When I was in the service 30 years ago, I was station at RAF Lakenheath. Most of the homes around there were heated by open fire coal. It seemed that some of them didnt even have a.furnace of any kind. The last house i lived in before returning to the states had a fireplace large enough for me to stand in. It was a huge country home with a giant thatched roof. The house was about 700 years old. That house had been retrofitted with radiators and a boiler. It was the coldest house I lived in there.
Coal winter close to end update
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Coal is for patient people. IF you want responsive you have the wrong fuel unless you have coal with a lot of volatiles in it like Kimmel then a lot closer to wood but still hates to be played with.How often you shake and if need be poke from below to clear ash depends on how hot you run it. I have gone fairly long times but try to shake add coal every 12 hours even if only a single scoop of 5 pounds and empty ash pan every 24. It just becomes a habit. Shaking too often really does not hurt much but helps nothing either other than to make you feel better.
Yeah... It's really only recently that folk generally seem to have decided the way to keep warm in winter is to have lots of heating in all the rooms, rather that to wear lots more clothes. Sweaters are the worlds most Eco-friendly way to reduce heating needs!
My first home had no heating except for one open coal fire, that only warmed the living room, and a little electric wall heater in the bathroom. It was a mid 1700s weavers cottage. In those days (early 80s) most people already had central heating of some sort, but there were still a few old style homes like mine that still hadn't had central heating retro-fitted. I loved it... I was much younger though!
Most of the time I enjoy the comfort and convenience of central heating if and when I need to fall back on it, but it's a love hate relationship... At the risk of sounding like an old-timer, I actually sometimes miss seeing those beautiful frost patterns on the inside of bedroom windows on winter mornings!
Domestic Central heating that's fuelled by a coal boiler Has never been the norm over here. I'm always intrigued by those huge boilers in basements in American movies!
I love wood burning... but, as stove ownership and the demand for wood increases over here, I, similar to what others in this thread are experiencing, am starting to feel a little concern about how challenging sourcing decent wood can be for those of us who cannot cut our own; CSSing one's own wood is impossible for the many in the UK, unless they are moderate, 'hobby'/evening burners, so unless log sellers get their acts together and provide consistently good wood at a humane price ( average here is around £140 (approx $250) for less than a face cord) I think woodstoves may become a passing phenomenon... or at the very least remain what they already are in many cases - an expensive object d'art for the rich. I hope not.
Yeah... It's really only recently that folk generally seem to have decided the way to keep warm in winter is to have lots of heating in all the rooms, rather that to wear lots more clothes. Sweaters are the worlds most Eco-friendly way to reduce heating needs!
My first home had no heating except for one open coal fire, that only warmed the living room, and a little electric wall heater in the bathroom. It was a mid 1700s weavers cottage. In those days (early 80s) most people already had central heating of some sort, but there were still a few old style homes like mine that still hadn't had central heating retro-fitted. I loved it... I was much younger though!
Most of the time I enjoy the comfort and convenience of central heating if and when I need to fall back on it, but it's a love hate relationship... At the risk of sounding like an old-timer, I actually sometimes miss seeing those beautiful frost patterns on the inside of bedroom windows on winter mornings!
Domestic Central heating that's fuelled by a coal boiler Has never been the norm over here. I'm always intrigued by those huge boilers in basements in American movies!
I love wood burning... but, as stove ownership and the demand for wood increases over here, I, similar to what others in this thread are experiencing, am starting to feel a little concern about how challenging sourcing decent wood can be for those of us who cannot cut our own; CSSing one's own wood is impossible for the many in the UK, unless they are moderate, 'hobby'/evening burners, so unless log sellers get their acts together and provide consistently good wood at a humane price ( average here is around £140 (approx $250) for less than a face cord) I think woodstoves may become a passing phenomenon... or at the very least remain what they already are in many cases - an expensive object d'art for the rich. I hope not.
Why is wood so expensive there and how does it compare in price to other forms of heating?
I think pretty much everything is more expensive over here Tarzan! 
