Coalpail.com Forum

The data available for primary home heating by fuel varies widely, so I made some ballpark guesses.

49% Natural Gas (and falling)
34% electricity (and rising, due to heat pumps)
8% oil (and falling)
6% propane (and falling)
2% wood (and rising)
1% other or none (and rising)

Hmmmm, does this mean we all have to get Harley choppers now that we are 1%ers?

coaledsweat wrote:Hmmmm, does this mean we all have to get Harley choppers now that we are 1%ers?

Actually something less than 1%. Some US homes have no heat. Others use biofuel, waste oil, passive or active solar, , etc...

0.5% perhaps?

Out of ~125 million homes that would be about 62,500 'primary' heating with coal.

I wonder what the anthracite, bituminous, lignite, etc.. split is among these 62,500 homes?

I'm betting most of those homes are in PA and on anthracite.

Not sure about NG falling; prices have been declining due to fracking.

I think kerosene is measurable, and bigger than wood. A lot of info at EIA.

Mike

Pacowy wrote:Not sure about NG falling; prices have been declining due to fracking.

I think kerosene is measurable, and bigger than wood. A lot of info at EIA.

Mike

Per the EIA, in fact NG for home heating use is on the decline. Perhaps the data is a bit aged though.

8% for Oil is the sum total of all of the distillate levels utilized.

I wonder where wood pellets fit into that. They are pretty popular.

Lightning wrote:I wonder where wood pellets fit into that. They are pretty popular.

They are most likely part of "wood".

2% is for primary heating, not supplemental.

Propane seems to be taking a fair amount of the heating oil market in my area. When it comes time for people to replace an old oil boiler, the tank is often due for replacement as well...and the chimney might need a liner. In many cases it is easier to repipe and just direct vent a new gas boiler.

Rob R. wrote:Propane seems to be taking a fair amount of the heating oil market in my area. When it comes time for people to replace an old oil boiler, the tank is often due for replacement as well...and the chimney might need a liner. In many cases it is easier to repipe and just direct vent a new gas boiler.

There are also a couple condensing oil boilers out there which can be direct vented.

Good luck finding an installer that has even heard about them.

Rob R. wrote:Good luck finding an installer that has even heard about them.

Not surprising. When I moved here 25 years ago I couldn't find any heating contractors who knew about installing radiant heat floor systems, much less had ever done one. Even though radiant heat floors were built in the thousands downstate starting after WWII. I had to get in touch with the Hydronics Institute in NJ and they helped me design the one I built in my shop.

Some technology just doesn't travel as fast as we might think.

Paul

The genius govt morons in England mandated condensing units for the North of England. A bad winter in 2012 had them all freezing - hilarious. Politicians lost their jobs over that one. I am from the govt and here to help you.

CN says, nothing beats a big honkin' coal stove (or two or three) and a gigantic pile of black rocks. When designing heating systems remember CN, also say, overkill is good but more overkill is better.

coalnewbie wrote: When designing heating systems remember CN, also say, overkill is good but more overkill is better.

Newb, yer scaring me, I have to say, I agree with you

Newb, yer scaring me, I have to say, I agree with you