Controlling Coal Dust

 
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tcalo
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Post by tcalo » Tue. Jan. 06, 2015 8:26 am

I'm struggling to come up with a way to keep the coal dust at bay. I installed a register above my stove and ran duct work through my attic to help move the air around my house. The register has a filter in it but it gets dirty rather quickly from coal dust when filling the stove. I currently use 5 gallon buckets to bring my coal in from my bin. I spray them down with a spray bottle full of water but only the top layer seems to get a good soaking. I've tried to really soak them but most of the water ends up in the bottom of the bucket, then I get a sloppy mess when I get to the bottom. The coal in the bottom of the bucket sizzles like a steak on a hot grill when I dump it in the stove and I'm afraid the water will damage the pot and grates. I'd like to hear how everyone tackles this problem, if it is a problem for you! I never really asked my supplier if they oil their coal, would be an idea.


 
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Post by steamshovel » Tue. Jan. 06, 2015 8:34 am

tcalo wrote:I'm struggling to come up with a way to keep the coal dust at bay. I installed a register above my stove and ran duct work through my attic to help move the air around my house. The register has a filter in it but it gets dirty rather quickly from coal dust when filling the stove. I currently use 5 gallon buckets to bring my coal in from my bin. I spray them down with a spray bottle full of water but only the top layer seems to get a good soaking. I've tried to really soak them but most of the water ends up in the bottom of the bucket, then I get a sloppy mess when I get to the bottom. The coal in the bottom of the bucket sizzles like a steak on a hot grill when I dump it in the stove and I'm afraid the water will damage the pot and grates. I'd like to hear how everyone tackles this problem, if it is a problem for you! I never really asked my supplier if they oil their coal, would be an idea.
one of the biggest downsides of burning coal- the dust. I used to put on a dust mask when filling the pails in the bin, because without it, I got a nose full of coal dust. now I just hold my breath, fill one bucket, carry it out of the bin, and close the door, and start breathing again. :D
the best way to combat coal dust in the house, is buy washed coal. it really has to be washed well before you even get it, otherwise the dust problem can get pretty bad. if your supplier is sending you dusty dirty coal, tell him about it, or change to another supplier. I put up with it for years but lately found a new supplier who washes the coal really good, and that's where I'm buying it, from now on.

 
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Post by ddahlgren » Tue. Jan. 06, 2015 10:41 am

With bagged coal no issue so far and the Kimmels is way too wet. The Blaschack will dry out though and keeping a cover keeps it damp for me.

 
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Lightning
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Post by Lightning » Tue. Jan. 06, 2015 3:36 pm

Here, try this. Pick up a sheet of duct tin roughly 18 inches by 36 inches square. Roll into a half circle and fit it inside the bucket all the way to the bottom and secure it. This is what I use to load my furnace. Its a 6.5 gallon bucket and I can heap 75 pounds of stove/nut mix into it. The coal will slide nicely into the stove instead of tumbling out over the edge of the bucket (which aggravates the dust). It doesn't eliminate the dust but will cut it down dramatically.. :D

I call it the "MAGA COAL CANNON".. :lol:

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fastcat
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Post by fastcat » Tue. Jan. 06, 2015 6:21 pm

How about oiled coal? You can oil it yourself in your bin which will help with the dust.

 
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Post by pete8116 » Tue. Jan. 06, 2015 6:31 pm

I burn rice coal in my Leasure Line Pioneer stoke. This year I started misting the coal with mineral oil
and no dust. I buy it by the gallon at Tractor Supply and just pour it into a spray bottle. Works great!

 
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Post by Rockcrusher45 » Tue. Jan. 06, 2015 6:48 pm

Get your hands on an old pump sprayer, 2 gal is a good size. You know..the one we all use for spraying the weeds..clean it with soap and water
put mineral oil in it as was stated above in the other post, a light mist works. youd be surprised of how good it works!
Andy;)


 
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tcalo
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Post by tcalo » Tue. Jan. 06, 2015 8:18 pm

I have an outside bin. I assume you spray down the coal in the bin, not the 5 gallon pails. Is anytime a good time to spray as long as there is no snow on the roof of my bin?

