# Vegetable oil instead of sifting... it really works!!



## Stovensen (Dec 16, 2012)

In the last couple of seasons I've had soo many shut downs due to accumulated sawdust in the bottom of the hopper that I even considered replacing my Quest Plus with a wood stove. It's a bit depressing to come home to an icecold house time after time... and the sight I saw EVERY time I had shoveled all the pellets out of the hopper, was that of the picture below.
Then I remembered a tip I got from an experienced pellet burner: Try to pour a little vegetable oil over the pellets when the hopper is nearly empty. This way the sawdust will cake up and be made transportable for the auger screw.
A month ago I started my experiments. Result: A tremendous success!! No more shoveling pellets and vacuuming off the hopper.
Note: Only a very small amount of oil is necessary ( one to two tablespoons ) and it must be used preventive in this way: When the hopper is nearly empty, I sweep the remaining pellets and the sawdust in a small pile towards the intake and pour the oil over it. Hmm, a brush soaked in oil may be even better to ensure a limited dose. That will be my next experiment.
Caution: Too much oil should be avoided. The rubber gasket on the end plate and the auger bushing on my stove are not 100% tight, and one time, when having added too much oil, I noticed that the oil would leak out under the auger inside the stove. Also, I could imagine that it may be a fire hazard if the drop chute is all wet of oil... the fire might spread to the hopper in the worst case!!
The oil I use is rapeseed oil/canola oil and it costs the same as diesel oil around here: About $2 for one litre.
BTW, some years ago Shell sold some Super Premium pellets here in Denmark that had been impregnated with rapeseed oil during the pressing at the mill, I tell you, these pellets are the most energy intensive pellets I have EVER burnt!! They don't make them anymore. They were expensive and perhaps they were too good?
But hey, maybe bad pellets could be turned into premium pellets be brushing/spraying them with some rapeseed oil? Hmm, that will be my next experiment. I'll let you know how it turns out

Important discovery: Vegetable oil does NOT disintegrate/destroy the pellets turning them into sawdust like water does in a couple of minutes.
This phenomena is puzzling me, and I think the explanation has to do with the nanostructure of woodfibre: It was created/made to enable the living tree to transport water and minerals from the root to the branches, leaves and fruits.


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## DemonGT (Dec 16, 2012)

not sure i could get myself to buy "**** oil"    ....but good info nonetheless


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## chrisasst (Dec 16, 2012)

Would cooking spray do the same thing for you? Spraying may help control the amount you use.


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## movemaine (Dec 16, 2012)

hmmm...so using oil instead of sifting fines? With the oil trick, you have to constantly monitor your stove (more than you already do), but with sifting fines you aren't stuck like that...


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## SwineFlue (Dec 16, 2012)

DemonGT said:


> not sure i could get myself to buy "**** oil"  ....but good info nonetheless


Yeah, not a good name... it's also called rapeseed oil or canola oil.


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## Stovensen (Dec 16, 2012)

DemonGT said:


> not sure i could get myself to buy "**** oil"


 
Ahem, no it sounds a bit scary at the first glance, admitted. You know, writing this post I had to consult my danish/english dictionary in order to translate the danish word 'raps-olie' to english, and when I saw it came up with the word '**** oil'... 
Hmm, maybe rapeseed oil is more correct english? Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Here in Denmark the farmers grow 'raps' large scale, and in may the landscape with the blooming 'raps' fields can be very beautiful. see photo:


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## SwineFlue (Dec 16, 2012)

Stovensen said:


> Hmm, maybe rapeseed oil is more correct english? Please correct me if I'm wrong.
> 
> Here in Denmark the farmers grow 'raps' large scale, and in may the landscape with the blooming 'raps' fields can be very beautiful. see photo:


 
You are not wrong, it goes by both names (Canola is a Canadian-bred variety).   And it looks nice too!


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## Stovensen (Dec 16, 2012)

chrisasst said:


> Would cooking spray do the same thing for you? Spraying may help control the amount you use.


 
I've tried one like that on the photo and it's my impression that it takes too much time, since it only gives a very small amount on each spray. A simple paint brush may be the best way to ensure the right dose, and also much cheaper than the cooking oil spray.


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## Stovensen (Dec 16, 2012)

movemaine said:


> With the oil trick, you have to constantly monitor your stove (more than you already do), but with sifting fines you aren't stuck like that...


 
Sifting the pellets has all these obvious disadvantages...

1: You must have the extra space for it where you store your pellets. 

