Coal Stoves and Tiny House

 
CDF_USAF
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Posts: 124
Joined: Thu. Sep. 26, 2013 7:38 pm
Location: Depew NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: Formerly AA-130

Post by CDF_USAF » Thu. Sep. 20, 2018 7:52 pm

Another alternative to save space could be some kick heaters, under cabinets in the kitchen, there are some that can be mounted within wall cavaties. Also the dragons breath heaters at alt heat supply look pretty nice, spendy but an option for a pre packaged deal, they show them on YouTube but not the site.

 
franco b
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Posts: 11416
Joined: Wed. Nov. 05, 2008 5:11 pm
Location: Kent CT
Hand Fed Coal Stove: V ermont Castings 2310, Franco Belge 262
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood Modern Oak 114
Coal Size/Type: nut and pea

Post by franco b » Thu. Sep. 20, 2018 8:14 pm

Convection radiators used to be the cheapest way, and can be recessed into the wall.

Here is the type.
http://beacon-morris.com/html/beacon_morris_convector.asp

 
NoSmoke
Member
Posts: 1442
Joined: Sun. Oct. 14, 2012 7:52 pm
Location: Mid Coast Maine
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: New Yoker WC90
Baseburners & Antiques: Woods and Bishop Antique Pot Bellied Stove
Coal Size/Type: Stove/Nut/Pea Anthracite
Other Heating: Munchkin LP Boiler/Englander Pellet Stove/Perkins 4.108 Cogeneration diesel

Post by NoSmoke » Sat. Sep. 22, 2018 6:07 am

I would think (and I could be wrong) that the radiator aspect would be the cheapest part of the whole equation. By that I mean, why go with wall hung radiators when a person could just lay down radiant floor heating pex? That too is cheap. It is the controls that cost money, but whether a person uses radiant floor heating loops, or baseboard, it takes just about the same controls...zone valves, circulators, plc, mixing valve, priority relay, thermostats, etc. About the only extra item on a radiant floor heating system would be the manifold with individual flow controls.

Or am I missing something?

 
NoSmoke
Member
Posts: 1442
Joined: Sun. Oct. 14, 2012 7:52 pm
Location: Mid Coast Maine
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: New Yoker WC90
Baseburners & Antiques: Woods and Bishop Antique Pot Bellied Stove
Coal Size/Type: Stove/Nut/Pea Anthracite
Other Heating: Munchkin LP Boiler/Englander Pellet Stove/Perkins 4.108 Cogeneration diesel

Post by NoSmoke » Sat. Sep. 22, 2018 6:11 am

One thing I failed to mention because I thought it had no bearing on the issue, is an oil fired furnace in the basement of this house. It was installed in 1988 so it is 30 years old, but it never ran the last 10 years because my Grandmother is dead and most likely warm wherever she is at?

I thought about getting this monstrosity to heat the basement during very cold periods as we have disconnected ductwork to the floor upstairs.

What is the probability of getting the old furnace to work? I thought it had no hope because the oil tank is full of old #2 fuel oil, but Freetown Fred says a little marvel mystery oil will get it to fire well enough.


 
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Rob R.
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Posts: 17979
Joined: Fri. Dec. 28, 2007 4:26 pm
Location: Chazy, NY
Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr

Post by Rob R. » Sat. Sep. 22, 2018 6:19 am

It may be as easy as flipping the switch. Good way to get rid of that old fuel.

 
CapeCoaler
Member
Posts: 6515
Joined: Sun. Feb. 10, 2008 3:48 pm
Location: Cape Cod, MA
Stoker Coal Boiler: want AA130
Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS Machine BS#4, Harman MKII, Hitzer 503,...
Coal Size/Type: Pea/Nut/Stove

Post by CapeCoaler » Sat. Sep. 22, 2018 8:14 am

Hit the #2 with biocide\conditioner...
Then filter it well...
If the furnace runs great...
If not put it in the tractor...

 
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Sunny Boy
Member
Posts: 25547
Joined: Mon. Nov. 11, 2013 1:40 pm
Location: Central NY
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Anthracite Industrial, domestic hot water heater
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood range 208, # 6 base heater, 2 Modern Oak 118.
Coal Size/Type: Nuts !
Other Heating: Oil &electric plenum furnace

Post by Sunny Boy » Sat. Sep. 22, 2018 9:07 am

Clean and check the furnace carefully - especially the heat exchanger.

