Coal dust

So question, trying to control the black coal dust. I transport my coal from my barn to my house in 5 gallon buckets to dump in my LL Pocono. I have read many ppl water it and some use oil. If I were to water it, how much water would I put in a 5 gallon bucket? Or would oiling it in the bulk pile in the barn be better?
Thanks Dan

this is what you need:

http://www.tractorsupply.com/ideal-anim ... l--2209812

pour the oil over the whole pile.

i have 5 tons of coal in a stall, how many gallons of oil would i need? would you suggest putting on so much and then mixing it up, or just putting it all on top and letting it filter down through?

If you where to pour it over the pile I would recommend warming it first. Or maybe taking an airless sprayer and misting it as you use it. I have tried many methods, pump sprayer older well built - no good. A pressurized canister with different nozzles -no good, a Stihl mini pump sprayer -no good. I am hoping an airless sprayer capable of spraying thicker latex will be up to the task.I am now trying peanut oil because the mineral oil smells a little, but I have not yet decided which is better, time will tell.

2001Sierra wrote:If you where to pour it over the pile I would recommend warming it first. Or maybe taking an airless sprayer and misting it as you use it. I have tried many methods, pump sprayer older well built - no good. A pressurized canister with different nozzles -no good, a Stihl mini pump sprayer -no good. I am hoping an airless sprayer capable of spraying thicker latex will be up to the task.I am now trying peanut oil because the mineral oil smells a little, but I have not yet decided which is better, time will tell.

Careful with the peanut oil, the rodents will love your coal.

Plus peanut oil will go ransid then you can talk smell.

I tried some used motor oil but I didn't care for how it turned out. Number one, it kinda stunk like a mechanic's shop in my basement. Number two, the oil would vaporize in the firebox and flash, which smelled like I burnt down a mechanic's shop in my basement. Number three, I don't think it helped the dust problem very effectively since I couldn't distribute the oil onto the coal very well. SO, I'll just be gentle with the coal and try to keep the dust down that way. OH, I should also note, Having a baro damper acts like a vacuum cleaner in the sense that it pulls in the dusty air instead of that air proliferating up into my living area

2001Sierra wrote:If you where to pour it over the pile I would recommend warming it first. Or maybe taking an airless sprayer and misting it as you use it. I have tried many methods, pump sprayer older well built - no good. A pressurized canister with different nozzles -no good, a Stihl mini pump sprayer -no good. I am hoping an airless sprayer capable of spraying thicker latex will be up to the task.I am now trying peanut oil because the mineral oil smells a little, but I have not yet decided which is better, time will tell.

I'm surprised it doesn't migrate properly for you. Within a few days it goes through my whole coal pile. My coal bin is indoors however and the heat might aid that. I've never had any noticeable smell either - do you mean from the treated coal or when it gets hot in your hopper?

How much do you use for a given amount of coal?

I get mine delivered and it's already oiled. I was told my the fellow who delivers that he uses a lite vegetable oil, he charges $9.00 gallon and uses a gallon per ton but it's well worth it. I have no dust at all and have not noticed any odor, been using this for two years now and very happy.

I have not tried the coal oiling route yet. I have a shop vac in the basement and when filling the hopper I turn on the vac and have the hose suspended above the hopper, a rudimentary dust collection system. I just have a metal clothes hanger on the flue pipe and the hose is suspended on the hanger hook below the pipe above the hopper. It sucks in the dust that comes up as I am filling. I have the drywall dust bags to use in my vac, not just the canister filter. After filling I take down the hose, clean up any other dust that is around the stove from taking out the ash pan or whatever & then turn off the vac.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_12322-20097-906 ... p+vac+bags

I just tackled this issue this weekend. I called a couple of the local coal guys and they said one gallon per ton. I took five gallons of waste motor oil and set it next to the boiler for 24 hours. I then put the oil in an old watering can and sprinkled it all over the coal pile. I allowed it to settle for 12 hours and then opened my coal door and allowed about a half ton to enter into my basement holding bin. Worked like a charm. No dust, no mess, no smell.

Glenn