But with regard to wood, it's probably due to availability - we are a much smaller country and have far less harvestable woodland than the places in the US that burn wood as a matter of course.
Heating oil here in rural Scotland is about 3-4 $ per gallon. We don't have piped gas in many rural areas (including mine) which is how most UK people heat, I think.. and electric central heating in prohibitively expensive - hardly anyone has it.
So all in all - kiln-dried wood is still cheaper than oil, if you can heat your whole home from your stove, like I luckily can... but not significantly cheaper, if you can't CSS your own.
But with regard to wood, it's probably due to availability - we are a much smaller country and have far less harvestable woodland than the places in the US that burn wood as a matter of course.Heating oil here in rural Scotland is about 3-4 $ per gallon. We don't have piped gas in many rural areas (including mine) which is how most UK people heat, I think.. and electric central heating in prohibitively expensive - hardly anyone has it.
So all in all - kiln-dried wood is still cheaper than oil, if you can heat your whole home from your stove, like I luckily can... but not significantly cheaper, if you can't CSS your own.
I think the most practical heating fuel is what is readily available at the lowest cost per BTU delivered to the house. If wood that expensive it ceases to be practical. Coal is somewhat of a luxury in the USA as the mining a fraction of what was during WWII and before then so cost per ton goes up. If I was younger and in better shape with access to a woodlot wood would be cheapest by far if my time worthless. It takes a very good stove to burn at close to constant temperature for 12 hours as well so a serious investment there. Possibly one with a very large thermal mass to clip the high initial temps and give it back later as stove output falls the real answer there but expensive to build and install. The fuels I am aware of are cow dung peat bituminous coal wood anthracite coal fuel oil propane and natural gas. Kerosene is so close to fuel oil I personally just lump them together. Not all of them available everywhere so cost varies wildly for each depending on where you live. I ordered the list according to my perception of how much personal involvement vs. ease of use and upkeep of equipment to burn it. I have burned wood anthracite fuel oil and propane and the others not easily available. For me wood cheapest but most handling and planning as I need to own cut and split for 2 years to be useful and with my stove 4 to 6 hrs max. burn time Anthracite ready to use.runs 12 hrs at a constant temp but more ash and a pain to light should you get behind in tending so far nest bang for the buck. Fuel oil tend once a year and expensive. Propane more expensive and just runs and very clean burning. I can buy a stove given enough money that will probably put out enough heat for 12 hrs a load but suspect 1500 to 2000 to buy one. .and then 3 cords per year and can't burn the first one for 2 years.so for wood need 9 cords to burn 3 a year and another 2250. All in I can buy a used coal stove and between 13 to 16 tons of coal depending on how well I shop. For me that is 5 years worth of heat even with the bitter cold winter we had this year.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Wisneaky
Minister of Fire
There definitely is more ash compared to wood. I been spreading it out in my driveway. It washes away when it rains. So far I really like burning coal. It is a much more steady heat throughout the burn cycle and the best part is not having to fill it so often. I'm consistently going 24 hours before having to load it back up. I didn't buy a lot of coal yet, but when I get more for next winter I'll go to a cycle of shaking and throwing some on every 12 hours.
Like everything in life there are trades to be made for cost convenience and ease of use. I like wood in the respect if I get behind and it goes out back in business in very short order. With coal 1 to 1 1/2 hours to get back up. Cleaning out a cold coal stove is one of the most miserable tasks I have had as fly ash if not careful can make a mess if no draft to keep it in the stove. Then a solid 45 minutes to 1 hour to get it lit and settled back in. The cost is more per BTU so no advantage there. If I had a better back and lived in a place where I could easily store the amount of wood needed to burn properly. The safety aspect is another to consider coal makes zero creosote and all the talk about toxic ash is fantasy as used in building and paving products on a regular basis though would not put it in a veggie garden but a lot of everyday things don't belong their either. I would equally keep it away from wells and streams lakes etc. Not because I am sure a problem but if I don't know smarter to err on the side of cautious. So more ash potentially but unproven ash issues but no chance of a chimney fire. The other safety thing to keep in mind is most wood stoves if they lose draft the fire goes out in pretty short order at least mine did but coal will cook for hours and dump CO into the house and can kill you so a CO detector is a must and batteries changed religiously.
