# Coal in a wood burning stove?



## ff468 (Oct 12, 2007)

This will be my first winter in my new house in rural Idaho.It was built in early 1900's. My sole source of heat is my wood burning stove. Question I have is, Is it ok to add small amounts of coal to make the fire/heating last a bit longer? This stove is old and has nothing to identify it's brand, age or use(wood vs coal). Any ideas? 
Thanks
Byron


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## KayJay (Oct 3, 2006)

I've not done it personally, and don't know if he's correct, but my father in law actually suggests dumping a bit of coal into a wood stove every month or so because he says it will melt out the soot/creosote... *shrugs*


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## sparky5982 (Nov 25, 2007)

I think you would be taking a risk. Stoves built for wood may not have thick enough steel at the bottom of the firebox to contain coal. As it burns much hotter, I've heard about it burning through the relatively thin metal of a wood stove. Coal stoves, apparently, are built much thicker. Anybody else heard something like this?

If that were the case, it seems to me you could use fire brick or sand in the bottom to shield it from the extra heat.


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## Stephen in SOKY (Jun 6, 2006)

If you're considering Anthracite coal, it needs all the air coming from under the fire and benefits greatly from shaker grates. Bituminous is somewhat less picky, but still prefers its combustion air from underneath. Does your stove have grates or fire brick bottom?


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## megafatcat (Jun 30, 2009)

I would get a separate coal stove for heat. Coal will burn MUCH hotter, too hot for the wood stove. Do not risk ruining your only source of heat in rural Idaho in winter! Not to mention burning down the house.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

When we lived in Colorado we used Pine and Aspen to heat with and would throw some Coal in every so often.But no most stoves are not made for Coal,just don't want to Load it up with Coal.

big rockpile


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## RedHairedBonnie (Mar 1, 2006)

If your wood stove has a good layer of fire clay in it you could do it...however, as stated above, coal burns much hotter, and can burn through a wood stove. The need for a shaker grate was already mentioned. To just put a few pieces on the wood stove, it will fall through the wood grate, could cause damage to stove and house, and you will still wake up to a chilly house (I know, I've tried - we do have our wood stove with a thick layer of fire clay) and it gets a wee bit chilly in Maine also. See if you can find a potbelly, those are great, and will take coal.


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## michiganfarmer (Oct 15, 2005)

sparky5982 said:


> I think you would be taking a risk. Stoves built for wood may not have thick enough steel at the bottom of the firebox to contain coal. As it burns much hotter, I've heard about it burning through the relatively thin metal of a wood stove. Coal stoves, apparently, are built much thicker. Anybody else heard something like this?
> 
> If that were the case, it seems to me you could use fire brick or sand in the bottom to shield it from the extra heat.


I keep a thick bed of ashes in the bottom of my furnaces, and stoves to protect the steel from burnout. I dont see why a person counldnt add coal on top of fire wood, that is on top of a foot thick layer of ashes


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## michiganfarmer (Oct 15, 2005)

Stephen in SOKY said:


> If you're considering Anthracite coal, it needs all the air coming from under the fire and benefits greatly from shaker grates. Bituminous is somewhat less picky, but still prefers its combustion air from underneath. Does your stove have grates or fire brick bottom?


aaahhhhh. I did not know that. lok at that. I learned somethig new today


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## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

Three types of stoves were made.
If it doesn't have grates, it's kinda just a metal box with a solid floor. Burn wood, anthracite will come out the way you put it in and Bituminous will be a sooty smoky mess,. 

IF the stove has grates...

And it has over fire air. Which means you have two air controls. One under the grates and one above. 
You can burn bituminous and wood. Anthracite may or may not do well. Depends on the design.

If it only has a single air control that gives under fire air, It's for anthracite, If you burn anything else it wont work well at all. Bituminous will be smoky and sooty, wood will burn in a very short time or very dirty.


Post a picture of the stove, then we all can figure out what you have.


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## Micheal (Jan 28, 2009)

If'n it was me, I'd be thinking - It's called a WOOD burning stove for a reason! 
Burning coal as others have said, burns hotter. Will you be able to burn coal in a wood burning stove; sure once, twice, even maybe 3-4 seasons, but you have to remember that you are creating a potential fire hazard. 
Next question does your home-owners insurance cover intentional errors of judgment on your part???????


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## Drew Cutter (Dec 30, 2008)

I would second having a picture to go by . Yes you can burn coal . But it depends on alot of things . I know that you can do it in a Hitzer .


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## ronbre (Apr 26, 2009)

it should be fine..the old stoves burned coal or wood..


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## Wis Bang (Feb 20, 2009)

Growing up in eastern PA we had an Anthracite eating monster in the cellar. My parents bought 7 tons a year and we always collected scrap wood too. Early fall a quick wood fire took the chill off the house but coal had to be added to really heat the house. 

