# Can you burn wood in a coal stove?



## Forest-Rune (Oct 31, 2008)

Hi,

I haven't searched the forum for this question yet, but i thought i'd ask it anyway.

My Dad recently offered me a coal stove, free of charge.  I have not checked it out yet, so i don't know the make, model, or manufacturer.  But, in general,  can you use wood in a coal stove?  I figure the stove doesn't care what it is burning, as long as it can handle to heat. 

What do you think?  I have easy access to lots of cord wood.


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## billb3 (Oct 31, 2008)

I've done it with a very small top loader.
Cringe: all pine , too.
Because of the air grate, I think it burned wood much too fast.
Probably my crappy stove, the splits went in vertical and burned from the bottom up.
IIRC, I had to reload every two hours or re-light. Very smalll fire box.


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## berlin (Oct 31, 2008)

if it's somewhat air-tight, yes wood will burn fine, however due to smaller fireboxes you will often have to use smaller length logs and/or reload much more often. coal is a much denser fuel and does not require as much volume to produce the desired amount of heat. have you looked into burning coal in your coalstove?


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## Forest-Rune (Oct 31, 2008)

yes.... coal would be fine... there is a coal yard a few towns over.  i just didn't want to be confined to just one type of fuel.  Especially in a serious economical crisis, i wouldn't want my supplemental heat source bound to market issues.  I can always pick wood up off the ground, or season a tree from last year.  I can't dig a coal mine


I have heard that some people mix coal and wood...  the wood gets the heat going and the coal holds the heat

how much coal would a small (800 sq foot) house need to heat it for a winter in Pennsylvania.  It get friggin cold here, but its by no means North Dakota or Alaska.

1 ton?  2 tons?

thanks!


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## Adios Pantalones (Oct 31, 2008)

A ton of coal has a bit less energy to a cord of wood, IIRC.  A small house like that might use 2-3 ton of coal if insulated reasonably I would guess.


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## ansehnlich1 (Oct 31, 2008)

You can burn wood in a coal stove, but it ain't the best, unless it's designed to do so.

What kind of coal stove you got anyway?

I burned a Baker coal stove and my house was, I think 1100 sq. ft. and I used 3 ton of coal in a winter.....live in South Pa. near Gettysburg.

If you got the wood, and you get some coal, I say go for it and burn 'em both.....hey, heat is heat. 

Just make sure you have a safe chimney connection and keep your chimney inspected and clean of creosote.


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## wellbuilt home (Oct 31, 2008)

My friend had a VC vigilant and burned both coal & wood . He used wood in the day time and coal for over night . He had to cut chunks to really fill the stove .


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