how to remove a lot of crushed coal from basement?

 
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warminmn
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Post by warminmn » Mon. Dec. 10, 2018 5:49 pm

My Dad vacuumed up one of those little explosives that you throw onto cement that look like a hershey's Kiss and it blew up his vacuum. The dust inside the machine must have been just right for the explosion. It never worked again.

I powder coated painted many years and there were a lot of precautions and it still happened but luckily never much with me.

There is a gadget that measures dust levels and will shut down equipment or tell you to get out of the rooms. Some grain elevators use something like that, a friend I had who worked in an elevator told me about it.


 
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Post by BunkerdCaddis » Mon. Dec. 10, 2018 5:52 pm

CapeCoaler wrote:
Mon. Dec. 10, 2018 4:05 pm
Vacuum truck fast and easy on the back...
But not on the wallet...
I'm thinking somebody, who thought this would be an option, might have access to one pretty cheap... :annoyed: :stfu: :whistle:
Last edited by BunkerdCaddis on Mon. Dec. 10, 2018 8:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.

 
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Post by CapeCoaler » Mon. Dec. 10, 2018 6:53 pm

Lets hope so...
They are used to dig the hole for corrosion control on the NG lines here...

 
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Post by McGiever » Mon. Dec. 10, 2018 8:32 pm

Lightning wrote:
Mon. Dec. 10, 2018 4:15 pm
Do you coal delivery guys worry about a basement explosion when pouring in tons of coal?

Is there warnings on bagged coal about coal dust explosions? I've never looked, maybe there is.
Most coal deliveries are delivered wet...

Take a soda straw and put in a wee bit of flour used to make bread, open your Clayton's loading door and blow it in really hard...tell us what happens. And consider what would happen with much higher percentage of available carbon in another dust might do.

Coal ground up in a ball mill to the consistency of face powder is what is blown in to fuel coal boilers in a powerhouse.

This is starting to sound like a thread last year where the guy used a battery-powered pump that was built like a cheao flashlight to pump gasoline in his lawn mower and didn't see any potential problems. :roll:

 
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Post by CapeCoaler » Mon. Dec. 10, 2018 8:57 pm

Baby powder lights up nice too...
when blown into the air...
Sparkles nicely...

 
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Post by franco b » Mon. Dec. 10, 2018 9:58 pm

Dampen it.
5 gallon buckets.
Lots of work. And what do you do with it?

Figuring out how to burn it would be better.

 
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Post by Lightning » Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 4:42 am

McGiever wrote:
Mon. Dec. 10, 2018 8:32 pm
This is starting to sound like a thread last year where the guy used a battery-powered pump that was built like a cheao flashlight to pump gasoline in his lawn mower and didn't see any potential problems.
Wow interesting story. After hearing about all this risk, I'm just astonished that I've never heard of anyone blowing their house sky high over coal dust. Or have they? I mean, I'm legitimately concerned. :eh:


 
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Post by McGiever » Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 9:29 am

The OP is not dealing with any coal delivery here.
It has already been stated here that conditions need be just so to trigger an explosion...do you know your comment reach only the cases of those whom would never reach those conditions?

I just have a hard time tossing out known hazardous advise on a public board that may be dangerous to lives and property of unsuspecting users.

Ever get a static shock off the hose while using your shopvac? Even that can be a sourse of ignition to the 'perfect storm'.

 
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Post by Lightning » Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 10:49 am

I just didn't think that under the circumstances of how we use or move around coal in our basements coal dust could be an issue. But I agree, better safe than sorry. I stand corrected.

 
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Post by Lightning » Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 11:06 am

So, I vacuum up coal dust off my basement floor several times a heating season. Should I not be doing that?

And what about the guys that move coal around with a coal vac. Are they potentially at risk too?

What's your opinion on those two things?

 
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Post by titleist1 » Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 12:00 pm

I would suggest vacuuming the floor up more often so there is not a heavy concentration of dust going through the hose or pipe for a static charge to light off.

The dust coming off my coal when using the coal vac is also not a large concentration in my case at least. And I am only vac'ing 10 gal at most at a time. I could get away with one drywall dust bag per season if i wasn't using it for general cleanup in the basement and on the steps where all the return air dust bunnies collect. Maybe i should worry about the cat hair igniting!! :what:

I suppose if you feel its necessary you could run a bare wire along the coalvac hose or pipe to ground to bleed off the static charge. I did this when setting up the dust collection system in the workshop but there is a lot more sawdust generated than coal dust.

 
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Post by McGiever » Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 5:44 pm

Lightning wrote:
Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 11:06 am
So, I vacuum up coal dust off my basement floor several times a heating season. Should I not be doing that?

And what about the guys that move coal around with a coal vac. Are they potentially at risk too?

What's your opinion on those two things?
To fear or not to fear...did I shoot six or did I shoot 5...do you feel lucky?

Would you store propane and gas cans next to your furnace? Could be okay???, Maybe you'll never have the "Perfect Storm" :annoyed:
Lee, It is all about the concentration level or fuel to air ratios.
I have welded on a full pipeline of jet fuel (no air)...but would never on a empty one as it will blow you sky-high. :o

Did you try the flour or corn starch in the straw trick yet?
Last edited by McGiever on Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 5:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.

 
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Post by Lightning » Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 5:54 pm

McGiever wrote:
Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 5:44 pm
Did you try the flour or corn starch in the straw trick yet?
Haha, no I haven't yet. I've got a sneaky suspicion though that you are setting me up to lose my eyebrows :lol:

 
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Post by McGiever » Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 5:57 pm

Lightning wrote:
Tue. Dec. 11, 2018 5:54 pm
Haha, no I haven't yet. I've got a sneaky suspicion though that you are setting me up to lose my eyebrows :lol:
Okay, then just blow it across the flame of a lit torch at arms length...we did it in classroom in 9th grade this way.

 
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Post by KingCoal » Wed. Dec. 12, 2018 8:37 pm

what was the reason to remove the flooring in the first place ? and what will be done with the space now occupied by the coal ?

if you are just going to install a new floor over the vacant space why not just go ahead and do it right back over the coal. it seems you have little to no intention of using the coal and dust for anything worth while or even as ground cover in the landscaping.

could save you lots of both labor and expense with little positive return on either.


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