My daily lullaby and alarm clock was the sound of dad shaking the grates every evening/morning followed by the swoosh of the spade removing ashes and then the distinctive sound of the same shovel sliding into the coal bin and the lumps being spread across the firebox. Dad was real eager, as I bacame a teen, to hand over the twice weekly chore of hauling metal 5 gal pails of ashes up the steps and out to the curb. I felt real grown up when I could carry them, two per hand like he did...Since we lived on a hill, every snowstorm meant the ash cans got dumpped to help people who parked on the hill get out of their parking spaces...

When we removed the old furnace to install the gas boiler, the interior of the firebox was heavy duty cast metal, much thicker than any old wood stove...

Besides the convienience of a thermostat, their biggest reason for removing the coal furnace was the condition of the grates. He had a 1" water pipe w/ 3" flat stock welded to make a temp insert so he could take the broken grate to work an have it welded, again. Each cast grate was starting to look more like a brazed artwork than cast metal...

I wouldn't burn coal unless I could verrify that the stove was made to do so.


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## DW (May 10, 2002)

Ours is a woodburner made in 1980 and it has fire brick in it. We buy a bag of chunk coal as a back up in case of no elec for a long time. We put it in at night on wood coals. It will be toasty all night into the next day. If it is not really cold, it will cook us out of the room it's in. It is way hotter than wood.


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## ronron (Feb 4, 2009)

We have a soap stone stove and we can burn coal as a suplement but it is to be used primarily as a wood stove one peice of coal about the size of you fist will burn all night and into the morning when it is really cold but will drive you out of the room unless it's really cold..


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## sparky5982 (Nov 25, 2007)

ronron said:


> We have a soap stone stove and we can burn coal as a suplement


I've heard you can crack these if they heat or cool too quickly. Is that a concern for you since you are burning some coal?


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## ozark mike (Apr 20, 2008)

be very careful how you burn coal, never shut the damper off completely or open an upstairs window.... an open window can cause a downdraft that will make the chimney work in reverse and can let coal gas into the house and can kill you... same thing with the closed damper....if you have ever looked at a wood cook stove you will see that the grates are for coal or wood, you would just turn them upside down for one or the other, many potbelly stoves had reversible grates to burn either... as far as over heating goes I wouldn't worry about that if you use your head, I heated a two story house with a barrel stove for many years and used both wood and coal...we only used coal in extreme cold -30 and colder... this was in north central Minnesota


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## rancher1913 (Dec 5, 2008)

you never want to burn coal in an airtight stove!!!!!

trust me on this one--you only need to experiance a coal explosion once to learn your lesson.

any stove that has air entering it all the time will work just not an airtight one.

the coal gas builds up and will ignite all at once. we HAD a very nice airtight stove that we did this with and it was ripped apart in the middle of the night.
luckily the explosion wook us up and we were able to put the fire out quickly.


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## ff468 (Oct 12, 2007)

After reading your post, I got to looking at this stove a bit closer. Pretty sure that it is not meant to burn coal. Just an idea I was tossing around. Going to stick with "sticks" and stumps thanks
B


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## Stephen in SOKY (Jun 6, 2006)

I went & picked up a ton this morning for keeping hot fires overnight this winter:


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## Itilley (Jul 29, 2008)

I have always thought that you have to use a stove that is made to handle coal. Coal burns hotter than wood and can damage a stove if it is not made to burn coal. You can burn wood in a coal stove but not coal in a wood stove. Your stove maybe able to use either but I would check further into it before trying it. 

RenieB


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

We burn coal, and peat and wood.

Each does require a slightly different grate though, and firebrick to protect the stove.


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## WDL (Nov 12, 2018)

ozark mike said:


> be very careful how you burn coal, never shut the damper off completely or open an upstairs window.... an open window can cause a downdraft that will make the chimney work in reverse and can let coal gas into the house and can kill you... same thing with the closed damper....if you have ever looked at a wood cook stove you will see that the grates are for coal or wood, you would just turn them upside down for one or the other, many potbelly stoves had reversible grates to burn either... as far as over heating goes I wouldn't worry about that if you use your head, I heated a two story house with a barrel stove for many years and used both wood and coal...we only used coal in extreme cold -30 and colder... this was in north central Minnesota


I'm a big believer in having combustion air supply for the stove, which would make an open window not effect the chimney draft, it also makes the stove heat the house way more efficient. Without outside combustion air the draft must pull the replacement air that is rolling up the chimney thru any crack crevice or open window or door that's is what makes a house drafty. Having outside combustion air will make the warm air in the push against any cracks crevices ect. Making the house stay warmer


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## Fishindude (May 19, 2015)

I've thrown big ****** of coal like that in a wood stove before with no problems. They are great for keeping the fire warm all night. Wish I could get my hands on some like that, but rarely see it around anymore.


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## SLADE (Feb 20, 2004)

I tried it in an old cook stove with cast iron grates and it ruined my grates and scared the hell out of me when the top of the stove was red.


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