My Coal Vac Project
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I know there are already coal vac threads on here.. but I'm starting another one
I got a 16 gallon drum from my uncle... added a 4" PVC adapter to bottom, rubber flapper attached.. Then a 1 1/2 inch 90 angle into drum.. and another straight out. Have a 4.5 gallon shop vac.. and instead of PVC pipe, I bought a 2" see through flexible smooth hose to suck the coal (so I can see for clogs/flow/etc..) I did a test run tonight and sucked up two 5 gallon buckets of coal in about 30 seconds.. it was fantastic!!! Now that I know how well it works, I will be doing proper plumbing.. and drilling a 2" hole in my garage wall to get to my coal box outside. This is the cheapest and best idea EVER.. Esp. since it's a PITA to get that last bit of coal from an almost empty bin.. now I can just suck it up After I'm completed, There will be many pics and a video.
I got a 16 gallon drum from my uncle... added a 4" PVC adapter to bottom, rubber flapper attached.. Then a 1 1/2 inch 90 angle into drum.. and another straight out. Have a 4.5 gallon shop vac.. and instead of PVC pipe, I bought a 2" see through flexible smooth hose to suck the coal (so I can see for clogs/flow/etc..) I did a test run tonight and sucked up two 5 gallon buckets of coal in about 30 seconds.. it was fantastic!!! Now that I know how well it works, I will be doing proper plumbing.. and drilling a 2" hole in my garage wall to get to my coal box outside. This is the cheapest and best idea EVER.. Esp. since it's a PITA to get that last bit of coal from an almost empty bin.. now I can just suck it up After I'm completed, There will be many pics and a video.
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Oh Yes Coal *censored*...
- davidmcbeth3
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like artificial blood ... the holy grail ...
Good strategy doing the test run first. You may want to do some trial runs before making anything permanent out to the bin if you can. A few tweaks may be needed to get best performance.
Make sure you seal all the pipes into the barrel good. Mine has developed a whistle so I know I have a leak on top. It has taken away some suction which makes me tap the intake pipe once in a while to get the flow going again. There isn't much room to look at the top of the barrel or bring it down if I need to so I have been living with it, will probably wait until the end of the season to fix it if I can.
Love to see progress pics as well as the finished set up!
Make sure you seal all the pipes into the barrel good. Mine has developed a whistle so I know I have a leak on top. It has taken away some suction which makes me tap the intake pipe once in a while to get the flow going again. There isn't much room to look at the top of the barrel or bring it down if I need to so I have been living with it, will probably wait until the end of the season to fix it if I can.
Love to see progress pics as well as the finished set up!
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In my setup, I took threaded PVC pipe and then used a metal nut with grip to tighten it to the barrel.. then I siliconed the living crap out of it
But as far as the end that sucks coal.. my coal bin is outside, and looks like a mini house. Has a roof in hinges, so both sides lift up.. and then there is a door at the bottom that slides up. I don't think I'm going to jam the hose in there and leave it.. I think I'm going to go outside and hand suck the coal for now. I know most people do this so they dont' have to lift a finger, but I don't mind doing this for now because I won't have to lift a bucket anymore, it will only eat up maybe 15 minutes of my time, and I'll only have to do it every week maybe.. esp. having a 16 gallon reserve on top
ONLY thing I can't figure out.. is how to get ALL the coal to fall from the bucket? Around the bottom edges, quite a bit doesn't fall out.. Gonna have to design a cone or something.
But as far as the end that sucks coal.. my coal bin is outside, and looks like a mini house. Has a roof in hinges, so both sides lift up.. and then there is a door at the bottom that slides up. I don't think I'm going to jam the hose in there and leave it.. I think I'm going to go outside and hand suck the coal for now. I know most people do this so they dont' have to lift a finger, but I don't mind doing this for now because I won't have to lift a bucket anymore, it will only eat up maybe 15 minutes of my time, and I'll only have to do it every week maybe.. esp. having a 16 gallon reserve on top
ONLY thing I can't figure out.. is how to get ALL the coal to fall from the bucket? Around the bottom edges, quite a bit doesn't fall out.. Gonna have to design a cone or something.
