Rice Coal Through an Auger?

coalkirk · Post by **coalkirk** » Wed. Mar. 04, 2009 8:24 pm

Anyone loading their hopper with rice coal through an auger? I saw a thread a week or so ago about augers. I was wondering if anyone has done it sucessfully and if so, what size auger? What size motor?

stockingfull · Post by **stockingfull** » Wed. Mar. 04, 2009 8:34 pm

Me too.

hophead · Post by **hophead** » Wed. Mar. 04, 2009 9:40 pm

Here's my take on the auger thing. If you think about it you have to shovel to the auger bin anyway. If you have overhead access from the bin to the hopper I would use an I beam with a small electric hoist hooked to an ash tub. Simply rig a slot door at the bottom side of the can. Find a used I beam then buy a trolley and hoist. The hoist is around $180 for 200 lb capacity. The key is to shovel your coal to a minimum height.

Sting · Post by **Sting** » Wed. Mar. 04, 2009 9:41 pm

This may help some

http://www.maloneyenterprises.com/motor_auger_pul ... y_info.htm

MINO · Post by **MINO** » Wed. Mar. 04, 2009 10:56 pm

My friend uses a 16 ft auger from tractor supply to load his drum for a efm520 with no problems at all. however you have to put a more heavy duty motor on it because you are starting the auger already packed 16ft by 4inch tube packed with coal. because the auger feeds from thje bottom of the bin and when the drum is full you obviously shut the power off and the auger is naturaly full of coal.i have an 11ft auger to unload coal same one from tractor supply and it sure does move the coal I use an old floor stripper motor on it and it stops at nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!

coalkirk · Post by **coalkirk** » Thu. Mar. 05, 2009 6:41 am

Thanks all. Nice idea witht he hoist hophead but my plan is to not have to use the shovel once my bin is full. I'm trying to minimize coal dust and labor. Just the act of shoveling coal from the bin makes coal dust no matter how careful you are. if I had an auger, I'd cover the shovel opening into the coal bin so the dust would stay in there. At the hopper end, I'd put a cover over the hopper so that when coal is loading, the dust would also be contained. I need a 4" auger 8' long to do the job. Are the augers used in EFM's and AA130's the same as a grain auger? By the same I mean the stoutness of the auger itself, the size of the spiral etc. Also of concern is the speed it turns. I don't want to shoot coal across the basement, just into the hopper. Grain augers it seems to me might be turning too fast.

WNY · Post by **WNY** » Thu. Mar. 05, 2009 7:16 am

They fill my bin in the basement from the truck with a 4" or 5" diameter x 14' auger using rice. He just has a small mabye 1/3HP motor with a couple of pullies and a belt he hooks up.

Yanche · Post by **Yanche** » Thu. Mar. 05, 2009 7:59 am

I've considered making an auger system for periodically filling the hopper on my AHS boiler with pea coal. I favor the helicoid type auger used on the A-A boilers. I would buy the helicoid thread and install it inside a PVC pipe. Links to manufactures have been posted several times. Here's one in PA. http://www.augersunlimited.com/Flighting.htm The helicoid ribbon is make by deforming flat steel stock in a special machine that deforms the edges differently so that it coils up. While I haven't tried to price it I would expect it to be relatively inexpensive. The expensive part of it would be shipping since it's has a big volume to weight ratio, i.e. mostly open air. Terry take a ride up to Coatesville, PA and have a look.

hophead · Post by **hophead** » Thu. Mar. 05, 2009 11:11 am

Well you're still going to shovel it fairly high to keep the auger bin full. If you spray the coal once in awhile with water you'll have no dust. Good luck in what ever way you choose to load.

coalkirk · Post by **coalkirk** » Thu. Mar. 05, 2009 1:12 pm

hophead wrote:Well you're still going to shovel it fairly high to keep the auger bin full. If you spray the coal once in awhile with water you'll have no dust. Good luck in what ever way you choose to load.

Not in my case. I load my bin through a basement window. The auger feed will be on the bin floor. I tried spraying with water. It doesn't work very well unless you soak it. Otherwise the coal on top is damp but once you get your shovel into the pile, it's dry and dusty. Also, as you displace coal and a coal avalance starts to fill the void, that creates alot of dust. I toyed with the idea of running a water line around the top of the bin with a mister on it but I like the auger idea better.

Post by **Richard S.** » Thu. Mar. 05, 2009 2:02 pm

If I was in your position Terry it appears you have window right there by the hopper?

I'd dig out around the foundation and build a hopper outside, run a piece of PVC to it like they had at Keystoker. Nothing to break, coal dust during loading stays outside etc. The only thing you need to worry about is freezing but if leave the coal untarped over the summer on your big pile it should dry out enough.