Coal stove suggestions

[rich16liz]

Looking at coal stoves to heat the home this year. Have had a Englander Pellet Stove and liked the convenience of it.. but not to impressed with the heat output. Like the increased BTU's from coal for the cheaper per ton of coal as compared to Pellets. Looking at Coal Stoves and leaning towards the Harman DVC-500 or the Alaska Kast Console II hearth model.... each puts out the same heat within 10k BTU.

Has anyone used either of these stoves and your experience with them? Would you recommend 1 over the other?

Thanks in adavance from a forum Newbie!

 

[pelletheat]

If you don't get a quick response to your question, you may have better luck posting over on the coal burners forum.

http://www.nepadigital.com/bb/index.php

 

[begreen]

Calling Corey to the lobby, coal question here.

 

[FireJumper]

If you're looking for coal and want to go the Harman and have a chimney to use I would check out the Magnum Stoker.. 85,000 BTU unit and is much more simplified than the DVC-500. It's also a cheaper unit..

 

[Corie]

Either of those coal stoves you named are quality units. I have to say I think the Alaska stove is hideous, but that's my opinion and not yours. Have you looked at the Keystoker and Leisure line stoves? They are also very well made good quality heating units. Of all of them though, I'll agree that the Harman DVC-500 and Magnum stoker are both excellent choices. I've seen the DVC numerous times in operation and its quite quiet, pours of tons of heat and overall just looks nice.

 

[thephotohound]

How much is coal in Long Island. Up here it's $220+ per ton... no better than pellets. It looks like the closer you get to coal country, the better the prices get...

 

[Corie]

There are a bit more BTU's in a ton of coal though, in relationship to a ton of pellets. Down near coal country, coal is still $150 a ton, cheaper if you pick up at the mine.

 

[chevyhd]

Go with the Harman magnum stoker. My dad uses one (central PA) and his furnace only comes on for an hour or two in the morning when it gets below zero outside. Really cranks out the heat and so far problem free.

 

[thephotohound]

For my own info, do coal stoves require class A chimneys like wood stoves?

 

[FireJumper]

Yes I would say most of them do.. However the DVC-500 is a direct vent unit that requires Harmans special pipe that they make at the factory for installation.

 

[rich16liz]

Leaning towards the DVC-500 mainly for ease of use. My teenage kids had no problems loading and cleaning the pellet stove and hopefully the DVC-500 won't be much more difficult. Coal in bags will run about $300/ton delivered, not much different that pellets.

 

[jjbaer]

How much is coal in Long Island. Up here it's $220+ per ton... no better than pellets. It looks like the closer you get to coal country, the better the prices get...

I think it's still a LOT better than pellets because they have different end-costs per million BTU's:

1) a ton of coal (24M BTU) costing $220/ton is $ 9.2/M BTU

2) a ton of wood pellets (16M BTU) costing, say $200/ton is $12.5/M BTU

so coal is only about 73% of the cost of wood pellets. Coal would have to rise to $300 for them to be equal.