Anthracite availability in Northern KY

[Joshpitdog]

I havent posted in a while, good to see the forum is still very active. I have moved my family to northern Kentucky. I am renting now but hope to have purchased our forever property by next fall, most likely will be in south/eastern KY. I have lived most my life with a wood burning stove and I am hating this heat pump in our rental. Needless to say our next house will have a solid fuel stove (we plan on building our forever home).

My question to the forum......Is it 'worth' getting a coal stove? I know Kentucky coal is bit, and I know the advantages of anthracite compared to wood. A quick google search shows very little in the way of local anthracite suppliers in Kentucky, and I dont want to go the hardware store small bag route. So is it worth getting it delivered or shipped from PA? Or does anybody know of a supplier closer? Once again Ill go wood if it makes more sense, but I was really hoping to make the switch to coal, but have been disappointed with the lack of retail anthracite close to me.

As a bit more info, my main priorities are cost and availability. This will also be our primary heat. I have no desire to go anything electric for heat. About the only thing that would push me off a solid fuel burner would be if I found property with a natural gas well in operation with 'free gas'. I dont have a problem with the extra work typically involved with wood, but if I can get the same btu/$ for coal or even if it was a bit more, to me it would be worth it to get the advantages of coal.

Thanks

 

[begreen]

Check local pricing on coal and then compare with wood if purchasing. If you're basically getting the wood for free in exchange for your labor, then wood makes sense, particularly if a prime entertainment will be watching the evening fire.

Also, the home size and layout may dictate what works best. Some home designs heat well with a central stove and other designs work better with a ducted design like a furnace.

If there is a basement, maybe a hybrid approach will be attractive with a coal stove there for baseload heat and a wood stove for very cold days and ambient fires.

 

[Joshpitdog]

Yeah, I was thinking a possible hybrid approach. House plans are very open layout 2800 sq ft, no basement two story with second story being a 3/4 open loft. Wife wants a cookstove. I know the cookstove wont be enough on its own so Im thinking cookstove (coal or wood) with a centrally located stand alone stove. We are incorporating design elements to facilitate solid fuel heat for sur

If i get the type of property that I want then the decision will essentially be made for me and Ill burn wood.

 

[begreen]

The steady, longer burn with coal could be nice with a cook stove. I have only had a wood cook stove, but I can see the advantage of the steady heat source that a coal bed can provide. That said, there are some nice modern cookstoves out there that have improved on their fireboxes for longer burntimes.

 

[Joshpitdog]

Exactly.....which brings me back to my original dilemma. Is it worth bringing in coal if I cant find it locally?

 

[begreen]

Exactly.....which brings me back to my original dilemma. Is it worth bringing in coal if I cant find it locally?

Nope. It's worth considering if cheap and available, but not worth it if it's a stretch.