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Originally Posted by oil pan 4
I have been starting to use the anthracite coal.
It burns very cleanly, no smoke as compared to burning wood, almost no sulfur.
The main problem is just getting it started.
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My dad used to sell that kind of coal as a living
Couple pages of a paper and some small wood chips should do it.
You do need a good chimney though.
A BBQ starter should work, too
You can sort-of
measure coal quality by hardness & shine.
The harder and shinier, is usually the better.
Should take a fair bit of force to crumble two chunks when pressed together.
You can also "hear" coal quality when pouring it out on a concrete floor, into a stove chute, or onto itself - if it sounds kind-of metallic, it'll be OK.
It should also give off little dust
Dull, brittle coal, crumbling easily, making a lot of dust, is rubbish and makes a notably softer noise when poured out.
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I'm sure the cheap stuff burns pretty dirty
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Usually does, yes.
It'd also burn quicker and leave far more residue - meaning it'd still cost as much to heat the same place ... if not more, and you'd need more trips getting it.