# House Coal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 30, 2001, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-coal/52456 "2001-01-30T21:23:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LateComer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2001, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-coal/52456/1 "2001-01-30T21:23:55Z")
I saw this add in the paper today: _House Coal_ 1", 2", 3" And Mine Run Delivered Is this what I think it is? People still have coal furnaces? It should be said that I do live in Coal Country (Indiana County Pennsylvania). I can see a coal plant from my house and there are 2 more plants whose cooling tower steam I can see on some days. My house has an old coal cellar and I often find small pieces of bituminous (not Anthracite) coal hidden in odd places in the basement. I find it hard to believe that there are working coal furnaces left. Who fixes them? Are parts available? I was hoping there’ds be _somebody_ on the board who would know something about this. ---
**Author:** ![aenea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@aenea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aenea)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2001, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-coal/52456/2 "2001-01-30T22:44:29Z")
Just say: Anthracite Anthracite Anthracite (three times) and she will appear… Some people call her Una, but all listen when she speaks of coal! ---
**Author:** ![bare](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bare/32/471_2.png) [@bare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bare)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2001, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-coal/52456/3 "2001-01-30T23:32:31Z")
I burn wood here because it’s plentiful and I can. If coal were as easily available here, I’d burn coal. I imagine that coal, like wood burning is discouraged in some areas especially cities because of the air quality problems. As a child in Eastern Montana we primarily used coal but used wood to start the fire because it was easier to get burning. Any wood stove with grates in it can burn coal. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2001, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-coal/52456/4 "2001-01-31T00:00:33Z")
Parlor stoves, cast iron kitchen ranges, potbelly stoves. New. Not antiques. [http://www.transoceanltd.com/appliances/woodburn.html](http://www.transoceanltd.com/appliances/woodburn.html) [http://www.hometoys.com/htinews/jun99/articles/lulchak/lulchak.htm](http://www.hometoys.com/htinews/jun99/articles/lulchak/lulchak.htm) > [@](#): > > Coal-burning heating system > A coal-burning furnace is an economical way to heat a small space. The heat radiates from a central location. Larger spaces require multiple heat sources or an air-circulation system to provide comfort in all heated areas. A coal-burning boiler can heat water for a radiator or in-floor heating system. This type of hybrid system requires electricity to move the water around. If you run out of coal, you can use wood as an interim fuel in most cases. Electricity requirements for forced air circulation are sometimes tricky to deal with where the electricity is self-supplied. This makes larger homes without utility electricity impractical to heat with coal. On the plus side, coal can be automatically fed into a boiler with an auger system. Low humidity in the cabin or cottage is a down side of using coal as fuel. ---
**Author:** ![KCB615](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@KCB615](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KCB615)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2001, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-coal/52456/5 "2001-01-31T01:47:47Z")
We use a coal-fired stove to heat the house in the winter, but only as an auxiliary heat source. The house has a natural gas furnace and water heater (forced hot water baseboard heat) that could (and does on cold nights) heat the house. However, coal is much cheaper than natural gas. For about $100, we heat the house all winter. Enough that we have to open windows if the outside temperature is above 40 or so. The stove uses anthracite (the coal, not \*the[/] Anthracite) “pea” coal. Shake the stove down twice a day, fill the hopper and empty the ash bin once a day. A little labor intensive, but its a nice stove. ---
**Author:** ![KCB615](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@KCB615](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KCB615)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2001, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-coal/52456/6 "2001-01-31T02:04:06Z")
I will always press Preview first. I will always press Preview first. I will always press Preview first. I will always press Preview first. I will always press Preview first. I will always press Preview first. Thank you, sir, may I have another? ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2001, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-coal/52456/7 "2001-01-31T03:26:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by aenea \* > **Some people call her Una, but all listen when she speaks of coal!** Thanks **aenea** love! But seriously…I think **Chief Wahoo** might have some better ideas about home coal furnaces. I know a lot about coal, and large furnaces - not much about small ones. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2001, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-coal/52456/8 "2001-01-31T14:07:21Z")
You rang? (Hi Una,baby!) All I can really add is that yes, coal is still used for home heating. Here in Milwaukee (and I’m sure other places, too) in an earlier age many homes were built with coal fired boilers right into the brickwork of the basement. 95% of these are probably not in use anymore but the ones that are are incredibly cool. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2001, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-coal/52456/9 "2001-01-31T15:28:11Z")
Ahhh, I still remember those delightful October days when Father would load is truck with 1 1/2 ton coal, bring it home, and say “Girls, go unload that coal!” I think he said it was supposed to make us strong or something… ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2001, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-coal/52456/10 "2001-01-31T23:00:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LateComer \* > **I can see a coal plant from my house and there are 2 more plants whose cooling tower steam I can see on some days.** West North-West of Indiana is the Keystone Coal Power Plant - a big one - 1872 MW total. South of Indiana is Homer City - even bigger - 2012 MW total. Way South, by Seward, is Seward Station. Only 218 MW or so. And down by Westmont is Conemaugh - another huge one - 1880 or so MW total. Lots of coal power in your area!