Who Switched From Wood to Coal

I burn both. I have easy access to a lot of seasoned oak, a long/hot burning wood. Coal around here is expensive.

I use wood to heat the house quickly. Coal for extended burn times. My wood stove needs to be tended to every 6 to 8 hours. The coal stove easily does 12 to 18 hours unattended.

I find wood is cheap, coal is easy.

KaptJaq

I too burn both. More coal than wood. I burn wood initially to get a really good, hot bed of embers going, then switch to coal. After a couple of coal shakedowns I'll burn wood again, during the day for example, because that wood causes any unburned coal to thoroughly burn and makes subsequent shakedown and reloading of fresh coal a lot easier. I also burn more wood on those days where it's cool/chilly but not COLD. My bride has a rule that I can't burn coal unless the high for the day will not get above 40degF!! Our coal furnace puts out so much heat that she gets too hot. She doesn't like the idea of using the "windowstats" so wood is the alternative. I do, however, enjoy the great exercise I get splitting, stacking, and hauling the wood so that I can enjoy my beer(s) guilt free!!

Dennis, I used to do the same thing. A wood fire for a day or two allowed me to purge the ash and partially burned coal out of the firebox, and when I went back to coal...it dried out any creosote in the boiler. Of course this would not have been necessary if the boiler I used had a better set of grates, but it was an effective work around until I installed a stoker and got on "easy street".

So orrs, does this mean you are still on the fence about the switch to coal? It's mid August and time to get serious my friend. I finished my stove install for this season yesterday. I don't want to be doing that kinda stuff in the cold. At my age winter is for surviving. Endless research approaches the point of diminishing returns.

Grew up with wood......still burning wood at the time of 1991 ice storm. Tried coal for the first time around 1992 - 94 era. Could not imagine burning wood again......EVER. By the way; I just ordered my winters supply yesterday afternoon. No cutting, No splitting, No stacking.

Irene and Lee set us back about month on the installation of the boiler here and that cash eating machine called an oil boiler was disconnected. We have two fireplaces and it was nice to be able to get some heat in the house but I wouldn't want to be feeding those things every day all year long. These are actually really nice ones and the "Cadillac" of fireplaces as I understand it becsue they are much more efficient than regular fireplace. It has a chamber that heats air. The bottom grate feeds it and hot air comes out the top grate. The grates on the side will get hot enough that it's uncomfortable to keep your hand there.

This is from when we bought the house, the wallpaper lasted about 2.4 seconds after we got the keys. There's another one just like it in the basement.

Richard S. wrote:Irene and Lee set us back about month on the installation of the boiler here and that cash eating machine called an oil boiler was disconnected. We have two fireplaces and it was nice to be able to get some heat in the house but I wouldn't want to be feeding those things every day all year long. These are actually really nice ones and the "Cadillac" of fireplaces as I understand it becsue they are much more efficient than regular fireplace. It has a chamber that heats air. The bottom grate feeds it and hot air comes out the top grate. The grates on the side will get hot enough that it's uncomfortable to keep your hand there.

This is from when we bought the house, the wallpaper lasted about 2.4 seconds after we got the keys. There's another one just like it in the basement.

That's called a Heatalator Fireplace up these parts and most of them seem to be built from 1930 - 1960, they used a steel liner in the firebox instead of typical firebrick and they are great! normal fireplaces are all but useless for living area heat (but these baby's have some function to them!)

How much wood woulda coal burner burn if a coal burner would burn wood? Not much wood woulda coal burner burn if a coal burner would burn wood. Cuz he's a coal burner, he don't wanna burn wood. He wants to burn coal not wood...

I'm happy as a pig in sh*t now that we're burning coal. Eleven loads of wood on 5x10 trailer a year with 15 visits to chiropractor was getting old.

coalnewbie wrote:So orrs, does this mean you are still on the fence about the switch to coal? It's mid August and time to get serious my friend. I finished my stove install for this season yesterday. I don't want to be doing that kinda stuff in the cold. At my age winter is for surviving. Endless research approaches the point of diminishing returns.

I will eventually make the switch. I have enough wood for this winter so I will continue with wood for this year. Still researching best place for the coal stove, insert living room or basement.

last year I purchased 6ac with 2500sf home heated with a propane boiler and a wood stove,,, determined not to use the boiler only as a backup to the woodstove man what a ruff winter it was, I had maybe 3 cords stocked but late Jan I need to start looking for some wood and the wood cutters seam to no idea of what is seasoned or freshly split or the what tree its cut from ,,and those late nights feeding the stove only to get back up in 3 hours to feed it some more. well this winter I'm hoping for a more joyful season after dumping the wood stove for a alaska channing3 stoker hoping for a good nites sleep come January and hey if anybody has any helpful hints there much appreciated

orrsmills wrote:

coalnewbie wrote:So orrs, does this mean you are still on the fence about the switch to coal? It's mid August and time to get serious my friend. I finished my stove install for this season yesterday. I don't want to be doing that kinda stuff in the cold. At my age winter is for surviving. Endless research approaches the point of diminishing returns.

I will eventually make the switch. I have enough wood for this winter so I will continue with wood for this year. Still researching best place for the coal stove, insert living room or basement.

Considering the layout of your house, if you are determined to use a stove, it should be in the living area.

scottshotgun wrote:last year I purchased 6ac with 2500sf home heated with a propane boiler and a wood stove,,, determined not to use the boiler only as a backup to the woodstove man what a ruff winter it was, I had maybe 3 cords stocked but late Jan I need to start looking for some wood and the wood cutters seam to no idea of what is seasoned or freshly split or the what tree its cut from ,,and those late nights feeding the stove only to get back up in 3 hours to feed it some more. well this winter I'm hoping for a more joyful season after dumping the wood stove for a alaska channing3 stoker hoping for a good nites sleep come January and hey if anybody has any helpful hints there much appreciated

Scott, you will have an easier winter this time around. Do you have the Alaska already setup and ready to go?

scottshotgun wrote:last year I purchased 6ac with 2500sf home heated with a propane boiler and a wood stove,,, determined not to use the boiler only as a backup to the woodstove man what a ruff winter it was, I had maybe 3 cords stocked but late Jan I need to start looking for some wood and the wood cutters seam to no idea of what is seasoned or freshly split or the what tree its cut from ,,and those late nights feeding the stove only to get back up in 3 hours to feed it some more. well this winter I'm hoping for a more joyful season after dumping the wood stove for a alaska channing3 stoker hoping for a good nites sleep come January and hey if anybody has any helpful hints there much appreciated

Scott, you will have an easier winter this time around. Do you have the Alaska already setup and ready to go?[/quote]

Gett'n close,,, I just need to tie it into the chimney/ and put together a coal storage bin I played around with it outside the house, tryed my luck at getting it fired that was something that I need to refine

KaptJaq wrote:Coal around here is expensive.

KJ, what part of LI are you from...neighbor? I'm from the Patchogue Medford area. Where are you getting your coal from? Just received a quote of $280 per ton bulk from Rella Coal in Medford, down from $325 last year. I usually get bagged but with a difference of $100 between bulk and bagged this year I plan on building a bin. With the $400 saved from 4 tons of bulk I should be able to build a nice bin...
Tom

All I know is that coal is much easier and burns at a steadier rate. I also do not miss the potential damaging bugs that wood can carry into my wood frame house.

I do admit that coal dust and ash is a bit annoying for the wife.