This post is dedicated to my friend Hollie!
About a year ago when Hollie found out that we heat our house with a coal furnace she could not believe that people actually still in this day and age have coal furnaces...that people actually shovel coal into a fire to heat their house. She suggested opening my basement as a museum for tours.:) I promised her that I would blog about the coal furnace for all to learn and enjoy...without me having to clean the basement. I agree with Hollie that coal furnaces are as old as the hills. My sister's comment the first time she saw it was - "This really is old...like the olden days!" Yes, it really is old...like the olden days. It is the one thing (other than just one bathroom) that I really hate about this house. We have had to learn ALOT over the past 10 years about how to work and run a coal furnace. For instance...you can't adjust the thermostat. You set it at about 72 and sometimes you are smoldering hot and sometimes very chilly. We either open windows or grab some blankies...but we NEVER adjust the thermostat. Why you ask? Well...when you do it causes the coal furnace to back-up. What is back-up you ask? When extremely stinky, thick black smoke comes billowing out of every crack of the furnace. It can take a very long time to get the smell out of the house. The "furnace is backing-up" are the 3 most dreaded words in our house. So, how do we look at having a coal furnace (since we actually have zero other options where we live!) as a positive thing? We have heard over and over in our "How to be Prepared" class at church that coal is the very best way and is going to be the cheapest way to heat homes in the future. :) So...we really are just a step ahead of you - I guess infact that would make us...well...not a museum at all.
Here us how it works:
This is the truck delivering coal to the coal room.
I (yes -me...Ryan has a bad back remember) shovel the coal into a bucket and dump it into this. It is called the Hopper. I usually have to put 3-5 buckets full every night.
The hopper pushes the coal slowly into this - the main part of the furnace and after the coal burns it turns into clinkers that I get to take out every night also.
What is a clinker? These are clinkers! These are actually small clinkers because we have just started burning for the year...clinkers can get big and HEAVY!
So - there you go...all a little smarter!:)
8 comments:
Thats awesome lol.. In my parents old house we had a coal furnise to know all about it lol!!!!! I didn't know anyone else had one anymore lol.
Very cool! lol Our old house in Salem has a coal room and I'm sure at one point it was used to heat the house but I don't think my parents ever used it while we lived there. We called that room the dungeon and friends that had never seen it before were amazed that we had such a thing at our house. It's cool to see that and recognize it. :)
People still have coal over in these parts but most of us have oil and use steam heat. Nice to finally see all the mysteries of your home-very cool!
PS-you are one tough lady!
My family had a coal furnice in Rigby...I loved watching Brock pout over having to do the dirty work! :o) And your right....you are a step ahead!
Natalie, that is just crazy! What a job! Sorry to hear about Dallin. Nathan has the same thing I think. Hopefully they'll both be better soon!
Ok!! You are so silly. Im still coming over to see this in person. PS the only reason why the preparedness people say it's gonna be the cheapest way to heat the house is because you will have to charge admission for people, like me to come see it for real and then you can afford the coal from all the admission fees!! Ha Ha. So glad to catch up with you for a sec. I've officially already started my count down to Christmas. (and when I get to come "Home" again) Hope it goes fast. Keep shoveling that coal every night!
Natalie, I'm confused, are you related to that girl that is the equivalent of three capable adults, or are you that girl? You rock, sis. :)
wow, what a woman, Natalie... that is very educational... I hear you about the one bathroom, we have had some lil' accidents because of the "one bathroom situation" I had no idea it was such a big thing, I have heard that they took up a whole room before, but never seen one.
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