how to keep down the coal dust from bins in the house

I was wondering if anyone had some valuable info on eliminating or reducing the coal dust involved with storing rice coal in their basements for use? My wife is flipping out over the added work of cleaning up after this nuisance dust. I currently am wetting down the bin on a bi-weekly basis, and that has helped somewhat but is still not to her satisfaction. I heard their is some type of oil that can be sprayed onto the stored coal that greatly reduces this problem. From what little I know about burning coal (I'm currently using a harmon stoker in my basement, 2nd year) the black coating that layers everything in my basement is from pouring the buckets of coal into the hopper. Thanks in Advance!!!

Get a small garden pesticide sprayer and dampen the coal with water you are about to use. The coal will burn wet. The oil exists and is used but other than that I don't have and info.

I don't think there is anyway to avoid all of the dust. I take the hose from my shop vac and rest it on the edge of the hopper while filling. You can see lots of coal dust being sucked in but I still get some excess dust. Also, the slower you pour it in, the less dust is raised. It's a draw back to coal but considering all the $$ we save, I consider it a minor one. Coating with oil it seems would have to be done prior to receiving the coal. If I sprayed the coal in my bin, I would only be covering the top layer. When you dig in with a shovel, you are getting coal from well below the surface.
I had planned to install a hooded exhaust fan over my hopper with a flex hose to the outside so that I could use it during fillings but it didn't get done. Maybe for next season.

i plan to do just that. but coal dust is an explosion hazard, so i plan to install a very high cfm blower with an external motor, sucking out of the coal bin (which is covered) and also from the hopper area, blowing out the side of the house.

i will use a bathroom fan timer switch, and give it ten mins so it clears out any remaining dust before it has a chance to settle.

also, i noticed when i blow my nose after moving the coal, its black. not that its all that bad for ya, but its an irritant. so i wear a respirator. once i have the neg pressure vent fan hooked into the bin, i should be breathing only fresh air.

Why install all those expensive exhaust fans? Just do like the admin said. I put water on my coal before I move it everytime and have had no problems with dust. I have a regular garden hose hooked up in my bin and spray it for about 30 seconds everytime and that is it.

BurninCoalInRI wrote:but coal dust is an explosion hazard,

Never going to happen unless you get a big chunk and run it on a belt sander for a while. Even then you would probablly need a significant source of flame to set it off. I've never heard of this happening to a homeowner in the present or historically.... Maybe a show for Myth Busters.

Somebody whishes to try I'll host the video.

with my luck? i'd be the first!

The last load of nut coal I got was sprayed with Veg. oil. What a difference. When it was put in the basement I had zero coal duct. I mean none. I sprayed the floor with water before he got there, so their was not dust from the old coal. Their something to be said for that oil coated coal.

Don