Time to purchase my first coal boiler..... but have some questions.
I hear all the time that a ton of coal equals x amount of propane or oil. Yet, if my propane or oil boiler is 97% efficient and my stoker is 67% efficient coal is not as affordable as portrayed. Obviously these numbers are fictitious, but you get the idea. There is a lot more to these boilers than how the auger or the grate works. We need some real ratings on efficiency.
- windyhill4.2
- Member
- Posts: 6072
- Joined: Fri. Nov. 22, 2013 2:17 pm
- Location: Jonestown,Pa.17038
- Stoker Coal Boiler: 1960 EFM520 installed in truck box
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Crane 404 with variable blower
- Coal Size/Type: 404-nut, 520 rice ,anthracite for both
I don't even know the efficiency rating on my EFM520.....but while thinking about that fact..... i decided that i really don't care in the least... It has done a terrific job of heating 2 houses & my repair shop....almost 4 winters & shortly will be 4 winters of heating with coal.... I really don't care about the efficiency rating of an oil/propain/ng unit.... i wouldn't use 1 of them anyway...
Efficiency ratings are overrated ,as there are too many variables for any rating to be consistent.
Efficiency ratings are overrated ,as there are too many variables for any rating to be consistent.
- windyhill4.2
- Member
- Posts: 6072
- Joined: Fri. Nov. 22, 2013 2:17 pm
- Location: Jonestown,Pa.17038
- Stoker Coal Boiler: 1960 EFM520 installed in truck box
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Crane 404 with variable blower
- Coal Size/Type: 404-nut, 520 rice ,anthracite for both
- Rob R.
- Site Moderator
- Posts: 18009
- Joined: Fri. Dec. 28, 2007 4:26 pm
- Location: Chazy, NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: EFM 520
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: Chubby Jr
I have installed EFM's in two houses that were previously heated with Weil McLain oil boilers, with AFLU ratings of 82-85%. Both houses worked out very close to 180 gallons of heating oil to 1 ton of coal, and that includes the houses being a few degrees warmer on coal. Call it 80% for the coal units.wood2Coal wrote: ↑Wed. Feb. 28, 2018 9:45 pmI hear all the time that a ton of coal equals x amount of propane or oil. Yet, if my propane or oil boiler is 97% efficient and my stoker is 67% efficient coal is not as affordable as portrayed. Obviously these numbers are fictitious, but you get the idea. There is a lot more to these boilers than how the auger or the grate works. We need some real ratings on efficiency.
I've attached a spreadsheet I put together almost 10 years ago when I first got into stokers. I think you will find that even if you are optimistic on the efficiency of your propane unit, and conservative on the coal unit, that the savings is impressive.