Since this is the most eclectic and vastly experienced group I know, I thought I'd ask. Our new house was advertised with a coal and wood burning stove. The brand is a Surdiac, a belgian/european stove that was really popular 20 or so years ago. From what I have gleaned from the internet, you start it with wood and then burn coal. I have not had much help talking with local stores, both woodburning and hardware. The flipping basement is full of boxes, so I have time to figure this out--or replace it!
Anyone?
Thanks,
Doc
In reply to thedoc :
I would go to "hearth.com" for your answer.
Had a coal stove in my room when I lived in Germany. Pretty much what you described: kindling -> wood -> coal.
Not familiar with that brand, but if it was anything like mine, it didn't take much coal. The goal was not to have a roaring fire that heats you directly. Rather, the stove had a lot of thermal mass, and the coal heated up the brick and ceramic of the stove which then stayed hot for a long time. So you throw in one or two lumps of coal before going to bed.
Coal stoves were common in Germany, and you could buy heating coal at the grocery store. I haven't seen that in the U.S. Heating coal is NOT the same as grill charcoal.
Everything I know about this topic I read online, so 1) you can read it all too, and 2) continue seeking more knowledge.
Opinions vary, but I would use a coal stove only if I had access to anthracite ("hard") coal, which is mined only in Northeast PA (NEPA). Anthracite coal is more energy dense and burns cleaner and hotter than the typical soft coal that power plants use. I recommend you check to see if anthracite coal is available in your area.
Another thing to know about coal stoves is that to work properly the fire must be kept going and they must be fed at very regular intervals. Does your stove have an automatic feeder or can you or others in the house feed the stove when needed?
Financially, heating with hard coal usually works out pretty well compared to other heat sources if you are close enough to NEPA.
Uncle David (Forum Supporter) said:
Everything I know about this topic I read online, so 1) you can read it all too, and 2) continue seeking more knowledge.
Opinions vary, but I would use a coal stove only if I had access to anthracite ("hard") coal, which is mined only in Northeast PA (NEPA). Anthracite coal is more energy dense and burns cleaner and hotter than the typical soft coal that power plants use. I recommend you check to see if anthracite coal is available in your area.
Another thing to know about coal stoves is that to work properly the fire must be kept going and they must be fed at very regular intervals. Does your stove have an automatic feeder or can you or others in the house feed the stove when needed?
Financially, heating with hard coal usually works out pretty well compared to other heat sources if you are close enough to NEPA.
I tried anthracite coal one winter. You need a huge amount of heat to get it going and it was a massive pain in the ass. I very much recommend you try it before switching over to it because I would much rather find some bituminous coal but it doesn't seem available easily here
In reply to Antihero :
Because what is mined is all sold to foreign lands for power plants.
My grandparents had a coal furnace when I was growing up. All I remember was black soot.... everywhere. Grandma was badly crippled and couldn't really clean much, but I imagine even if she could clean, she would have never been able to keep up with it.
They reupholstered all of their furniture with vinyl and installed hardwood floors so it was easier to clean, but it was a bit of a battle. When we would go to visit, my mom would put some Spic n Span and water in a bucket and go wipe down all the furniture before my sister and I could sit because otherwise we'd get black stuff all over our clothes. I remember when they died, Dad brought their old oak dining table home for us to use. When he took the top off to re-finish it, the tops of the legs and frame were completely coated in black dust.
I'm sure that stove was from the 20s, and technology is cleaner now, but I'm just suggesting that it might be something you encounter.
I'd check to see if there are replacement parts available for this stove. Grates, shaker gear, refractory brick, ash pan etc.
I've replaced fire brick in my grandparents 30's era coal stove with generic brick cut to fit and furnace cemented. Recently replaced the CI grate in Dad's 20 year old wood burner, still available but not the same quality as the original.
I'd rather burn wood than coal, wood is easier on the grates and firebox than coal. As a kid I've hauled truckloads of coal from the coal yard and shoveled it into the coal bin. I wouldn't know where to find coal anymore in SW PA. Haven't seen it or smelled it burning in many years.
Ranger50 said:
In reply to Antihero :
Because what is mined is all sold to foreign lands for power plants.
I could see it but anthracite is hard to start like.....MAPP torches won't start it
Antihero said:
Ranger50 said:
In reply to Antihero :
Because what is mined is all sold to foreign lands for power plants.
I could see it but anthracite is hard to start like.....MAPP torches won't start it
I'm talking bitumentious coal. Anthracite coal is better suited to making coke for steel production.
Thanks for all the input gents. I will post something when I have some experience with this thing. I'm trying to find out if I can burn bio bricks in it. Will let you know, thanks again.
I burned a wood stove in my basement for about 10 years, as the foundation is 2 ft thick, it's nice once it's warm. The heat rises and the ash and dust stays in the basement. I put 1.5 - 2 cord down there, if I made it to the week between Christmas and New Year without reloading, it was a good year.
Coal. It took me a while to figure it out, they take much less air than a wood stove and I had a hard time getting it going. I buy 4 tons of coal a year, comes in 40 lb. bags. Cost is the same as 4 cord of wood. I put all four in the basement with what may be left from the year before. I started this year with about 8 pallets. It doesn't rot, doesn't attract critters and can burn a tad wet. I buy Anthracite, it's $10/pallet more, but so much less dusty and just cleaner.
I run two fans, one above and behind the stove to push warm air out (there's a squirrel cage fan in the back of the stove) and another to blow it the 70 down to the kitchen floor.
Once going, I shake down the ashes before going to bed, then in the morning I shake it down and remove the ashes. It goes into an ash can, cools for 24 hours and the next morning it goes into a tall kitchen bag and into the trash. Depending on weather, I burn about 4 bags a day.
Chimney is square block with a 6" tile flue, no creosote or brushing the inside.
I have a Hitzer 30-95 stove, plenty of heat for a 3,000ft house. It's not plumbed into the furnace system, but when the floors are warm you don't notice the air temp. You DO notice a difference plopping down onto a leather couch with & without the stove on.
Got any questions please feel free to reach out to me.
Dan
