Anyone know anything about wood / coal combo stoves?

[Wet1]

I've been thinking about adding a wood and coal combo stove in the basement. The house was built in 1935 and has a hearth built into part of the finished basement where it looks like a stove of some type was once installed. I know I'll need to install a liner in the flue, but I'm starting to give some thought to what type of stove I might want to install down there. The basement and first floor are each around 925+ sq feet and the purpose of placing the stove down there is to mostly provide heat to the first floor (where I also have a pellet stove) as well as provide some heat to the basement. I know none of the heat will make it up to the 2nd or 3rd floors, so I'm not really worried about that.

I like the idea and versatility of being able to burn both wood and coal. Wood is likely to be my primary fuel (if I do this) as I can frequently get wood for free (other than my labor), but I've heard coal is both cheap and burns hot. A combo stove makes a lot of sense, but I know nothing about them. Are these stoves mostly a gimmick, or are they truly functional? Pros and cons? The few combo stoves I've seen over the years (and I didn't pay much attention to them), looked like they were very small and wouldn't take any size-able wood... which didn't seem very functional to me if one truly wanted to burn wood.

Anyway, please let me know what you know about these combo stoves. Hell, even a list of manufactures who make them would be a good start.

Thanks!

 

[Rich L]

Check out the Baker wood/coal stoves out of PA.

 

[begreen]

Calling Corie to the front desk!

You might also want to look at Hitzers while waiting.

(broken link removed to http://www.hitzer.com/heaters.html)

The main difference as I understand it is in the grates (much more heavy duty for coal) and how the air is fed to the fire. To burn both fuels the stove would need air fed below the grates for coal burning and above the grates for wood burning. Corie can give a much better hands on description.

 

[Wet1]

Thanks guys.

I've sent Corie an email about these stoves.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

Thanks guys.

I've sent Corie an email about these stoves.

he may be a while answering that e mail , but dont get upset , the lad is off getting married.

he is a lucky guy too corie (female type) is an abslolute sweetheart! cute as a button as well.

 

[savageactor7]

I thought Berlin was the resident coal expert here?

 

[stoveguy2esw]

I thought Berlin was the resident coal expert here?

yeah , berlin is good, corie knows a lot about burning black rocks too.

 

[savageactor7]

OK thanks for the heads up stoveguy.