well the old thing finally gave up a few days ago, i think it was for the better. we had a boiller which is oil ran and supplied heat and hot water. we can not afford a new one , around 3,000. so we are going to set up an electric hot water heater and add another wood stove. question #1 what do you do if you go away for the whole day to keep the pipes from freezing? what about coal , we have never used it but iam thinking since the new stove needs to be small because of its location maybe coal would be better. we are on he east coast so i know coal is avail. how do you know if the stove is set up for coal?thanks

-- renee oneill (oneillsr@home.com), October 07, 2000

Answers

From 1983 until 1989 we heated our home solely with one wood heater. When we were going to be gone for the day we just made sure the stove was banked up good. We are in north 'Bama and we had some extremely cold weather during that time and we never had any pipes freeze inside the house....but we also made certain everything was insulated well...

With heating oil prices going as high as they're going I think a lot of people will be returning to wood heat again. We had to stop 10 years ago because my allergies got so bad. But in our house where we've been for the past 11 years there is a huge fireplace but the bricks in the chimney are no good. I would like to get a chimney liner or else extend a stove pipe up the chimney so we could have wood at least for a back up.

I loved the homey feeling wood heat gave. Early in the mornings the house was little cool (I can remember my kids eating their breakfasts sitting in the floor around the heater.) Although ours was not a "cook" stove, I did cook a lot of stews and beans and stuff on the top of it and they were also always delicious.

MAKE CERTAIN YOUR HOUSE HAS BATTERY OPERATED SMOKE DETECTORS!!!!!! At least two! And more if your house has more than one level! We lost a house to fire in 1983 but it was from ELECTRICAL wiring and not from the wood heater!

-- Suzy in 'Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), October 07, 2000.

I've heated with just wood before. We would start a nice fire, warm the house up till it was too warm, bank the fire and leave. If we were planning to be gone a few days, we opened all the cabinet doors under the sinks so that the air could circulate and the pipes wouldn't freeze. We never had any trouble. It's a little cold in the morning but the kids liked to snuggle in their blankets while the house warmed up. I remember, as a kid, laying my clothes out in front of the stove so that they would be warmed in the morning when Dad lit the fire. Then Mom would hand they to me and I would out them on while still in bed under the covers. Pleasant memories that I cherish.

About the water heater, could you use natural gas instead. It would be alot cheaper. I know that wood burning water heaters are available but that wouldn't be very convenient and it would heat the house in the summer.

Remember, if you use coal, it leaves a black dust everywhere in the house. I've never personally used it but, I've had a lot of friends who have. They were also at the mercy of the sellers and coal miner strikes. At least you can harvest your own wood. They also had alot of repiratory problems.

-- Cheryl Cox (bramblecottage@hotmail.com), October 07, 2000.

We are doing it now but plan on putting in a furnace this year .It 's hard and doesn't always do enough.Coal is better , it burns hotter and you can go up to 12 hours then refill .A hot air oil furnace shouldn't run that much .One with a dirrect vent wholesale here is only 1300.00 Shop around .

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), October 07, 2000.

thanks patty, i forget to say we have hot water base board heat divided into 2 zones. i dont know if thats what makes the boiller so expensive, i'll keep shopping around!

-- renee oneill (oneillsr@home.com), October 07, 2000.

Yes it's the boiler thats so expensive .Your Hubby is a contractor right ? Put the word out to his friends , sometimes people change over systems that aren't to old and you may be able to pick up one cheap .How about bardering snow removal for a furnace or big discount ?

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), October 07, 2000.

Renee, Typically when it is bitterly, bitterly cold, at least one of us stays home. When it is that cold, it means that the weather is nasty or is about to turn nasty, so one of us needs to be here to care for the critters and help the neighbors as possible. What you need to remember, is that while your house can cool down to uncomfortable levels for you, you have some time before the house is truly freezing. Exactly how much time depends on the temps inside and outside, insulation, where things like your pipes and other freezables are located in the house, etc.

As for whether or not you can burn coal in your woodstove, start by looking for the plates that give the stove's rating and other information. If there is a coal rating, that's ONLY a start. You also need special coal grates-cast iron (but not all cast iron grates are coal grates) and, as far as I know, they'll be shaker grates. Older stoves won't have the rating plates. You also need special chimney pipe since burning coal produces sulfer/acids. I believe any good quality stainless chimney will work (BUT CHECK!) however, I don't think steel or galvinized chimneys can be used at all.

You're going to have to do research locally, coal varies widely across the country. Contact stove dealers (ideally the ones who carry your brand of stove), possibly coal supplies, possibly your nearest county extension agent, anyone you know who burns coal AND has a brain. And there are a lot of little tricks to burning coal that it would be much easier to have someone familiar with your kind of coal show you.

Do realize that coal is much messier than wood to handle, and the ashes and clinkers (unlike most regular wood stove waste) can't be dumped willy-nilly on the ground, they're toxic.

My experiences with heating with coal consist only of furnaces and fireplaces, so hopefully someone who's used a wood/coal stove is going to jump in with more information. Frequently the grates, etc. for burning coal in a dual fuel stove are optional purchases-and most people don't opt. So assume your stove is not coal ready until proven otherwise. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), October 07, 2000.

