The End Is Near (Thank God!)

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SMITTY
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Post by SMITTY » Sat. Mar. 15, 2008 7:35 pm

Well my 3rd year of burning coal is coming to an end (looking forward to getting on the Harley again!!! :up: I always wonder what I was thinking 8 years ago when I left Phoenix :cry: ).................& I've got a HUGE pile of ash -- not even counting the countless shovelfulls I used to fill in low spots in the road near my mailbox!

We could have a "who's got the biggest pile" contest......( my '79 Mercury Capri would have won that appropriately named title, but this is in relation to COAL!)

Attachments

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Summit of COAL ASH MOUNTAIN

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Base camp of COAL ASH MOUNTAIN

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'08 013.jpg

Side view

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gambler
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Post by gambler » Sat. Mar. 15, 2008 7:37 pm

I think you should sift it all to reclaim any unburned pieces. :lol:

edit: Looks like you have a few big chunks of slate in there. Hope they didn't cause any problems with your stove. You should have been able to pick them out when loading. :shock:

 
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SMITTY
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Post by SMITTY » Sat. Mar. 15, 2008 8:10 pm

Yeah, there was a bit of trash in there, although this year was 100% better than last year, when SEVERAL 2" to 4" BOULDERS jammed the grates wide open requiring cleanout.

Choices are very limited around here. I drive 8 miles one way for Kimmel's or 40 miles one way for Blashak -- the way I overload my equipment, I prefer to travel the shorter distance! :woot: toothy

 
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WNY
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Post by WNY » Sat. Mar. 15, 2008 8:42 pm

down to maybe 1 ton or less, should last hopefully until the end of the month....just going to burn it all up so I can get teh stoves cleaned up...

 
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e.alleg
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Post by e.alleg » Sat. Mar. 15, 2008 9:49 pm

I was hoping the same thing, got down to 6 bags left and 400lbs in the hopper and I bought more. propane is too expensive to risk running out of coal.


 
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coal-cooker
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Post by coal-cooker » Sat. Mar. 15, 2008 9:58 pm

I hear ya. I'm down to about 1500 lbs, the stoves a cookin and its 34 and dropping out. I hope I don't have to buy more for this winter. Now if I could just find a market for all that ash, I'd have it made.

 
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CoalHeat
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Post by CoalHeat » Sat. Mar. 15, 2008 10:03 pm

A little less then 1/2 ton of nut left for the Harman, almost out of buck for the stoker. I'll just shut it down until I can get to Superior again. I refuse to spend money on crap coal.

 
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acesover
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Post by acesover » Sun. Mar. 16, 2008 6:14 am

to LsFarm
Would like to see a pic of your ash pile, you got to be king of the hill.
Acesover

 
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LsFarm
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Post by LsFarm » Sun. Mar. 16, 2008 9:48 am

:lol: :lol: :D :D

Well, I have scraped it flat a few times.. suffice to say that if I hadn't, my one year pile would be nearly as big as SMITTY's pile... his is for three years, mine for one.. I have burned more coal that I expected this year,, around 12 tons.. I was hoping to have a monthly use of around 2 tons in cold weather, but it has turned out to be around 3 to 3.5 tons in December, January and February... March looks like maybe 1.5-2 tons.. so I'm guessing around 12 tons..

This is still dirt cheap for my heating needs., the whole year cost for coal is less than just what December would have cost to heat with propane. So my coal costs are still 25-30% of my propane costs.

I haven't leveled the pile for about two months,, I'll go see if it is worthy of a photo..

Greg L

.

 
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coalkirk
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Post by coalkirk » Sun. Mar. 16, 2008 10:01 am

OK, it's the middle of March and I will admit I'm tired of the regime. It saves me lots of $ and I enjoy it most of the time but around mid March, it becomes a drudge. I'm ready for spring!


 
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Rob R.
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Post by Rob R. » Sun. Mar. 16, 2008 1:02 pm

I'm ready for spring as well. It has been mild in my area all weekend, but it supposed to be 15F tonight with 30mph wind gusts. I let the stove go out for a good cleaning, looks like it will be burning hard tonight.

As for the ashes, I have a 3 acre corn field behind my house. I spread the ashes out and they get tilled in with the dirt in the spring. Considering the soil is a heavy clay-type, the coal ash actaully lightens it up a little.

-Robert

 
daveuz
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Post by daveuz » Sun. Mar. 16, 2008 1:09 pm

I too am ready for spring. I already have been stocking up on wildflower seeds from the dollar store. The people who live next to my father have a short steep hill at the beginning of thier driveway. I dump my ashes there and they love it. In the past they always had trouble going up and down it because it is on a busy truck route and dangerous .

 
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Ed.A
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Post by Ed.A » Sun. Mar. 16, 2008 1:37 pm

I've 150lbs left and I'm only idling along all day ( blower off even) so I'm guessing I'll make it till the end unless we get another decent cold snap.

 
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SMITTY
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Post by SMITTY » Sun. Mar. 16, 2008 8:50 pm

LsFarm wrote: ....I have burned more coal that I expected this year,, around 12 tons.. I was hoping to have a monthly use of around 2 tons in cold weather, but it has turned out to be around 3 to 3.5 tons in December, January and February... March looks like maybe 1.5-2 tons.. so I'm guessing around 12 tons..

Greg L

.
HOLY CRAPPER!! :shock: Yep, you've got me beat 3 to 1 - - I've burned 12 tons in 3 years, but I'm only heating the house -- the garage has it's own oil tank (that was in the greenhouse with a junk warm-air furnace when I bought this place) with a warm-air furnace I bought off Craigslist for $200. I couldn't imagine what it would cost to heat that place with oil !! :shock: :shock: :shock: I'm guessing 10 GRAND OR MORE!! :eek2: :jawdrop:

Good thing your a coal burner, Greg! :up:

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