Wood and Coal Heating Stoves

Coal and wood stoves are heat producing systems which people have been using since the 1700s to heat their homes. Today, the most commonly used wood stove is a pellet stove, which uses wood pellets as the primary source of fuel. Coal stoves, on the other hand, burn bricks of either anthracite or lignite varieties of coal. Here's a comparison of the two.

Wood Stoves

Wood Stoves are available as freestanding heating systems or fireplace inserts. They can be expensive, costing anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 depending on the features and the model.  There are a variety of wood stoves available from the traditional stove to pellet burning models.

Pellet models are exceptionally popular because they are so easy to use. Pellet stoves burn specifically formulated wood pellets as their fuel source. Pellets are fed through the exterior hopper with an auger-like device into the fire chamber.  Pellet stoves are very easy to restock as the pellets only need to be poured into the stove's external hopper.

Traditional stoves burn pieces of wood and the doors of the stove must be opened in order to place more logs into the fire chamber. This can often allow hot ash and embers to escape into the home when refueling a traditional stove.

Coal Stoves

Although coal stoves are initially cheaper to purchase than wood burning models, they do require more maintenance. Most models, which ae usually freestanding, can cost from $200 to $1,000 depending on the stove and features. The glass, grates and gaskets must be checked often, and ash should be removed to make sure the heat exchanger does not become blocked.

Coal stoves operate in a similar manner to a wood burning pellet stove. Coal is poured into the hopper and then fed into the fire. Generally, coal stoves have both an upper and lower chamber. The fire burns in the lower chamber, and as the coal is burned new pieces from the upper chamber fall back into the lower chamber to keep the fire burning. It is important to rake the grates periodically to help the new coal reach the fire.

Regardless of the model chosen, wood and coal both provide an economically viable alternative to traditional heating sources.