Coal Bin Design for an EFM

 
User avatar
coalkirk
Member
Posts: 5185
Joined: Wed. May. 17, 2006 8:12 pm
Location: Forest Hill MD
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1981 EFM DF520 retired
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Jotul 507 on standby
Coal Size/Type: Lehigh anthracite/rice coal

Post by coalkirk » Fri. Feb. 10, 2017 10:29 am

I posted this in my boiler install thread but unless you were reading that thread of course you didn't see it. I've received some good advice from a few members but with all the experience here I want to tap into it all. So if you have any suggestions fire away.

My project for the off season is going to be to tear down and rebuild my coal bin. Presently it's about 4.5' x 7". The size was limited by the placement of my previous Harman boiler which vented out the side so it sat much closer to the coal bin than the EFM which of course vents out the back. This is going to allow me to enlarge the bin to about 7'x7'. I want to design it so that it requires as little raking of coal as possible. I will employ a bin feed trap per EFM recommendation so if the auger has to be removed it will be easy. So the bin wall nearest the boiler will be straight with the auger and bin feed trap. The other three walls will be sloped toward the auger. I know the auger should be up off of the floor to avoid excessive fines although the picture in the manual shows it very close to the floor. With all the combined years of experience and wisdom here I don't want to try and reinvent the wheel. Is there a way to build something in under the auger to remove fines?


 
titleist1
Member
Posts: 5226
Joined: Wed. Nov. 14, 2007 4:06 pm

Post by titleist1 » Fri. Feb. 10, 2017 10:52 am

No experience with auger fines here but if you are looking for a way to slippery-up the sloped walls try using tyvek stapled to the plywood. This is the 4th year its been in the outside bin and its still in good shape. I had it left over and figured I would try it instead of metal since I would have had to buy that. Very easy to install, roll it out and fold it up the adjoining wall stapling as you go. Easy to trim with a utility knife.

 
User avatar
coal stoker
Member
Posts: 355
Joined: Tue. Feb. 17, 2015 5:07 pm
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1986 EFM DF520
Coal Size/Type: Rice/Anthracite
Other Heating: oil fired boiler

Post by coal stoker » Fri. Feb. 10, 2017 5:37 pm

I have installed a skid system on my 520.
This was Vermont Day's design, if you have the basement floor for the pallet jack and the room it is an awesome way to go.
CS

 
User avatar
Richard S.
Mayor
Posts: 15183
Joined: Fri. Oct. 01, 2004 8:35 pm
Location: NEPA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Van Wert VA1200
Coal Size/Type: Buckwheat/Anthracite

Post by Richard S. » Fri. Feb. 10, 2017 8:21 pm

Honestly..... 55 gallon plastic drum with hole in the bottom sitting on a few blocks.

Unless you have a really deep cellar, 10...12 feet the sloped bin idea is not very viable. I had one customer that had a 12*12*12 bin with sloped sides and that worked well because you could dump like 10 ton in it and probably more. With the smaller bin you're just taking up space.

 
User avatar
Richard S.
Mayor
Posts: 15183
Joined: Fri. Oct. 01, 2004 8:35 pm
Location: NEPA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Van Wert VA1200
Coal Size/Type: Buckwheat/Anthracite

Post by Richard S. » Fri. Feb. 10, 2017 8:22 pm

coal stoker wrote:I have installed a skid system on my 520.
This was Vermont Day's design, if you have the basement floor for the pallet jack and the room it is an awesome way to go.
CS
That is a really good idea and I was considering it myself but you need a lot more space.

 
User avatar
windyhill4.2
Member
Posts: 6072
Joined: Fri. Nov. 22, 2013 2:17 pm
Location: Jonestown,Pa.17038
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1960 EFM520 installed in truck box
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Crane 404 with variable blower
Coal Size/Type: 404-nut, 520 rice ,anthracite for both

Post by windyhill4.2 » Fri. Feb. 10, 2017 9:17 pm

Why not just build a tunnel to the center of the bin ? The auger would just stick slightly past the end of the tunnel & could be pulled out if/when needed.The coal that doesn't slide into the auger will just be emergency backup. Sloped floors create wasted space.

 
User avatar
coalkirk
Member
Posts: 5185
Joined: Wed. May. 17, 2006 8:12 pm
Location: Forest Hill MD
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1981 EFM DF520 retired
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Jotul 507 on standby
Coal Size/Type: Lehigh anthracite/rice coal

Post by coalkirk » Sat. Feb. 11, 2017 7:41 am

coal stoker wrote:I have installed a skid system on my 520.
This was Vermont Day's design, if you have the basement floor for the pallet jack and the room it is an awesome way to go.
CS
I wish I had the room for such a system. It's the most efficient method I've seen.


 
User avatar
coalkirk
Member
Posts: 5185
Joined: Wed. May. 17, 2006 8:12 pm
Location: Forest Hill MD
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1981 EFM DF520 retired
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Jotul 507 on standby
Coal Size/Type: Lehigh anthracite/rice coal

Post by coalkirk » Sat. Feb. 11, 2017 7:43 am

Richard S. wrote:Honestly..... 55 gallon plastic drum with hole in the bottom sitting on a few blocks.

Unless you have a really deep cellar, 10...12 feet the sloped bin idea is not very viable. I had one customer that had a 12*12*12 bin with sloped sides and that worked well because you could dump like 10 ton in it and probably more. With the smaller bin you're just taking up space.
I don't understand how this works. How does the coal get into the drum through a hole in the bottom?

