Newbie Looking to Install Coal Stove in Basement.

Orrs

Dont buy a dual fuel anything!!!!! You end up losing efficiency in burning either . Leave your oil unit and hook the coal unit in series or parallel . Then if at a later date you want to replace the oil burner with a gas job; do it then. I have seen some really great deals on this forum for coal stoker boilers, they wont be around come october. Get a move on dude. If its coal, its cool

Waldo

Orrs

Dont buy a dual fuel anything!!!!! You end up losing efficiency in burning either . Leave your oil unit and hook the coal unit in series or parallel . Then if at a later date you want to replace the oil burner with a gas job; do it then. I have seen some really great deals on this forum for coal stoker boilers, they wont be around come october. Get a move on dude. If its coal, its cool

Waldo

orrsmills wrote:I guess you guys are saying replace my Oil burner with a dual fuel boiler that runs both oil and coal. as I said I'm new to the coal stuff, been burning wood and always had an oil burner.

dcrane, you're right I currently have a weil mclain.

I knew it... those damb builders love em' but they are money sucking machines!!! I had suggested a dual fuel knowing you have not got to the point of going "off grid" so to speak (you will feel more comfortable & safe and at "ease" with something like a WL-110) you don't realize it at this point but you WILL be using coal 95% and the oil will only kick on during the summer for your DHW. Until you understand all that you will still have a conventional oil burner that can run your house better than your weil mclain does now using 100% oil if you so choose!

Some others may suggest just going EFM 100% coal boiler and never look back, and though most of us regulars here in this forum would be advocating that , I understand that's a hard concept to grasp and feel "comfortable" doing in the position your in now (not having had the chance to run coal before and always having had the Oil Binky in your mouth). This is why I think a dual fuel is perfect for you, your home and your circumstances

I differ to those people that know these boilers better than me to give more detailed advise... maybe their is a way to run in tandem, etc. they just need to be aware that your not ready to go totally off grid yet, you just want the ability to heat your house using coal until you learn how inexpensive and easy it is! then you you will think about ripping out the oil tank in years to come

Thanks,
I continue to look forward to eveyones feeback and continue to do my research. I also have a seperate A/C unit that has duct work to all rooms on the main floor. Perhaps a coal setup that taps into this exiting duck work..?! I still would need to figure out how to setup the exhaust.

LEt me try and post some pics of my basement.

Here are more pics for what it's worth.

Another pic

another

one more

orrsmills wrote:Thanks,
I continue to look forward to eveyones feeback and continue to do my research. I also have a seperate A/C unit that has duct work to all rooms on the main floor. Perhaps a coal setup that taps into this exiting duck work..?! I still would need to figure out how to setup the exhaust.

Forget trying to use your existing A/C ductwork to distribute the heat. Some here refer to that as a scorched air setup. You already have the best set up by having baseboard hot water heat. By installing a coal boiler next to your existing oil burner, you will disconnect the flue pipe from the oil burner and install the coal flue for the cold season. IF you want to convert back to oil for domestic hot water (DHW) during the summer, you just reverse the flue pipes. All you need to do is tap into the existing baseboard pipes, make a few electrical control connections, and you are all set.

Depending on the setup, a coal boiler could also give you unlimited hot water during the coal burning season.

Some of us here keep our coal boiler hooked up and running all year long. Yeah, the basement will get a little warm during the summer but that is a small price to pay for the cheap heat year round. I have been burning the coal boiler all year for 4-5 years straight.

Check the classified section on here. We do have some members who buy old units and refurb them. As was mentioned, Leisure Line makes a really nice compact boiler unit. It can be setup as a dual feed if desired. Call them for additional input. Those guys are super to deal with. They started here as consumers just like us until they bought the company. They really know their stuff when it comes to burning coal.

OK, I see you just posted some pics. So in your case, I suggest the LL dual fuel setup. Remove your existing oil burner and sell it. Install the LL in its place and just sit back and enjoy.

