Heating with coal?

[wyoming556]

I'm in the middle of remodeling an old school house and am looking at different options on heating. For primary heat I am running a propane boiler with the existing baseboard heat. I am also installing a wood stove in the basement and noticed it cold burn coal as well. I"m hoping to use the wood/coal stove as much as possible to save $ on propane which is about $2 a gallon here. Looks like coal is pretty cheap right now it got me thinking. This is usually when my wife gets scared.

Any of you guys use coal to heat your house or shop? Any advantages or disadvantages to keep in mind?

Thanks for your help.

 

[warmer]

If you do not have any duct work, distribution(or lack thereof) may be a problem. Could end up with some cold areas in the place. Coal and wood are both dirty to handle and neither burns very clean. Storage is a concern, both must be kept dry. Both must be transported, adding to the cost. You have to haul them downstairs to burn and haul the ashes up and out after they burn. Insurance companies get nervous when wood is involved, so check with them to see if the rates go up with wood.

Aside from the price, I don't see any advantage to either. My $.02.

 

[174in]

My dad heats his shop with a crushed coal burner.It is basically a pellet stove that can burn crushed coal also.He buys the coal in bags just like pellets.The coal puts off more btu's he seems to like it.The bagged coal is also washed so it isnt as dusty.

 

[sweetnectar]

Coal burns hotter than wood so you need a stove that can handle the heat. You might look at a stove that forces air into the burn and really get some heat.

 

[wyoming556]

Thanks for the responses so far. Let me clarify on the stove. It is designed for wood and coal. It has a couple of 550 cfm blowers to distribute the heat through duct from the basement to the 4 main rooms in the house as warmer suggested to avoid cold spots. It also has a draft induction kit available for buring coal like sweetnectar recommended. Vogelzang norseman 2500 is the model.

http://www.vogelzang.com/browse.cfm/noresman-add-on-furnace/4,12.html

My insurance company, Farm Bureau, adds just over $100 a year to my premiums to have a wood stove in the house.

174"-I think the coal your father uses may be anthricite out of PA. When researching I ran across the bagged product like what you are talking about. I did find some of it for sale in Casper but it is quite expensive compared to buying local coal by the ton. I've heard ferriers use it becsue it burns so hot.

I understand that both wood and coal are messy. Coal seems a little messier but the wood also has bugs so I'm not sure which one my wife would dislike more. I think I was looking at the benefit of having pretty good coal to burn fairly close by in Wyoming and buying it versus spending large amounts of time cutting firewood. The firewood is cheap but the saw, gas, blades, sharpening, etc.. along with the labor and time involved to cut and transport firewood seemed to increase the real cost to a point whre I would concider going and getting a load of coal to burn instead. That get me to the next question for those that use coal. How do you store it? I was thinking of having a dedicated coal trailer to use might work. maybe put some sides on it and a removeable roof to keep on most of the time while it sits at my house and then take the roof of when I go pick up a load.

Anybody know where you can buy coal by the ton in Wyoming?

 

[gundog]

Burning coal is different from burning wood so do a little research before you start.

 

[wyoming556]

Burning coal is different from burning wood so do a little research before you start.

That is exactly what I have been doing as that was the purpose of the post to find out directly from those who have used coal to heat with. From your experience what makes them different? What type of coal did you use?

 

[gundog]

With coal you need a fairly fine shaker grate. The openings on most wood grates are too large and the coal falls through. Unlike wood, coal needs to have a good flow of air coming in underneath the bed to burn efficiently. The depth of the coal bed is also important...about 15 inches worked best for me.

 

[1_pointer]

My father heated his house with coal for years as he worked at a mine and got it for free. One thing to let you're wife know is that the first few times you use it there will be lots of dust in the house, at least it was in his. That and it smells much different than wood. If you can get it for a good price, I'd say go for it.

 

[Deleted member 18333]

As you are in Chadron, I assume you will be getting you coal supply from the PRB. This is a much lower qulaity coal than other sources, 8800 BTU or less in some cases. Many of the employees at these mines use coal since some of the mines will give it to employees free of charge. Most use trailers to haul and store the coal. You will want covered storage. Keep it from getting wet. Water introduced to the coal promotes spontaneous combustion. PRB coal is more prone to spon com than other sources. Look for sources that can supply large chunks rather than fines. This will make handling easier. Wolf Mountain coal out fo Sherdian can supply many products and help answer many of your questions. I cna tell you from years of dealing with coal fires you will get tired of the smell. It is not as pleasant as a wood fire smell. good luck. Hope this helps.

 

[steamfitter]

I thought about using coal also i burn wood now but my father in law in PA uses it and he has a self feeding one like pellet stove and it puts some heat out i believe the brand is harmon only thing is where to get coal around missoula,mt.