Wet Kimmels

Hi Everyone

In the Kimmels Im getting from Tractor Supply there are several bags that are wet with water dripping out of them.

Anyone else experiencing that?

Regards

PT

Welcome to the world of bagged coal. No matter what brand you buy, this is what you'll get ... sometimes. It's hit or miss. This year, my Blashak bags are absolutely drenched. Were last year too. We're a long, long way from the mines, and the dealer probably stores them outdoors on top of it all.

Thanks for the reply Smitty

How do you dry it out easily?

PJT wrote:Thanks for the reply Smitty

How do you dry it out easily?

Keep it under a black tarp and then bring the bags inside
to store near the stove/boiler.

lzaharis wrote:

PJT wrote:Thanks for the reply Smitty

How do you dry it out easily?

Keep it under a black tarp and then bring the bags inside
to store near the stove/boiler.

So it will dry out eventually even inside the bag?

Thanks Izaharis

So it will dry out eventually even inside the bag?

Thanks Izaharis

I have little to no water in the Kimmels coal I have so no worries there,
just bring them in and leave them in a warm place if possible standing up.

The woven polyester bags will drain any residual water left in them. Polly and Ester were never crazy about getting wet anyway except in the pool or the shower. STOP IT, STOP IT, STOP IT.

The plastic "form, fill and seal" Blashack and Reading coal bags have holes in them from the pneumatic bag grippers when they are filled. Water being lazy like electricity will get everywhere in the bag if they are stored outside with no covering even with pallet bags. This is why I have silo tarps on the ground and covering the bags.
at my place.

They'll never dry in our lifetimes inside the bags ....

What I do is, I open the corners diagonally, 8 bags at a time, and let them sit. The wettest ones I place right against my boiler to use the heat to accelerate the drying process.

The coal never comes out 100% dry, but it's a billion times better than if I were to just open the bag, and dump it right in.

SMITTY wrote:They'll never dry in our lifetimes inside the bags ....

What I do is, I open the corners diagonally, 8 bags at a time, and let them sit. The wettest ones I place right against my boiler to use the heat to accelerate the drying process.

The coal never comes out 100% dry, but it's a billion times better than if I were to just open the bag, and dump it right in.

Does it still burn if you dump it in moist?

PJT wrote:

lzaharis wrote:
So it will dry out eventually even inside the bag?

Thanks Izaharis

In a few months, left in bags with holes poken in them, they would. My experience with wet coal has been to place about 20# in a bucket next to the stove and let sit for 1-2 days and then only using 1/2-3/4 of its contents as be bottom will still be wet wet.

IMO wet coal is not acceptable to be received - clean, dry, and serviceable is how the coal should be received. Wet coal is neither dry or serviceable IMO.

Just my experience. Clearly you have wet coal now so you can post back with your experiences.

PJT wrote:
Does it still burn if you dump it in moist?

Yep - as long as the fire is already established, it just boils the water right off.

What it does do though, is hamper feeding, and rusts out hoppers on stokers. On hand fired units, it's pretty much a non-issue.

PJT wrote:
Does it still burn if you dump it in moist?

Yes but your BTUs are used to create steam lowers efficiency and total heat output

And the steam could be an issue with the stove if sufficient enough to cause issues as it expands (and it has to go somewhere). Don't put a lot of wet coal into your stove is my advice ... like dumping water right on the hot coals ...

So it will depend on the % water contained with the coal. Use caution. I have burned wet coal, it has its hazards.

SMITTY wrote:

PJT wrote:
Does it still burn if you dump it in moist?

Yep - as long as the fire is already established, it just boils the water right off.

What it does do though, is hamper feeding, and rusts out hoppers on stokers. On hand fired units, it's pretty much a non-issue.

Smitty's got that right ! LOL

Thanks for the advice guys!

Coal is usually going to be wet, you really don't want bone dry coal. I used to to be able to get bone dry coal off the stock piles, people would request it occasionally...... Once.

It's been suggested previously a lot of that water in bags is due to storage, it doesn't take long for most of the water to drain out of clean coal.

davidmcbeth3 wrote:

PJT wrote:
Does it still burn if you dump it in moist?

Yes but your BTUs are used to create steam lowers efficiency and total heat output

And the steam could be an issue with the stove if sufficient enough to cause issues as it expands (and it has to go somewhere). Don't put a lot of wet coal into your stove is my advice ... like dumping water right on the hot coals ...

So it will depend on the % water contained with the coal. Use caution. I have burned wet coal, it has its hazards.

Wet coal increases efficiency.....sounds odd I know but its true....when steam comes in contact with glowing coal it cracks to its base components hydrogen and oxygen.....which then burn......the later (post 1930's) steam loco's had often had steam injectors under the grate specifically to take advantage of this.

i know in my stoker on my low fire setting wet coal will clinker badly and dry coal won't......simple proof enough for me, as clinkers are caused by higher heat