Alternative "Vintage"ways to heat your home

[cowboy76]

My father picked up what is called a "Heaterola",...of course this might just be the manufacturer's name only,...not sure yet.
Anyway, its an old coal-fired heater, that looks much like an old wood heater. They made them to burn oil, wood, gas and coal. My father's came from a close friend's place after the usband died. My father said when he went over to visit and they had it running it would work REALLY well. Gave a cheaper source of heat for the winter time being the "Coal" fired model. Some were known as "parlor heaters"...though I cant imagine haveing something that burned coal in your parlor!! Can anyone say,..FIRE!!

Link to a Parlor Heaterola:
http://userweb.ccomm.com/sfpayer/Pictures/LocalScenes/pages/025Heatrola.htm


I was wondering if anyone here currently uses one, has used one or has any family members who use or have used one? How did they or you like it, etc.?? I know of several around in good condition and was thinking about putting one in my basement as there originally was something similar at one point as we have large cast iron grate in the wooden floor in our living room that would act as a large vent to allow the heated air to pass through the house.

 

[RIOT]

Nice. Though it looks like a fire hazard. I wouldn't mind having one of those non functioning ones just for decor purposes as I still prefer the ol' fashion Whiskey in the liver shots during those long cold evenings.

 

[cowboy76]

Nice. Though it looks like a fire hazard. I wouldn't mind having one of those non functioning ones just for decor purposes as I still prefer the ol' fashion Whiskey in the liver shots during those long cold evenings.

Actually, as I'm doing some research right now on them,....from what I've found thus far, they are nothing more than what you see in many modern homes as a wood burner,....just an older version, and depending on the model, burned wood, oil, gas or coal as mentioned. I'd say the safest would be either a wood one setup just the way modern wood burners are setup on a brick or concreat landing,...or a coal one in the cellar such as what I'm thinking of doing.

 

[LocktownDog]

Would there be noxious fumes in an enclosed room? [huh] And it looks like an old radio. I can only imagine some kid running up to it. Yikes.

Now if you want a vintage way to heat your home ... one word: arson. Alright, stupid joke. For years I've had a large retrofitted woodstove in the house. Not only can it heat most of the 1700sf home, but I can make up a mean soup in the dutch oven on top.

Richard

 

[cowboy76]

Would there be noxious fumes in an enclosed room? [huh] And it looks like an old radio. I can only imagine some kid running up to it. Yikes.

Now if you want a vintage way to heat your home ... one word: arson. Alright, stupid joke. For years I've had a large retrofitted woodstove in the house. Not only can it heat most of the 1700sf home, but I can make up a mean soup in the dutch oven on top.

Richard

Oh yes, my mistake,...on the noxious fumes on the coal fired one,...I forgot to mention that the one my father's friend had used a chimney pipe that extended from the back of it. You cant see very many ads for these where they show anything more than the front, BUT if you look at the first ad for the coal fired Heaterola that I posted, if you look closely, you'll see the pipe running from the back of it, this would go to your chimney. As far as the wooden ones,...you'd think they'd have to have somekind of similar setup to the one I just described tht burns coal. Come to think of it, if it burned gas, that would be the cleanest,...just like a stovetop?? Hmmm,...maybe those would have been your "parlor" heaters??

 

[Twitch]

Wow the last time I saw one of those I was a little booger in the 1950s.

 

[BigLittleTim]

Calling all Brits: Coal fireplaces

LONG obsolete in the U.S., open coal fires, in a fireplace, have continued to be popular in the U.K.

WHAT kind of coal is used? How do you start the fire? I've tried using coal from a commercial vendor, here in Boston, in my Victorian fireplace, but it won't "take". Is fireplace coal softer than furnace coal? I bought a vintage coal grate, and the flue has been restored and lined.

Any Englishmen in The Fedora Lounge who come home to an open fire of ship's coal on a Winter's night? Any information would be appreciated.

-BigLittleTim

 

[MaryDeluxe]

I went to an auction this summer and ran across a bunch of old victorian coal stoves. They went for under 20 bucks a piece. Bought up by some amish man. They make a nice decorative piece but I would be afraid to use them.

 

[cowboy76]

I went to an auction this summer and ran across a bunch of old victorian coal stoves. They went for under 20 bucks a piece. Bought up by some amish man. They make a nice decorative piece but I would be afraid to use them.

You need to look at the statistics as to how they were used and then how many fires, etc were caused by them. There's a right and wrong way to use them, like everything else, thats all.

Such as, say a hunting rifle. I was raised and grew up around hunting and fishing. I was raised and TAUGHT to RESPECT guns of all types.

Underline, "Taught" and "Respect."!!!

How to use them and how NOT to use them. Education is the keystone element of everything, without it we're lost. There's a right and wrong way to everything, that's all. There are those which use and respect,...and those who abuse and neglect! To much is given, much is required....the more responsibility someone is given, the more responsible they must be.

No, there's nothing wrong with an old coal fired furnace, just the person who isnt educated enough to use one.:eusa_doh: [huh] (that's why I'm learning as much as possible, dont wanna fall into the latter!!!!!) My uncle, since passed away due to cancer, used one up untill he died. Awesome thing, gorgeous! Now the wife and kids use it, because they were taught and educated on how to correctly and ressponsibly use it and how NOT to use it.

 

[cowboy76]

They make a nice decorative piece but I would be afraid to use them.

Hey, they'd make one hell of a mailbox!lol