sat. Feb. 01, 2014 3:01 pm

Burning Blaschak rice. This year's is just terrible, no consistency in size. I have between large pea and fines. The fines really sick as the bags are soaked, even more so than usual. When I dump a bag out, I get about 5 lbs of coal slurry. The ash is vastly higher and not as much heat. I've blown through a lot more coal than last year.