2: The sifting device must be constructed ( by yourself, it takes time and money ). 

3: You have to handle ALL the bags an extra time.

4: This operation releases dust in the room.

5: Valuable energy in the sawdust is lost to the vac.

All these disadvantages are non existent when using oil!!

The oil trick does NOT require any extra monitoring of the stove. The oil is added when the hopper is getting topped up, anyway
Being a real pellet burner, however, I must admit that I do open the hopper lid now and then to level the pellets... you know how it is.


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## allFIREDup (Dec 17, 2012)

I'm not convinced that the oil will be as effective as claimed in binding the fines together and expell it through the auger system. I would also be concerned about a possible hopper fire


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## Stovensen (Dec 17, 2012)

allFIREDup said:


> I'm not convinced that the oil will be as effective as claimed in binding the fines together and expell it through the auger system. I would also be concerned about a possible hopper fire


 
The oil does make the sawdust transportable for the auger, I can assure you that.
Now, as for the 'possible hopper fire' ... well, it's obvious that overdosing should be avoided. This must be repeated.
During my initial tests, I poured too much on the pellets a couple of times, but the dropchute never got wet of oil. The sawdust and the pellets must have absorbed most of the excessive oil after all.
But of course, if the oil trick proves to be a serious alternative to sifting, then a worst case test must be performed, just to explore what really happens when/if the drop chute is soaking in oil... is it possible for the fire to spread from the burn pot to the hopper?? I don't know yet, but I will make the test one of these days. I have a large fire extinguisher ( powder, 6 kilogram ), so it's just a matter of overdosing with oil, and then... sit around and wait
I promise to return with my results.


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## gfreek (Dec 17, 2012)

Interesting idea......


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## smwilliamson (Dec 17, 2012)

Stovensen said:


> View attachment 85320


 
Readers make note that there is evidence of a hopper fire in this machine. I can tell by the charred discoloration of the metal around the feed tube.

There are many bad implications for using oil in yer hopper:

Oil of any kind in flammable...not just combustible
Many hoppers are not sealed to the room air, such as this Quest and in the event of a hopper fire, the flames could spread out of the machine
The oil will eventually seep into the bushing and cause binding of the wood fiber in places where it shouldn't be anyway
This practice of using flammable additives is retarded and makes you a very lazy stove user if not outright ignorant to the proper and safe operation
*BE SAFE PEOPLE. DON'T BE A DUMBASS RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS AND BECOME HOMELESS OR DEAD.*


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## MSmith66 (Dec 17, 2012)

Stovensen said:


> In the last couple of seasons I've had soo many shut downs due to accumulated sawdust in the bottom of the hopper that I even considered replacing my Quest Plus with a wood stove. It's a bit depressing to come home to an icecold house time after time... and the sight I saw EVERY time I had shoveled all the pellets out of the hopper, was that of the picture below.
> Then I remembered a tip I got from an experienced pellet burner: Try to pour a little vegetable oil over the pellets when the hopper is nearly empty. This way the sawdust will cake up and be made transportable for the auger screw.
> A month ago I started my experiments. Result: A tremendous success!! No more shoveling pellets and vacuuming off the hopper.
> Note: Only a very small amount of oil is necessary ( one to two tablespoons ) and it must be used preventive in this way: When the hopper is nearly empty, I sweep the remaining pellets and the sawdust in a small pile towards the intake and pour the oil over it. Hmm, a brush soaked in oil may be even better to ensure a limited dose. That will be my next experiment.
> ...


By the looks of the hopper, that oil maybe why you have a charred look of a hopper fire. I would not be using anything in the hopper except wood pellets.


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## MSmith66 (Dec 17, 2012)

smwilliamson said:


> Readers make note that there is evidence of a hopper fire in this machine. I can tell by the charred discoloration of the metal around the feed tube.
> 
> There are many bad implications for using oil in yer hopper:
> 
> ...


 
Did not see your post until after i replied.


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## DOLLARBILL (Dec 17, 2012)

can I assume that you have lots of fines after many bags ? If so why not just vaccum the fines more frequently may save a house fire !


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## jrsdws (Dec 17, 2012)

I think I'll just stick with sifting when I get really bad pellets and vacuuming the fines from the hopper every now and again.


