Coal to pellet switch

 
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Spacecadet
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Posts: 278
Joined: Sat. Feb. 10, 2018 9:36 pm
Location: New Paltz NY
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 30-95, Hitzer 30/95
Coal Size/Type: nut
Other Heating: US stove 6041 pellet

Post by Spacecadet » Tue. Mar. 06, 2018 2:23 am

There is a lot to be desired when thinking about wood pellets. I am new to coal and wish I would have seen the light earlier. I heated my house for years with a wood stove and as a back up a pellet stove. the Idea I had when I bought it was a good one. ( US stove works model 6041 with ash drawer) I only used the pellet stove when it was cold and no one was going to be around for the day to tend the wood stove. That worked for years - kept the house warm enough. Not being as young as i used to be - firewood got to be too much work. So, I started using the pellet stove by itself. I also had a New England pellet stove (similar to the one northern hydraulics sells) in my garage along with a big Old Mill wood stove. The garage the pellet stove was too small for my oversize garage - (24x40 insulated steel building with 12' walls). I used it for about 4 months - just enough to keep the building from freezing during the worst of the winter. Between the garage and the house I burned 8 tons of the cheap pellets - $279 a ton which were the hardwood blend. key word - blend. These pellets were the worst I had ever purchased. blend pellets are a mix of hardwood and softwood ( garbage and sawdust). when the pellets would break down they turn to dust and the dust would bind up the feed auger in my house stove. I sifted almost every bag of pellets with a kitty liter scupper. And the clinkers would bind up real bad in the burn pot that I would have to chisel them out every couple days. needless to say I was late to work several times cause of it. This past year, I only bought 4 tons of the good pellets $319 a ton. I decide to not waste the money on pellets for the garage since the stove couldn't handle the task anyway. My garage will soon be transformed to coal - looking in to a leisure line or a channing stoker. The pellet stove did a good job of heating the house, however when it was super cold it wasn't warm enough to my liking. One thing I did not like having to buy so many pallets of pellets was the fact they take up a lot of space. Pellets have to be kept in a dry environment. 4 pallets of pellets take the same space as a car. I have a harman coal stove which works great! I plan on keeping the pellet stove to heat the house when the warm spring and fall days get chilly because the pellet stove can be turned on and off easily when just a little heat is needed.

Not sure if any of this will help your decision, but this was my experience with pellets.

 
Preemo
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Posts: 32
Joined: Sun. Mar. 09, 2014 6:34 pm
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Hitzer Model 710
Coal Size/Type: Rice

Post by Preemo » Tue. Mar. 06, 2018 5:46 am

Jumpmanmj wrote:
Wed. Feb. 07, 2018 7:15 pm
Its not covering it it in dust. It definitely leaves black dust. I would be fine with it in the basement but in a kitchen with white cabinets, that won't work. I am partial to coal which is why the decision is hard. If I move it to the basement I don't think it would do 3 floors
the coal dust has always been an issue to my wife so i understand where you are coming from. To help a little, i've built, essentially, a dust vacuum that hangs from my basement ceiling. square box with a filter on the bottom facing down and on the side, some hvac duct to a large energy efficient fan. runs all day and does a great job collecting air born dust in the basement.

 
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captcaper
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Location: Northern N.H.

Post by captcaper » Sun. Mar. 18, 2018 7:39 am

pellet stoves don't have the btu's as well... so hopefully he has factored in the loss of btus


 
lourod
New Member
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat. Feb. 15, 2020 10:41 am
Hand Fed Coal Furnace: yukon eagle
Coal Size/Type: nut
Other Heating: oil coal wood

Post by lourod » Sat. Aug. 13, 2022 4:15 pm

Oiled coal best thing since white bread.

 
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StanT
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Posts: 261
Joined: Fri. Aug. 29, 2008 5:10 am
Location: Ne Pa

Post by StanT » Tue. Aug. 23, 2022 8:02 am

I made a vacuum pipe that sucks all the dust when I am loading my stove, Very little dust in the house. Got a cheap vac at HD. works great.
Good luck, Stant

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