I agree there is coal inside the barrel taking up space that it would be nice to have run to the flange. My barrel has no lid so there is no way for me to insert a cone in there. So I live with the coal cone, can't complain though since it only takes a flip of the switch to fill it.
ideas for you for the future...
pic of where my 2" intake pipe enters the back of the bin... Where it comes through inside the bin wall. I sleeved it in a 4" piece of pipe I had lying around.... If you are outside handling the intake pipe and the vac is inside, I have found this to be useful.
http://www.christmascentral.com/p-244393-stanley-remote-cont ... HwodFJEGAg
We already had it for Christmas stuff so I didn't go buy it but just expanded the time its in use from 2 weeks to 4 months.
ideas for you for the future...
pic of where my 2" intake pipe enters the back of the bin... Where it comes through inside the bin wall. I sleeved it in a 4" piece of pipe I had lying around.... If you are outside handling the intake pipe and the vac is inside, I have found this to be useful.
http://www.christmascentral.com/p-244393-stanley-remote-cont ... HwodFJEGAg
We already had it for Christmas stuff so I didn't go buy it but just expanded the time its in use from 2 weeks to 4 months.
Last edited by titleist1 on Wed. Jan. 27, 2016 1:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- CoalisCoolxWarm
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deleted
Last edited by CoalisCoolxWarm on Wed. Jan. 27, 2016 1:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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This is what I'm looking for.. great ideas. I can put a 3" pipe from inside to outside bin... and buy that remote.. that would save me from running in and out. Genius!! Oh and trust me... I"m the pic king. When I am done, you will have pics of inside of barrel.. outside... demsions.. etc.. I hate when I see an awesome idea online and stuff is missing.titleist1 wrote:I agree there is coal inside the barrel taking up space that it would be nice to have run to the flange. My barrel has no lid so there is no way for me to insert a cone in there. So I live with the coal cone, can't complain though since it only takes a flip of the switch to fill it.
ideas for you for the future...
pic of where my 2" intake pipe enters the back of the bin... **Broken Link(s) Removed** Where it comes through inside the bin wall. I sleeved it in a 4" piece of pipe I had lying around.... If you are outside handling the intake pipe and the vac is inside, I have found this to be useful.
http://www.christmascentral.com/p-244393-stanley-remote-cont ... HwodFJEGAg
We already had it for Christmas stuff so I didn't go buy it but just expanded the time its in use from 2 weeks to 4 months.
Still Missing? when I clicked on the links the pics all showed up...CoalisCoolxWarm wrote:Missing attachment.titleist1 wrote:ideas for you for the future...
pic of where my 2" intake pipe enters the back of the bin... **Broken Link(s) Removed**
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Yeah, says selected attachment is not available. I've been told not to use photobucket on here.. but thats why I like photobucket.. these sites are buggy.
- Pauliewog
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Not showing up on mine either. I'm getting the same screen....Attachment no longer exists.titleist1 wrote:
Still Missing? when I clicked on the links the pics all showed up...
Paulie
- CoalisCoolxWarm
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Works now. I deleted my "complaint" Haha!titleist1 wrote:OK...edited the other post and re-uploaded the pics. I was trying to link to the pic that had already been uploaded but I obviously did something wrong.
Do you think 2" is big enough? I'm using buckwheat and have 3" I'm tinkering with to avoid jams and such?
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Stick with 2"... 3" will reduce suction power.. And since I tested last night with a clear hose.. I can tell you that 2" doesn't even really fill up that much when sucking. Unless the coal is frozen or extremely powdery.. it's not gonna jam.CoalisCoolxWarm wrote:Works now. I deleted my "complaint" Haha!titleist1 wrote:OK...edited the other post and re-uploaded the pics. I was trying to link to the pic that had already been uploaded but I obviously did something wrong.
Do you think 2" is big enough? I'm using buckwheat and have 3" I'm tinkering with to avoid jams and such?