Pellet Bag Transfer

[Mortalis]

My wife I do the 40# bag haul up the basement stairs by hand. This would not be all that bad if we both were younger (we're old codgers ;-) ). I've been trying to come up with a less stressful method of moving individual bags of pellets up the stairs (sans two wheel hand truck if possible).

I've been thinking of using a rail and dolly system (similar to hanging door systems) hung from the bottom of the second floor stairs that are directly above the stairs that go down to the basement. The only issue I think I will have is that with the house being over 100 years old, the pitch is rather dramatic (short treads). I've thought about a similar winching system on the steps themselves and haven't completely ruled this one out yet.

Does anyone have any other ideas. We are no Rockefellers but I'm not afraid of investing $$ if it saves us heart attacks (or falling accidents) from carrying the somewhat large unwieldy 40# bags.

Thanks in advance

Kevin

 

[Bioburner]

4 gallon buckets for my mother.

 

[Harvey Schneider]

Split the bag into two buckets and carry one in each hand.

 

[Jason845845]

I use coal hods and fill them in the garage. Bonus is that any dust clouds are in the garage instead of the living room

Edit: garage is attached and below house.

 

[Mortalis]

4 gallon buckets for my mother.

Guess I would get my exercise that way. Always a good thing.

 

[Mortalis]

You know, it's amazing how an engineer such as myself oft times seem to overlook the obvious. We have used 14 bags so far this season (not been too cold yet in Southern Mass) but I did use one of the buckets we saved from our coal stove days and bring a smaller amount up, one time, a few trips up and back.

Maybe I need to rethink that option!

Thanks

 

[F4jock]

What does one of those stairlifts cost? Put a bag or two on the chair . . . .

 

[BrotherBart]

Stairlift is a good idea. I have one for my invalid wife to get up and down to the second floor and have purchased one to install in the basement. With an eye to using it to haul up pellets if I go that route on the main floor someday.

They cost a lot but you can find good used ones on craigslist all the time for reasonable prices if you install it yourself. From a dealer installed they are crazy expensive. Three grand and up for good ones. Most can haul around three hundred pounds up the stairs.

 

[Mortalis]

What does one of those stairlifts cost? Put a bag or two on the chair . . . .

Ha!
That's a Rockefeller idea.

 

[F4jock]

Ha!
That's a Rockefeller idea.

Not if Medicare will pay for it . . .

 

[BrotherBart]

Not if Medicare will pay for it . . .

It won't.

 

[BrotherBart]

That's a Rockefeller idea.

I got the last $3,000 Sterling almost new from craigslist for $400. The first one for $1,000. People buy them, they hardly get used, the person passes away and the real estate agent says "Get that thing out of the house before we show it.".

 

[kappel15]

Folks have used Kanburn cleaner movers to move pellets from basement to main floor. Some have even installed a small bin above their hopper so as to just dump into the hopper, or right next to the stove. kap

 

[lagger]

Split the bag into two buckets and carry one in each hand.

my thought also I have a supply of blue box and orange box buckets, I sift \ vac 2 or 3 bags at a time into the buckets, 2 buckets per bag, and the lids are cheap too

 

[hossthehermit]

How about a dumbwaiter type setup ???????? wouldn't need to be very big, small electric motor to run it ..................

 

[TimfromMA]

How about a dumwaiter?

or however its spelled.

 

[hossthehermit]

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[dawg1419]

How bout just storing upstairs[emoji33]

 

[TimfromMA]

How bout just storing upstairs[emoji33]

A few bags perhaps but a ton or more? Thats alot of weight on the floor. Ive got 5 3/4 tons left downstairs.

 

[nitrohog]

This is my solution to cleaning corn but could just as easily be adapted to moving pellets with a longer hose coming up the stairs. Granted you'd have to find a storage solution but the pvc parts could easily be adapted to a 55 gallon drum or a plastic garbage can.

 

[TimfromMA]

Pellets moving through a PVC pipe can build up static and a spark could start a fire. Make sure whatever you use, its grounded well.

 

[nitrohog]

Woodcraft for example makes simple grounding kits for just that reason.

 

[kappel15]

My cleaner is grounded. Just copper wire. I have a metal wand at the end that sticks in the corn. I can just move the wire a tad away from the metal wand and it is just like a sparkplug wire. So do make sure you ground it!

 

[velvetfoot]

Woodcraft for example makes simple grounding kits for just that reason.

Do you wrap the wire around the outside of the pipe?

 

[nitrohog]

That's probably the easiest method. Then ground it to your breaker box ground rod.