Damp Coal?

 
musikfan6
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Post by musikfan6 » Mon. Dec. 12, 2011 10:48 pm

Hi everyone.

I have a 3 ton coal bin outside my house. It is covered with a tarp. As of late, I've been noticing that my coal is damp. It's not wet, but I wouldn't want it to be any more damp than what it is. Is this going to mess up my coal burning? I don't see how any water would get in when the lid is closed, and the tarp is covering the whole thing and even draped down over the sides.

I usually load up six 5 gallon buckets with coal and bring it into my garage and keep it there to pull from when it's time to fill the hopper. This is when I started noticing the dampness- the other day. My stove doesn't seem to be acting any differently. I know that any dampness is probably pulled off while the coal is in the hopper. But still, I just need to know if this could be a problem. I really dont' know what I'd do to change it if it is.

Thanks all!


 
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coaledsweat
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Post by coaledsweat » Mon. Dec. 12, 2011 11:00 pm

It's condensation under the tarp. It won't hurt your coal but could freeze your coal up if water collects on the bottom. If the coal being wet is a problem for your appliance, keep some full coal buckets by the appliance and it will dry out quick.

 
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Post by franco b » Mon. Dec. 12, 2011 11:20 pm

Avoid damp or wet coal. To evaporate that water takes heat out of the stove. That water in turn condenses in your stainless chimney and will contribute to corrosion. What you are doing is good. Fill your coal scuttle and let it dry by the stove also.

 
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Smokeyja
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Post by Smokeyja » Mon. Dec. 12, 2011 11:23 pm

Try to build a wooden box for it with a wooden lid like a wooden chest of some sort. Plastic will hold in moisture with everything that's in it. It doesn't breath. So build you a wooden chest of some sort and set it up off the ground on a few bricks or cinderblocks. I have this problem slightly because the blaschack anthracite is bagged and I guess it was bagged wet or any moisture that was in the coal will condensate inside the bag and I keep all the coal in the garage. you'll get a snap, crackle, pop as the moisture burns off at least that's what I hear in my stove. The dry bituminous I tried didn't make the noise so I assume it's the moisture. I am building a coal shed off the deck with bins to dump this bagged stuff in.

 
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Post by Freddy » Tue. Dec. 13, 2011 5:34 am

Wet coal doesn't bother a thing as far as burning goes. Most (all?) bagged coal is packaged damp to keep the dust down. If you manage to get the coal completely dry you will start asking why you are getting so must dust as you never used to.

Wet or dry anthracite crackles as it starts to burn. You are hearing the rock break from expansion.

 
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Post by Smokeyja » Tue. Dec. 13, 2011 5:48 am

Freddy wrote:Wet coal doesn't bother a thing as far as burning goes. Most (all?) bagged coal is packaged damp to keep the dust down. If you manage to get the coal completely dry you will start asking why you are getting so must dust as you never used to.

Wet or dry anthracite crackles as it starts to burn. You are hearing the rock break from expansion.
Thanks Freddy! Wasn't too sure about that one. Package damp makes since then.

 
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Post by grizzly2 » Tue. Dec. 13, 2011 6:43 am

Ditto everything said in the previous posts. Build a coal bin when you can. Just damp coal may not cause a big problem with condesation and corrosion, but why risk it. Use several bucket set near the stove to dry out so you are getting 24 hours of drying time when you burn the coal.

Have you tried going directly from the pile under the tarp into the house skipping the garage. Perhaps that will eliminate the opportunity for the coal to build up the condensation. :)


 
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Post by grizzly2 » Tue. Dec. 13, 2011 6:45 am

OOPS, I see you already have a coal bin. Missed that in my first read thru. :oops:

 
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Post by musikfan6 » Tue. Dec. 13, 2011 7:13 am

grizzly2 wrote:OOPS, I see you already have a coal bin. Missed that in my first read thru. :oops:
Yes, I wanted to clarify that: I DO have a coal bin -holds three tons of coal. It is made of pressure treated wood and has a lid on the top and the opening at the side with the boards that slide out as the coal level continues to drop with usage. This is why I can't understand where the damp is coming from. My coal was delivered when it was dry, and the bin was also dry when it came. We did have a HUGE amount of rain for a while, but like I said, my tarp was covering the whole bin, even down the sides. The tarp is in good shape, so I would assume that there is virutally no water getting underneath it- but maybe I need to check it. Still.....
I'm suspecting that it was damp when it was delivered???

 
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Post by freetown fred » Tue. Dec. 13, 2011 8:00 am

my bins sit on 4x4's & I drilled some holes in the bottom to help with any water that needs to get out. With my bulk Blaschak, I've never had a mess/puddle under either of my 3 bins.I guess it all depends where your bin is located & if you can do this. I've got another 2 tons coming today.

 
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Post by musikfan6 » Tue. Dec. 13, 2011 8:06 am

Ya know, I thought about putting my bin up on 4x4 skids, but I didn't 'do it. Maybe I'll do that this summer. I like the idea of drilling the holes in the bottom. My bin is sitting right on the ground- probably not the best, but it's full now, and there's no way of moving it.

 
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Post by SteveZee » Tue. Dec. 13, 2011 8:19 am

Just keep the buckets full inside and its no problem. The last thing I do at night is empty cold ash from morning shake down, then shake and refill the stoves for the night. While the stoves are recovering for a few min opened up, I refill the two scuttles. Then in the morning, I have warm coal to feed the stoves. It makes a differance with recovery times ;) I tell myself. But honestly, I think it is why the hopper/magazine style stoves perform so well. That hopper is full of heated coal that when shook down is quick to light and burn.

 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Tue. Dec. 13, 2011 8:22 am

Ohhhh, I also have 7 old sheet rock compound pails(5 gal.) that I fill every Sat. & have in the back of the house. That covers me for at least a week.

 
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Stephen in Soky
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Post by Stephen in Soky » Tue. Dec. 13, 2011 10:36 am

I'd bet the tarp is trapping the moisture underneath. Is the roof of the bin rain proof? If so, pull the tarp off and give it a few days. If not, at least get the tarp off the sides and on the top only to shed rain. Many farm tractors and vintage autos have been ruined by someone tarping them too tightly and holding moisture under the tarp where it can't evaporate.

 
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Post by musikfan6 » Tue. Dec. 13, 2011 11:08 am

The roof is just made of the same treated lumber. The tarp is only being held on by two cinder blocks to keep it from blowing off. I'm thinking now that it must have been those heavy rains we had, that made it damp. Before I ever got coal delivered, we had rain one day, and I noticed water in the bottom of the bin, leaking in through the lid. That is why I put the tarp on the top, but I'm wondering if it is really working or not. I have to climb on top and look down in and see what's going on.


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