Heating with coal

[dj1701]

I have been heating with coal for a couple of years now. I buy my coal in bulk cause it is cheaper. I was wondering if anyone has any good ideas for a container for the coal. I am looking at maybe 6 tons.

Thanks
Dave

 

[Willl]

Interesting, I know nothing about using coal.

Do you burn it like firewood ?, How much 'space' is 6 tons of coal ?

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

build yourself something like a grain bin?
how is it delivered? loose or in 100 pound bags?

 

[jim_n_nh]

Check out this website for info. Anthracite & Bituminous Coal Forum

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

We had coalstoves when I was growing up. I could still do it if I had to. It would be good to have a bin, keeps it dry. Wet and snowy coal pops and cracks big time.

I remember putting coal in the front to keep the fire all night, learning how to adjust the damper just so, so it burned right, and opening the draft at the bottom of the stove to give it more air and get it going good, shaking the ashes down, taking them out, getting it going in the morning, etc, ours didn't go out at night unless we were gone overnight or the folks didn't get enough in it, it rarely did. Also sometimes getting coal with sulphur in it, yuck, or coal that just didn't burn right. But it sure put out the heat. We had a stove with a metal frame around it, looked kind of like a gas stove, looked nice, had little doors on the side. There was a place in the back for a fan but we didn't have one. I can remember curling up in the place behind the stove with a blanket and reading or doing homework there, was the warmest place in the house.

 

[schmism]

why dont you try to find a used roll off dumpster and get a canvas tarp or something made for the top (with bows out of conduit or something)

I assume bulk means loose coal delivered on some sort of conveyor truck?

or a shipping container that you build bulkheads in with 2x material. you could always leave a 6" gap at the bottom of each bulkhead.

 

[Wis Bang]

Our coal furnace was in the basement, Mom & Dad would get around 7 tons for the winter. Had a little hatch in the front porch and a coal bin in the corner next to the furnace.

It had two wooden posts about two feet apart w/ guides for boards to slide in and dad would put them all in b/4 the coal truck came each fall. Area was around 5' X 10' and was built up around 6 feet tall. By spring all the boards would be pulled put and you had to walk in to get the remaining coal.

My alarm clock growing up was the sound of dad shaking the grates and the distinct two sounds of the shovel sliding intothe coal VRS the sound of it getting the ashes from the bottom.

Puberty also meant carring the 5 gal pails of ashes up the steps and out to the curb till I was big and strong enough to carry two in each hand, just like dad...

 

[Oleozz]

We burn 7 ton of rice coal every year and store it in a coal bin in the cellar. Biggest problem with storing coal inside is the dust that it creates, coal burns hot but is it ever dirty.

 

[Highbeam]

It is not available here but for the information and amazement of readers, how much does this 6-7 tons cost you folks for the year's heat?

 

[tommu56]

A guy at work uses the 4x4x4 plastic fabric bags the coal guy has hooks on the back of his truck to hold bag and dumps in to the bag.

When bag is full he stops flow ties up bag top and lowers it to ground pulls forward and load another bag. they can be moved by loops on top by fork lift he works out of the bottom hopper a couple of buckets at a time.

tom