Coal Stoves: An Old Favorite Still Going Strong

One of the earliest methods of heating a house was the use of the coal stove. Look around and you can find many models of coal stove that date back to the beginning of the last century. The coal stove has waned in popularity somewhat in the past few years and yet they are still are good way of heating a house or room. They provide a good, regular source of heat, though they do need some degree of maintenance, though this can be minimized with the use of good hopper-type coal stove. This article will look at these issues and in turn consider the main points that need to be taken into account when looking to buy a coal stove.

Coal is a fossil fuel, and the best types of coal such as anthracite can provide a great deal of heat with a fairly small amount of coal. Coal takes while to get heated and begin to produce heat that can be transmitted into the room. But once that point is reached a good coal stove will produce enough heat to keep even a large size of room at a fairly ambient temperature even in fairly cool temperatures. Make sure you select a coal stove which enables the coal to be burned at an even rate and get the most out of the fuel.

Coal Stove Chimney

In terms of maintenance, coal stoves do require some work. There is the fact that they need to be lit in the morning, and this means filling the stove with coal, and then using some form of help, such as charcoal, in order to get the fire going. There is also a certain amount of cleaning to be done, such as cleaning the door and cleaning out the ash grate. A coal stove should be used only with a proper chimney or flue, as it needs adequate ventilation and draught for the coal to burn properly. The flue of a coal stove should be checked regularly to ensure there has been no degradation of the material.

However, the regular maintenance of a coal stove, especially the filling of the stove with coal as it burns through the day, can be minimized to a certain extent by buying a hopper-type coal stove. These types of models will release coal gradually into the fire throughout the day as the coal is burned. This still leaves the lighting of the stove, but one that is done a hopper-type stove can be left to itself. When buying a stove, it is also best to buy one with a good thermostat to regulate heat output, and also make sure which type of coal burns best in that particular model of stove.

Hopper-type Coal Stove

This information should make it easy to see that there are a few considerations to be made before buying a coal stove. They give good heat, but do require some work in terms of maintenance, though regular maintenance can be minimized with the choice of a hopper-type of stove. Although coal stoves are no longer as popular as they once were they remain a viable heating alternative.