What determines good and bad grades of coal for home heating stoves?
I bought anthracite nut coal from a different supplier this winter and it does not burn well. Low burn times, low heat output, clinkers jam the grates, etc. When I switch back to original coal, the stove runs great, lots of heat and long burn time.
December 12th, 2010 at 3:04 am
There are several factors when determining good coal, they are:
-btu’s per pound
-type of coal: hard, soft, or powder river basin coals.
-sulpher content
-residual ash
-moisture
People have even used petroleum coke or furnace coke instead of coal in certain approved stoves
December 12th, 2010 at 4:04 am
Ash (Impurities) and moisture are the main factors. Coal is composed of carbon with other elements. The clinker is the leftover impurities after the carbon, water, and sulfur burns away. High grade coal has less ash content than lower grades. Coal also contains water and different coals have different moisture contents. High grade coal has less moisture than low grade. I use coal for blacksmithing and I have a hard time finding decent coal nowadays.