Coal delivery

My house has a coal bin in the basement. However, the chute opening is around the side of the house, opposite the street. If I was to get coal delivered, the chute would have to make a 90 degree turn to get to the chute. Is it even possible to get coal in there by mechanical means? I imagine that the previous owner must have shoveled the coal in by hand.

Anonymous wrote:My house has a coal bin in the basement. However, the chute opening is around the side of the house, opposite the street. If I was to get coal delivered, the chute would have to make a 90 degree turn to get to the chute. Is it even possible to get coal in there by mechanical means? I imagine that the previous owner must have shoveled the coal in by hand.

Coal doesn't go around corners easily, it really depends on exactly where it's at. If it's more that 15 to 20 feet from where you can get a truck most likely no you can't do it. If you provided a picture of the how it looks I could tell you whether or not it's possible.

Can you get around the house with a truck? I go across lawns just about everyday. Right now it's like concrette and you wouldn't even be able to tell by tommorrow unless you have a really soft lawn that was recently sodded.

Can you get around the house with a truck? I go across lawns just about everyday. Right now it's like concrette and you wouldn't even be able to tell by tommorrow unless you have a really soft lawn that was recently sodded.

Getting to that side of the house in a truck won't work - you'd have to go up a steep grade - my 4x4 won't do it, the grass makes it slick.

I'm thinking the best option may be to have the coal dumped and then use a neighbors small front loader to pour the coal down a chute. However, that raises all kinds of isses, mainly not getting the coal mixed with dirt and building a chute that will work with the front loader.

How steep would a chute have to be to get nut coal to pour down?

Anonymous wrote: mainly not getting the coal mixed with dirt and building a chute that will work with the front loader.

A little dirt won't hurt, rocks will though. I'd suggest a tarp but that won't work. Have the coal delivered while you have the loader there, they can just dump it into the loader bucket. I've done that before, wouldn't have time for that now though.

Anonymous wrote:
How steep would a chute have to be to get nut coal to pour down?

Depends on a lot of things. Coal size... larger sizes run easier with less pitch. Cleanliness.... cleaner coal runs easier. The quality of the coal... good coal runs easier too.

Genrally not much, rice the samllest needs about a 40 degree angle less even. That's across a aluminum chute though.