Thinking about a Keystoker boiler

[krushmoto]

New to pellet, wood, coal and alternative heat source stoves. Previous home had a nat gas hot water boiler. Turned it on, set the thermostat and forgot about it until the gas bill came in the mail. Fast forward 13 yrs I purchase an all electric home with forced air HVAC/heat pump. Moved in towards end of Oct. Get first electric bill and it's $550! I was surprised but kind of expecting a high bill. November bill comes and it's $660! Now I'm floored! Jeez another bill like this and I have a mortgage payment in electric alone! December comes and guess what? Another $660 electric bill. I have a mortgage payment in my first 3 electric bills.
I decide I need to do something about this. I go to local stove store to look at pellet stoves when the sales man shows me a coal stove. Coal?! They still have these things?!
Salesman tells me to do some research, I'd be surprised.
Needless to say I'm hooked. I'm now looking at a Keystoker hot water coal boiler but since I currently have forced air I'll need an entire heating system from the ground up.
I have a 2 story 2500 sq ft home with partial finished basement. Plan on putting the boiler and mechanicals in the unfinished portion of the basement. I'd like to run radiant heating with separate zones for each bedroom. I will probably run the radiant lines myself to save some $$.
Can anyone provide some insight in a HVAC contractor that is also a Keystoker dealer in/near the Allentown area? Thinking about Keller Enterprises, King Coal, etc.
Also where can I go to start planning my heating system?
Thanks in advance.


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[Fred61]

New to pellet, wood, coal and alternative heat source stoves. Previous home had a nat gas hot water boiler. Turned it on, set the thermostat and forgot about it until the gas bill came in the mail. Fast forward 13 yrs I purchase an all electric home with forced air HVAC/heat pump. Moved in towards end of Oct. Get first electric bill and it's $550! I was surprised but kind of expecting a high bill. November bill comes and it's $660! Now I'm floored! Jeez another bill like this and I have a mortgage payment in electric alone! December comes and guess what? Another $660 electric bill. I have a mortgage payment in my first 3 electric bills.
I decide I need to do something about this. I go to local stove store to look at pellet stoves when the sales man shows me a coal stove. Coal?! They still have these things?!
Salesman tells me to do some research, I'd be surprised.
Needless to say I'm hooked. I'm now looking at a Keystoker hot water coal boiler but since I currently have forced air I'll need an entire heating system from the ground up.
I have a 2 story 2500 sq ft home with partial finished basement. Plan on putting the boiler and mechanicals in the unfinished portion of the basement. I'd like to run radiant heating with separate zones for each bedroom. I will probably run the radiant lines myself to save some $$.
Can anyone provide some insight in a HVAC contractor that is also a Keystoker dealer in/near the Allentown area? Thinking about Keller Enterprises, King Coal, etc.
Also where can I go to start planning my heating system?
Thanks in advance.


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You're going to make one guy on this forum very happy. He will even try to sell you a couple books.

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[krushmoto]

You're going to make one guy on this forum very happy. He will even try to sell you a couple books.

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[emoji1]

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[hondaracer2oo4]

I would have one if I didn't get a good deal on a wood boiler. My buddy runs a keystoker kaa-4 I believe. Running 10 years now and loves it. Like pellets as far as full it and forget it other than cleaning ash out. Not that this forum isn't great but you should head over to the nepa crossroads forum. That is the forum for coal stoker stoves and boilers.

 

[krushmoto]

I would have one if I didn't get a good deal on a wood boiler. My buddy runs a keystoker kaa-4 I believe. Running 10 years now and loves it. Like pellets as far as full it and forget it other than cleaning ash out. Not that this forum isn't great but you should head over to the nepa crossroads forum. That is the forum for coal stoker stoves and boilers.

Cool thx.
Didn't realize there was a separate forum for coal. Appreciate it.

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[maple1]

I don't know anything about coal burners, but you shouldn't need a whole new heating system. If you do get a boiler, a Water-Air HX coil in your plenum should get the heat into your ductwork.

 

[krushmoto]

I don't know anything about coal burners, but you shouldn't need a whole new heating system. If you do get a boiler, a Water-Air HX coil in your plenum should get the heat into your ductwork.

Not crazy about forced air. Want to install radiant heating.
Also the fact that the air exchanger for the 2nd floor is in the attic. But it would be more economical with the coil.

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[S.Whiplash]

You will need a big storage bin to accommodate coal, they deliver it in the truckload. Sounds like you're in coal country so delivery shouldn't be a problem.

 

[krushmoto]

You will need a big storage bin to accommodate coal, they deliver it in the truckload. Sounds like you're in coal country so delivery shouldn't be a problem.

I can keep it stored outside so that is not a problem.

