Coalpail.com Forum

Hello,
I’m new to the forum and looking for information regarding the Hitzer 254.
I live in southern NH west of Concord. My house is around 1400 sq ft open concept with cathedral ceilings, R19 insulation and double pane windows.
I’ve been heating my house solely with a wood stove since 1995 and have always felled,bucked,split and stacked my 4.5 cord every year. 4 cord for my house and half a cord for my hunting camp.
Well I’m 54 and I think I might be on the wood cutting decline.
We like the house in the mid 70’s and our Woodstock soapstone has no trouble whatsoever keeping it there even when it’s below zero! But as it gets warm which for that stove is anything above 25 it gets hard to have a “small” fire.
I know nothing about coal heating at all, to the best of your knowledge would the hitzer 254 be a good bet for my application?

Thanks so much

Simply put, yes.

1350sq ft and I have the larger 354 and in this 50F weather it like walking a right rope trying to run a large stove so low. Had windows open all day and it’s still too hot in here...76F. I can run it up to low 60F outside temps but it’s tough. To qualify my statements I don’t have much experience...year two with nut anthracite. Upside to the big stove is even below 0F it never runs more than 360ish. Home is older 1954 construction, walls not insulated all that well, decent in the attic and I feel the 254 will work better for me. This big stove is a blower model and never gets hot enough to boil water on the stove. I’d like to be able to cook of it if I could. Of course, I could cook off a 354 radiant model, but then it would really burn us out of the house.

If I’m not mistaken the 254 is the same as the 30/95 just without a hopper. My house is 1200 sq ft. My stove keeps my cathedral ceiling living kitchen and dining room 80 all winter long. The bedrooms on the opposite end of the house are high 60’s low 70’s. According to your layout that stove will most likely do a fine job.
I used to burn wood also. As a not as young as I used to be individual, I understand the not wanting to do wood anymore. I’ve been burning coal for 5 years now. Best decision I’ve ever made. No more felling, loading, emptying, splitting, stacking, carrying, restocking, and waking up every 2 hours to refill the stove. Phew I’m tired thinking about it. Lol. Tending time on the coal stove is every 12 hours. Anywhere from 1/2 to 3/4 a bucket per fill.
Once you switch you’ll be wishing you did earlier.

Thanks for the replies so far!
It almost sounds too good to be true as far as burn times, the hardest part for me is paying for fuel to heat my house after 26 years of not.
I think I’ll fill the woodshed once more just in case, I can always use it at camp or even sell it if needed.
The other question I had is how much coal will I likely need to have to make it through? I’d rather have a little more on hand than not enough. My guess would be around three tons from what I’ve read in this forum, would that be close or am I way off?
Thanks again.

Hard to tell that without knowing where you live.

Oh...you paid for that wood, one way or another. LOL! Lots less work with anthracite.

I will admit I do not like emptying ash at times twice a day. Lots more ash. Only part I do not like and I despise it. Just not sure I despise it enough to give up coal. I do have wood seasoning just in case though.

Hoyt man - I agree walking outside twice a day does suck to empty the ash pan. However I’ll be more than happy to empty it twice a day since I can now sleep through the entire night. Minor pia for a larger payoff.

Slickheadhunter - that wood. You worked your butt off to provide it. It wasn’t free. Your time wasn’t free.
I wood burn 3-5 cords of wood per winter. I burn 3 - 3 1/2 tons of coal a winter. Presently If I had to purchase wood it’s 30-$100 more per cord than per ton of coal. I have dozen trees I’ve taken down in the last few years. I’ve given some away. I’ve split a lot of it and but it at the campground when I go. I still have probably 5 cord that need to be split. I’ll split the smaller stuff and probably give the larger stuff to my buddy. He still burns wood. Anyway. The question could possibly be what could you do with all those extra hours of time that you didn’t Have to spend cutting splitting and stacking wood.

Sell wood to fund the coal. Around here wood is $120 a face cord.

S.........
First, welcome to coalpail.com........3 ton/year is in the ballpark. If you re-locate the wood stove to the basement for late Fall/ early Spring heating, it helps the fuel mileage. I start with 3 ton in the Fall.....right now, I have used 2 ton, but, I do use wood in the Yukon during the 'shoulder' months.
Cheers

I only have two flues, one for the wood stove and one for the oil burner back up. But that’s a great idea!

fig wrote: ↑

Sun. Feb. 28, 2021 11:57 pm

Sell wood to fund the coal. Around here wood is $120 a face cord.

Ouch! You out on the plains? I thought people were nuts here selling it for 60-80$ for a face cord.

Green wood here in southern NH is $230 a cord delivered.

Slickheadhunter wrote: ↑

Mon. Mar. 01, 2021 9:12 pm

Green wood here in southern NH is $230 a cord delivered.

Well, if you enjoy cutting wood, I guess you know how to pay for your coal.

How much is the coal delivered?

At one place I was told 330 a ton, not sure if that delivered or not.

Waytomany?
If I’m going to go through the process of cutting the 4.5 cord of wood I’ll need I will just heat with that.