Rick

When there is only one chimney available, it's often recommended ( most recently bt Flyer5 at the June '13 Meet'n Greet) to vent the oil burner thru a power vent. The coal appliance will cary the main load via the chimney while the back up oil unit sits ready to go. Power vents for oil units are less expensive then power vents for solid fuel units. Long smoke pipe length can be handled by the power vent so the oil boiler can stay near the center chimney.

I don't operate a boiler so I'm hoping a more knowledgeable member comments here, but I don't believe you should expect the on-off cycles of a coal boiler to be as frequent as the oil burner. You can set up your coal system to keep hot water circulating more frequently. This will bath the space with longer cycles of radiant heat from your baseboards and keep your comfort level much higher than you are familiar with from your oil boiler. You should have a more steady heat even with fin-and-tube baseboard.

Read up on how the Coal-Trol solid fuel thermostat operates within a 1 degree tolerance. There's a forum section dedicated to the Coal-Trol.

Wow, the advice has been flying fast and furious for you I see. I agree with most of it. You are the poster child for converting to a coal boiler. Forget putting a stove in the basement. While it would help keep the basement warm, that's about it. You should start hanging out here and reading all you can about coal boilers. Stoves are nice to tinker with and can heat some homes sort of "ok" but the heat from a stove is difficult to distribute in an even way and you end up with hot rooms, warm rooms and cool rooms. One of the big advantages of a coal boiler is nice even heat throughout the home, just as if you were using the oil boiler except you won't have to sell a kidney to pay for the oil.

Also you can have the added plus of heating your domestic hot water at least in the winter time for virtually free. I don't run my boiler in the summer as some do as the heat from it would be more than offset by increased A/C cost.

Now whether you go with a coal boiler that uses your hot water baseboard or uses your duct work is a toss up as far as I am concerned. No doubt that the baseboard is the cadilac. But using a domestic hot water coil in your duct work hardly is scorched air. (sorry Rick) A gas, oil or coal hot air furnace makes scorched air due to the high temperature of their heat exchangers. A nice 160-180 degree water to air heat exchanger is a very similar comfort level and feel as baseboard.

You need to look at your individual setup to determine which will be best for you. Do you have baseboard in all finished rooms? Does your duct system serve all finished rooms? Would you like to be able to humidify the air in winter? Plus 1 for forced air. Want to be able to continue taking advantage of the zoning your baseboard likley offers now? Plus 1 for baseboard. Either way you will NEVER regret going with coal and getting rid of the oil man and all that nasty wood cutting, splitting, and stacking crap. Do not get rid of that 10 year old oil boiler. Keep it as backup for the times you may have to go away in winter and cannot tend the coal boiler.

And as far as coal boilers go, definatley get a stoker and not a hand fed type unless you like being a slave to your heating system. Liesure Line makes a dandy or shop for a used refurbed EFM.

Thanks coalkirk, appreciate the feedback!

NO to removing the oil boiler! You would simply add a coal boiler in series or parallel to the oil boiler, and use the existing distribution controls you now have on that system. NOW you have a multitude of options since you have one system that works in harmony with the other, existing system. If you chose to not run the coal boiler in the summer, you can shut down that side of the system and use oil only.....or some other form of energy to make hot water. If you look around the posts already here on the forum, you will see MANY pictures of installations doing just as suggested. Ask away, we can help...for free!!! Before you ask, yes, there are multi-fuel boilers, HOWEVER this is not required since you have a 10 year old WM. Your installation potential is textbook.....the chimney access is the next question.

I guess nothing has been said about your BTU requirements, but after a quick scan of the post, I'm guessing you are in the 150K +/- range and that happens to be the most common size boiler, anyway. Please don't freak out and obsess about how this can happen, we'll send you down a trusted, tested, and friendly path. Please feel free to ask here along with other pro's, just remember we are here to make you life simpler and LESS costly, not in the retail business.

If you would like to post your location, there are probably 50 coal burners right around you who would show you their set-ups......no charge....and greet you with a hand shake.
Independence Day tomorrow...and you are about to become MUCH more energy independent,yourself.

Orrs,
Whatever path you eventually take, here are two basic thoughts you should always keep in mind.

Do this the Last way First.
And, this is not going to Cost you money...This is going to Make you money.