Coalpail.com Forum

My coal stove is in my basement so I keep several metal ash cans outside above my bilco doors. Every day I empty the ash in the cans and when they are all full (usually 7-10 days) I put them in my truck and dump the ash at a friends. He has an alley that is nothing but potholes. The ash makes a great filler. Also by leaving the ash outside in the cans everyday moisture eliminates the dust.

Once his alley is complete I plan on just dumping in areas that are posted looking for clean fill.

Hope this helps.

Mine goes down the ground hog holes.

Hey Hardwood, if you need any help getting rid of the gournd hogs, I'm a long-range marksman. I love helping clear out the 'hogs' from a farm field!!

Greg L

I just put some of my ashes to use, I had a friend coming over with a two wheel drive pickup, and I knew he wouldn't get up the drive, I've been lazy about scraping the snow off the drive this year... so I got a loader bucket of ashes and a shovel and spread some traction-ashes on the slippery drive. worked great!!

.

My ash goes into metal trash cans ; once the cans are full (every couple weeks)I scoop the ash back into the same 40lb bags the coal originally came in, then out to the curb for the regular weekly trash pickup.

I put the ash in black contractors bags after it has cooled and put it out in the trash.
Also found another use. While changing out the oil filter on my boiler, happend to dump the container with the waste oil from the housing on the basement floor Used the ash to soak up the spill.
George

Frank B. wrote:My ash goes into metal trash cans ; once the cans are full (every couple weeks)I scoop the ash back into the same 40lb bags the coal originally came in, then out to the curb for the regular weekly trash pickup.

Interesting, Frank. Are you burning anthracite?

If so, what's the ratio (volume or weight) between fuel in and ash out?

For my anthracite stoker, I figure roughly 5:1 by weight.

stockingfull wrote:If so, what's the ratio (volume or weight) between fuel in and ash out?

For my AHS S130 Anthracite stoker 125 lbs of pea coal produced 23 lbs 11 oz. ash. Output 18.8% of input. Measurement accuracy +/- 2 oz. Determined on a cold day over 24 hours use.

Yanche

i read this w interest....as I will soon be generating two trash cans full of anthracite ash each week during winter and early spring....nothing convinced me here that I should feel safe about dumping the ash on property marked for growing food products because of the aforementioned heavy metals etc.

Has anyone ever read or heard of a study that said well water and food crops would be safe when in the presence of anthracite ash that has been used for fill?

Cinders and ashes, Oh MY!

Anyone have kids?

I've been putting some in the garbage and some on the driveway. I didn't feel like scraping the ice last time.

we use it on the driveway......what we don't use we are banking behind the garage in hopes that in 100 years some moron will build on it hehe

pbmax wrote:

Cinders and ashes, Oh MY!

Anyone have kids?

I've been putting some in the garbage and some on the driveway. I didn't feel like scraping the ice last time.

Yes sir, mine goes in a 30 gallon can outside, worked great after the last ice storm we incurred over here in Ct last Sunday. My wife and I both have 4-wheel drive, but the youngest has rear wheel only. He and others who ventured down my driveway were having no problem....Coal Ash has wicked good traction properties with all the irregular and sharp edges.

Al F wrote: Has anyone ever read or heard of a study that said well water and food crops would be safe when in the presence of anthracite ash that has been used for fill?

Try a seach on the PA DEP site for information, I know htere has been controversy over them allowing fly ash from power plants and to be used as fill for old stripping pits. I'm no scientist but I don't think there is any concern for the amount of ash you will be producing comparing it to hundreds of thousands of tons they will be using for fill.

If you find anything post it here.

Just threw mine on the icy apron of the driveway.

I've been using them as driveway "sand". Excess has just been added to the manure pile..
I'm into coal home delivery, and have a stated policy of taking back the coal ash for a ten dollar yearly fee; the customer must cool the ashes and then rebag them in the coal bags and I'll take them away when I do their deliveries. No Nails or Rubbish!! I hope to build a small screener to salvage the unburnt/partly burnt coals and then do as others have suggested in adding the ash to potholes in my farm lanes. I also thought I might try mixing a trial batch of concrete (wheelbarrow full) and incorporating coal ash as part of the sand percentage...

Once my 35 gallon metal trash can fills up around 7 to 10 days, I lift it up in my wheelbarrow and head down to the back corner to my yard and dump it. Rain washes it down into the field where the farmer will mix it into the dirt.