 
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2001Sierra
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Post by 2001Sierra » Tue. Jan. 06, 2015 8:24 pm

I coat my coal with peanut oil as I fill my outdoor hopper. I used a Wagner Power painter that is designed to spray in all sorts of positions.

 
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tcalo
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Post by tcalo » Tue. Jan. 06, 2015 8:34 pm

If I coat the coal in the summer does it all drain off by fall as water would or does it stick to the coal?

 
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2001Sierra
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Post by 2001Sierra » Tue. Jan. 06, 2015 8:47 pm

The peanut oil is very sticky, my hopper has a coating inside now and it sits out in the woods all summer empty. It would take some pretty hot water to rinse down.

 
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tcalo
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Post by tcalo » Mon. Jan. 12, 2015 8:28 am

So I devised a plan that seems to be working. I drilled holes in the bottom of a small bucket. I fill it with coal then dunk it into a 5 gallon bucket filled with water to wash the coal. I let in drain for a few minutes then shovel it into the stove. Presto...no dust. I wonder if the wet coal will damage anything? I guess time will tell. I'll take my chances, I couldn't stand the dust anymore.

 
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Post by MarkV » Wed. Jan. 14, 2015 9:43 pm

tcalo wrote:So I devised a plan that seems to be working. I drilled holes in the bottom of a small bucket. I fill it with coal then dunk it into a 5 gallon bucket filled with water to wash the coal. I let in drain for a few minutes then shovel it into the stove. Presto...no dust. I wonder if the wet coal will damage anything? I guess time will tell. I'll take my chances, I couldn't stand the dust anymore.
Inability to get oiled coal the past few years has me looking for ways to control dust also. I bought two tons of bulk Lehigh nut last November, and the dealer was able to wash it as temps weren't very cold yet. After my heat pump broke I bought another ton in December, just to make sure I had enough to get through to spring, and they couldn't wash it. As a result, it's dust city in my basement. Even the two tons that were washed were pretty dusty once they dried out.

Last few days, I've used a 1-liter sport bottle filled with water to lightly squirt the area in the bin where I'm shoveling from. I wait a few minutes for most of the water to drain down before shoveling the damp coal into the bucket, then filling the hopper in the stove. I try to avoid having any puddling in the bottom of the bucket, so I'm not dumping water into the hopper.

This results in virtually no dust in the air. I can see the damp dust clinging to the coal in the bucket and in the hopper. When I started doing this the other day, I checked the hopper every 10 minutes or so. Didn't take long, maybe a half hour, for the coal in the hopper to look pretty dry. I guess the moisture in the coal is being evaporated and sucked out with exhaust gases.

Many posts in threads about end-of-season cleanout and summer storage emphasize that moisture + fly ash = sulfuric acid, which eats away at your stove and pipe innards over the summer if you don't clean thoroughly and damp-proof. Not sure if that's as big a problem when the stove is hot.

However, as soon as I can get a gallon of light mineral oil and a sprayer, I'm switching to that method as recommended above. Tractor Supply sells a gallon bottle of light mineral oil for $18.99--here's the link: http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/ideal-anima ... l#desc-tab. If you click on product reviews tab, you'll see a reviewer is recommending it for spraying coal to keep down dust.

 
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Post by MarkV » Wed. Jan. 14, 2015 9:46 pm

I also have a concern about using peanut oil, especially in an inside bin. Seems like anything food-based could draw unwanted bugs and critters, especially peanut-based oil. Peanut butter is always my go-to bait with mouse traps and hav-a-harts, and critters come a-runnin.

 
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Post by ddahlgren » Thu. Jan. 15, 2015 8:57 am

If it dries out in the bin why not throw a sheet of plastic or a cheap tarp over it to keep it wet?


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