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Re: (erielack) Notes on the Types and sizes of Anthracite

- --- On Sun, 3/1/09, RJFlei_@_aol.com <RJFlei@aol.com> wrote:
> Your previous post makes me wonder IF anthracite could be marketable
> today.  The reason I say this is because many people use wood burners
> instead of, or in conjunction with, natural gas or oil.  We have
> friends that heat that way.

Wood is a renewable energy source, which makes it green.  Coal is not.  The dual-fuel heating system (wood plus oil or gas or propane) allows you to be away - the backup fossil fuel system will keep your home from freezing during the winter.

Note that some areas where wood is used extensively as fuel have had severe air pollution problems in the winter - Vermont, for instance.

> I  wonder if Anthracite would be a better fuel?

Well, coal still has all the old disadvantages of ashes, soot, and having to move it around.  Have any modern automated systems have been applied to residential-scale heating systems: stoker, ash removal, etc?  Coal heat is still pretty inefficient - you have to keep the fire up even when the thermostats aren't calling for heat or hot water.  Oil and gas systems shut down when you don't need them.

Gary R. Kazin
DL&W Milepost R35.7
Rockaway, New Jersey



      

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