How Did You Get Started Burning Coal
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- Member
- Posts: 1805
- Joined: Thu. Sep. 28, 2017 10:57 am
- Location: Coal Township Pa
- Stoker Coal Boiler: K2- Keystoker
- Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Alaska Stoker Stove
- Coal Size/Type: Rice
My load of coal for the whole season takes about 2 gallons of diesel ,to get it to my house. The deep mine itself is run mostly on electric ,much of that from coal as well ,so i dont think it takes too much oil to make it all happen. Those who are far from the source pay extra in the form of time and fuel to transport the product. Been around coal my whole life ,my town is surrounded be culm banks ,plus worked for 2 years in a deep mine,until it flooded. I have mining papers somewhere. So i guess its in the blood.
- Vonda
- Member
- Posts: 281
- Joined: Fri. Dec. 09, 2016 1:20 am
- Location: Atlanta
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby born 1980
- Coal Size/Type: Nut
- Other Heating: Gas
I always wanted a fireplace. I grew up with a fake one in Brooklyn. When looking gor a home in Atlanta, i told my realtor, i wanted a fireplace. Do i bought a house with 4 fireplaces. What did not know was that They were coal burning and the chimneys had been removed. I was told it would take 10k to restore one chimney so for about 15 years i did nothing to them.
I wanted the fireplace for heat and looks. Heating my house was a bear, little installation. One month the bilk was $400 and the thermostat was on 61. Finally, i decided to research more. I found this website, asked a bunch of questions on how to light an open fire. , i found i could restore one fireplace for 1.6k. I did that but the heat was not being produced (i found out later the installer did not seal something correctly and my heat was going into attic.)
I started reading about chubbys and the heat they produce, called Larry. We talked, he was a little skeptical about burning coal in Georgia, he thought it didnt get cold enough. I told him , it was 23° at the time. I took about a year before i had the money for a reconditioned stove with blower. I was delivered about a month ago, installed 4 days ago.
My experience so far has been interesting. It took me a while to keep fire going. Georgia is funny. It can be 30° in the morning and 60° in the late afternoon. I dont have a barometer, larry said i probably wont need one in Georgia. I had the up to 700° , by mistake, i didn't get much heat because i had both dampers open.
I am enjoying boiling water for tea on it.
It going to be a challenge keeping fire going when the weather fluctuate as it does.
Ps. I did get a 12 hour burn once the day time temp did not go over 40°
PS2 . It is a challenge getting coal in Georgia. So far TSC is my omly source.
I wanted the fireplace for heat and looks. Heating my house was a bear, little installation. One month the bilk was $400 and the thermostat was on 61. Finally, i decided to research more. I found this website, asked a bunch of questions on how to light an open fire. , i found i could restore one fireplace for 1.6k. I did that but the heat was not being produced (i found out later the installer did not seal something correctly and my heat was going into attic.)
I started reading about chubbys and the heat they produce, called Larry. We talked, he was a little skeptical about burning coal in Georgia, he thought it didnt get cold enough. I told him , it was 23° at the time. I took about a year before i had the money for a reconditioned stove with blower. I was delivered about a month ago, installed 4 days ago.
My experience so far has been interesting. It took me a while to keep fire going. Georgia is funny. It can be 30° in the morning and 60° in the late afternoon. I dont have a barometer, larry said i probably wont need one in Georgia. I had the up to 700° , by mistake, i didn't get much heat because i had both dampers open.
I am enjoying boiling water for tea on it.
It going to be a challenge keeping fire going when the weather fluctuate as it does.
Ps. I did get a 12 hour burn once the day time temp did not go over 40°
PS2 . It is a challenge getting coal in Georgia. So far TSC is my omly source.
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- Member
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Thu. May. 07, 2015 12:51 pm
- Location: NY Columbia County
- Stoker Coal Boiler: 1982 efm df520
- Coal Size/Type: Cornwall rice
- Other Heating: VC winterwarm wood
There is not much more embarrassing than the fire chief having a chimney fire!!!! Need I send photos?
- Lightning
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 14669
- Joined: Wed. Nov. 16, 2011 9:51 am
- Location: Olean, NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Modified AA 130
- Coal Size/Type: Pea Size - Anthracite
We love pics lolcoaledfeat wrote: ↑Fri. Dec. 22, 2017 8:21 pmThere is not much more embarrassing than the fire chief having a chimney fire!!!! Need I send photos?
Fire away!
Now that is funny....coaledfeat wrote: ↑Fri. Dec. 22, 2017 8:21 pmThere is not much more embarrassing than the fire chief having a chimney fire!!!! Need I send photos?
- wilder11354
- Member
- Posts: 1221
- Joined: Sat. Jan. 29, 2011 10:48 pm
- Location: Montrose, Pa.
- Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Harman SF260 Boiler
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 50-93
- Coal Size/Type: nut or pea, anthracite
- Other Heating: crown oil boiler, backup.if needed
old inefecient OWB/boiler system in house, ripped all out put in new OWB/boiler. Cut oil use to 1/3 what it was and heated house to 70* easily(house on columns/skirted). Then fuel shot up to close to $4 a gal.... cost same to heat as old system. All new WB system so bought a sf260 boiler, plumbed in and wired so OWB automaticlly backs up when coal boiler struggles in brutal cold, then switches back to coal. Now i also have a Hitzer 50-93 use to heat old part of house(trailer) which was mainly used as storage last 14 years. No REGRETS! Both systems now keep better heat in all of structure!
- Dakotaguy
- Member
- Posts: 134
- Joined: Sun. Nov. 15, 2015 8:33 pm
- Location: Summit hill pa
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Efm 520 highboy
- Coal Size/Type: Lots of rice from Lehigh
- Other Heating: Pops 2010 df 520 stoker
Our whole family used coal when we bought our second home sold first one the one we live in now had oil ripped it out and installed the EFM highboy my wife was pissed said hopefully that heats the house now she brags to her friends about our hot water and how warm the house is in total our entire family has about 14 EFMs running all on Lehigh rice
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- Member
- Posts: 27
- Joined: Wed. Dec. 02, 2015 9:22 am
- Location: North of "upstate" NY
- Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Newmac CL 96G Wood/Coal/Oil Combo
- Coal Size/Type: nut
- Other Heating: Fireplace for the Holidays
Had a DM Olsen coal wood oil combo furnace in the house we bought in 1996, but always burned wood in it. Replaced it in 2013 with a Newmac CWO combo that is the same basic design and footprint. Burned wood the first 2 winters, then when visiting with a brother in law who is a contractor, he was telling us about a coal stove and coal he got as payment for some work and how it was so much easier to use than heating with wood. Did some research, checked with a coal dealer startup about 32 miles away, found this forum, got a sale flyer from Tractor supply (only 6 miles away) with the pre-order discount offer, and bought 3 tons to try that winter. Not knowing how it would work, I also bought 15 instead of the usual 20 face cords of wood. Once I started the coal I was hooked! Ended up getting another 1/2 ton from TS, then wanted more and had to go to the other guy for another 1/2 ton. Bought 5 ton initially for last winter, then picked up another one on their 15% off night. Had 59 bags left over so got 5 tons for this winter. It's SO much easier, cleaner and easier to handle, tend and store than wood. We now just use the wood when it starts getting cold in the fall. Got enough last a few years at that rate!