Coal to pellet switch

 
Jumpmanmj
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Post by Jumpmanmj » Wed. Feb. 07, 2018 6:18 pm

Well....i have an alaska channing III. I am totally renovating the floor it is on. I will have a brand new first floor and do not want the mess of coal/black dust. Im looking to swith to a Harman P68 pellet stove. Im keeping the coal stove, prob put it in the basement. Im so up against the fence about this. Not sure about the heat output of the pellets and how many ton I would use. Any suggestions?


 
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lsayre
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Post by lsayre » Wed. Feb. 07, 2018 6:25 pm

For pellets you will burn about 1.56X more tons, assuming that efficiencies are similar.

 
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Post by Qtown1835 » Wed. Feb. 07, 2018 6:36 pm

So 56% more pellets than coal. Not bad for wood dust vs coal dust

 
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Lightning
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Post by Lightning » Wed. Feb. 07, 2018 6:39 pm

Wood pellets aren't exactly "clean" either. There will be wood dust and ash dust also. The burn pot and combustion area do accumulate ash which will need to be cleaned out occasionally. I clean out the burn pot, remove ash from the combustion area and clean the glass on mine roughly every 3 bags of pellets.

 
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lsayre
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Post by lsayre » Wed. Feb. 07, 2018 6:42 pm

Pellet ash is on the "maximum" order of 0.8% per pound. Coal ash is on the "typical" order of 12.5% per pound.

That's a 10 fold reduction, when the 1.56X factor is considered.

And in my experience (so far) it is more like a 20 fold reduction. In my case it is not pellets, but the overall similar in constituency compressed sawdust wood blocks.
Last edited by lsayre on Wed. Feb. 07, 2018 6:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.

 
Jumpmanmj
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Post by Jumpmanmj » Wed. Feb. 07, 2018 6:49 pm

That's definitely a plus. Im just worried about the heat output getting to the 2nd floor. Coal has done a nice job

 
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warminmn
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Post by warminmn » Wed. Feb. 07, 2018 6:57 pm

I liked those blocks in a regular stove a lot better than I liked burning pellets. The only wood that comes close to burning as clean as those blocks is de-barked wood.

OP, You will be hard pressed to find people on here that like using pellets over coal. I know I didnt. i dont know your coal stove but perhaps there is something wrong with it if it is covering your home with dust.


 
Jumpmanmj
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Post by Jumpmanmj » 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

 
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michaelanthony
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Post by michaelanthony » Wed. Feb. 07, 2018 7:37 pm

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
I get what you're sayin'. Can you get your coal oiled to minimize the dust, My kitchen cabinets are dark in color ;)

 
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coaledsweat
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Post by coaledsweat » Wed. Feb. 07, 2018 7:55 pm

The big drawback is if they turn to mush. The only way to ruin coal is burn it. :D

Yes to oiled coal. And you can oil it yourself.

 
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Post by mof1964 » Wed. Feb. 07, 2018 8:10 pm

Had a pellet stove. Breckwell Big E unit. It was ok but not near as nice as having my coal chubby in it's place. To clean it, had to shut down. The fan & feed rate were adjustable but once the fan was off the lowest or 2nd lowest setting the background noise of the fan is a pain. I burn now maybe 2 to 3 tons of nut coal in the chubby. Burned close to 5 tons of pellets, which took up much more space.
Our chubby lets a little dust out if I'm not careful but nothing like everything being covered in black. The wife says she would not want to go back to pellets over coal. Just my 2 cents :)

 
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Post by windyhill4.2 » Wed. Feb. 07, 2018 8:27 pm

Probably the quickest,cheapest & easiest remedy for the black dust is to paint your cabinets black,no more dust. ;) ;) :)

OR, handle the coal more carefully.
Last edited by windyhill4.2 on Wed. Feb. 07, 2018 9:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.

 
Jumpmanmj
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Post by Jumpmanmj » Wed. Feb. 07, 2018 8:44 pm

windyhill4.2 wrote:
Wed. Feb. 07, 2018 8:27 pm
Probably the quickest,cheapest & easiest remedy for the black dust is to paint your cabinets black,no more dust. :)

OR, handle the coal more carefully.
Umm, no thanks
You still get dust

 
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Post by Jumpmanmj » Wed. Feb. 07, 2018 8:46 pm

michaelanthony wrote:
Wed. Feb. 07, 2018 7:37 pm
I get what you're sayin'. Can you get your coal oiled to minimize the dust, My kitchen cabinets are dark in color ;)
I don't think coal suppliers here do that. I can call and check

 
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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Wed. Feb. 07, 2018 8:55 pm

What does the house have for a central heating system?


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