Coal useage per heating season

 
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Idlorah
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Location: New Ringgold, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Allen 700 stoker
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Coal Size/Type: Buck in the Allen and anything goes in the MCC, Anthracite
Other Heating: None, maybe some wood in the MCC in the shoulder season

Post by Idlorah » Wed. Jan. 12, 2022 7:54 pm

This is my second season using coal, I was curious on how much others are burning vs myself. I have an Allen stoker boiler single pipe steam system with cast iron rads. Heating about 3500 sq ft early 1900s farm house with no insulation as far as i know and single pane windows from the 40s or 50s single zone set @ 70 deg , I fired it up in the end of october since then i have gone through about 6.5 ton as of today. Is the out of the ordinary?


 
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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Wed. Jan. 12, 2022 7:59 pm

I don't think that is unreasonable for a large uninsulated house.

For comparison I am heating a house about the same vintage and size that has been fully insulated with modern windows, and have used about 3.5 tons since Halloween.

 
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nepacoal
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Post by nepacoal » Wed. Jan. 12, 2022 8:16 pm

We average about 5.5 tons heating a 1600 SQ ft cape cod in NEPA. House has decent windows, no insulation in the brick/plaster walls and 12" of fiberglass in the attic. Current thermostat setting of 72 uses between 1.55 and 1.65 lbs per HDD, depending on the wind.

 
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Lightning
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Post by Lightning » Wed. Jan. 12, 2022 8:44 pm

Rob R. wrote:
Wed. Jan. 12, 2022 7:59 pm
I don't think that is unreasonable for a large uninsulated house.
But Rob, you live near the Arctic Circle.. our poster lives in the tropics :lol:

 
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Idlorah
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Location: New Ringgold, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Allen 700 stoker
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Gibralter MCC
Coal Size/Type: Buck in the Allen and anything goes in the MCC, Anthracite
Other Heating: None, maybe some wood in the MCC in the shoulder season

Post by Idlorah » Wed. Jan. 12, 2022 8:47 pm

Rob R. wrote:
Wed. Jan. 12, 2022 7:59 pm
I don't think that is unreasonable for a large uninsulated house.

For comparison I am heating a house about the same vintage and size that has been fully insulated with modern windows, and have used about 3.5 tons since Halloween.
Thanks, makes me feel a bit better about it now. I think I used about 8 ton last year. I also have no baro on the stoker i wonder if that would help me?

 
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Lightning
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Post by Lightning » Wed. Jan. 12, 2022 8:50 pm

Idlorah wrote:
Wed. Jan. 12, 2022 8:47 pm
I think I used about 8 ton last year
Did you only run it til the end of February?

 
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Idlorah
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Posts: 520
Joined: Wed. Nov. 18, 2020 6:31 pm
Location: New Ringgold, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Allen 700 stoker
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Gibralter MCC
Coal Size/Type: Buck in the Allen and anything goes in the MCC, Anthracite
Other Heating: None, maybe some wood in the MCC in the shoulder season

Post by Idlorah » Wed. Jan. 12, 2022 8:59 pm

Lightning wrote:
Wed. Jan. 12, 2022 8:50 pm
Did you only run it til the end of February?
No I ran it till may? or April? maybe i used more like 10 ton last year, I wasn't keeping track to well last year I was just making sure I had coal :lol:


 
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Idlorah
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Joined: Wed. Nov. 18, 2020 6:31 pm
Location: New Ringgold, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Allen 700 stoker
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Gibralter MCC
Coal Size/Type: Buck in the Allen and anything goes in the MCC, Anthracite
Other Heating: None, maybe some wood in the MCC in the shoulder season

Post by Idlorah » Wed. Jan. 12, 2022 9:01 pm

I know I got two 4 ton loads from Direnzos last year, that was after i got maybe 2-3 ton from another supplier that was trash. also had about a half full bin when I moved it. I didn't account for that. My bin might be 10'x10'

 
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Idlorah
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Joined: Wed. Nov. 18, 2020 6:31 pm
Location: New Ringgold, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Allen 700 stoker
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Gibralter MCC
Coal Size/Type: Buck in the Allen and anything goes in the MCC, Anthracite
Other Heating: None, maybe some wood in the MCC in the shoulder season

Post by Idlorah » Wed. Jan. 12, 2022 9:02 pm

So I guess a better estimate would be around 12T?

 
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Lightning
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Post by Lightning » Wed. Jan. 12, 2022 9:09 pm

If you've used 6.5 already you'll be heading towards 14 by the end of the season.. we're still a couple weeks away from dead center of heating season.

 
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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Wed. Jan. 12, 2022 9:14 pm

Lightning wrote:
Wed. Jan. 12, 2022 8:44 pm
But Rob, you live near the Arctic Circle.. our poster lives in the tropics :lol:
Fair point. Yesterday averaged -5. :lol:

I have done a LOT of work on this house to get it to heat the way it does. Foamed every crack, wire penetration, new windows, Spray foam in parts of it, etc.

 
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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Wed. Jan. 12, 2022 9:15 pm

No baro certainly won’t help. I would install one.

 
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Idlorah
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Posts: 520
Joined: Wed. Nov. 18, 2020 6:31 pm
Location: New Ringgold, PA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Allen 700 stoker
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Gibralter MCC
Coal Size/Type: Buck in the Allen and anything goes in the MCC, Anthracite
Other Heating: None, maybe some wood in the MCC in the shoulder season

Post by Idlorah » Wed. Jan. 12, 2022 9:18 pm

Cant disagree with you lightning, My wallet isn't going to be happy about that.....especially with the prices this year. Still better then oil though. I did get my hands on a hand fired Gibraltar MCC to help my stoker on the really cold days this year.

 
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Post by LTStorm07 » Wed. Jan. 12, 2022 9:24 pm

Old house used about 6 ton per season with 1950s 2000sqft cape cod. About the same insulation as when built, but upgraded windows.

Working on my first full season with coal in new house which is 5 miles from old house. Built 2002, 3200 sqft without counting full basement and attached insulated garage which are both heated (basement is radiant heat from boiler). Based on a lot of math from last year heating costs, without heating the basement or garage, I used right around 128 million BTUs @68 degrees so about 6.5 tons give or take. I'd done a lot of insulation improvements since last spring and keep it at 72 now so we'll see. Basement is around 71ish, 1600 sqft, and the garage I heat to 50 which is 30x35.

Had to keep redoing my math...
Last edited by LTStorm07 on Wed. Jan. 12, 2022 9:33 pm, edited 4 times in total.

 
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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Wed. Jan. 12, 2022 9:26 pm

Idlorah wrote:
Wed. Jan. 12, 2022 9:18 pm
Cant disagree with you lightning, My wallet isn't going to be happy about that.....especially with the prices this year. Still better then oil though. I did get my hands on a hand fired Gibraltar MCC to help my stoker on the really cold days this year.
That is a nice stove, will definitely help keep you warm.

Have you done any work to seal the air leaks into the attic?


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