Frozen coal in bin

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Beeman
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Post by Beeman » Sun. Jan. 13, 2019 4:18 pm

I had 6 tons of coal delivered one 19 degree morning recently. The coal had been washed to remove dust when loaded in the truck. Gravity dropped it out of the truck into a short elevator to the top of my bin, which is in a shed with roof outdoors. The next day, I shoveled several buckets out of the opening on my bin and all was good. Today, after another freezing night, I noticed a cavity was forming at the bottom of the bin and coal was not dropping down by gravity. I thought the water on coal had frozen and this was the problem. A small space heater was used to put some heated air in there and the coal dropped nugget by nugget until I kicked the bin and problem was solved when a lot of coal dropped. This solution worked well and quickly. Anyone else run into something like this?

 
titleist1
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Post by titleist1 » Sun. Jan. 13, 2019 8:01 pm

Yes. A couple different variations of frozen coal through the years. You'd think I'd learn to plan better! :oops:

I have had it freeze on the trailer the night after getting it from the dealer. Park in the sun and scrape it loose as the sun melted the top layer over the next week or so.

I have had it freeze in the outdoor bin where I use the coal vac to get it in the house. I swapped the hose to the exhaust on the shop vac and blew hot air into the bin to melt the coal so it dropped into the void then moved the hose back and vac'ed it in.

Neither is fun but nothing that couldn't be overcome with a little patience. :baby:

 
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2001Sierra
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Post by 2001Sierra » Sun. Jan. 13, 2019 8:46 pm

I have a small outdoor hopper that only holds 800lbs. I have my supplier using plastic bags that are heat sealed. Come winter they become frozen pillows. On a warm day I loaded the outdoor hopper and sprayed the rice with peanut oil to keep the dust down when the coal drains down. The hopper is tapered stainless steel, with a rectangle top. The frozen bags are brought in the garage poke holes with a awl and drain them abit before pouring into the keystoker hopper, saving the drier coal in the hopper for the nasty winter days that I do not want to trek out back. I buy my coal in the summer, but I have coal in plastic bags with sewn top that are 6 years old and they are still wet. Thinking of taking framing nailer an making a small block to stab the bags when they are stacked.


 
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Beeman
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Post by Beeman » Sun. Jan. 20, 2019 8:18 am

Great responses about a shared malady. Yes, all of these situations can be resolved and I have a newfound appreciation for coal that flows via gravity so that I can load some buckets and keep my house warm. Few modern individuals know these travails, but they also do not know the warmth that a coal fire can deliver. Still in the one match club and hope you guys are too!

 
LouNY
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Post by LouNY » Sun. Jan. 20, 2019 4:07 pm

I don't have a bulk bin so thats not a problem for me.
I do store my pallets of bags outdoors so the bags do freeze,
I bring 30 to 50 bags up at a time and store in my attached garage,
which is unheated at times the bags will still be froze when I bring the
coal inside to pour into the Hitzer insert, but I dump it into a 5 gallon bucket
in the garage and it all breaks up when I bounce the bag a time or 2.

I'm on my second match this season, had to let the fire go out to replace the grates
a while back.

 
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2001Sierra
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Posts: 2211
Joined: Wed. May. 20, 2009 8:09 am
Location: Wynantskill NY, 10 miles from Albany
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Keystoker 90 Chimney vent
Coal Size/Type: Rice
Other Heating: Buderus Oil Boiler 3115-34

Post by 2001Sierra » Sun. Jan. 20, 2019 4:18 pm

I have done the bag bounce in the garage as well, it is just tough to gauge really home much moisture is attached to the now unchunked coal. I give the bags a drop, open them and sort out the big frozen chunks. I like an idiot took a hod with the frozen chunks that had melted and dumped in the hopper and a stupid amount of water came out also, not being too quick most went in the hopper, and yes it was a mess. Luckily did not ruin the stoker castings, and water leaked out the bottom of the hopper, and the fire was nocked down a fair amount. Be aware of the coal moisture content.

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