Re: oil vs coal firing

I think the main difference would be the controls really. Stoker jet valves are eliminated. Stoker booster valve is eliminted. But the main thing is the firing valve set up. Of course there still is the blower. And you really want to watch your smoke, thats pretty much how you "look" at your fire with an oil burner. Course a coal burner, you can tell you have a good fire if you have a nice bright and even blanket of coal, and very little smoke, even if the engine is working.
Coal is alot more forgiving in a sense. Oil can back fire on you if you loose your fire and then you ignite again in the wrong way, making a nice little pop! But then again oil is alot less work, unless you have a stoker on the coal burner. Theres a certain way to bringing your fire up with an oil burner. I think its blower then shortly after, give it some oil, then atomizer, or something like that... maybe its atomizer before oil.
Kevin Bush