Hi Renee,

We heat with wood almost 100%. We bought an unvented propane space heater at Lowe's (the kind that hangs on the wall) to use while we are away. I think it was about $250.00 for the largest one they had. It will heat our whole house. We already had propane for the water heater and dryer, so it cost very little to install.

We leave it on its lowest setting while we are away, and it keeps the house at about 45 degrees. This keeps pipes from freezing. We actually leave it on all the time in the winter with only the pilot light burning. If our fire goes out for some reason, it will keep the house at 45. We wake up cool instead of cold.

I hope you get it fixed without having to spend lots of money.

-- Jim (catchthesun@yahoo.com), October 07, 2000.

We heat with just wood. In fact, just cleaned out the stove pipes and lit it today for the firse time this year. It's cold here. I can't be gone more than 6 or 7 hours, we have a King, with the box around it and a blower. But it isn't warm enough for this big house. I have been searching far and wide for a used outdoor forced air woodstove. Do you go to work during the day? I stay home, except for stripping tobacco in the winter, so I know how long before I need to get back. We have all the pipes insulated good, and a small elect. heater in the bathroom, with openings in the walls where the pipes are. We only have pipes in a short area, not all over the house. Kitchen, laundry and bath all within 10 feet of each other. When you find one, fill it up, turn it on low, and see how long before the blower kicks off. I would not ever use coal, wood is free and coal is toxic. Sorry your boiler died.

-- Cindy in Ky (solidrockranch@msn.com), October 07, 2000.

Fwiw renee, you might want to consider either a tankless water heater with a 60000 btu/h capacity as a replacement for your boiler or even a propane fired, fast recovery water heater. These will do in a pinch and I know of a couple around here that are used for space heating with a hydronic system.

As to wood heat, we heat exclusively with wood. If we're in the earth stove mode we get the house good and warm, fill the stove up and set it as low as it will go and we can leave the house for 12 hrs or more in cold weather. We also have a wood fired outdoor boiler. Then we're good to go for 24hrs or more.

-- john leake (natlivent@pcpros.net), October 07, 2000.

I have just a small wood space heater type stove. In winter I close off the upstairs and just heat the first floor. I put plastic up on the windows of my old leaky farm house, insulate the pipes in the basement and keep anelectric heater in the bathroom. All my pipes are in a very small area too. The dogs and small animals are all in the basement and that helps keep the temperature up. It is quite cold in the morning and when I come home from work after being gone 16 hrs (in SW Wisconsin). I LOVE my electric mattress pad and have a second 'just in case'! Also have3-4 of the canines in bed to keep me warm! If I get a windfall though, I might have the furnace fixed.

-- Dianne (yankeeterrier@hotmail.com), October 07, 2000.

well this is what we did.. went to homedepot got a hot water heater electric that has a scratch still under war. we save 1/2 the price about $150,hooked it up and riped out the boiler. we have deceided to give this winter a go at it w/ just woodstoves. hope it is not going to be as bad as it seems! like many of you our pipes are in 3 rooms only of our house, 2 on the first floor and the bathroom above, we got an electric unit that hangs on the wall for the room were the well is and all the pipes start,that was only $30 so the way i figure we saved around $3,000 today not bad. i guess thats what makes us all about the same...we get tough when needed and in the long run i will no longer be controled by oil prices and hoping the truck shows up. come spring i'll let you all know how it went. oh yah w/ all the advice we have deceided against coal thank again.

-- renee oneill (oneillsr@home.com), October 07, 2000.

You might want to check with someone in your county government for emergency assistance. Some counties have low or no interest loans to replace heating systems.

Check with the H.E.A.P. program in your state to find out about assistance for emergency fuel. In my neck of the woods folks get a two and one half cord load of firewood, just for not having any (that is an emergency) and another load if the family income is below the national avarage.

Start sealing up cracks and air leaks around doors and windows. This helps a lot to save on heating costs.

One thing I did with our woodburner was to take two steel wheels (from an old pick-up truck) and bolt them together. I then set them flat beside the woodburner. I took an old canner pot and set that on the wheel rack very close to one side of the stove (about 1" away). I filled the pot with rainwater and put the lid on it. When the stove is hot I have 5 gallons of hot water, at all times, no waiting.

Another thing you might think about is to sell any leftover fuel oil that you have on hand now.

Who knows perhaps someone on this baord might know how to convert your boiler to a wood fired unit. Good Luck.

-- Ed Copp (edcopp@yahoo.com), October 07, 2000.

If you have a good source of anthracite coal, the best, from Penn. use that, you can't beat it for heat, it gives you an even heat/burn. If you have to leave for a few hours, open the cupboards under the sink or whatever in the below zero days. I love coal but can't get it here in OR. I would almost move back east to be able to heat with coal!

-- Hendo (OR) (redgate@echoweg.netm), October 07, 2000.

