It’s that time of the year where we’re all gearing up for the winter season. Some of you are also looking to replace your heating system and trying to choose between what’s out there in the market. Maybe you’re thinking of acquiring a coal furnace or switching to a new, relatively unfamiliar system. Leave the analysis to us and get your cup of coffee as you read on for the top benefits of using coal furnaces.
What is a Hot-Air Furnace
Hot-air furnaces have two main parts the firebox and the air jacket. These two parts are totally separated by metal. We use heavy gauge metal to increase the life of the furnace. The coal is placed in the firebox and the fire is started using kindling. The chimney pulls air through the furnace and emits the exhaust outside, this gives the fire fresh air to burn the fuel. The air jacket surrounds the firebox, the heat from the fire radiates into the air. This heated air is blown through ducts which are piped throughout your home. There are many more details but this gives you some idea of how this system works.
Add-on to Existing System
If you have air ducts already throughout your home you can easily, with little extra cost, addon a coal furnace. Coal is by far one of the cheapest fuels and you can save thousands on your heating bill by heating with coal. Hot-Air furnaces are the cheapest way to do that, compared to a coal boiler. The only other thing you need is a chimney. Coal furnaces can hook up to existing vacant chimneys so that’s one less thing to worry about if your home already has one.
Automatically Stoking Models
Depending on the model you get, you can enjoy automatic feeding and ash dumping. Check with the dealer on the availability of a coal stoker furnace that automatically stokes and self-feeds to further assess user-friendliness. Some come with 250lb hoppers which can last for days without fuel being added!
Maintenance is Quite a Breeze
Maintenance for appliances can be a headache if the device warrants a lot of responsibility. In this active universe where things are constantly on the move, you don’t want to be dealing with the need to be constantly refueling, especially if you’re always on the road. Thankfully, with coal hot-air furnaces, the time between refueling can be up to 24hrs on hand-fired furnaces and up to 4 days on stoker furnaces.
Compared to a wood stove/furnace, which burns wood quickly and needs continuous resupplies, a coal furnace typically just needs filling once in the morning and a top-up in the evening. As for the ashes in the pan, most makers would suggest that you clean it out at least once to three times a week. You may want to do a monthly mini-inspection of the flue as well.
Easy to Buy and Store Coal for Use
In the northeastern US and even the midwestern US, it’s not difficult to get your hands on coal, thus making coal furnaces a popular choice among households and businesses in recent years. While you need to personally drive to the stores to check on the condition of the woods, you don’t have to for coal.
It’s also much simpler to store coal at home and that’s not the case with stacks of wood. You can drop your tons of coal in outdoor bins, knowing that rain, snow, or fluctuating temperatures can not ruin your coal. But with wood, you will need a proper woodshed, the right placement, and sufficient ventilation to maintain its moisture levels.
Coal Burns Clean for Longer, Making it Cost-Effective
As we come to a close, know that the right type of coal burns clean without emitting any harmful gas or particles. By that, we’re referring to anthracite coal. This form of coal can contain up to 97% carbon and comes with the highest heating value. It can also burn longer at lower temperatures and produce no creosote.
Coupled with a well-manufactured heavy-duty coal furnace that can trap heat efficiently, you will be able to get warmth for months without fretting about backup plans. Research has shown that a standard ton of anthracite coal can generate the amount of heat as 8,200 kilowatt-hours of electricity!
Best of Both Worlds
We realize that sometimes you may go away for a long weekend or may not want to start a fire in the late fall or early spring. So, we have integrated an oil burner into both our hand-fired and automatic stoker furnaces. You can have the ease of burning oil whenever you would like, with the ability to save money to burn coal all in one unit. This optional upgrade will further save on installation cost, you only need to purchase and install one furnace. This is especially helpful if you only have one chimney. Imagine being able to get away and not worrying about tending the furnace!
After reading the advantages of using coal furnaces, aren’t you convinced that it’s time to make a switch? Coal is also readily accessible for purchase and burns cleaner for a longer period, translating to greater savings in the long run. What are you waiting for?