P.O. Box 3151
Seward,AK 99664
REDUCE YOUR HEATING/HOT WATER BILLS UP TO 85%. with a Portage and Main self stoking coal or wood outdoor boiler.........
Best warranty in the industry
Uses 1/3 to 1/2 the fuel of other brands
Commercial or residential application
OUTDOOR WOOD BOILERS
Portage and Main outdoor wood boilers use 1/3 to 1/2 the wood of other brands.
It's simple, Portage and Main has 11 feet of horizontal heat exchanger and a heating box completely surrounded with a water jacket.
Most all other brands have no horizontal heat exchange so sparks and heat go up the flue instead of heating your house. They also do not have a water jacket all the way around, top, bottom and sides of the fire box. Heat is not absorbed in other brands, it goes up the chimney. Portage and Main, the best, most efficient outdoor boiler made.
If the other brands do not have these features they will burn up to twice the wood.
OUTDOOR COAL BOILERS (also burns wood pellets or sawdust)
Lets get right to the important Facts in and around south-central Alaska regarding coal and coal heating..
It's clean coal.
Usibilli coal from Healy, Alaska has the lowest sulfur content of any coal in North America. It also has no silica, which was the cause of black lung in coal miners years ago. And.......believe it or not, the ash from burned Usibilli coal is approved by the E.P.A as fill on wetlands.
Usibilli coal is much different than the anthracite coal in the eastern United States.
Heating Facts: Coal is very inexpensive
Assuming heating fuel costs around $4.50 per gallon.
Coal in Seward, Alaska currently costs:
$80 per ton (pea size to 3")
The sub-bituminous coal sold in Seward ( It comes to Seward via the Alaska Railroad from Usibilli Coal Mine in Healy, AK ) produces approx. 7600 BTU's per pound or 15,200,000 BTU's per ton.
There is an unlimited supply of coal in Alaska and millions of tons in Seward for sale.
#2 fuel oil produces approx.138,500 BTU's per gallon.
so..........it takes 110 gallons of #2 fuel oil to produce the same 15,200,000 BTU's as a ton of sub-bituminous coal. (110 gallons of fuel oil x $4.50 = $495)
This means coal costs 16% as much as fuel oil at $4.50 per gallon. Do I want to pay $495 or $80 to heat my house, produce hot water, heat a hot tub, heat a swimming pool etc.? Simple stuff...........
If you are in Anchorage, Wasilla, Soldotna, Homer etc., you need to figure in the cost of hauling coal with a dump truck from Seward.
Kodiak coal will cost about $160 / ton via a dump truck and the Ferry at winter rates from Seward. Or a barge.........
F.Y.I. There is approx. 35 cubic feet in a ton of coal at 57 pounds per cubic foot. This will vary.
Other Fuels:
Propane costs slightly more per BTU than #2 Fuel Oil.
Natural Gas costs about the same per BTU as #2 Fuel Oil
Electricity costs a lot more per BTU than #2 Fuel Oil
Fire Wood in Alaska produces approximately 14 - 18 million BTU per cord (4'x4'x8')and has a wide variety of pricing.
But coal stinks........Wrong.... Modern, state of the Art, Portage and Main brand coal boilers burn clean with
clear fumes and a very slight (cardboard like) oder. Less oder than fuel oil or wood. The old coal stoves that sat in houses 50 years ago were awful, they were dirty and stunk. Portage and Main brand coal boilers sit outside the home and simply pump in hot water,
no mess no smell.
Black coal dust comes from unburnt coal that is not contained, the fumes of burning coal are clear and produce no residue on the ground. The fumes go up not down just like other fuels.
But I have to shovel it in and clean out ash and clinkers........Wrong. Modern, state of the Art, Portage and Main brand coal boilers are self feeding (auger feed) from as big as storage area as you wish and auger out the ash into any type of containment you chose. No more maintenance that a fuel oil boiler and just as efficient or more efficient than many fuel oil boilers.
Why are people not using these things in Alaska? Is this a new product or idea?
There are thousands of Portage and Main brand coal boilers in use right now all across Canada. They are just starting to break into the American market.
Why choose a Portage and Main Boiler? Portage and Main coal boilers are the only boiler we have found that is capable of self stoking the "inexpensive" coal sold in Seward, Alaska. We think we have looked at all other brands made, i.e. :
Coalman brand coal boilers need 1 1/4 " coal and under and burn at approx 60% efficiency.
Pro-Fab Brand coal boilers need 3/4" coal and under coal.
Global Hydronics brand coal boilers need 3/4" and under coal.
Pelco and Fossfuel brand coal boilers will take the bigger coal but cost 3 times as much as Portage and Main and are only approx.70% efficient.
Futura brand need 1" and under coal.
There are lots of other small residential models ( Harmon, Keystoker etc.) that use rice size and pea size anthracite coal sold by the bag in the eastern United States. They will not self feed Alaska coal, only anthracite coal.
Portage and Main coal boilers are the only boiler we have found that is capable of using the ( up to 2") coal sold in Seward, Alaska. They are the most efficient, strongest built coal boiler of all the ones we looked at listed above.
Come and look at a Portage and Main Boiler and see for yourself.