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## Czech (Dec 17, 2012)

Yes, the easiest route is to just plan to vac the hopper when you clean the stove. That said, I've used vege oil before in my crib back when I was burning corn, mainly to keep the dust down. I never thought it was a fire hazard or I would not have done it, the amount was very small and vege oil simply is not all that combustible unless at very high temps (i.e. I don't think you'll get a trail of fire up the chute). I'd be more worried about gunking up the works even more by pouring this in the bottom of the hopper, vege oil tends to do this. Yes, this stove has had some fire where it should not have.


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## MCPO (Dec 17, 2012)

The use of oil doesn`t sound good to me but having to sift fines doesn`t either.
One of the reasons I quit burning wood was because of the multiple handling of it. Having to sift pellets has to be a PIA and an extra step I don`t want to be bothered with.
These Lignetics are one of the dustiest ,lots of fines, than I`ve yet used , but thankfully neither of my stoves have a problem with em. I`d replace the stove(s) if it couldn`t handle the fines.

I should add that the amount of fines in the picture look to be severe. Maybe you should switch to another pellet brand.


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## urkiddin (Dec 17, 2012)

Master Chief PO said:


> The use of oil doesn`t sound good to me but having to sift fines doesn`t either.
> One of the reasons I quit burning wood was because of the multiple handling of it. Having to sift pellets has to be a PIA and an extra step I don`t want to be bothered with.
> These Lignetics are one of the dustiest ,lots of fines, than I`ve yet used , but thankfully neither of my stoves have a problem with em. I`d replace the stove(s) if it couldn`t handle the fines.
> 
> I should add that the amount of fines in the picture look to be severe. Maybe you should switch to another pellet brand.


 
Sifting pellets isn't really that bad.I have my set-up in the garage next to the pallets of pellets.takes about 10 minutes to sift 2 five gallon buckets. would be quicker maybe but the fridge with beer is out there too.


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## St_Earl (Dec 17, 2012)

i never sift. and i've never had a jam.
the flexible auger design really works.


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## Stovensen (Dec 17, 2012)

*SAFETY FIRST!! *I absolutely agree with Scott Williamson on that and this is why I already in my first post mentioned the risk of overdosing with vegetable oil on the pile of sawdust. We don't know what will/can happen, so let us leave this kind of experiments to trained personnel on the pellet stove factory in collaboration with the fire brigade.
This can be compared to letting untrained persons work on electrical appliances connected to grid voltage: *If you don't have the skills, leave it to trained personnel!! *
But you must understand my situation: After countless numbers of shut downs due to accumulated sawdust, emptying of the hopper, vacuuming and so on to make my house warm again, well... it was totally unbearable. As I mentioned above, I was even considering replacing the pellet stove with a wood stove.
Basically a desperate situation for us around here with an icecold house and - 15 at night!! What do you do in a desperate situation?
I'm definitely not a lazy stove owner... I've overhauled and maintained this stove thoroughly since I bought it five years ago in a very bad condition.
One important note on my stove, though: The charred discoloration round the auger intake was already there when I bought it, no hopper fire here.


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## will711 (Dec 17, 2012)

urkiddin said:


> Sifting pellets isn't really that bad.I have my set-up in the garage next to the pallets of pellets.takes about 10 minutes to sift 2 five gallon buckets. would be quicker maybe but the fridge with beer is out there too.


 
I got me one of those fridges too, funny how they can slow down a project ,but make it soo much more fun


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## Harvey Schneider (Dec 17, 2012)

DemonGT said:


> not sure i could get myself to buy "**** oil"   ....but good info nonetheless


Canola oil commonly used in the US is a genetically engineered **** seed oil. Canola sounds a lot better. It stands for "Canadian Oil Low Acid". Nutritionally as good as olive oil.

Regarding the risk of fire from the use of small amounts of oil, I would be extremely cautious and since I haven't had any real problems with auger jams I probably won't have need to go that way. On the plus side the small amount of oil may act to lubricate the auger reducing the load on the auger motor. On the minus side, this still leaves a layer of fines dust on everything within three feet of the hopper from when the pellets were poured into the hopper.
I am somewhat surprised at the heavy handed condemnation of what may be a good solution to a problem. Advocate caution, don't condemn innovation.


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## briansol (Dec 17, 2012)

Harvey Schneider said:


> Canola oil commonly used in the US is a genetically engineered **** seed oil. Canola sounds a lot better. It stands for "Canadian Oil Low Acid". Nutritionally as good as olive oil.


