I Am a Winner!!! Coal Over Pellets!!!

So, I have been heating my upstairs with pellets and my uninsulated basement with rice coal with a Harman Magnum Stoker. The last 4 years and fell in LOVE with coal ( my wife thinks I am coo coo and thinks I should open a stove shop) The cost to heat my house with electric baseboard heat before pellets, $450/month in the winter, after pellets $750/year. No electric heat has been on since I started with pellets. I have been tinkering with coal stoves in the uninsulated basement for the same 4 years and got and finally Harman Mag last year for a steal and absolutely love the coal burn over the pellet burn
My wife loves the pellet burn upstairs keeping the house 72-78 deg all winter(this temp depended on how many clothes I want her to have on at the time ) I just kept on piddling on in the basement with buying and selling coal stoves like an old married man.
So I finally got a deal on a barely used Alaska Kast Console II. I just picked it up tonight and fired it up. (see pictures below)
She came down into the basement and said....WOW why don't you put that upstairs!!!! ( We are Methodist and you know what they say about Methodist, Don't Rock the boat, everything is fine, don't change a thing!!!)
After I collected my jaw from the floor and put it back in place, I started thinking more about this prospect(offer) and I am now calling my buddies trying to sell a pellet stove with 3 tons of pellets!!!
I feel like I just got my permission slip signed for smoking in high school!!!!
Felt like I had to share with folks who have similar situations.
Mark

A Methodist with a method, gotta love that! Congrats on the conversion. Good lookin' stoves.

heatwithcoal wrote: I am now calling my buddies trying to sell a pellet stove with 3 tons of pellets!!!

I'm sure if you put it on Craigslist or on Masslive.com you will have no trouble selling it. PM me if your friends don't want it, I might be able to help you get rid of it.

Dave

Coal strikes again! Gotta love it.

Warmer temperatures = less clothes, I like that...any ideas on getting rid of the kids if it turns into anything?

Cool story! Just curious, what type and how old is your home? From the looks of the poured concrete walls and floor, I am guessing very modern.

As interested as I am in coal burning and the different units and methods, I am equally interested in the size and type of home we live, work & play in.

I myself heat a fairly modern home, built 1988, 2400 sq ft, 2x6" construction with R-17 walls, two seperate flues but no fireplace. Two common heatpumps with a backup electric heated hydronic ( water tank with circulator & heating elements ) stored heating systems used for the days below 34F or whenever the heatpumps kick off. But I haven't used this system in 5 years thanks to a simple coal stove in the basement. ( I could go into another direction with the elaborate back up heating system but I'll leave HVAC engineers out of it ! ).

Sell the pellet stove. Replace it with the Alaska and powervent it.

Glad you are taking "my" advice.

I have never seen a pellet stove burning, but heated this house with firewood for 16 years. There's no comparison to Anthracite.

Better move that Alaska, the Harman doesn't look too happy.

Better move that Alaska, the Harman doesn't look too happy.

I didn't really look that close but the Harman does look a little angry
I have been doing some research on the power venter and I don't think I can fit it. I have a window on one side of the stove and my electric service within 4.5' of the window on the other side. From what I have read, I need to be at 4' horizontally from the window or 1' above the window. Neither of these is really possible. I am now looking at the SS chimney option but that will be out of the question unless I find a used chimney. An online quote from Selkirk is $1300 and all I need is 9 ft! .

Cool story! Just curious, what type and how old is your home? From the looks of the poured concrete walls and floor, I am guessing very modern.

1350ft raised ranch. electric baseboard(has not been on in 4 years maybe)so very well insulated. I removed alot of the insulation in the basement ceiling this summer. Caused by a faulty ice maker but it should help with heating the house this winter. The basement is uninsulated except 120sqft office adjacent to the stove(s)

GO SOX (the red ones!)
Mark

heatwithcoal wrote: I need to be at 4' horizontally from the window or 1' above the window. Neither of these is really possible.

I know a person that had a window too close. He screwed it shut and it passed inspection.

They also make a keyed sash lock about 5-6 bucks at Home Depot, it will replace your original one thats there now.

I know someone with the same problem,just talk with your building inspector first and see if he'll accept it.

Dave

Better move that Alaska, the Harman doesn't look too happy.

I think you are right!!