Coal Storage...Just Thought of Something

 
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swyman
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Post by swyman » Tue. Oct. 18, 2016 6:47 am

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!


 
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hotblast1357
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Post by hotblast1357 » Tue. Oct. 18, 2016 7:21 am

Sounds perfect! Now u just have to get it into your hopper.... a auger???

 
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Post by McGiever » Tue. Oct. 18, 2016 9:04 am

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. 8-)

 
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Post by swyman » Tue. Oct. 18, 2016 5:55 pm

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. 8-)
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.

 
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Post by CapeCoaler » Tue. Oct. 18, 2016 11:10 pm

there is a whole pictorial on feeding an EFM with totes from pallet jack...
I will see if I can find it...

 
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Post by CapeCoaler » Tue. Oct. 18, 2016 11:14 pm

Found it...
EFM 520 Install With Skid/Bulk Bags Feed
Happy reading...

 
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swyman
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Post by swyman » Tue. Oct. 18, 2016 11:47 pm

CapeCoaler wrote:Found it...
EFM 520 Install With Skid/Bulk Bags Feed
Happy reading...
Thanks cape but have read this one....great read but was hoping to find one with IBC totes instead of bags.


 
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Post by McGiever » Wed. Oct. 19, 2016 12:00 am

Here is a quick overview:

Coal Bin Designs

 
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Post by swyman » Wed. Oct. 19, 2016 2:13 am

McGiever wrote:Here is a quick overview:

Coal Bin Designs
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?

 
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Post by Richard S. » Wed. Oct. 19, 2016 7:55 am

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.
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.

Video is from one of the forum members.


 
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Post by swyman » Wed. Oct. 19, 2016 11:28 pm

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!

 
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Post by Richard S. » Thu. Oct. 20, 2016 4:42 am

swyman wrote:I like the bag setup I just can't figure out how you could efficiently fill them?
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.

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. ;)
It should pull out all the fines so I will have nice clean coal going in.
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.

 
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swyman
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Post by swyman » Thu. Oct. 20, 2016 7:09 am

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!

 
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Post by hotblast1357 » Thu. Oct. 20, 2016 7:53 am

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.

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Post by CapeCoaler » Fri. Oct. 21, 2016 12:14 am

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?...


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