Charcoal and Spontaneous Combustion! (1 Viewer)

Jim

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The following advice is given by almost every US fire department. Though in the UK, the "danger" does not get a mention anywhere.

Keep damp or wet coals in a well ventilated area. During the drying process, spontaneous combustion can occur in confined areas.keep it dry, and store it in a covered metal container.
Charcoal briquettes should be stored in a dry area because damp or wet charcoal is sensitive to spontaneous heating once dried.
It would be nice to know as I always have around 10kgs in a locker and spontaneous combustion there would be a bummer. :whatthe:

Anybody else heard of this phenomenon? Or is it the American equivalent of the British "never draw 6 amps without completely unwinding your 25m cable or the whole campsite will ignite.::bigsmile:"
 

davejen

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The following advice is given by almost every US fire department. Though in the UK, the "danger" does not get a mention anywhere.

It would be nice to know as I always have around 10kgs in a locker and spontaneous combustion there would be a bummer. :whatthe:

Anybody else heard of this phenomenon? Or is it the American equivalent of the British "never draw 6 amps without completely unwinding your 25m cable or the whole campsite will ignite.::bigsmile:"

Wonder if you could grind it up and put it in the fuel tank? :Doh:
Dave:thumb:
 
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Jim

Jim

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Thanks, so I'm OK with my charcoal then Jim. But should I fully unwind my cable? ::bigsmile:
 

Geo

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Jim you should NEVER keep your cable and charcoal in the same locker as your A frame:thumb:

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Aug 1, 2007
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Or is it the American equivalent of the British "never draw 6 amps without completely unwinding your 25m cable or the whole campsite will ignite.::bigsmile:"

seen this happen, although we were using a lot more amps than 6
 

scotjimland

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seen this happen, although we were using a lot more amps than 6

Me too , not so long ago and against all my own advice .. :Blush:

I melted an extension cable wound on a drum ( too lazy to unwind) using a small angle grinder .. less than 6 amps so you don't need to pull high currents..

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Aug 1, 2007
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Me too , not so long ago and against all my own advice .. :Blush:

I melted an extension cable wound on a drum ( too lazy to unwind) using a small angle grinder .. less than 6 amps so you don't need to pull high currents..

about 20 amps with a 13 amp fuse, cable and plug melted before fuse blew.
 

45eEver

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Jim, I think you have proved by experiment that charcoal doesn't spontaneously catch fire.
Along with the thousands of others.
Especially the guys delivering charcoal by lorry from lorries packed with the stuff.

If you are genuinely worried though.
Carry the charcoal briquettes with you.
They are never going to self ignite because the air can't get inside them quickly enough.
 

vwalan

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geo... you mean charcoal , cable ,a frame,gas bottle filler,green garden hose, etc etc. :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 

45eEver

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Airtight ammo boxes are cheap enough if you want a safe store for your charcoal.
 

Geo

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Airtight ammo boxes are cheap enough if you want a safe store for your charcoal.
PLEASE REMOVE SURPLUS AMMUNITION OR HAND GRENADES BEFORE USE:Eeek::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

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JockandRita

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Charcoal and Sponataneous Combustion??? It's not one I have come across in my time.................nor likely to now. :ROFLMAO:

Many items of a natural composition, which decompose/oxidise are susceptible to "spontaneous combustion" given the correct set of circumstances and variations on conditions, ie, atmospheric conditions, types of materials, contaminants present, temperatures, types of storage, etc, however, it is usually as a result of prolonged storage where any heat build up cannot escape.

Anyway, I promised myself that I wouldn't get involved with this one. :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

Jock.

P.S. Shame on you boys for not uncoiling the cable reel. :winky:
 
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Hey,i learn something new every day!:thumb: i`d heard about uncoiling electrical wires before using, i always pull out the entire lead from the hoover before i use it, but i`d never heard about carcoal spontaneously combusting!!!:Eeek:

I find that quite worrying:Doh: good job i have a cadac then, problem solved :thumb:
 

Munchie

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Hi when I was working we imported coal for cokemaking and I can't ever remember this happening. Then we got contracts to
import "steam" coal for use in power stations and spontaneous combustion was a regular occurence. this is well known on power station stockpiles. I think it's because of the high volatile content. In the case of coke all the volatiles are burnt off so I think it's very unlikely to happen. ::bigsmile:

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45eEver

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PLEASE REMOVE SURPLUS AMMUNITION OR HAND GRENADES BEFORE USE

Let's not be too hasty here Geo.
They could be just the jolly job for getting the party off with a bang.
 

Wildman

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Thanks, so I'm OK with my charcoal then Jim. But should I fully unwind my cable? ::bigsmile:
Cable wound on a drum with current passing through it is an inductor, just like the old wire wound fire elements. Sufficient current drawn can get hot enough to catch on fire, no myth, pysiological fact.

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