Wet Coal?

Richard S. · By: **Richard S.** On: Mon Mar 06, 2006 9:30 am

kirk wrote: ....it seems no mater when I buy my coal, it is soaking wet. I don't know about the larger sizes of coal but rice coal packs so tightly together that it never really dries out. I am getting to the bottom of my supply in the coal bin and the coal is still wet there. It burns fine but it can cause corrosion in the coal hopper. Does everyone else using rice coal find the same to be true?

The rice rarely dries out, about the only time you're going to get dry rice is in the summer if it hasn't rained for weeks and the delivery is coming from a stock pile. In this case I add water before I leave the breaker. You don't want to get a delivery of dry coal to your house, trust me. :wink:

Customers have requested it in the past, once and only once.

The nut can dry out, even from being soaking wet just slightly damp on a long delivery in the summer.

Additionally many manufacturers will reccommend that the coal be damp, apparently it's supposed to burn better. Whether that's the case or not I do not know.

Mike Wilson · By: **Mike Wilson** On: Mon Mar 06, 2006 1:23 pm

So besides for possible rust issues in the hopper, is loading damp/wet rice an issue for a stoker? I'd imagine the coal getting pushed towards the flame dries out before it gets there.

-- Mike

Richard S. · By: **Richard S.** On: Mon Mar 06, 2006 2:56 pm

No it shouldn't be an issue, there's a picture here of a old placard from Van-Wert and they even reccommend you use damp coal. The only time I have had anybody have problems is with barley which is smaller than rice. It hold a lot more water and apparently could be a problem....

Just to add water is used heavily throughout the process of seperasting and sizing coal. It comes out of the breaker wet where it's either stored on the ground so any rain there is is going to get into it. Additionally during the warmer months where I'm getting it from it's washed a second time right before it goes into the truck. This removes most of the dust and fines.....

People think you are trying to rip them off but most of the water is drained before I go on the scale. After it's drained you may get 100 lbs of water in a 5 ton load, the dust a debris removed by the water more than makes up for it.

Also note a certain amount of moisture content is allowed and expected.

short · By: **short** On: Mon Mar 06, 2006 6:55 pm

The breaker I use will deduct 10% for water if you get it right from the breaker. No deduction if it comes from the stockpile.

Richard S. · By: **Richard S.** On: Mon Mar 06, 2006 8:14 pm

short wrote:The breaker I use will deduct 10% for water if you get it right from the breaker. No deduction if it comes from the stockpile.

That may make a little difference with the rice but as far as the larger sizes go it's minimal. The water drains out very quickly from the larger sizes. Keep in mind the facility I get it from has piles 10-20 feet high after it comes out of the sizing house which makes for a very large diameter pile. the outside of these piles are well drained.

lime4x4 · By: **lime4x4** On: Mon Mar 06, 2006 8:51 pm

When i get rice coal it's really wet.I can put 3300lbs in my basment with no heat and within a weeks time the coal is completely dry even in the bottom of the middle of the pile. My harman works best with dry coal. I've burnt damp coal but when i get into dry coal i have to readjust my feed rate pushes too much coal when totally dry

short · By: **short** On: Tue Mar 07, 2006 8:01 am

I agree coalman. I used to work at a large boiler plant that used barley.It's amazing ,the amount of water a tri-axle load of barley will hold.Sometimes we would drain the trucks for 20-30 minutes,and our bunker would still drip water.

Richard S. · By: **Richard S.** On: Tue Mar 07, 2006 10:35 am

Barley will be wet year round even off the stockpile. That's almost the consistency of sand though so it really holds the water.

stokerstove · By: **stokerstove** On: Tue Mar 07, 2006 7:42 pm

I purposely keep the rice coal for my Alaska stoker stove damp. I lightly spray the coal bin daily with water, otherwise it drys out. Keeps the dust down. Haven't had any rusting problems in years of use. The hopper on my unit is made of galvanized steel so I'm sure that helps some. At the end of the heating season I completely dismantle, clean the stove, and leave it open to prevent any moisture accumulation inside.