This is all my take after burning both and find advantages to both along with the problems I have found in both.
This is all my take after burning both and find advantages to both along with the problems I have found in both.
cheechblu
Member
I burn about 3 tons of coal in my basement furnace. Going on 2 years. Strictly anthracite. Should I be concerned with any of the black particles sometimes being tracked into my living area?
Do you mean other than he fact that they make a mess? Not really the main issue with coal comes from breathing the dust in high quantities over long periods
cheechblu
Member
The amount of dust is directly related to how much care is taken in loading it and removing ash. I installed on mine a manual pipe damper drafter regulator stove top thermometer a probe thermometer in the stack and a draft gauge between draft regulator and pipe damper. To load open manual pipe damper and ash pan door a half inch and wait for fire to build and get a strong draft around 0.05 to 0.07 with the probe temp over 500F then add half of what you need leaving exposed burning coals in one place if need be use a long poker to go through the coal bed and grates to get some air to the new coal. Wait until probe comes back over 500 add the last of what you need. When back over 500 shake the grates well with ash pan door closed. Open ash pan door to verify you can see glowing coal above the grates, if not shake more or poke from below grates just be careful probe does not go over 850 and should be around 450 on surface temp on stack.. When done set up for run mode and let sit a couple of minutes then remove ash pan if no room for one more shake down. This makes sure all ash goes up chimney and not in the place where the stove is. While it sounds long it is around 10 to 15 minutes max unless you let it go way too long and ready to lose the fire then a long battle to get it back. I am not beyond adding some kindling to help that and get the draft back but I have a very short chimney too so a bit tougher than a 2 1/2 story one. The last most important thing is never dump ashes into can indoors no matter how cold outside raining whatever just deal with it.
The trade a bit more maintenance for generally 12 hours of continuous heat with no up and down and no need to shut down to clean out and start over. I had to do a few restarts while learning but once halfway good at it one match for the entire year. I also store coal outdoors and comes washed and bagged and still between wet to damp when the bag is opened and never bring in more that what I can burn in 2 days in sheet rock buckets and all but one has a lid on it to keep it damp so less no dust from the new coal.
Hope this helps.
The trade a bit more maintenance for generally 12 hours of continuous heat with no up and down and no need to shut down to clean out and start over. I had to do a few restarts while learning but once halfway good at it one match for the entire year. I also store coal outdoors and comes washed and bagged and still between wet to damp when the bag is opened and never bring in more that what I can burn in 2 days in sheet rock buckets and all but one has a lid on it to keep it damp so less no dust from the new coal.
Hope this helps.
We had a usstove woodfurnace that was said to burn coal. A tapered firebox is a terrible design for coal. I tried it for some time and gave up. Now my father on the otherhand has a Hitzer copy with a full set of grates and it burns coal with ease (Non tapered firebox). I now have a wood only furnace, but around here I think anthracite is close to 300 a ton. If I had to buy wood, I can get it for $125 a cord. We did have soft ohio coal, but it had a high ash content and was very dirty to burn.
In SE CT wood is 225 to 250 a cord and still needs to season at least another 2 years and anthracite is 300 a ton normally if Tractor Supply has some 250 a ton. The difference for me is comfort and amount of tending. The coal goes 12 hours or more if above 20F below that 8 hours .With my small wood stove every 4 at best unless above 40F at 20 F every 3 and below that it is like I am firing a wood burning locomotive. On wood anything below 30F 68 at best below that it is long johns and a seat shirt indoors. With coal 74 to 76 24/7 so a simple choice for me. A new wood stove around 1800 and used coal 200 another simple choice for me. If there were good used wood stoves and 120 a cord for wood the choice would be very difficult.
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