The one that was in this house had sat unused for a few years, but worse was that the old lady that owned the place didn't get it serviced regularly before that. When the previous owner fired it up, the heat exchanger had rusted through in spots and was pumping fumes into the duct work. He was lucky he didn't gas his family in their sleep.


Also check that the pipe and chimney is clear and not blocked by exhaust scale from a possibly a poorly maintained oil-fired unit, that has come loose and fallen down in the chimney.

Paul

 
ddahlgren
Member
Posts: 1769
Joined: Tue. Feb. 19, 2013 3:30 pm
Location: Mystic CT
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Crane 404
Contact:

Post by ddahlgren » Wed. Sep. 26, 2018 2:56 pm

NoSmoke wrote:
Sat. Sep. 22, 2018 6:07 am
I would think (and I could be wrong) that the radiator aspect would be the cheapest part of the whole equation. By that I mean, why go with wall hung radiators when a person could just lay down radiant floor heating pex? That too is cheap. It is the controls that cost money, but whether a person uses radiant floor heating loops, or baseboard, it takes just about the same controls...zone valves, circulators, plc, mixing valve, priority relay, thermostats, etc. About the only extra item on a radiant floor heating system would be the manifold with individual flow controls.

Or am I missing something?
I built my own radient floor system in my shop. Mass is your best friend. I put mine in a concrete floor with 3 separate loops of pex tubing. made my own manifold out of plumbing fittings valves, 4 thermometers and a mixing valve. That was way cheaper than what was sold commercially. I was told I needed a very complicated control that measures all sorts of outside conditions floor zone return water temps etc. This had to be connected to a very expensive boiler as well around 5k for that. All told 9k plus labor. I bought an oil fired HW heater and could be coal just as easy installed a couple of circulators and relays. I waited until November to fire it up beyond a pressure check. It ran 3 days nonstop heating the concrete I balanced the loops of tubing using ball valves on the returns until all had the same return temp and adjusted mixing valve for 140F going in and 120F coming out to the manifold. There is a bypass valve to keep the heater from short cycling and set that last once the floor was up to temp. The same HW heater also has a separate zone for the second story that works just fine at the 160 the HW heater is set at for max temp. Bottom line is for 1/3 the money no complicated controls it works great It heats a 24X32 2 story building in SE CT close to the water for 300 gallons of fuel oil.


 
NoSmoke
Member
Posts: 1442
Joined: Sun. Oct. 14, 2012 7:52 pm
Location: Mid Coast Maine
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: New Yoker WC90
Baseburners & Antiques: Woods and Bishop Antique Pot Bellied Stove
Coal Size/Type: Stove/Nut/Pea Anthracite
Other Heating: Munchkin LP Boiler/Englander Pellet Stove/Perkins 4.108 Cogeneration diesel

Post by NoSmoke » Sat. Oct. 06, 2018 4:36 am

We had a set-back.

I installed the Renai and the darn igniter is acting up. Until I can get a new one, I had too....uggggg...throw a pellet stove I had kicking around, into the old house.

It did well though. It is a 38,000 BTU unit and manages to heat the house well enough. If it burned coal it would burn even better, which does not seem that difficult to do. Just adjust the rheostat so the auger pulls in rice coal slower, and it should burn fine with its forced draft I would think???

Anyone convert a pellet stove to rice coal?

 
franco b
Site Moderator
Posts: 11416
Joined: Wed. Nov. 05, 2008 5:11 pm
Location: Kent CT
Hand Fed Coal Stove: V ermont Castings 2310, Franco Belge 262
Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood Modern Oak 114
Coal Size/Type: nut and pea

Post by franco b » Sat. Oct. 06, 2018 3:23 pm

Would be interesting.

 
nickdearing88
Member
Posts: 47
Joined: Thu. Nov. 23, 2017 3:11 pm
Location: NW PA
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: DS AquaGem 1100
Coal Size/Type: Blaschak bulk pea/nut
Other Heating: LP Boiler

Post by nickdearing88 » Sat. Oct. 13, 2018 11:20 am

Wow, what a cool project! I'm so amazed at the talent of people like yourself.
It looks like you made the ladder also!
NoSmoke wrote:
Mon. Sep. 17, 2018 7:08 pm
Here is what the underside of the second floor looks like. You can see there is no ceiling and where I sistered on (2) additional 2x5's to the floor stringers to stiffen the upstairs floors up. Eventually the underside will be painted white with new lights and stuff. Even the kitchen cabinets are just temporary until I can build new ones.
DSCN0363.JPG

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