Coal Burning System Saves Thousands Over Propane

Coal Burning System Saves Thousands Over Propane ENERGY Miscellaneous Neil Eckelberg heats his home with coal all year for less than he used to spend on propane in a month The big old farmhouse used 500 gal of propane a month in the winter Thanks to a coal field 50 miles away his coal-fired heat is only $600 for the entire year With his furnace coal and ash handling system labor is minimal     “I wanted a heating system that would work for me now but I also wanted it to do the work when I’m older ” says Eckelberg “My Easy Clean furnace has an auger feed and practically self cleans An auger brings coal to the furnace and another moves ashes and clinkers away ”     Eckelberg built a gooseneck trailer with a hoist and an unloading hopper with auger to supply the furnace with coal A homemade auger moves ashes into a second trailer he built to carry it away     “I stripped down a 1952 two-ton Chevy straight truck and made it into an 8 by 13-ft gooseneck trailer that can haul 6 tons of coal at a time ” says Eckelberg “I kept the hydraulic brakes on it and installed an electric/hydraulic power unit so I can use a regular electric brake controller I figured the extra $500 was worth not jackknifing into someone’s pickup or car ”     He also retained the original hoist with its pump/reservoir/cylinder package However it maxed out at about 4 tons Some time later he got access to several old dual action hydraulic power units     “I took them apart and cleaned them up and they worked fine so I installed them along with a 2-stage cylinder built for truck hoists ” says Eckelberg “It cost me about $80 and it lifts the 6 tons with no problem ”     Eckelberg installed his furnace in an old shed behind his home He built a retaining wall with a parking pad behind it on a slope behind the shed He parks his coal trailer there and lifts the hoist Coal falls into a plywood hopper framed with angle iron and reinforced with 1/8-in by 1-in steel strap     “I used light plywood so it can flex with the trailer bed ” says Eckelberg “Tarps attached over the trailer and the hopper keep rain and snow out of the coal ”     The house thermostat triggers a feed auger on the furnace When more heat is needed coal is augured onto the burner head As the head rotates and fills with fresh coal the ash is swept off and into a pit in the concrete floor     “Originally I shoveled ashes into a 50-gal garbage can and hauled them away ” recalls Eckelberg “After I built my ash trailer I jackhammered a hole in front of the furnace and made a catch-pit out of sheet metal for the ashes An auger carries the ashes out to the trailer ”     The abrasive ash quickly wore out a grain auger Eckelberg built a replacement with 3-in 10-ga steel pipe and 1/8-in steel flighting welded to a 1/2-in pipe for a driveshaft     “It’s beefier than anything I could buy and the materials were less than the cost of a lightweight grain auger ” he says     “When I calculated the costs of the coal furnace compared to propane at $1/per gal it had a 2 1/2-year payback ” recalls Eckelberg “That fall propane went to $1 75 In the 7 years since it has paid for itself many times over It’s not maintenance-free but the only regular labor besides hauling in coal and hauling away ashes is to switch on the ashes auger once a week ”     Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Neil W Eckelberg 117 Stanley St Killdeer N Dak 58640 ph 701 764-5257; n eck@hotmail com

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