Coal Vs. Wood Heat

Availability

• Coal is not readily available in all locations; it is mainly available in the states where it is mined. In the United States, coal is mined in 26 states, but is produced mainly in the Appalachian, the Interior and the Western Coal Regions. The most coal is mined in the states of Wyoming, West Virgina, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Texas. Wood is more readily available; you can chop your own wood or purchase wood for burning at any hardware store.

Costs

• National averages indicate it is cheaper to heat a home with coal than with wood. For example, $200 spent on coal would provide 75 percent stove efficiency, whereas $200 spent on wood would typically provide only 60 percent efficiency.

  The price of a coal stove can start as low as $1,300, and installation could cost only about $500. To use wood to heat a home, an existing fireplace can be used, or one can be installed beginning at about $5,000. Another option is a wood burning stove, which can cost from $800 to $3,000. Having a wood burning stove installed can cost from several hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on the complexity of the installation.

Environmental Impact

• Coal is considered a fossil fuel and is not as eco-friendly as wood is. That is, it's a non-renewable energy source; once all the coal on the planet is all used up, it is gone forever. Wood, on the other hand, is a renewable energy source; new trees can be grown. Wood also produces white ash when burned, which is great for gardening. Wood is cleaner to burn the coal, which emits greenhouse gases when burned.

Efficiency

• Wood burns more quickly than coal does, so you would have to load a fireplace or wood stove more often. But it also produces more heat; therefore a larger space can be heated with less wood compared to coal. Coal burns more slowly and so has a longer burn time, making it a more efficient heat source than wood.

Maintenance

• Coal requires labor in that ashes must be cleaned out regularly and the soot must be removed from fire tubes and heat exchange surfaces. The sulfur and fly ash produced by coal can corrode metal pipes, so a technician should service a coal stove once a year. Wood heating sources also require maintenance; the chimney must be swept yearly. Wood heating requires additional labor if people prefer to chop their own logs. Wood stoves and fireplaces, along with the glass doors, also need to be cleaned regularly.