Oil Furnace to Coal ???

jauer9@yahoo.com

New oil furnaces are very efficient, lots of stainless steel fins, air passages, and the like.

But what about really old oil furnaces (30+ years)? Once, it was possible to convert coal furnaces to oil. Now with oil in my area climbing over $2.50/gal #2, history may need to reverse itself. By December, it will be $3.00.

So am I a total moron? I know how much BTUs coal produces, I know how much BTUs oil produces. I know coal is dirty. I know my 30+ year old oil furnace is small....still, I bet I could fit a few pounds in there. 100 lbs a day? maybe. It takes 14lbs of coal to equal one gal of #2, right?

I don't know if a wet-based oil furnace can handle the flame intensity of coal vs. oil. Should, no?

Yet, I look at that big iron thing and think...I could put a grate in there, spread coal on top, design a shaker and cleanout. Could I fit 30 lbs in there and fill it every 8 hours? Seems like it would fit. There's a firebox there. Just no grate, no shaker, no handle for the shaker.

I really am nuts, aren't I ? Maybe more so to pay $3.00 a gal for #2 to arab sheiks, when abundant coal is a mere 80 miles away from my home in PA.

***Dan, thanks for the Steam Heating book. It should be in the Library of Congress.***

Dirk Wright

From what little I know about this, I would say it is bascially impossible to convert an oil fired boiler to coal. You would need to buy a new boiler designed for coal instead. Coal requires things that fuel oil does not, like a shaker grate, underfire air supply, etc.

Eric K

boiler option

maybe consider an upgrade to a newer boiler.Maybe consider a multi-fuel(coal,wood,& Oil).Iam sure there is plenty of wood in PA.

Steamhead (in transit)

Check out

the Axeman-Anderson, HS Tarm and Keystoker boiler lines. These feature coal-fired and/or dual-fuel units.