delivery of coal. manual says wet is bad

darnskewered · Post by **darnskewered** » Sat. Jan. 26, 2019 10:05 am

I'm new to coal stoves (first season using one, have had mine going for a few weeks now, replaced a couple of parts) Still using a pile of coal previous owner of this house left. I just discovered in my coal stove manual that usually coal is delivered wet and that it is not a good idea to burn wet coal. I assumed wet meant water. However, the local company who will deliver coal tells me they have oil on theirs. This sounds like it should be safe to put in the hopper, i.e. less chance of rust. Thoughts?

titleist1 · Post by **titleist1** » Sat. Jan. 26, 2019 10:39 am

Lightly oiled coal or slightly damp (water) coal is OK. Generally the oiling is done just enough to keep dust down. Rice coal that has been water washed just before delivery will likely be too wet to go right into the hopper.

Any coal that is wet enough to sludge things up will likely cause problems with coal feed and burn.

Harman feels strongly enough about the wet coal warning they put it on the bottom of every page of the manual.

darnskewered · Post by **darnskewered** » Mon. Feb. 04, 2019 8:48 am

titleist1 wrote: ↑
Sat. Jan. 26, 2019 10:39 am
Lightly oiled coal or slightly damp (water) coal is OK. Generally the oiling is done just enough to keep dust down. Rice coal that has been water washed just before delivery will likely be too wet to go right into the hopper.

Any coal that is wet enough to sludge things up will likely cause problems with coal feed and burn.

Harman feels strongly enough about the wet coal warning they put it on the bottom of every page of the manual.

Got my first delivery of coal. They told me theirs is treated with oil and shouldn't be wet and that they have some kind of roof over their coal before delivery. But they also said when THEY get it it arrives having been washed.

Got some inside this morning and it does look to be a little bit wet, some comes off on my hands that seems more like water than oil.

Not sure what to do about that really. I have been setting buckets of it next to the stove for about a day before putting it in the hopper to hopefully dry it out a bit but it seemed a bit damp anyway.

coalkirk · Post by **coalkirk** » Mon. Feb. 04, 2019 9:29 am

Slightly damp coal is fine, wet is not. Also at the end of the season never leave coal in the hopper, dry, damp or wet.

Pacowy · Post by **Pacowy** » Mon. Feb. 04, 2019 9:50 am

Yes a little bit damp is ok. Too much water - or oil - can mix with fines in the coal to gum up the air holes in the burn grates. Too much water can also rust out the hopper prematurely.

Mike

darnskewered · Post by **darnskewered** » Mon. Feb. 04, 2019 10:13 am

Would leaving the hopper lid off help it steam off while its being warmed by the heat of the stove as it feeds? I have it off right now in the hopes that by the time the last load I put in there gets to the bottom it will have dried out more. I'm not sure how to judge what too wet would look like. It's not clumping or anything I don't think maybe that's a good sign.

Pacowy · Post by **Pacowy** » Mon. Feb. 04, 2019 10:45 am

I'd keep the lid on, and try to get any excess water out before the coal goes in the hopper.

Mike

McGiever · Post by **McGiever** » Mon. Feb. 04, 2019 10:58 am

And it's good, if possible, to buy your wet coal months before you would be burning it to allow it to naturally dry.

darnskewered · Post by **darnskewered** » Mon. Feb. 04, 2019 11:06 am

Yeah when we moved in last year we had a big pile of coal, but it just ran out mid winter. I just ordered 10 5 gallon buckets, my next plan is once I get those fill them up and bring them inside so that eventually the new coal I'm putting in should have had a good long time to dry out...

Post by **Richard S.** » Mon. Feb. 04, 2019 11:14 am

You do not want coal delivered to your home that is dry especially if its going into the basement. When I was delivering I had people request it once and only once, I warned them.

Wet is really not appropriate, typically damp. Nut and pea will dry out pretty quick, only rice will hold moisture. A top layer will dry fast enough you can take it from there if you are concerned about it. If it's bagged it's a whole other problem.

The primary issue here is corrosion, burning it damp is not really a problem. Old timers from year ago would even insist on having it a little damp. Not sure why or if there is difference.

arcticcatmatt · Post by **arcticcatmatt** » Mon. Feb. 04, 2019 11:17 am

my coal bags outside are wet and frozen solid.. learned a big lesson this year. Even putting them in the basement a week later I still have frozen chunks

titleist1 · Post by **titleist1** » Mon. Feb. 04, 2019 11:27 am

I have found that rice coal when WET and in 5 gallon buckets does not dry well. The top 1/3 will dry out enough in a day or two setting near the stove but the bottom 2/3's stays wet. I had a couple 5 gallon buckets sit on the bilco door stairway steps all summer and the bottom 1/3 of that bucket was still WET the next fall!

Back in the day....I had quite a few buckets near the stove and would use the top 1/3 out of some of them and then spread the rest into a few other buckets to dry it out over the next day or two....PITA!

Plan ahead as best you can (I still fail occasionally and have had a trailer of frozen coal to deal with

) !

darnskewered · Post by **darnskewered** » Mon. Feb. 04, 2019 12:12 pm

titleist1 wrote: ↑
Mon. Feb. 04, 2019 11:27 am
I have found that rice coal when WET and in 5 gallon buckets does not dry well. The top 1/3 will dry out enough in a day or two setting near the stove but the bottom 2/3's stays wet. I had a couple 5 gallon buckets sit on the bilco door stairway steps all summer and the bottom 1/3 of that bucket was still WET the next fall!

Back in the day....I had quite a few buckets near the stove and would use the top 1/3 out of some of them and then spread the rest into a few other buckets to dry it out over the next day or two....PITA!

Plan ahead as best you can (I still fail occasionally and have had a trailer of frozen coal to deal with ) !

Yeah I was actually thinking that once I get these buckets I ordered, just pour in a little bit at a time from the tops. Does sound like a pain but I can't think of another solution rn. I also am not sure how to judge how wet is too wet. All I know is if I grab a handful of the stuff, it comes off on my hands. But not sure if its oil or water or both. Smells like oil but has the consistency of water.

Post by **CoalJockey** » Mon. Feb. 04, 2019 12:58 pm

Rest assured though that if you are picking it up or having it delivered and it is washed when he loads it, this means you are getting the highest quality product possible. The coal is washed as it leaves the breaker one last time as it goes over the truck sideboard. It makes it a little ornery to work with when it gets cold but the coal is clean and that is #1 here for us.

Coal that is not properly washed can contain lots of fines and that will cause you far more problems than the coal being damp.

darnskewered · Post by **darnskewered** » Mon. Feb. 04, 2019 1:47 pm

CoalJockey wrote: ↑
Mon. Feb. 04, 2019 12:58 pm
Rest assured though that if you are picking it up or having it delivered and it is washed when he loads it, this means you are getting the highest quality product possible. The coal is washed as it leaves the breaker one last time as it goes over the truck sideboard. It makes it a little ornery to work with when it gets cold but the coal is clean and that is #1 here for us.

Coal that is not properly washed can contain lots of fines and that will cause you far more problems than the coal being damp.

Does fines mean fine coal dust? Some stuff came off on my hands but I don't think it was excessive. I really have no idea how to judge it. Haha I guess I'll just see if my stoker seizes up or not.