Portage & Main Outdoor Water Furnaces FAQ
Please note that the questions have come from our customers. They have been asked when inquiring about the Portage & Main Outdoor Water Furnace; however the industry has acquired terms such as boilers, stoves, furnaces, outside wood stoves, hydronic-heaters, etc therefore if the question was asked using such terms we used it as asked.
FAQ Categories for Coal Stokers:
- Coming soon..
1. General Question for Coal Stokers
Coals Facts & Benefits
- Coal is the most plentiful fuel on the planet. At the present rate of use it has been estimated that North America has a 900 year supply of coal and less than 30 year supply of natural gas. Using coal as your source of heat energy , the cost is less than 1/6 the cost of some other sources of heat energy.
- Coal is ranked on the percentage of fixed carbon and it's heating value.
- Anthracite, bituminous, sub-bituminous, and lignite are the four ranks of coal.
- Bituminous, sub-bituminous, and lignite are common with numerous mines across North America.
- When purchasing coal, beware of high moisture content. Coal with high moisture content may be cheaper but when one considers the heat energy needed to dry the coal-it may not be economical at all.
- Lignite coal has a high moisture content and lower heating value which can increase the maintenance required on a boiler/furnace which will ultimately increase the overall heating cost.
Sub-Bituminous Coal Specs
| Source | Moisture | Ash | Volatile Matter | Fixed Carbon | Heat Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | 7.5% | 5.6% | 39.7% | 47.2% | 12,510 btu/lb |
| Illinois | 7.9% | 9.1% | 40.7% | 42.3% | 11,521 Btu/lb |
| British Columbia | 6.7% | 11.3% | 34.8% | 47.2% | 11,694 Btu/lb |
| Alberta | 7.4% | 7.1% | 32.1% | 53.4% | 11,651 Btu/lb |
| Pennsylvania | 3.4% | 5.3% | 35.9% | 55.4% | 13,714 Btu/lb |
| Nova Scotia | 3.4% | 8.4% | 32.2% | 55.4% | 13,327 Btu/lb |
Bituminous Coal Specs
| Source | Moisture | Ash | Volatile Matter | Fixed Carbon | Heat Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | 23.4% | 3.6% | 33.6% | 39.4% | 9,372 Btu/lb |
| Alberta | 15% | 6.3% | 33.3% | 45.4% | 10,877 Btu/lb |
Anthracite Coal Specs
| Source | Moisture | Ash | Volatile Matter | Fixed Carbon | Heat Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 3.2% | 11.5% | 9.6% | 49% | 13,027 Btu/lb |
Lignite Coal Specs
| Source | Moisture | Ash | Volatile Matter | Fixed Carbon | Heat Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | 37.5% | 6.1% | 26.8% | 29.6% | 6,578 Btu/lb |
| North Dakota | 36.8% | 5.1% | 28.2% | 29.3% | 7,180 Btu/lb |
| South Dakota | 39.2% | 8.4% | 24.7% | 37.7% | 6,320 Btu/lb |
| Texas | 33.7% | 7.3% | 29.3% | 29.7% | 7,352 Btu/lb |
| Ontario | 46.7% | 7.4% | 30.2% | 16% | 5,288 Btu/lb |
| Saskatchewan | 33.5% | 6.7% | 24% | 35.8% | 7,567 Btu/lb |
Can the Portage & Main Outdoor Water Furnace be installed by Joe the Plumber?
We are looking for Joe the Plumber to do installs.
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