Antique fireplace -- coal insert?

We're purchasing a home built around 1900 and the fireplace has an insert that is very interesting (and beautiful). From a bit of casual googling, it seems that it may be a coal burner.

Here's a photo:



Opinions or other musings? I've never used a coal burner, but have always been fascinated with coal. I ordered a bit off eBay years back to try to burn in a cubic mini stove, with limited success. I had no idea what I was doing, and didn't have any type of grate.

Please post some detailed pictures of the interior of the insert.

Does she have a shaker handle for the grates inside---how bout an ash pan below??????????? Yep pix are necessary or we'd just be shootin in the dark. YEP, she's purty enough-- back when craftsmanship was an art--is that metal or brick on the hearth/ back wall??--sure is shiny if it's brick!!!!

I'm no expert here and someone else who is more familiar will chime in but I have seen similar inserts before. This is a southern home? The examples I have seen were in southern homes, quite similar to a wood stove and designed to burn soft coal which is probably something you don't want to try experimenting with.

Most of the topics you will see on this forum pertain to anthracite coal which is a completely different animal than soft coal.

Yep, someone with more knowledge definitely WILL chime in R!!!!!!!!!! Can't tell much without those internal pix.

I looked inside today but didn't get any photos. There is a grate inside and the air flows up from the bottom. It appears that the bottom is an ash tray, and there are various handles on it. One controls the damper, not sure on the others. The house sale has not closed, so I didn't do too much poking around lest I damage something before I own it. Overall the condition looks really good.

The surround is some type of period tile, and is beautiful. The previous owner is elderly and did drop the engraved cover at some point in the past and damaged one tile. I think I can probably repair it to look pretty good, since I'm guessing that getting a replacement is going to be difficult or impossible. It would seem that the insert is a coal insert, probably intended for bituminous coal, since the home is in Idaho. There is a local place that sells bituminous coal, probably from Wyoming.

The previous owner burned duraflames it it, haha.

Beautiful indeed R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's a photo of the interior:

Looks like it says. Columbian 20. Made 1880-90ish.

Same style heater with information. Some light reading.

1892 Monarch Fireplace Insert

Thanks! I'll read though that thread.

renaissanceman wrote: ↑

Fri. Nov. 12, 2021 2:38 pm

Thanks! I'll read though that thread.

If you have any questions on that thread send me a PM

Paulie

Ok, so a quick update -- once I looked closer and scrubbed the carbon (from the duraflames the previous owner burned) off, I was able to see some additional markings:



I had a chimney guy come look initially at the insert and chimney. He indicated there is no cap on the top (which I knew), and the mortar looks like it needs some repair above the roofline in some places, which I had not noticed looking from the ground 25' below. He also noticed the cracked fire bricks in the insert (also obviously visible):






He suggested replacing them with modern firebrick cut to the right size, but those old bricks are so cool. It seems the insert is within a masonry fireplace, and I'm guessing there is metal behind the bricks. I'm wondering if the cracked bricks are really that big of an issue when it comes to an occasional fire or in the time it would take to source something suitable for a replacement. Opinions? I lit an old egg carton up in there and it draws really well and looks beautiful:



Lastly, the previous owner broke a tile on the mantle dropping the summer cover. Anyone have an idea where I would have a prayer of sourcing one that is the same or at least something similar? EDIT: I just bought a pack of 6 on ebay salvaged from a fireplace in the midwest -- they look very similar if not identical





Tomorrow the chimney gets swept and inspected, so I'm hoping for a fairly clean bill of health. I'm going to have all the cracked/weathered mortar repaired and a cap poured and some type of metal cover installed. I'm open to recommendations on what to top the chimney with. It does appear to be a double flue and the furnace in the house is a high efficiency unit that vents through a PVC pipe, so I'm expecting to be told that there is an unused flue. There is also a second chimney that is easily accessible at the other end of the house with only a water heater vent in it, so I may have to get another solid fuel burner of some type in that one!

All in all, I'm really looking forward to my first real fire in this thing!

The fireclay bricks in the firebox of my range, after 100+ years, were loaded with cracks. But the coal in the firebed holds all the pieces in place. I used it like that 24/7 for 15 heating seasons, about 9 months each year. Finally got around to making new firebricks this past summer.

If the firebrick pieces of your insert were going to fall out, they would have whenever it was cleaned out.

Paul

Cracked firebrick are OK. Just sweep out cracks with vacuum cleaner. Scrub with old/cheap tooth brush while vacuuming. Wet crack with water in spay bottle. Apply furnace cement in crack with finger,apply pressure to get cemnet deep into crack. Let dry a couple days before lighting a fire.

The summer cover has other names depending on location/slang. It also called a Blower or Curfew. Install cover when first starting fire then remove. Helps get the fire roaring.

Chimney cap, roof, should be wider the the outside brick work. Keeps water damage to a minimum. Northline express is one place to look online. Maybe Lowes, Homedepot, or local stove shop.

What state you in?? Couple nice inserts at a good price right now.

Edit: If tiles for Ebay don't match to well. I can get you Mary's number, she make antique reproduction in square,round, and rectangle. Also fancy designer styles. Might need to order 10 or more though.

What a gorgeous fireplace. Hope you get the insert dialed in and enjoy it. I wait to hear your impressions of its performance.

The 50s house I grew up in, has a smaller fire-place, and would be a perfect candidate for a coal insert. My parents have passed, and my sister is in the house now. Not sure how well she would do working "any" supplemental heating device, never mind a coal burner.

Good luck with yours. Be nice to see pics of your "new" house. I love the character, and architectural details of turn of the century houses.