Will Coal Ash/Soot Corrode a Galvanized Metal Building?

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RoundOak
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Post by RoundOak » Mon. Jan. 06, 2014 10:11 pm

Hi Y'all!

I'm new to using coal, so I've been lurking here reading up on it as much as I can, and I think I've got a pretty good grasp of things. (Just enough to be dangerous?)

A little info...

I have a Round Oak coal furnace in my workshop. I don't know the model, but it's a 72,760 BTU, 535 CU.IN. unit with a squirrel cage blower on the back and duct openings on top. It came from a house in northern Missouri that was built in 1910, but I don't know if it was installed then or added later.

I brought it back here to central Oklahoma to heat my workshop. I've been burning wood in it for the last several years but thought I'd try using coal, mainly so I can keep my workshop above freezing at night without having to add wood every two hours. I started searching the web for info on coal, went and bought a ton from a local mine, and thought I was all ready to go. BUT, I have one major concern...

Will the fly ash destroy my galvanized metal building?

It's an all metal building similar to these.
http://www.futurebuildings.com/future-steel-produ ... dings.html

I thought about switching to coal if I liked it because that's what the furnace is designed for, or just using the coal during the night and wood during the day. But I saw this post and now I'm afraid to even try using the coal at all.
Post by Jack Magnum - Fly Ash Vrs. Metal Roof

How many of y'all have metal roofs or workshops, and what kind of rust or corrosion problems have you had?

Thanks for the info!

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rockwood
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Post by rockwood » Tue. Jan. 07, 2014 12:02 am

Welcome to the forum!

I'm in Utah so the climate is different than where you are, but I've never seen a metal roof corrode/rust from coal smoke or fly ash. I have seen metal, as well as all types of roofing, get stained from coal soot though.

Check out this photo...This is kind of an extreme case but I have seen roofs stained with black coal soot to that extent.
http://inspectapedia.com/chimneys/Chimney_Stains_ ... 5_DJFs.jpg

So you probably will see some staining around the base of the chimney where it exits the roof, but again, I've never seen a metal roof rust through or anything like that from burning soft coal...at least not with the coal around here.

 
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Berlin
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Post by Berlin » Tue. Jan. 07, 2014 2:03 am

Make sure the stack is tall enough that the smoke doesn't roll down the roof when the wind is blowing and you'll be fine. Be sure to "bank" the fire for best performance, use the largest sizes you can get and remove any cap or screen on top of the stack.

 
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Dennis
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Post by Dennis » Tue. Jan. 07, 2014 6:31 am

rockwood wrote:Welcome to the forum!

I'm in Utah so the climate is different than where you are, but I've never seen a metal roof corrode/rust from coal smoke or fly ash. I have seen metal, as well as all types of roofing, get stained from coal soot though.

Check out this photo...This is kind of an extreme case but I have seen roofs stained with black coal soot to that extent.
http://inspectapedia.com/chimneys/Chimney_Stains_ ... 5_DJFs.jpg

So you probably will see some staining around the base of the chimney where it exits the roof, but again, I've never seen a metal roof rust through or anything like that from burning soft coal...at least not with the coal around here.
In all fairness,the chimney in the pic. is a metal brick looking pre-fab. We had one at my parents home and it looked the same,and only oil burner hooked to it.The entire metal chimney is staining the roof,not fly ash.


 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Tue. Jan. 07, 2014 7:02 am

NONE :)

 
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blrman07
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Post by blrman07 » Tue. Jan. 07, 2014 7:12 am

I had some staining on a regular shingle roof after burning wood and some high sulfur bit coal in the wrong type of stove. Never could get the air right but it burned anyway. I was given a WHOLE BUNCH. When it ran out I stopped burning the high sufur bit coal and it went away. It was a metalbestos outside chimney and the support plate at the base was mild steel. It stained also but after two years of use there was no sign of rust or corrosion.

Shoot if someone gives me some coal, I don't care what it is I'll figure out a way to burn it!!!! :woot:

Rev. Larry

 
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carlherrnstein
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Post by carlherrnstein » Tue. Jan. 07, 2014 9:09 am

No it wont corrode your roof. You might get a black patch from the smoke.

 
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nortcan
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Post by nortcan » Tue. Jan. 07, 2014 10:39 am

Berlin wrote:Make sure the stack is tall enough that the smoke doesn't roll down the roof when the wind is blowing and you'll be fine. Be sure to "bank" the fire for best performance, use the largest sizes you can get and remove any cap or screen on top of the stack.
Berlin, just want to be shure ( about my English translation :( ), do you mean that it's better to remove the rain cap?


 
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rockwood
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Post by rockwood » Tue. Jan. 07, 2014 2:15 pm

Dennis wrote:
rockwood wrote:Welcome to the forum!

I'm in Utah so the climate is different than where you are, but I've never seen a metal roof corrode/rust from coal smoke or fly ash. I have seen metal, as well as all types of roofing, get stained from coal soot though.

Check out this photo...This is kind of an extreme case but I have seen roofs stained with black coal soot to that extent.
http://inspectapedia.com/chimneys/Chimney_Stains_ ... 5_DJFs.jpg

So you probably will see some staining around the base of the chimney where it exits the roof, but again, I've never seen a metal roof rust through or anything like that from burning soft coal...at least not with the coal around here.
In all fairness,the chimney in the pic. is a metal brick looking pre-fab. We had one at my parents home and it looked the same,and only oil burner hooked to it.The entire metal chimney is staining the roof,not fly ash.
I just wanted to posted a photo that best resembled a roof stained with soot from burning coal...Because I grew up in an area where heating with soft coal was very common, I have seen roofs stained with coal soot very similar to that photo...especially where chimney caps were used.
Last edited by rockwood on Tue. Jan. 07, 2014 2:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.

 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Tue. Jan. 07, 2014 2:37 pm

Just my personal use, but I would NEVER remove my rain cap
nortcan wrote:
Berlin wrote:Make sure the stack is tall enough that the smoke doesn't roll down the roof when the wind is blowing and you'll be fine. Be sure to "bank" the fire for best performance, use the largest sizes you can get and remove any cap or screen on top of the stack.
Berlin, just want to be shure ( about my English translation :( ), do you mean that it's better to remove the rain cap?

 
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carlherrnstein
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Post by carlherrnstein » Tue. Jan. 07, 2014 2:45 pm

Neither would I Fred but, sometimes soft coal soot will plug them up.

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