Coal Conversion

shapps1313 · Post by **shapps1313** » Sun. Sep. 28, 2008 10:45 am

Good morning,
For the past 6-7 years I've been burning a P-61 pellet stove in the basement of my home.I have tried just about all the currently available to me solid/biomass fuels,premium pellets,low grade pellets,cardboard pellets,corn,cherry pits and coal. Although it is not recomended the coal seemed to work well and I was pleased with its heat output.
At the present time pellets are selling for $250 - $290 per ton. Ridiculous!! I refuse to pay this. I am considering going the coal route pemanently, and wish to try using my P-61. I have read where the feeder could be suspect in using coal which is why the 44 mag is no longer produced. My question would be, is there a board that I need to replace on the controller of the P61 to accomplish this or can I just use it as-is ? Any help you all could give is appreciated.

LsFarm · Post by **LsFarm** » Sun. Sep. 28, 2008 12:33 pm

Hello Shapps, welcome to the forum.

The problem may be that the burner can't handle the heat from a coal fire.. this is pretty much a guess. I'm not positive that a handfull of pellets has a lower maximum heat than a handfull of coal.. BUT coal burns at around 1800-2500* when it has a combustion fan forcing air through it.. the coal is near white-hot..

Is the burn pot in your pellet stove made from cast iron or steel plate or ???

I'd keep an eye open for a dedicated coal stove, and sell the pellet stove,, you shouldn't have any problem selling the pellet stove this fall.

Greg L
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shapps1313 · Post by **shapps1313** » Sun. Sep. 28, 2008 5:32 pm

Greg,
Thanks for the quick reply. The burn pot is made from steel plate. I was assuming that having air drawn up thru the coal I would be able to have some life in the burn pot till anything went wrong, but that was only a guess. I have been trying to convince my wife that burning coal is way cheaper than pellets and that the dirt associated with coal is all in how you handle the ashes. My kids have asthma so that is the reason for the pellets.
I have lived in the "coal region" all my life and thought when I bought the pellet stove I was being blasphemous not burning coal. My parents had coal the better part of their lives,I grew up with a hand fired 5 section Burnham boiler and then a Gentleman Janitor stoker, tended to both into my early 20's,got married and got oil. Now have a 10 year old air to air heat pump in a 10 year old house with the P-61 in the basement. Liked the pellets at first when I could get them for around $150 a ton. Now I said enough is enough.

Thanks,
Bill

LsFarm · Post by **LsFarm** » Sun. Sep. 28, 2008 5:55 pm

If you can find a Harman dealer that is familiar with your pellet stove, and it's problems when it was used in a coal stove, you may find out if my 'guess' is correct..
Cast iron is much more tollerant of heat and the errosion from burning coal.. a set of cast iron grates will last many decades with no abuse, but a piece of angle iron holding firebrick in place in the same firebox will need replacing every few years.. Steel just doesn't hold up.

The grates for the Harman coal stokers and also for the other similar design 'flat bed' stokers are made of cast iron.. and they last a long time if not over heated.

I'd keep a daily watch on http://www.craigslist.com http://papershop.com/ and on ebay, and also any local papers or bulletin boards. You may find a made for coal stove.

Some forum members have reported that some of their family members had asthma and allergy problems with pellets, but not with coal.. it seems that pellets can have some mold on them that for some folks sets off their asthma.

Coal apperars to be no problem for asthmatics.. it doesn't bother me at all. Dust and ashes are just a matter of developing the right habits.. there are several good threads on this site about controling dust from coal and the ash pan..

Hope this helps.. Greg L

gambler · Post by **gambler** » Sun. Sep. 28, 2008 10:14 pm

LsFarm wrote: I'm not positive that a handfull of pellets has a lower maximum heat than a handfull of coal.

Pellets usually have 8000 - 8500 BTU's per pound.

Post by **coaledsweat** » Sun. Sep. 28, 2008 10:35 pm

And you need both hands if you want a pound of them.

LsFarm · Post by **LsFarm** » Sun. Sep. 28, 2008 10:39 pm

I was refering to the actuall max temperature obtainable with pellets vs rice coal.. His pellet burner's grates are made of steel, not cast iron.. I'm assuming that pellets even with forced air don't burn as hot as anthracite???

Greg L

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