 
User avatar
BunkerdCaddis
Member
Posts: 708
Joined: Sun. Jan. 18, 2015 10:26 am
Location: SW Lancaster County
Stoker Coal Boiler: Bairmatic-Van Wert
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: Van Wert VW85H
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Saey Hanover II working when I feel the desire, Waterford 105 out on vacation, Surdiac Gotha hiding somewhere
Coal Size/Type: pea/nut/rice/stove-anthracite, nut/stove bit when I feel the urge
Other Heating: oil fired hydronic

Post by BunkerdCaddis » Sat. Feb. 11, 2017 9:42 am

coalkirk wrote: How does the coal get into the drum through a hole in the bottom?
:rofl: That is advanced level there sir...

 
User avatar
coalkirk
Member
Posts: 5185
Joined: Wed. May. 17, 2006 8:12 pm
Location: Forest Hill MD
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1981 EFM DF520 retired
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Jotul 507 on standby
Coal Size/Type: Lehigh anthracite/rice coal

Post by coalkirk » Sun. Feb. 12, 2017 11:52 am

Must be that magic Mexican jumping coal. I only want to handle the coal once and that's filling the bin. So I will be going with 3 sloped sides to a box on the floor with the worm. A 7x7 bin with 6' of coal is 7.35 tons. Minus out the lost space for the sloped sides I think it will still be more than enough for a season. If I had paid more attention in geometry class instead of to Bonnie Lynn's nubile body (she sat next to me) I would know how to figure it exactly. But alas, if I come up short at the end of the season I'll have those images to keep me warm. :oops: :lol:

 
User avatar
McGiever
Member
Posts: 10130
Joined: Sun. May. 02, 2010 11:26 pm
Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Sun. Feb. 12, 2017 1:44 pm

For the floor slope, What is the recommended slope angle degree for rice coal?

Went and found this in the archives>>>> steamup @ Coal Bin Auger Placement

 
User avatar
Richard S.
Mayor
Posts: 15183
Joined: Fri. Oct. 01, 2004 8:35 pm
Location: NEPA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Van Wert VA1200
Coal Size/Type: Buckwheat/Anthracite

Post by Richard S. » Sun. Feb. 12, 2017 9:12 pm

coalkirk wrote:
I don't understand how this works. How does the coal get into the drum through a hole in the bottom?
The magic coal fairy shovels it into the top of the drum. You don;t have a magic coal shoveling fairy in your basement? oh wait.... they grew up and probably moved out. :lol:

It's old graphic from a about 10 years ago. Most people put a hole in the side of the drum and then slide it over the pipe. You can get about 300 pounds on it if you do it that way. With the hole in the bottom and the drum sitting on top of blocks you can get about 450+ pounds. Plus if the coal can get under the drum any coal piled up outside of it will get pulled by the worm.

If you need to remove the drum you may have to remove any coal around it and pull it up. You can't do that with hole in the side of the drum.

As fas as the doghouse that is something else I feel is also not needed. I don;t know if there is anything to prevent this with the EFM but with the Van Wert there is some set screws for the pipe. Once those are loosened I just use a pipe wrench to turn it and push it into the coal. It's not difficult with buck and will be even easier with rice. Once the pipe is in there a sufficient length disconnect the auger and use the pipe wrench to screw it into the pipe. I just had to do this recently, should of took some pictures.

 
User avatar
coalkirk
Member
Posts: 5185
Joined: Wed. May. 17, 2006 8:12 pm
Location: Forest Hill MD
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1981 EFM DF520 retired
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Jotul 507 on standby
Coal Size/Type: Lehigh anthracite/rice coal

Post by coalkirk » Mon. Feb. 13, 2017 7:17 am

Yes the coal fairy moved out of my house years ago. And I am not interested in shoveling coal into a 55 gallon drum long term. I'm doing it now as a temporary measure until I can rebuild the bin in the off season.

 
User avatar
Richard S.
Mayor
Posts: 15183
Joined: Fri. Oct. 01, 2004 8:35 pm
Location: NEPA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Van Wert VA1200
Coal Size/Type: Buckwheat/Anthracite

Post by Richard S. » Mon. Feb. 13, 2017 8:54 am

Let me put it to you this way Terry, the coal will naturally flow to the auger at nearly the same angle as whatever you re going to build.

 
User avatar
windyhill4.2
Member
Posts: 6072
Joined: Fri. Nov. 22, 2013 2:17 pm
Location: Jonestown,Pa.17038
Stoker Coal Boiler: 1960 EFM520 installed in truck box
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Crane 404 with variable blower
Coal Size/Type: 404-nut, 520 rice ,anthracite for both

Post by windyhill4.2 » Mon. Feb. 13, 2017 9:01 am

Richard S. wrote:Let me put it to you this way Terry, the coal will naturally flow to the auger at nearly the same angle as whatever you re going to build.
Seems like the sloped floor is a waste of time,money & space...

Fill the wasted space with coal & let it slide to the auger..

If something should happen that would prevent you from getting a load of coal b4 the auger uncovers itself,you will have several weeks worth of coal that can be shoveled onto the auger end. :)


Post Reply

Return to “Coal Bins, Chimneys, CO Detectors & Thermostats”