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Burning barrel. Does burning in galvanized barrel give off toxic fumes?

After mentioning the need to replace our 3 to 5 year old steel trash burning barrel, someone just gave me one. Free! However; it is heavy gauge and galvanized! My question is whether this barrel, when it gets good and hot, melting/burning the zinc galvanizing and so possibly giving off toxic fumes? In order to use any barrel for trash burning (Only when fires are permitted; not during dry/fire hazard conditions) one end is removed using a cold chisel and or electric chop saw. Any comments or advice much appreciated. Terry.

Reply to
Terry
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Any zinc fumes that come off the galvinzed surface will be in the smoke of the fire.. I suppose that if you inhaled enough of that smoke it could do some harm..

I was a welder for many years and encountered zinc fro galvinized metal.. It ain't pleasant and can be harmful if you get enough..

BTW.. The first few times you have a hot fire going will get rid of the galvinizing and then you won't have to worry any more..

Reply to
Steve

Thanks Steve; wasn't trying to be an eco-freak. Just what I hoped was a practical question. Re welding as you mention; galvanized metal is used all over and has to produced by industrial processes which probably produces more pollution, per unit of zinc used than me burning a bit of garbage and standing well clear of the barrel (cos of some smoke) anyway! Regards. Terry.

Reply to
Terry

And where is it that it's lawful to burn trash? In NC, it's OK to burn vegetation that grew on the same site, but not in city limits, and it's OK to burn logs in a fireplace, or clean material in a barrel if it's for warmth such as at a construction site on a cold day, but it's never OK to burn trash. Trash gives off a tremendous amount of toxic fumes.

Reply to
B

I have a burn barrel in rural Oregon. I don't believe its legal any more however I am still using it often. One of these days I am going to install a trash burner in one of my buildings. Inside burning is still legal.

Reply to
Pat Keith

My advice is to stop using a burn barrel. Those things are about the biggest poluters in the world. They burn at such a low temperature that they release a lot of harmful particulates in to the air. This is the 21 St. century and there are 6 billion people now. You can't just burn your trash in your backyard like some hick from 50 years ago. I think they should be outlawed.

Greg

Reply to
Greg DeBacker

Common here in IA.

Reply to
Mike Dobony

The easiest way to cut the barrel top is by using a 24" pipe wrench and a shop hammer.

Reply to
plugnickle

We built an incinerator. Five pieces of 1/4 BBQ sheet steel, 4x4 each, drilled 3 holes per side and bolted it all together using heavy duty corner braces. Cost us about 400 bucks but it is legal and supposedly will last the rest of our lives.

Reply to
Brooks Gregory

One of the most common reasons for burning trash (or for tossing it into the ditch on the back roads) is the outragious fees they charge to pick it up.. Or for disposal at the county collection stations.

The rural garbage pickup in my area (western WA) is $4-5 a week for a single

20 gal can. That may not seem like much to most working people, but for a retired person on a limited income that's a lot for a single half full kitchen size garbage bag..

I have tried cancelling the pick up and hauling it a 1/4 mile to the 'transfer station' but the fee is vary arbitrary and generally ends up being a about $3-4 for a 20 gal garbage can.

My solution?? Well I don't drive down the back roads and dump my garbage like many do. I made a special arrangement with the rural garbage pick up contractor to only pickup at my place once a month.. Same fee as for weekly, $4.50/mo. I have to really struggle to cram 4 kitchen bags into a 20 gal can.

Steve

Reply to
Steve

They're beneficial if used properly.

Limit your burning to junk mail, cardboard, paper, scrap wood. (ie no plastics)

By using a burning barrel, you reduce the waist going to landfills and the ash can be beneficial to gardens. You also save gas by not having to go to the dump as often.

Reply to
davefr

burning anything that has been galvanized is asking for trouble. although it may not get hot enough to burn the galvanized metal, it will give off a toxic smell that can make you extremely sick to your stomach. I cut galvanized metal such as guiderail along the road and it will make you throw up if you breath it in without a respirator. drinking milk helps relieve the symptoms but believe me it not pleasant.

Reply to
GNTRY

Wait for garbage cans to go on sale at Ace and buy a few more. I have

7 cans for 5 people. One each for aluminum, plastic, glass, and newspaper, and 3 for garbage. I also have an area for cardboard. Maybe once every 6 weeks I make a run to the transfer station. I sell the recyclables and pay to dump the trash. It costs me a few bucks when all is said and done. Soon I'm putting in a compost bin and I can probably go for two months with out a dump run.

Greg

Reply to
Greg DeBacker

replying to B, Connie Meier wrote: In rural Mn for one, you have a burn permit and don't burn if there is a ban due to dry weather. Maybe because we don't have as much car and industrial pollution as the coasts.

Reply to
Connie Meier

replying to Steve, Connie Meier wrote: Give me a break on the limited and fixed income bullsh*t. Everybody who works on salary or doesn't have the opportunity to work overtime is on a fixed income. Plus retired people often have their mtg paid off and no kids to support, so it's a bullsh*tvexcuse.

Reply to
Connie Meier

replying to Connie Meier, Bobby wrote: Hey Connie babe. Read what he said. Nothing was mentioned about "fixed income" but limited income. He may be getting by on a meager social security check since this was posted 14 years ago. Who o you think you are to challenge a persons's income?

Reply to
Bobby

On Fri 22 Sep 2017 03:44:03p, Connie Meier told us...

You sure as hell don't know everyone's circumstances. We are both retired and living on fixed incomes. My SO's Social Security amount is rather low, although he also receives a small pension. My Social Security is higher, but I don't have a pension, and neither of us could have afforded to contribute to our respective 401Ks. We rent, and therefore do have a significant outgo of our joint monthly income. Cost of living continually goes up while Social Security barely goes up at all, if any. We manage to get by, but there's rarely enough for discretionary spending.

When you're living under those circumstances maybe you won't consider it bullshit!

Reply to
Wayne Boatwright

On Sat, 23 Sep 2017 00:51:49 GMT, Wayne Boatwright wrote in

Hi Wayne,

Your SO is a male; or is that a typo and you really meant "she" ?

Reply to
VinnyB

  Not a typo , he refers to his "SO" as "he" in a couple of other groups I read . As far as fixed income , the wife works p/t at Walmart and I draw SS . We ain't rich , but we're not broke either . Actually we live a better lifestyle than our income would indicate - because we aren't in debt like many/most . Only debt is one mortgage on a house in Memphis . And the (under construction) house we live in up here in The Ozarks is all paid for as we build , no mortgage here . It helps that we don't have to have all the latest-greatest-best-flashiest things , we drive older cars - the newest vehicle we own is the wife's 2009 Harley ...   --   Snag
Reply to
Terry Coombs

On Sat, 23 Sep 2017 07:27:41 -0500, Terry Coombs wrote in

What is the meaning of that? Are they a gay couple?

Reply to
VinnyB

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