Do you remember the old Petras? They stood in houses, kitchens, and small living rooms. You filled them with coal, set the temperature, and it was warm.
Perhaps you still own one at home today. Or perhaps you’ve just discovered a new stove that looks almost exactly the same.
And then it occurs to you: “If the old ones were heated with coal, can I also put that coal into the new ones?”
Caution! It’s easy to lose track here.
They look the same, but inside they can be different.
At first glance, not much has changed. A tall, narrow body, a small door, an ashtray, and a simple air control.
However, modern ovens may have a different combustion chamber design, a different combustion air supply, and a different combustion process.
They are designed and tested for specific fuel types, and these determine what can be put in them.
Just because coal fits in the firebox doesn’t mean the stove is designed for it.
Coal stoves – are they still manufactured today?
That depends on the model.
For example, some ovens THORMA KERPEN, These stoves, which according to the manufacturer are also known as Petra, allow the burning of logs and lignite briquettes.
Other stoves with a similar appearance may only be designed for wood burning.
Pay attention to the difference between coal and coal briquettes. If the manufacturer permits the use of lignite briquettes, this does not automatically mean that you can also use loose lignite or bituminous coal.
The permissible fuels can always be found in the operating instructions and technical documentation of the respective stove.
And what happens if I use a different fuel?
Different fuels can have different calorific values, combustion processes, and air supply requirements.
If the oven is not designed for the respective fuel, there is a risk of overheating or damage to the combustion chamber, incomplete combustion, increased emissions and problems with the exhaust system.
Therefore, it is not a good idea to test what the oven can “withstand”.
How can I find this out before buying?
It’s very simple. Just find the relevant setting in the technical parameters. Permitted fuel.
- Wood: Use the firewood specified by the manufacturer.
- Wood and wood briquettes: only if the manufacturer explicitly permits both types.
- Wood and lignite briquettes: Such stoves are designed for the fuels mentioned, but not automatically for all types of coal.
And if the fuel is not listed in the documentation, do not assume that you can use it.
Our final piece of advice
The old Petra stoves and their modern successors may look almost identical. But a similar exterior does not mean that the firebox is identical.
Before you put coal into your new oven, read the instruction manual.
You don’t choose a stove based solely on its appearance. And you don’t heat it according to what your grandmother’s stove has been through.