Burning wet coal

NorthernIndiana · By: **NorthernIndiana** On: Thu Feb 28, 2013 11:07 pm

My fall load of coal was really dusty this year, so on the advice of my neighbors I've been dumping a cup of water in each bucket. Keeps the dust down but sometimes I get a little to aggressive with the water and end up with steam clouds of sulfur smelling vapor when I toss it in the hopper. Any health risk to this?

The water is black with little coal dust particles so I assume its just all burning off. I get a nose-full and could careless about myself, but my wife probably wonders about the kids.

Thanks in advance.

SMITTY · By: **SMITTY** On: Thu Feb 28, 2013 11:18 pm

Highly doubt there's any health risk, but I'd be concerned with the stove metal & connector pipe getting daily doses of hot water vapor + flyash (which = sulphuric acid). I have stainless steel items that nearly disintegrated from being in my damp basement for the summer with flyash not cleaned off them. I'd keep water far, FAR away from my stove if I could.

Oil is a MUCH better way to keep the dust down.

dcrane · By: **dcrane** On: Thu Feb 28, 2013 11:24 pm

smitty is totally right here... DONT use water, use oil... any oil! I use peanut oil when i get it at job lot for a $1 a gallon throw it in a pump sprayer and go to town! it will add BTU value to the coal, cut the dust 10x better then water AND you wont ruin your stove and stove pipe.

NorthernIndiana · By: **NorthernIndiana** On: Thu Feb 28, 2013 11:25 pm

I hadn't thought about that, but that's a good point. I know if I leave my stove pipe in a high moisture area during the summer it deteriorates very quickly.

Oil, what kind of oil and how do I coat the coal with it? I have about 1 ton left in a 4x4x8 bin in the yard.

NorthernIndiana · By: **NorthernIndiana** On: Thu Feb 28, 2013 11:28 pm

Do you just spray the top of each bucket full or do you saturate your pile in the bin?

SMITTY · By: **SMITTY** On: Thu Feb 28, 2013 11:30 pm

If it were me I'd just dump used motor oil in a empty Windex spray bottle and have at it.

Vegetable oil or peanut oil would be cleaner, but MUCH more $$$. I'm a cheap bastard.

Doing an entire bin, a bucket would certainly be faster, but spreading it around would be pain I would think ...

NorthernIndiana · By: **NorthernIndiana** On: Thu Feb 28, 2013 11:54 pm

Sounds like a plan, I'll try it tomorrow. Thanks smitty.

Berlin · By: **Berlin** On: Fri Mar 01, 2013 12:36 am

I prefer a light mineral oil: http://www.horseloverz.com/First-Aid/15 ... allon.html

It's light, thin, clean, and has no odor.

Some people have had good luck with vegetable/peanut oils but they have certain properties that I feel could be problematic.

dcrane · By: **dcrane** On: Fri Mar 01, 2013 6:11 am

NorthernIndiana wrote:Do you just spray the top of each bucket full or do you saturate your pile in the bin?

because oil lasts over a year most people do this during the pour/delivery of their coal if its coming in a dump. you can try/use any kind of oil... I find peanut to be cheap at job lot and has no smell (I suppose motor oil would last longer but I think motor oil is more expensive then job lot oil). I can remember as a kid it was my job to spray the coal as my dad would instruct the driver to dump it at a fairly slow rate down the ramp into the basement, but you can simply coat the outer layer in your bin if its not possible for you to hit it quick as it comes in.

In PA the coal is pre oilled (or at least they did this years ago), but by the time it ever comes up here on trains and out to retailers and then finally delivered to you its been over a year since it was oiled :mad:

...There are some serious advantages to being a coal burner in PA :lol:

63roundbadge · By: **63roundbadge** On: Fri Mar 01, 2013 10:05 am

I simply have a 2 liter soda bottle, I drilled about 10 holes in the cap. When I shovel a hodfull, I sprinkle the top of the hod just to settle the dust. I probably get 12 hodsfull out of the 2 liters, just enough moisture to settle the dust. AND the bottle can be squeezed when I'm in a hurry...

BTW I've been reminded by my LW of the days of sprinkling shirts, and storing them in the fridge until ironing day prior to permanent-press.

dcrane · By: **dcrane** On: Fri Mar 01, 2013 4:25 pm

63roundbadge wrote:I simply have a 2 liter soda bottle, I drilled about 10 holes in the cap. When I shovel a hodfull, I sprinkle the top of the hod just to settle the dust. I probably get 12 hodsfull out of the 2 liters, just enough moisture to settle the dust. AND the bottle can be squeezed when I'm in a hurry...

BTW I've been reminded by my LW of the days of sprinkling shirts, and storing them in the fridge until ironing day prior to permanent-press.

thats a novel idea :idea:

just make sure your filling the soda bottle with oil and not water.

Ctyankee · By: **Ctyankee** On: Fri Mar 01, 2013 4:32 pm

I would be afraid of using a food source oil. It might attract rodents.

joeq · By: **joeq** On: Fri Mar 01, 2013 5:22 pm

Hey Smitty, I've always got used motor oil around, and it's getting harder and harder to get rid of it. I've used it for soaking fence posts, bottom of shed framing, and now you're saying it's OK to put on coal? I'm using anthracite, up stairs in the living space, and really don't seem to have a dust problem. Is it worse with stove coal, or bit?

Lightning · By: **Lightning** On: Fri Mar 01, 2013 5:30 pm

joeq wrote:Hey Smitty, I've always got used motor oil around, and it's getting harder and harder to get rid of it. I've used it for soaking fence posts, bottom of shed framing, and now you're saying it's OK to put on coal? I'm using anthracite, up stairs in the living space, and really don't seem to have a dust problem. Is it worse with stove coal, or bit?

I didn't love using old motor oil.. Made the basement smell like a mechanics shop. Then when the oil vaporized and flashed in the furnace, it smelled like a burnt down mechanics shop... :lol:

I decided to handle the coal with some ginger and finesse instead of coating it with something. I've acquired a likeness to the natural scent of burning anthracite and oil just ruined it for me. I suppose wetting the pile down is ok, but an excessive amount of moisture going thru the furnace and stove pipes is not going to inhibit corrosion, if ya catch my drift 8-)

63roundbadge · By: **63roundbadge** On: Fri Mar 01, 2013 8:25 pm

dcrane wrote:
63roundbadge wrote:I simply have a 2 liter soda bottle, I drilled about 10 holes in the cap. When I shovel a hodfull, I sprinkle the top of the hod just to settle the dust. I probably get 12 hodsfull out of the 2 liters, just enough moisture to settle the dust. AND the bottle can be squeezed when I'm in a hurry...

BTW I've been reminded by my LW of the days of sprinkling shirts, and storing them in the fridge until ironing day prior to permanent-press.

thats a novel idea just make sure your filling the soda bottle with oil and not water.

Why oil? The small amount of water works fine, not enough to create steam or cause any other problem. just enough used to dampen the dust.

I've finally got validation from my LW after 26 years of coal usage that it's not dirty albeit toasty and cheap. i don't think I want to throw that all away for oil stains on the carpet or some other catastrophe.

When i buy a few bags of Blaschak nut to supplement on cold nights, the coal in the bag is only wetted by water. A partially used bag dries up after a few days of being opened.

I've got gallons of transmission fluid and drain oil that I'd love to get rid of. The rental company around the corner used to use it for their heat, they've since converted to natural gas.

Gotta find a new outlet for it.

Burning wet coal

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