Wow, This January Is Different (and Cold)! I'm Eating Coal!
- Carbon12
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- Posts: 2226
- Joined: Tue. Oct. 11, 2011 6:53 pm
- Location: Harrisburg, PA
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA-6
- Coal Size/Type: Rice/Anthracite
- Other Heating: Heat Pump/Forced Hot Air Oil Furnace
Yup, it's friggin' cold! When planning I thought a mid winter 2 ton coal delivery would hold me until the heating season is over. I got the delivery about 2 weeks ago. I have a feeling another delivery may be needed. By my rough calculations, I would have spent $2400.00 in oil to heat the house to 68 degrees so far this winter. So far I've used less than $1000.00 in coal and kept the house at 72 degrees plus provided all the hot water rather than using the electric hot water heater. Gotta love that anthracite!
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- Joined: Tue. Jan. 18, 2011 6:41 am
- Location: New Britain, PA
- Stoker Coal Boiler: WL 110
I have a ton left, but I'll burn that and another before the heating season is over.
Cost of coal: 5 tons x 255 = 1275
Cost of oil: Same BTU value X 3.5 (guess, haven't priced it) = 3181.00
in actuality, the house would be ~50f right now with space heaters in seperate rooms for nightime heating, instead of running that much oil.
It's a lot nice to be warm than cold.
Cost of coal: 5 tons x 255 = 1275
Cost of oil: Same BTU value X 3.5 (guess, haven't priced it) = 3181.00
in actuality, the house would be ~50f right now with space heaters in seperate rooms for nightime heating, instead of running that much oil.
It's a lot nice to be warm than cold.
- Keepaeyeonit
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- Joined: Wed. Mar. 24, 2010 7:18 pm
- Location: Northeast Ohio.( Grand river wine country )
- Baseburners & Antiques: Glenwood #8
- Coal Size/Type: Nut & stove
- Other Heating: 49 year old oil furnace, and finally a new heat pump
Ok Larry I just did my last reload for January and the grand total is 1725# thats 55.64#/day,never have I used that much coal a day as this January and If this keeps up I will have to get more to finish off the year the only thing I can say is at least I'm warm .Keepaeyeonit
- lsayre
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- Joined: Wed. Nov. 23, 2005 9:17 pm
- Location: Ohio
- Stoker Coal Boiler: AHS S130 Coal Gun
- Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Anthracite Pea
- Other Heating: Resistance Boiler (13.5 KW), ComfortMax 75
I'm at 2,327 lbs. for the month. My record by a long shot.Keepaeyeonit wrote:Ok Larry I just did my last reload for January and the grand total is 1725# thats 55.64#/day,never have I used that much coal a day as this January and If this keeps up I will have to get more to finish off the year the only thing I can say is at least I'm warm .Keepaeyeonit
That comes to 75.1 lbs per day, but ~4.5 lbs. per day of that is for DHW, leaving 70.6 lbs. per day for home heat (2,189 lbs.).
1,438 HDD's for the month.
2,189/1438 = 1.52 lbs. per HDD.
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- Joined: Mon. Feb. 09, 2009 5:02 pm
- Location: New Haven, NY
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Keystoker Koker 160
- Coal Size/Type: Rice
I finished January at 3296# for an average of 106.32 #/day at a total cost of $412.00. If I was heating with oil, I would easily have gone through 250 gallons to keep the house an average of 5-8 degrees cooler! Plus I am not burning much propane heating my DHW so that saved me another $35 or so.
- Horace
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- Joined: Thu. Sep. 18, 2008 12:15 pm
- Location: Central PA
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Harman ST8-VF8 / Frankenstove
This was the coldest January that I have on record, and I definitely burned more coal, but my HDD/Coal ratio is pretty low. I burned the fireplace more often than before, which helps a lot.
Interestingly, this season has had the most HDD, but I have not burned the most coal. I think partly because of the fireplace, and also because I've adjusted the idle fire more often and more aggressively than in years' past. Fewer t-stat calls, much quicker response, less overshoot. Seems to work out pretty well. January's HDD/Coal ratio is fantastic, and it's just as warm.
Interestingly, this season has had the most HDD, but I have not burned the most coal. I think partly because of the fireplace, and also because I've adjusted the idle fire more often and more aggressively than in years' past. Fewer t-stat calls, much quicker response, less overshoot. Seems to work out pretty well. January's HDD/Coal ratio is fantastic, and it's just as warm.
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- Carbon12
- Member
- Posts: 2226
- Joined: Tue. Oct. 11, 2011 6:53 pm
- Location: Harrisburg, PA
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Keystoker KA-6
- Coal Size/Type: Rice/Anthracite
- Other Heating: Heat Pump/Forced Hot Air Oil Furnace
I've been burning a ton every 900-1000 degree days. That correlates almost exactly to my previously scheduled oil deliveries every 900 degree days. 185 gallons average delivery. I get more than 3 tons of coal for the same price as 1 oil delivery. Cha Ching! The used boiler has already paid for itself in less than one season of burning!!!
This is the first year I've had to buy coal since 2008 it's 350- a ton del. here on Long Island stove in basement keeps boiler from going on most of the time , in 2009 I found a craigslist ad for free coal when I went there it was 2 piles 10' high by 15' wide x 15' deep I made 2 trips with my gmc dually and got close to 4 tons I made a 3 rd trip a few weeks later and filled a bulk bag cause I didn't have any place to store the extra ton except in bag in driveway it seemed like I had so much , I wish I just kept making trips and took it all ! I'm pretty sure I didn't even take a 1/4 of 1 of the piles , it had some fines and some rocks in some spots but it burned awesome ! That was the holy grail of free coal sorry bout my rant . Shawn