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[leon]

I have to ask how often you change air filters and or when was the last time
your heat pump air inlet screens or the furnace filters were changed?

All you may need is to have the furnace cleaned and the heat pump checked
for gas pressure/compressor efficiency.

You need to have a heat loss study one before you jump into
any type of new heating system.

After you have the heat study done go from there.

After the heat loss study is done you can contact Keystoker in Schuykill Haven at 1-570-385-3873
They are open and answer thier phones from 7:30 to 3:30 Monday-Friday and Saturday from 7:30-12:00.
Check the www.Keystoker.com home page for a dealer listing.

The (broken link removed) web site if currently off line for some reason.

Ask for Don Snow or Brian and you will find who the dealer installers are in
your area. Avoid at all costs purchasing a KAA unit from dealer that will
not install it for you!

Unless you have complete and open access to the floors and can install
radiant reflectors for the Pex its not worth your time.

Adding a heat exchanger in you plenum is simpler and you can always
shut the registers off if it gets too hot.

Keystoker has five forced air coal stoker furnace models varying from
125,000 to 450,000 BTU.

 

[hondaracer2oo4]

I wouldn't go with a forced air unit myself, one of the many reasons is you can do everything with a boiler( forced hot air with a water to air hx, forced hot water, radiant etc etc.

 

[krushmoto]

I wouldn't go with a forced air unit myself, one of the many reasons is you can do everything with a boiler( forced hot air with a water to air hx, forced hot water, radiant etc etc.

My biggest reason for not wanting the forced air... Soon as it hits the temp and shuts off the room temp immediately drops. At least with baseboard it has residual carryover heat.

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[leon]

My biggest reason for not wanting the forced air... Soon as it hits the temp and shuts off the room temp immediately drops. At least with baseboard it has residual carryover heat.

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Just so you know and understand stoker furnaces, if you invest in an underfed coal stoker furnace
like the Electric Fireman you will not have that issue as it will continue to heat the plenum from both
the burn pot and the air to air heat exchangers residual heat from the furnace and the recovery
is very very fast as the burn pot is running a few minutes every half hour to keep the fire going in
the burn pot.
The same is true for a keystoker furnace but they do not hold the fire if the power goes out as the flat fire grate is dependent on the hold fire timer and the volume of coal on the flat grate will not hold the fire if the power goes out if you invest in a keystoker boiler or furnace.
An Electric Fire Man forced air furnace with the underfed burn pot will hold a fire for many hours if the fire goes out and
will run as needed for you with a high heat output.

All that is needed is a connection to the existing plenum and that the power is turned off for the other furnace.

 

[E Yoder]

My biggest reason for not wanting the forced air... Soon as it hits the temp and shuts off the room temp immediately drops. At least with baseboard it has residual carryover heat.

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The right thermostat could hold the room temp right where you want it. The new smarter ones can learn the temp swings and flatten it out. In mind weather you actually wouldn't necessarily want residual heat.
Just a thought as I'm not at all against baseboard heat either.
Down here in VA a coil in the duct is almost always the way people go because AC is so common.

 

[hondaracer2oo4]

While forced hot air isn't as comfortable as baseboard heat it has improved in application a lot. So the new high efficiency fha systems actually run the blower at a very low speed 24/7 to keep the air mixed evenly so you don't have that hot to cold swing, the blower than ramps up a little when the thermostat calls and the furnace kicks on. The air is moved much slower than older hot air systems so the rooms aren't blasted with 150 degree air and then dropped right off.

I have gotten my fha system to be very comfortable by running register temps in the 105-120 range and putting my blower on the lowest speed. It works great with no up and down temps anymore. Very even heat. I still stand behind my opinion that the boiler is the way to go not furnace.

 

[krushmoto]

The same is true for a keystoker furnace but they do not hold the fire if the power goes out as the flat fire grate is dependent on the hold fire timer and the volume of coal on the flat grate will not hold the fire if the power goes out if you invest in a keystoker boiler or furnace.
An Electric Fire Man forced air furnace with the underfed burn pot will hold a fire for many hours if the fire goes out and
will run as needed for you with a high heat output.

Can you tell me more about the electric fire men or point me in the right direction? I tried googling it but couldn't find anything.
I like the idea of the boiler being able to hold the fire although the power is out. I'm on the outskirts of Allentown and had 1 power issue this winter when the power line the crosses I-78 fell across the road. Power was out for 4 hrs but this is my first winter here so better safe than sorry.


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[leon]

Can you tell me more about the electric fire men or point me in the right direction? I tried googling it but couldn't find anything.
I like the idea of the boiler being able to hold the fire although the power is out. I'm on the outskirts of Allentown and had 1 power issue this winter when the power line the crosses I-78 fell across the road. Power was out for 4 hrs but this is my first winter here so better safe than sorry.


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