Renee we heat 99% of the time with wood, will fire up the propane stove to take the chill off in the morning, if the fire died down to much. Read as much as you can about how the mechanics of draft and fresh-air intake. Just because husbands are supposed to be the hunter gatherers, doesn't mean they truly understand fire :) Our woodlot, the cords all split and stacked and the fire going, and no money going to the electric company is a great feeling. With a 300$ electric bill all summer, I wonder if they think we go on vacation during the winter! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), October 07, 2000.

A good insurance thing to get are a few of the water pipe heater strips that you can wrap around a pipe that may freeze until it can be properly insulated. I bought several at a walmart clearance and included them in my insulation as North AL has become notorious for week long hard shut down freezes the last few years. When the threat of trouble comes, plug it in, they don't draw that much current.

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), October 08, 2000.

Renee, just a word of caution, hang onto that warrenty. I replaced my water heater a couple of years ago when I converted from propane to natural gas. After a year and a half, the bottom fell out of it. It had a bad weld. When Home Depot was contacted about the warrenty, they answered that the model had alot of problems, they no longer carried it, it was no longer made and so they wouldn't honor the warrenty. I was lucky because I have appliance insurance on my house so I was covered anyway. But, I no longer completely trust Home Depot's warrenties. I'm sure you will not have any problems though and I'm glad you found a low cost answer. Good luck and enjoy the wood fires, I'm enjoying one right now.

-- Cheryl Cox (bramblecottage@hotmail.com), October 08, 2000.

WE HAVE ONLY WOOD HEAT at our house. We have a boiler and radiators connected to the stove. The house is pretty big and stays warm - as long as you keep wood on the fire!!! The only downside is that if you want to be warm you have to make sure someone is always (almost) to feed the fire.

-- kelly (kellytree@hotmail.com), October 09, 2000.

For a few years, when I livedin NJ, I used to live in a house that had oil heat, and a coal burner in the basement - I absolutly LOVED it, and prefer coal to wood! Used to have 1 ton delivered in the fall, burnt maybe two 5 gallon buckets of coal per day, 3 tops if I was home and let it burn hot all day. Heated the entire house with it (kept the living area around 65 or 66 degrees), and used the oil furnace only for a backup. It was dusty and dirty - differnt kind of dirty than wood, and I wouldn't want a coal stove in my living room.

I'm kicking around the idea of one of those "outdoor" wood furnances right now, have to see how $$ plays out in the next month.

-- Eric in TN (ems@nac.net), October 09, 2000.

We live in Ky and we heat our 2300 Sq. foot house almost entirely with a wood stove which has a blower on it. I love it. It is good warm heat and cheap since we have plenty of woods on our property and we have never yet cut down a live tree, get plenty of dead limbs and trees we don't have to. It is messy though. We have baseboard electric for back up but we rarely use it. If you get a wood stove, get a good one. They cost somewhere around $1000 but are well worth it. Ours will hold a fire overnight. As someone already mentioned, even if your fire went out while you were away, the house would still stay warm enough for several hours to keep the pipes from freezing. We never go away overnight in the winter but if we ever had to, we would turn on the baseboard heaters on low. It seems to me that some sort of back up system would be wise for that reason. It got down to 28 degrees at my house last night and night before with a heavy frost!

-- bwilliams (bjconthefarm@yahoo.com), October 09, 2000.

I am totally in favor of heating with coal. I have used both of them and found coal to be much easier and LESS messy than wood. We did not have a furnace and started out with heating with a wood stove that came with the house down in the walkout basement. Bringing in the wood left pieces of bark and dirt and pine needles all over the rug in front of the stove. We also couldn't go anywhere for twelve hours at a time because the fire would go out. So we converted to coal and were MUCH happier with it. I would walk out the door which was right next to the stove and put the coal bucket into the large coal bin we had outside the door and pour it into the top of the stove. I would then refill the coal bucket and bring it into the house to be ready for the next filling. We used pea coal, not nut coal. Pea coal is smaller in size. No mess, no fuss, very easy. As long as the fire had not gone out entirely which rarely it did. We could go through the night without losing the fire and could just add coal in the morning in the chute to get it going again. Just took a few shakes of the grate and voila we had heat. We lived in New Hampshire at the time so we had cold winters. The small stove in the basement heated the whole two story home. I think that the difference with some people saying there is soot all over the house is because of how old their coal stove might have been. The new ones, we had a Vermont Castings, are very efficient and do not put dust all over the house. Having heated a house both ways through a New England winter, I would choose coal again hands down.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), October 13, 2000.

Renee! I'd leave the existing radiation installed in the house. At a later date one could still use it with a different boiler. The Central Boiler outside woodburners are the most efficient on the market and would hook to your existing radiation. I'd keep my eyes open for a good used gas boiler that could be used as a backup to the wood fired one. Check out www.centralboiler.com for information on those. Hydrotherm is a top notch brand used almost exclusively around here. They are the best I've worked on--the l.p. and city gas types. I've seen good used ones--[old dudes without computer boards] sell for $100. It's not uncommon to find'm llike that. If I can help any email the old hootster. Thanks. Matt. 24:44

-- hoot gibson (hoot@pcinetwork.com), October 13, 2000.