Coal Storage...Just Thought of Something
- swyman
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- Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman-Anderson 260M Leisure Line AA-220 Boiler (FOR SALE)
- Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Pea
So I went to PA and picked up 10 ton of coal and I put it in IBC totes. As most of you have read I am adding on to my house and putting in a basement so I can install the boiler in there. So I have been beating myself up on where I could set my boiler up and where to install a coal bin. I got 5 totes of rice and 5 totes of buck so I would need to separate the two in building a storage bin plus probably make 2 holes in the basement wall to fill them up. I am adding a Bilco door with removable stairs so I can use it to lower things down easily. I could easily lower a tote down there and use a pallet jack to roll them into the basement. No knocking holes in the wall, making chutes, making insulated doors to cover the holes to fill the bins and would not be handling the coal more than once! I have seen some of you do it with giant seed bags, this really would be no different! Has anyone tried it? I could wheel all 10 totes in there!
- hotblast1357
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Sounds perfect! Now u just have to get it into your hopper.... a auger???
- McGiever
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Yes, I do 1 ton each of coal in IBC totes w/ pallet jack.
Delivery chutes coal into totes outside in driveway away from house/basement.
Axeman augers from tote till empty, then swap to next.
Have many ash tubs so I wait till all but one are full then haul them to dump. (no loose ash handling at home)
No shovels, buckets, bags, wheel barrels or dust.
This is only messy if you let it.
Delivery chutes coal into totes outside in driveway away from house/basement.
Axeman augers from tote till empty, then swap to next.
Have many ash tubs so I wait till all but one are full then haul them to dump. (no loose ash handling at home)
No shovels, buckets, bags, wheel barrels or dust.
This is only messy if you let it.
- swyman
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- Joined: Mon. Apr. 13, 2015 9:50 pm
- Location: Blissfield, MI
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman-Anderson 260M Leisure Line AA-220 Boiler (FOR SALE)
- Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Pea
Could you provide any pics if you have them? I just need to see how you install the auger into the tote. Need to get my builder to put a 42x80 entry door for the Bilco. My totes measure 39 1/2" wide.McGiever wrote:Yes, I do 1 ton each of coal in IBC totes w/ pallet jack.
Delivery chutes coal into totes outside in driveway away from house/basement.
Axeman augers from tote till empty, then swap to next.
Have many ash tubs so I wait till all but one are full then haul them to dump. (no loose ash handling at home)
No shovels, buckets, bags, wheel barrels or dust.
This is only messy if you let it.
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- Coal Size/Type: Pea/Nut/Stove
there is a whole pictorial on feeding an EFM with totes from pallet jack...
I will see if I can find it...
I will see if I can find it...
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- Coal Size/Type: Pea/Nut/Stove
- McGiever
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- Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
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- Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
- Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar
- swyman
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- Joined: Mon. Apr. 13, 2015 9:50 pm
- Location: Blissfield, MI
- Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman-Anderson 260M Leisure Line AA-220 Boiler (FOR SALE)
- Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Pea
Thanks McGiever, nice looking setup! I wanted to do about the same setup but ran out of time to prep the totes. May look into something like that for the future. I may just come up with a vacuum transfer for this year, would probably be my easiest choice for now?
- Richard S.
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This is a really good idea, the only problem I had with it is the space which was a premium in the garage where out bin is.swyman wrote:
Could you provide any pics if you have them? I just need to see how you install the auger into the tote. Need to get my builder to put a 42x80 entry door for the Bilco. My totes measure 39 1/2" wide.
Video is from one of the forum members.
- swyman
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- Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman-Anderson 260M Leisure Line AA-220 Boiler (FOR SALE)
- Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Pea
I like the bag setup I just can't figure out how you could efficiently fill them? The more I've been thinking about using vacuum to transfer from my totes to the hopper the more I like it. It should pull out all the fines so I will have nice clean coal going in. Guess I should start another thread!
- Richard S.
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You can fill them easily with coal delivery truck that has chute, in the video they just chute it through the basement window into the bag. They use a pallet jack to move them around. The pallet they built stays with the bag so you need a pallet for each bag.swyman wrote:I like the bag setup I just can't figure out how you could efficiently fill them?
If you are going with Bilco door idea you should have no problem doing it with regular dump as long as it has small gate on the larger gate to direct the coal onto a chute and easily control the flow of coal. They will also need to be able to back the truck right up to the door. Even if it's just a basement window that is ground level you should be able to do this with regular dump. As long as the truck can back up to it and it's low enough you can chute it in.
Anything higher than ground level window and/or if can't back right up to it and you would need coal truck. Coal truck doesn't have be right next to it but has to be reasonably close.
Here is another idea for you if you have place to store them outside and move them around with machine. Build the same type of pallet they are using for the auger and a little shed on the side of the house. Use some pvc to pipe it right into the hopper. The only issue here is the coal would need to be bought in the summer so it has time to dry.
The vac idea is also a good one but I prefer simpler solutions, gravity never breaks.
Unless it's excessive amount it's really not a concern. Even then it's the AA's that have an issue with this because of their auger design, it just does not like dirty coal. The auger doesn't spin, the tube does.It should pull out all the fines so I will have nice clean coal going in.
- swyman
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- Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman-Anderson 260M Leisure Line AA-220 Boiler (FOR SALE)
- Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Pea
Richard, that's a sweet way to do it! Unfortunately for me I am no where near coal country so I don't have access to one of those cool trucks. The best way I have come up with to haul the 10 ton I need is to use the totes....at least with the equipment that I have. I love all these alternative ideas that you guys are using, can really spark some new ways at getting a task done! Keep'em coming!
- hotblast1357
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- Location: Peasleeville NY
- Stoker Coal Boiler: 1984 Eshland S260 coal gun
- Coal Size/Type: Lehigh anthracite pea
- Other Heating: air source heat pump, oil furnace
Build a bin and get a tractor load delivered to your house. Then you can just build a small bin in the basement that you can auger into the hopper.
23.6 ton of pea 171.50 per ton delivered from Lehigh.
23.6 ton of pea 171.50 per ton delivered from Lehigh.
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- Member
- Posts: 6515
- Joined: Sun. Feb. 10, 2008 3:48 pm
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- Stoker Coal Boiler: want AA130
- Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS Machine BS#4, Harman MKII, Hitzer 503,...
- Coal Size/Type: Pea/Nut/Stove
Ya just need to put a slicing gate on the bottom of the tote...
Then set it up like the bag system...
Pull the gate open when full and over the receiver on the floor...
You are just swapping a bag for the tote...
Same system on the bottom...
Put rails on the bottom of the tote for the pallet jack...
Maybe cut a square out on the bottom of the tote and sandwich in a wood or metal slicer...
How are you lowering the totes into the basement?...
Then set it up like the bag system...
Pull the gate open when full and over the receiver on the floor...
You are just swapping a bag for the tote...
Same system on the bottom...
Put rails on the bottom of the tote for the pallet jack...
Maybe cut a square out on the bottom of the tote and sandwich in a wood or metal slicer...
How are you lowering the totes into the basement?...