Quote:
Originally Posted by Geraldsh
Has anyone tried tossing in a chunk of coal for the overnight burn? What would be the disadvantages?
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Main disadvantage is that it wouldn't burn right, at worst maybe smolder for awhile and be choked by ashes. Coal needs a constant, slow controlled air flow from below, which is why coal heaters are designed a lot differently than wood burners.
Once a bed of coal starts burning from the hot coals of a wood fire, any volatiles in the coal get chased off and then there's very little odor and no smoke anymore. But your coal needs to be dry. Then a clean, constant, hot long-time carbon burn can be precisely controlled by air flow though the grates and whatever other porting is designed into the stove. Burning a mix of wood and coal in a coal stove after coal startup is doable, but generally pointless.
I've been quoted nearly a thousand dollars for just a single cord of seasoned, locally delivered tamarack or birch if you can get it. That price would get me 8 or 9 tons of sized, clean thermal coal picked up from the mine - maybe 15 loads in a modern half-ton pickup. That's a lot of years of comfortable heating.
I'd be really interested in finding some hard anthracite (metal refining) coal for sale. Like wood, the harder the coal, generally the better for heating. It used to be mined in the crowsnest pass and still is in BC's elk valley region by Teck and is exported by rail in the millions of tons. But they don't sell small loads as far as I know.