Lump of coal for Xmas

[Austin1]

Well it's been colder than normal for this time of year, my wood pile is set up with the Poplar to be used first as it normally is not this cold. Poplar leaves double the ash as compared to Pine and Spruce too, got tired of cleaning out the ashes.
Then I remembered some lumps of coal I have I picked up from a abandoned coal mine wile Elk hunting a few years ago, stuffed them in my liver bag and brought them back they are fist sized I also remember reading something about you need a grate to burn coal so air can get up under it so I through a old fire place grate I had in the stove built a fire (my stove is rated for coal) also put the coal in went to bed woke up and the house was 74f 4 hours later was 67 when I went to bed with a small fire going and some poplar coals to get the real coal going or I hope it would go never Burt coal before.
Well the coal worked and really put's out heat only about 6 fist sized lumps.
The stove would have had to be right stuffed with wood to last that long as it was -25 outside.
Might have to buy a pick axe:monkey:
Coal is not a easily available fuel source so it's something I wont be doing often but has me thinking.
Anyone burn coal once in a wile?

 

[Basso]

Hello,
When I was a little boy, we had a coal furnace in the basement. That was how we heated the whole house and our only heat !!! The good old days !!!!

Basso

 

[Austin1]

Hello,
When I was a little boy, we had a coal furnace in the basement. That was how we heated the whole house and our only heat !!! The good old days !!!!

Basso

Just wondering how much coal to heat a house for a year?

 

[Mike Van]

This site http://nepacrossroads.com/ can answer just about any coal question.

 

[1savagehunter]

4 tons

Austin - I'm up here in Spruce Grove alberta - used to burn coal here until they banned it:censored: :censored: :censored: :censored: - don't get me started :censored: :censored:

Anyway ... 4 tons/yr. - fastest cords of wood I ever cut and split lol

I just pulled in under the hopper and pulled the string.

Any more questions PM me and I'll be more than glad to fill you in on ALL the in's and out's.

 

[Austin1]

This site http://nepacrossroads.com/ can answer just about any coal question.

Thanks for the link! lot's of info on coal burning. Next time I try it I will have to go outside to smell it burning lol.

 

[Austin1]

Austin - I'm up here in Spruce Grove alberta - used to burn coal here until they banned it:censored: :censored: :censored: :censored: - don't get me started :censored: :censored:

Anyway ... 4 tons/yr. - fastest cords of wood I ever cut and split lol

I just pulled in under the hopper and pulled the string.

Any more questions PM me and I'll be more than glad to fill you in on ALL the in's and out's.

Ah that answers why I don't know of anyone burning coal.
Funny though most of are electricity is from coal fired plant's
Now I did it got ya started lol.

 

[dingeryote]

Gents, I know y'all are in Canada, but gotta ask why Coal burning was banned up that way.

It isn't like everybody lives in a big city on the border with Nat.Gas piped in, and you guys have coal out the ying yang.

I don't get it.

Thanks!
Dingeryote

 

[1savagehunter]

Well get this ... I go ask for a coal burning permit. I get the permit and install a coal burning EFEL stove. (Best coal burning stove I've ever seen) Spend $2100 to buy my stove and happly burned it for 4 yrs. until the STUPID city counsel decided 4 yrs. later that the city was going to ban the coal burning d/t ??? polution. I went to my 8 closest neighbours and had them all willingly sign a patition to let me grandfather my stove. NOPE ... you burn it we fine you. YES ... SPRUCE GROVE ALBERTA has the stupidest city counsel you have ever seen.:monkey: :monkey: :monkey: :monkey: :monkey:
I sold my stove for $1800 dollars and bought a Blaze King wood stove. I'm happy with it for sure but still am as mad as the day it happened. My suggestion to anyone on a farm or rural that has a supply of coal burn away but if close to where the stupid city people live then burn wood ... I've heard rumours that may be challenged to but as there is ALOT more wood burners I'd bet there will be more of a fight.

 

[laynes69]

What type of coal did you burn? I know bitoumous coal has a bad rep for being smokey and dirty. A good coal stove will burn up most of the coal gas in the firebox. I am trying to get dad to go to anthracite. I tried to tell him, no odor, no smoke. He has never burned it. I think he will go to coal and do away with wood once he burns it. He can't cut wood anymore, and the coal supplier is a few miles away.

 

[LEES WOODC]

Funny you mention coal. I mix with wood and ran out 2 years ago. I too noticed my wood pile going down fast and today decided to go get 2 ton. 2 hours ago I threw in a couple chunks of beech and a small shovel of coal and now it's 76 in here. Damn I love coal.

 

[Scootermsp]

Surdiac

Growing up we had a Surdiac (bought out by Jotul years ago) that burned anthacite pea coal. We got our tons delivered in 50# bags. I remember having to shake down the stove when I got home from school every day. I remember having to open the windows in January due to the heat that sucker put out. It was installed in my basement family room. A couple times when it was -20F my whole family camped out down there for the night....Nice memories !!!

 

[jgoodhart]

I liked burning coal in my OWB in the winter time. Put a couple pieces of wood on the sides and 3 scoops of coal in the middle in the evening and in the morning shake it a little throw in another scoop. Then in the evening shake it down good and start over. Then coal got too expensive

 

[berry5]

i live in the coal belt, we heat one green house with coal. 250.00 a ton here if you can buy it all of it is going to china i guess china owns virginia. drove to kentucky monday got coal their for 80.00 a ton i felt like i stole it

 

[Zodiac45]

I've been using some (stove coal) large fist sized lumps in my old Glenwood C cookstove too extend the burn time at night. I've bought a couple of Reading 40lb bags from a local stove dealer too give it a go. It works fairly well but would be quite a bit better if I had the proper grates for the stove. I actually "converted" the stove from coal too wood back when I originally hooked it up in my house. (I found the stove in pieces in my barn). I wish now that I had left the coal grates as it will burn both wood or coal when set up for coal where as it's much better at wood with the wood grate setup. The differance is in the "shaker" grates (and firebrick liner versus steel) that has a push/pull lever that sifts the rather fine ash down into the ash pan. Now I have too give it a good stir too keep the airflow at a reasonable rate if I use much coal. I've been looking around for the coal grate setup at a few "stove doctor" shops that specialise in old cookstoves. The only downside is that the firebox is a bit smaller (for wood) with the coal setup, but thats offset by the longer burn times using coal.

 

[BIG BEAM]

I burn coal as my main source of heat(furnace in cellar connected to duct work).I have a 1838 sieve with single pane windows and little insulation.I go through 7 or 8 tons of anthracite coal per year and a little wood 3 or 4 cords.We keep the whole house at 74*-78*.I'm in upstate N.Y.
DON