Coal Heat and Health Issues

 
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tcalo
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Post by tcalo » Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 2:24 pm

My kids make their way back to school around mid September. I light my coal stove around Halloween for the season. It seems shortly after my kids get sick. Every year, it never fails. It could be the change in weather, or the fact that all the little ones are back in school sharing their germs with one another. I know this old timer; friend of my Father, who heated with coal for years. His children are all grown and have families of their own now. He told me his children were always sick growing up. He swears it was from the coal stove, claims it dries out the air so much that it causes sinus issues. I could understand both scenario's. I would love to shut down the stove for a season to see how things go but could never bring myself to do that! I do run a few humidifiers to keep the moisture levels up in our house, especially in the bedrooms. Some days I could feel it, dry skin and scratchy throat when I wake up. Thoughts?
Last edited by Richard S. on Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 7:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Moved to the general discussion for coal since it's coal related.


 
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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 2:30 pm

Same thing happened in our house...but it happened about a week before I started the coal boiler. Same thing also happened to some friends that heat with oil.

I blame the change in season, closing up the windows, and all the stuff that gets blown around in the fall.

 
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Post by brandonh98 » Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 2:31 pm

I'm going to say the other things you mentioned are much bigger factors than the stove. All sources of heat will cause low humidity. Run a humidifier and keep burning that beautiful black stuff!

 
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Post by scalabro » Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 2:53 pm

Tommy.... I’ve got a “wick type” humidifier running 24/7 by January which evaporates at least 3-4 gallons a day into the house.

I can tell when there is too much moisture when water condenses on the windows then I turn the setting down just enough to keep that from happening.

I’ve also found the saline nasal spray brand, “ocean” to greatly alleviate a dry nose/nasal passages.

 
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Post by coaledsweat » Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 3:20 pm

The youngest here had very bad asthma. When I burned wood or oil, it acted up. When I went to coal her symtoms disappeared. That said, I do run a large console humidifier. It is a must no matter what your source of heat is. When you heat air, it expands and dries already dry winter air out worse.

 
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Post by Lightning » Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 3:32 pm

I agree with everyone above and that the coal stove is not to blame. Every fall when the kids go back to school it never fails that within the first couple months everyone gets a cold.

About humidity - whenever you take cold air and heat it it's relative humidity falls. The weather men call it "relative" because it's relative to the temperature. For example, let's take a mass of air that is 30 degrees at 100% humidity and warm it to 75 degrees. Now the relative humidity is only 19%, if I did that right.

http://andrew.rsmas.miami.edu/bmcnoldy/Humidity.html

The reason is because warmer air can hold more water than colder air. Since our homes are not air tight we are constantly heating cold air.

 
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tcalo
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Post by tcalo » Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 3:44 pm

Thanks everyone for the input. I figured it was just the change in weather and the kids going back to school.


 
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Post by coaledsweat » Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 4:53 pm

Youll also notice you get static electrical shocks when the air is too dry.

 
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Lightning
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Post by Lightning » Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 5:01 pm

coaledsweat wrote:
Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 4:53 pm
Youll also notice you get static electrical shocks when the air is too dry.
True, and the science behind that is because dry air is a better insulator than humid air. Instead of electrical charges dissipating into the surrounding air seeking neutrality, they build until you get close enough for it to jump to or from you. I experience this handling bread moving it from plastic bread trays to the shelf. On dry days it's amazing I don't burst by spontaneous combustion thru electrical discharges haha.

 
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Post by franco b » Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 5:05 pm

My humidistat is sparks flying when stroking the cat. Does not seem to happen with coal as opposed to oil.

The first line of defense against virus is nasal mucus. You need vitamin A to produce it, so a bit more in winter might be good.

 
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Post by Lightning » Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 5:29 pm

I wonder if electrical sparks can occur in a vacuum where there isn't a medium to make the connection.

 
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Post by coaledsweat » Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 5:36 pm

Yes to sparks in a vacuum.

 
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Post by michaelanthony » Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 5:43 pm

scalabro wrote:
Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 2:53 pm
Tommy.... I’ve got a “wick type” humidifier running 24/7 by January which evaporates at least 3-4 gallons a day into the house.

I can tell when there is too much moisture when water condenses on the windows then I turn the setting down just enough to keep that from happening.

I’ve also found the saline nasal spray brand, “ocean” to greatly alleviate a dry nose/nasal passages.
+1...the moist air current carries heat around and makes the house warmer. My coal consumption decreased when I purchased my humidifier.

 
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tcalo
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Post by tcalo » Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 9:23 pm

scalabro wrote:
Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 2:53 pm
Tommy.... I’ve got a “wick type” humidifier running 24/7 by January which evaporates at least 3-4 gallons a day into the house.
Any suggestions on a unit? I have several of the small units scattered around the house, the ones you find at Target. I have 2 ultrasonic and 2 wicking filter units. They seem to work alright. The problem with the ultrasonic units is the vapor condenses and falls to the floor making it a wet mess. The wicking filter on the other units seems to dry up toward the top of the filter.

 
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Post by 2001Sierra » Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 9:44 pm

tcalo wrote:
Sun. Dec. 03, 2017 9:23 pm
Any suggestions on a unit? The wicking filter on the other units seems to dry up toward the top of the filter.
Yes they will dry at the top as the humidity is pushed out of the wick, which also collects the mineral deposits. I run a
https://www.lowes.com/pd/AIRCARE-Pedestal-3-5-Gal ... 1000036085


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