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Jotul stoves are good stoves as well, if yours is 20 years old it is a "Gen II" low emission/high efficiency stove. Do you remember what model it is, and does it have an ash dump or do you have to shovel out ashes from the main door?
Kerosene monitors is a new term to me. Do you mean kerosene heaters? The "Japanese style" type kerosene heaters are unvented and very clean burning, quite efficient but of course you have to use high purity kerosene which ain't cheap.
In terms of heating a whole house, putting the stove in the basement makes a lot of sense, but depending on how your house is laid out, it may be inconvenient to get to the stove to add wood. My stove is in the living room on an outside wall, not the best to heat the whole house but it does OK.
It has an ash dump. I am not certain about the low emission/high efficiency.
The kerosene 'monitor' is a kerosene heater but it is wired to a kerosene tank, not a standalone that you'd pour kerosene into, if that's what you mean. They are programmable and run on electric. Kerosene has gotten very expensive this past year. We try to get a gauge on how the prices are going to go and top off the tank when it's low/er.
All wood stoves sold new since about 1990 are "high-efficiency/low emission", with a step up in 1992, and another step up in 2020, that I know of.
I have never heard of a heater called a "monitor", maybe that's a New England term?
Jotul makes a very nice wood stove, and their prices reflect that they are damn proud of their stoves. Looks like a new one will set you back over $3000.
I know around here propane is usually the cheapest it will get to in a given year in late summer. I would expect kerosene prices to behave similarly.
All wood stoves sold new since about 1990 are "high-efficiency/low emission", with a step up in 1992, and another step up in 2020, that I know of.
I have never heard of a heater called a "monitor", maybe that's a New England term?
Jotul makes a very nice wood stove, and their prices reflect that they are damn proud of their stoves. Looks like a new one will set you back over $3000.
I know around here propane is usually the cheapest it will get to in a given year in late summer. I would expect kerosene prices to behave similarly.
Thanks Mitch.
I do believe the term 'monitor' is a New England term. That's what everyone around here calls them.
We purchased the Jotul in 2003 or 2004 and it has performed like a champ every single winter and is still going strong. Floor model that at the time we paid almost $2K for. worth every penny. The white paint is starting to chip, but otherwise, all good. I'd buy another one no question.
I don't know where you would get anything currently made similar to the old Sotz fireplace tools, but I have had a set for almost 40 years and IMHO they are "The Bomb". About a yard long, there is a shovel (very seldom used), a poker, and an interesting rake, this last being the tool I use by far the most. It works to lift the coals out of an ash bed and is very handy as well for pushing ashes into the ash dump of the stove.
The yard-long length would at first appear to be awkward, but it keeps your hands well back from the fire, and in my experience is an entirely good thing.
I guess an amateur blacksmith could make these up, or really just a guy with an oxyacetylene welding setup and maybe a plasma cutter to form up the shovel head and the rake.
These went out of print long enough ago that there is not a lot on the net about them.
i heated solely with wood for 6 years (mid-atlantic region) and another 4 with a combination of wood and anthracite coal -up until 2 years ago.
the great thing about coal was that it would reliably burn hot all night without my having to get up and feed it.
So, what happened two years ago?
When I was in Idaho Falls I did burn some coal in my old school fireplace insert. Like you said, very good for keeping heat output up overnight and really easy to rekindle the fire in the morning.
i heated solely with wood for 6 years (mid-atlantic region) and another 4 with a combination of wood and anthracite coal -up until 2 years ago.
the great thing about coal was that it would reliably burn hot all night without my having to get up and feed it.
If can lay hands upon it and know what you're going hard coal is one of best solid fuels for burning in a boiler, furnace, stove, etc...
Anthracite burns clean, hot and long. Maybe not so good for steam locomotives, but great as "stove" coal.
Get it set up right and going properly and a hard coal fire will go several hours (depending upon weather conditions) without requiring attention. Add a stoker or use magazine feed and things can go twelve or more hours under right conditions.
If can lay hands upon it and know what you're going hard coal is one of best solid fuels for burning in a boiler, furnace, stove, etc...
Anthracite burns clean, hot and long. Maybe not so good for steam locomotives, but great as "stove" coal.
Get it set up right and going properly and a hard coal fire will go several hours (depending upon weather conditions) without requiring attention. Add a stoker or use magazine feed and things can go twelve or more hours under right conditions.
Anthracite is great if you live near the seams in PA. Other than that it’s a really expensive option for most.
If can lay hands upon it and know what you're going hard coal is one of best solid fuels for burning in a boiler, furnace, stove, etc...
Anthracite burns clean, hot and long. Maybe not so good for steam locomotives, but great as "stove" coal.
Get it set up right and going properly and a hard coal fire will go several hours (depending upon weather conditions) without requiring attention. Add a stoker or use magazine feed and things can go twelve or more hours under right conditions.
My understanding is that anthracite works very well in a steam locomotive if you can get it.
I'm pretty sure the coal I got in Idaho was from Wyoming.
There is/was a poster on here "The Coal Man" and he had some interesting observations on using coal for space heat. Have not seen him in several months.
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