I Am Looking for a New Coal / Wood Stove

longislandsteve · Post by **longislandsteve** » Thu. Jul. 17, 2014 3:35 pm

Looking for some advice. I am looking to heat my 2000 square foot house and I presently have a 114,000 BTU boiler. How many BTU coal burner stove should I be looking at. I am looking at a Harman TLC 2000 or the DC1600 circulator. Does any have any advice.

Post by **Rob R.** » Thu. Jul. 17, 2014 3:47 pm

Hi Steve, making enough BTU's is one thing, but when using a single stove the limiting factor is usually moving the heat throughout the home. Can you tell us a little more about the lay out of the home?

Where would you be putting the stove?

Post by **coaledsweat** » Thu. Jul. 17, 2014 7:00 pm

Put a stoker boiler in, you'll thank me later.

Post by **Lightning** » Thu. Jul. 17, 2014 8:20 pm

Is the wood pellet stove just for supplemental heat? and, are you wanting to replace it with a coal stove? Best case scenario would be to tie in a coal boiler with the boiler in place (what fuel does it use currently?).. If you are just looking for supplemental heat (to replace the pellet stove) then the stoves you mentioned I believe are qualified for the job.. It depends on what exactly you are wanting to achieve.

tikigeorge · Post by **tikigeorge** » Thu. Jul. 17, 2014 8:47 pm

Are you in the coal region? This will help with the cost. You have a boiler now so I would look into a Keystoker KA -6. I'm going on six years now.
Use your oil boiler for hot water in the summer and the KA -6 will meet your needs for everything in the winter.
Things to consider are: placement of the boiler and the coal bin, the window to the coal bin for delivery. I also have a grain auger feeding my boiler from the bin. I just empty the ashes, no more buckets of coal into the hopper!

longislandsteve · Post by **longislandsteve** » Thu. Jul. 17, 2014 10:03 pm

My floor plan is very open and I will be placing the coal stove at the bottom of the stairs and the bedrooms will be up stairs. I was considering using the central air handler to push the heat thru the house, The boiler I have now I am not planning on using when the coal stove is installed.So I need to size the stove for the whole house.I am not in the coal region. I am on long island. I was looking at either the DC circulator 1600 or the Alaska kodiak or the Harman stoker however I want to go hand fired and have a large hopper because I want minimal moving parts. Thats why pellet stoves scare me.Too much to go wrong.

tcalo · Post by **tcalo** » Thu. Jul. 17, 2014 11:25 pm

Welcome Steve. I have a hand fired stove so I wouldn't be much help. Hoping to get a coal boiler one day. Just wishing a fellow Long Islander a warm hello.

windyhill4.2 · Post by **windyhill4.2** » Fri. Jul. 18, 2014 6:23 am

The Hitzer 50-93 is used by a number of members & well liked,it would be worth your time to read what you can on this model & consider it as a number 1 candidate for your heating solution.

longislandsteve · Post by **longislandsteve** » Fri. Jul. 18, 2014 11:07 am

I may be misleading you guys. I am looking for heat only. I am looking to install a coal stove to heat my house and turn my oil fired boiler off. The domestic hot water will be provided for, I am looking for input as far as a freestanding coal burning stove. I was told the hand fed units would require minimal maintenance.I was also told that stoves would be great however the blower is required and it will eventually begin to make noise and have to be replaced. My house is about 2000 square feet with an open floor plan. I am also looking to please the wife. So an attractive unit would be a plus. The stove will be on the first floor and in plain sight.Can I have functional and attractive ?

windyhill4.2 · Post by **windyhill4.2** » Fri. Jul. 18, 2014 11:39 am

The Hitzer 50-93 is a hand fired stove,look them up via link on this forum ,look at pics of stoves thread for what it looks like in different settings. Go to The Best of Anthracite Coal Forum Topics & then to Pictures of Your Stove.

Post by **franco b** » Fri. Jul. 18, 2014 12:48 pm

longislandsteve wrote:My house is about 2000 square feet with an open floor plan. I am also looking to please the wife. So an attractive unit would be a plus. The stove will be on the first floor and in plain sight.Can I have functional and attractive ?

How many gallons of oil you burned will give an idea of what your house needs.

The antique stoves are the most attractive and the best of them are very efficient. They do lack a thermostat to control the air however and also a hopper or magazine on most, two things that are nice to have.

Don't expect the heat distribution that a central system gives.

tcalo · Post by **tcalo** » Fri. Jul. 18, 2014 1:12 pm

I have to agree with franco b, antique stoves can't be beat in quality, looks and output. Check out some base burners.

Sunny Boy · Post by **Sunny Boy** » Fri. Jul. 18, 2014 1:31 pm

Welcome Steve,

If you want something with style and function, these six You Tube videos of William's will give you an idea of what some of the antique base heaters can do, and how easily and quietly they will do it.

24 hours on a load of coal, and very efficient. Plus, these is a group of us working on getting duplicates made of the original optional magazine that would extend the burn time about another 10-12 hours.

And, all without need of that expensive LI electricity. I know, I lived down there.

Paul

rberq · Post by **rberq** » Fri. Jul. 18, 2014 6:32 pm

longislandsteve wrote:My floor plan is very open and I will be placing the coal stove at the bottom of the stairs and the bedrooms will be up stairs.

That’s where my stove is, at the bottom of the stairs. Unless I use a pedestal fan blowing across above the stove, too much heat goes up the stairs and not enough into the first floor living area. We find the pedestal fan to be like white noise, not as intrusive as the fans built into the stoves.

longislandsteve wrote:I was considering using the central air handler to push the heat thru the house

What is your “central air handler”? Is it associated with your boiler, or with an AC system, or what? If you can make it provide even heat distribution that would be very handy. Since your stove heat will be coming from an entirely different location from your old boiler, I assume it would not work right without adjustments.

longislandsteve wrote:I am also looking to please the wife … Can I have functional and attractive?

Probably not attractive enough to please a standard wife. The best you can hope for is that she will tolerate it and come to appreciate the cost savings and only grumble once a month or so.

Unless of course you get one of the antiques and she falls in love with it.

P.S. Will you keep your current boiler available for backup heat? It's awfully handy if you need to leave the house for a few days, if you are sick and can't feed the coal stove, and so on.

SheepDog · Post by **SheepDog** » Fri. Jul. 18, 2014 8:07 pm

My wife seems ok looks wise with the AK Kodiak I had painted forest green and trimmed out in brass. I installed it in a corner that has a natural stone hearth which helped tie it all together.

SD