Coal burning boiler add on

Rudy

I have an old house with a good, current gas fired hot water boiler. The old coal shoot and bin is still operable next to my boiler, and I can get coal and wood easily. I have the opportunity to buy a 15 year old Kodiak coal/wood boiler for $500. I would like to have it installed next to my gas fired boiler and have the option of switching from one to the other. My boiler is vented out the duel flue chimney; one flue handles the boiler and the other flue in the chimney handles the hot water heater. The chimney in in the middle of the house. I have two questions for the gang: 1. Can the gas boiler and gas hot water heater be vented into the same flue and the coal boiler in the other? 2. Does anyone have any remarks/comments/experience with this application? Numerous replies and opinions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Dan.

Weezbo

Old coal boilers.....hmmmm.....

it might not be the best idea,only thinking of the many old coal boilers and their screws and the weekly coal bunker and shoot into the basement,and lots of coal stuff floating about in the air, while coal slurrification might make it to homes piped right in someday i think it is sorta unlikely.only want a coal boiler if you have lots of free space around it for maint. our newer boilers gas and oil wouldnt like the atmosphere as it were.the newer equipment has lots of fancy gizmos that are feeble and cant hang to environments that in years gone by would have been acceptable in day to day life....

greg_7

The gas units can be vented in the same flue, provided the flue is large enough.

I use a stoker-fed anthracite boiler. It's piped into the system the same manner as the gas units with primary and secondary pumping.

I use a separate thermostat and thus a separate 24vac supply.

Often folks will set the thermostat for the gas unit on minimum and use it as a back up, should the solid fuel unit go out.

Coal is a great alternative. I heat my house for much less than gas. It takes only a little more space than a gas unit.

Hand fed units will require stoking and shaking at least once every 8-12 hours. Wood without a heat storage tank will not be as easy as coal. Check out the HS Tarm website: http://www.woodboilers.com/heat-storage-tank.asp

Dale

Not legal

NFPA 54 10.5.5.1 says you can not connect a gas burning unit to a chimney serving a separate appliance designed to burn solid fuel. Meaning wood and coal. 10.5.5.3 allows a LISTED combination device since that would have an auto gas shutoff. The issue is shutting the gas off in event of a chimney fire and back drafting the gas device.