People Think I'm Crazy to Switch to Coal

mcrchap · Post by **mcrchap** » Mon. Jan. 20, 2014 3:17 pm

Your post is 6 years old. Did you switch to coal....if so do you and your friends think you are crazy now?

Miles · Post by **Miles** » Thu. Feb. 13, 2014 8:54 am

Hi Folks. I'm new to this site and very happy to have discovered it. I installed my Alaska 140 stoker in November of 2008 and am thrilled with it! I was previously heating my home with a Burnham Fiesta water boiler supplemented by a wood boiler. When the Burnham unit wore out and I tired of cutting, splitting and stacking wood, I removed all my in service heating equipment and installed a new Utica boiler and the Alaska 140. I thought I had died and gone to heaven ! Most seasons I don't even turn the oil unit on. Just use it as sort of manifold for hot water from the coal stoker to pass through. I have cut my heating costs better than in half and the heat is excellent. I would strongly encourage anyone thinking of switching to coal heat to GO FOR IT !!!! Very little work. Very little dirt, and a nice warm, even heat.

Post by **Lightning** » Thu. Feb. 13, 2014 8:57 am

A big Amen to that, partner!!

Carbon12 · Post by **Carbon12** » Thu. Feb. 13, 2014 9:32 am

As to this post being 6 years old,......someone asked if the original poster still has people thinking he was crazy for switching to coal? Well, his coal stoker boiler is burning GREAT,...in MY basement! He sold it to me last summer. He decided to switch to,.......WOOD!??!

His loss is, by far, my gain!

NWBuilder · Post by **NWBuilder** » Thu. Feb. 13, 2014 10:13 am

Carbon12 wrote:As to this post being 6 years old,......someone asked if the original poster still has people thinking he was crazy for switching to coal? Well, his coal stoker boiler is burning GREAT,...in MY basement! He sold it to me last summer. He decided to switch to,.......WOOD!??! His loss is, by far, my gain!

Too bad for him, Great for you, lead a horse and all that!

Carbon12 · Post by **Carbon12** » Thu. Feb. 13, 2014 10:16 am

Yeah,....I ALMOST feel bad for him.

I can't even begin to imagine how much wood he goes through to replace the output of a KA-6 boiler.

NWBuilder · Post by **NWBuilder** » Thu. Feb. 13, 2014 10:59 am

Carbon12 wrote:Yeah,....I ALMOST feel bad for him. I can't even begin to imagine how much wood he goes through to replace the output of a KA-6 boiler.

How long did he actually use it for? Did he say why besides just going back to wood?

Carbon12 · Post by **Carbon12** » Thu. Feb. 13, 2014 12:01 pm

I asked him the same question. It worked great for 4 seasons. He was using bagged coal. He said his live in girlfriend did not like the smell of burning coal,......outside the house.

That's why he got rid of the stoker boiler.

coalkirk · Post by **coalkirk** » Thu. Feb. 13, 2014 12:07 pm

Well maybe she was a real hottie. Otherwise I would have told her hold your breath outside or found a new girlfriend!

whistlenut · Post by **whistlenut** » Thu. Feb. 13, 2014 12:09 pm

Perhaps her nose was too high in the air to begin with.......but it made a great deal for C-12!!! Let me guess, he has a fleet of septic pumpers and she objects to a coal smell.........When one candy store closes, another is just down the street. I wonder if the expression 'Grow a pair' was ever explained to him???????? Oh well.....just another day. Does he have any friends with similar problems???

NWBuilder · Post by **NWBuilder** » Thu. Feb. 13, 2014 12:17 pm

Not a smart move better off with a new girl friend.

Carbon12 · Post by **Carbon12** » Thu. Feb. 13, 2014 12:29 pm

They were both very nice, I must add. I think the "renewable" resource and pleasant wood smoke odor prevailed.

Post by **Lightning** » Thu. Feb. 13, 2014 2:41 pm

Must be that she doesn't handle the wood. There must have been something else. Maybe they had a CO problem and killed their pets or something. I can't believe anyone would trade a stoker boiler to burn wood. That don't make sense.

Post by **Lightning** » Thu. Feb. 13, 2014 2:43 pm

You should give him a call and ask him how hard he's kicking himself in the ass...

Carbon12 · Post by **Carbon12** » Thu. Feb. 13, 2014 3:15 pm

I was thinking of texting him. Think I'll wait till spring!