Coalpail.com Forum

I have state farm now and the coal stove was no issue at all for them.

They were fine with it as long as there was also a 'conventional' heating appliance there too. We have a propane furnace that rarely gets used but they call that 'primary' and the coal 'supplemental'.

Code enforcement officers have egos? Gee, who woulda thunk it?

Question: Tell me, What's more fun than a code guy who thinks he knows everything?

Answer: Two code guys who think they know everything in your front lawn having a shouting match over the proper wall clearances of your work-in-process chimney -- that's what!

I didn't witness it but the masons did. The mason was a 40 year veteran in the trade. He said he's been building chimneys with 1" clearance from clapboards of any composition for twenty five years without incident. Prior to that they butted chimneys flush with the house. The argument was whether or not vinyl is a combustible. Apparently now they want 2" clearance from combustibles. Soon we will all have to have separate heating plants!

My insurance company had no problem with anthracite coal as a fuel so long as the boiler was ASME and installed to mfr specs and code. No insurance company should have ANY problem with anthracite. I think it is far safer to burn in a modern ASME coal boiler than gas or oil. I just don't like the idea of liquids or gases leaking. My coal isn't going anywhere I don't want it to go. It also won't catch fire easily.

When I told my insurance company that I already installed a coal boiler 6 months ago or so, ( I did ask town before install, and they were ok if it did not share chimney)
he said it is all ok if primary heating source.

He said the only time it matters is when it is a supplement heating...such as wood or coal or gas that is installed after the fact.

Really would love a hand fired in our foyer or family room, but I do not want to know the insurance increase, so we will
have to live with the traditional fireplaces for fun.
Already paying insane for insurance rates, and they just went up 14% from last year, on top of the 10-12% from the first year.
If it goes up next year for a third time, I will be switching...should switch now anyway.

As long as your insurance company is aware, that is really all that matters.

Be careful they may approve it and only allow you to have 7 pieces of coal in the hopper at a time.

Seriously you received some good advice. My best suggestion is be polite and make the inspector feel important, If you start off telling him that you know more than him ( even though you probably do) it will get ugly. If you get in touch with him try to find out what his concerns are in writing and try to address them in writing.

Good Lord, have you been working on your social skills?

He forgot to include tripling your normal dosage of prozac before meeting with the inspector

freetown fred wrote:Good Lord, have you been working on your social skills?

I read it in a book somewhere.