Streamline the Process

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Volant1006
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Post by Volant1006 » Thu. Nov. 14, 2019 11:58 am

Hey guys, thought I'd reach out to see how people get their coal from mine to living room. I'm wondering if there's a better way to stream line my process of getting heat pumping to my house. Maybe if anyone sees a flaw in my process or maybe you do something different that can cut down on time or energy. Basically this is my process.

1. Hook up landscape trailer, drive out to Lehigh Anthracite (Tamaqua, PA) and pickup a ton of coal
2. Bring the coal home and hand shovel it into the coal bin
3. Open the front door of the coal bin and fill a square bucket (recycling can) with coal
4. Lift and transfer the coal from the bucket into a 32 gallon trash can I have on a wheel barrel. Have to fill the recycling can
about 3-4 times to fill the trash can
5. Once full I roll the wheel barrel, with the full 32 gallon trash can, into the garage.
6. From there I use a shovel to transfer the coal from the trash can to a 5 gallon bucket
7. Carry the 5 gallon bucket into the house and fill up the hopper
8. Rinse and repeat

Basically just wondering if anyone has a better similar system. Was thinking of maybe filling a bunch of 5 gallon buckets and stacking them up in the garage. I used to buy bags before which was pretty convenient, stacked like 20 bags in the garage and grabbed one when I needed it, but buying loose saves me $(1/2 price). Was also thinking maybe I could make some kind of ramp or something to get the 32 gallon trash can off the ground to were I could get a 5 gallon bucket underneath it and make like a trap door in the can or something, let gravity work in my favor. Any ideas are greatly appreciated!

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titleist1
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Post by titleist1 » Thu. Nov. 14, 2019 2:20 pm

I think I'd fill the 5 gal buckets at step 3 and store a few of those in the garage waiting to be emptied into the hopper. Back when I did it that way I'd have about 20 buckets in the basement by the stove.

Carrying two 5 gal buckets at a time balances you out...
and lengthens your arms so you may need new long sleeve shirts!! :D or in my case got my arms to normal length so i don't have to cuff my shirt sleeves! :lol:

 
Pacowy
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Post by Pacowy » Thu. Nov. 14, 2019 2:58 pm

I'd fill the buckets at Step 2. Take trailer to/into garage and scoop coal out of trailer with buckets. Stack buckets. It probably would take about 60 buckets to hold a whole ton at once.

Mike

 
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Richard S.
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Post by Richard S. » Thu. Nov. 14, 2019 9:17 pm

Volant1006 wrote:
Thu. Nov. 14, 2019 11:58 am
1. Hook up landscape trailer, drive out to Lehigh Anthracite (Tamaqua, PA) and pickup a ton of coal
Accumulate many 5 gallon buckets and fill them at the coal yard. Store in the bin or wherever.... You don't even have to shovel at the yard, just put them in the trailer to be filled by machine. Tarp in the trailer for easy cleanup even if it has full sides.

If you know someone in construction or the food industry ask them about the buckets.


 
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Volant1006
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Post by Volant1006 » Wed. Dec. 18, 2019 9:13 am

Thanks guys for the replies. So I put down a tarp on the trailer before I got coal. That was a big help. Still working on acquiring more 5 gallon buckets. But for now I'm just going out to the coal bin each morning and filling (1) 5 gallon bucket and dumping it into the hopper. We'll see how that goes when there's snow on the ground, but for now it seems to be working

 
DENNIS BAUER
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Post by DENNIS BAUER » Wed. Dec. 18, 2019 1:18 pm

I have a bin on the back of the garage. I get it delivered into the bin. From there I have 8 5 gallon buckets I fill in the garage then carry into the house (detached garage). In the house I have a bin I built. Tongue and grove pine box with a lid and small shelf in the back. I can dump 16 5 gallon buckets in it. From there I use a grain type scoop to fill the hopper on the Hitzer.
It makes it very easy. I can fill the bin in the house when the weather is nicer. Also the bin is large enough that if the weather is really bad I don't even need to go out into it to take care of the stove.

 
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Post by crazysteamer » Tue. Dec. 31, 2019 11:50 am

thoughts:

get an IBC container (or 3) and have bulk coal delivered to your house and forget the trailer.

Maybe use a 4" grain auger to move the coal into the garage from the outdoor container(s).

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