This is completely false.  Canloa oil should NOT be consumed by humans (who care about their health).  But this is another thread entirely....
http://naturalinstinctnutrition.com/is-canola-oil-healthy/



> Regarding the risk of fire from the use of small amounts of oil, I would be extremely cautious and since I haven't had any real problems with auger jams I probably won't have need to go that way. On the plus side the small amount of oil may act to lubricate the auger reducing the load on the auger motor. On the minus side, this still leaves a layer of fines dust on everything within three feet of the hopper from when the pellets were poured into the hopper.
> I am somewhat surprised at the heavy handed condemnation of what may be a good solution to a problem. Advocate caution, don't condemn innovation.


 
NEVER EVER add anything flamable to the hopper.  Period.     Using oils, lubes, or anything petrolium based is just a horrible idea and a Darwin award waiting to happen.


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## 343amc (Dec 17, 2012)

I'll stick with my usual routine of dumping all but the last two or three pounds into the hopper, then sifting the rest.  The last thing I want is a hopper fire.  The second to last thing I want is a sticky mess in my stove to clean up.


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## Harvey Schneider (Dec 17, 2012)

briansol said:


> Harvey Schneider said: ↑
> Canola oil commonly used in the US is a genetically engineered **** seed oil. Canola sounds a lot better. It stands for "Canadian Oil Low Acid". Nutritionally as good as olive oil.
> This is completely false. Canloa oil should NOT be consumed by humans (who care about their health). But this is another thread entirely....
> http://naturalinstinctnutrition.com/is-canola-oil-healthy/
> ...


Tell us how your really feel.


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## briansol (Dec 17, 2012)

Sorry, i'm a bit of a foodie and advocate of healthy eating these days.  I was 'fat sick and nearly dead' a few years ago due to just being plain stupid and trusting that food on shelves was edible.  Now that i'm smarter, i'm down 65 lbs and i feel like i'm 22 again.


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## Stovensen (Dec 17, 2012)

oldmountvernon said:


> If i had as many problems as you suggest, that stove would be out of here


 
Now that would be a shame. This machinery really ticks like a swiss clock and it's also able to throw out a LOT of heat, but it's a top feeder.
The majority of pellet stoves here in Europe are italian made. Topfeeders, too. Topfeeders just don't like too much sawdust. That is why this idea with 'the oil trick' has evolved somewhere out there in the 'pellet jungle'.

If we focus on my particular stove... there seems to be quite a large gap between the auger tube and the auger screw. It is this gap that allows the sawdust to fall backwards, eventually blocking the intake area when enough has accumulated. Also, it puzzles me why the auger tube is octogonal and not cylindrical. Other stove brands, however, have cylindrical augertubes and a much closer clearance between the screw and tube. These stoves must be less prone to sawdust issues.

Let's get physical instead of lubrical then: The auger system on my Quest Plus needs a mod that will improve its handling of sawdust.
An idea: A long flat garland shaped steel brush point welded on the back side of the screw is a possibility. This would catch and sweep the sawdust up towards the drop chute. But again, this would make the screw too hard to rotate for the motor.

Another idea: A short but powerful burst of compressed air coming from the end plate will blow the sawdust up to the drop chute. There's plenty of space on the end plate to permanently install a proper nozzle/fitting with a valve to seal the orifice to prevent false air entering when not in use. I have a miniature compressor that will fit behind the stove. Hey, this could really work.

Any better ideas?


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## DexterDay (Dec 17, 2012)

St_Earl said:


> i never sift. and i've never had a jam.
> the flexible auger design really works.



The Spring auger is a good design, but the fines and small hits get stuck at the bottom. Being a hollow spring, there is no way to feed them up. So even Heatilators and Quads need vacuuming every so often. Otherwise you end up with a lower feed rate because fines have taken up all the space near the auger. 

As for the oil idea.... No thanks. It takes me less than a minute to Sift a bag of pellets (made my sifter, with larger PVC and a 6.5 HP Shop vac. No need to dump slowly. Hoist up and let it rip  I only do this for the Quad because of auger design. The Fahrenheit eats it all


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## allFIREDup (Dec 17, 2012)

Harvey Schneider said:


> Canola oil commonly used in the US is a genetically engineered **** seed oil. Canola sounds a lot better. It stands for "Canadian Oil Low Acid". Nutritionally as good as olive oil.
> 
> Regarding the risk of fire from the use of small amounts of oil, I would be extremely cautious and since I haven't had any real problems with auger jams I probably won't have need to go that way. On the plus side the small amount of oil may act to lubricate the auger reducing the load on the auger motor. On the minus side, this still leaves a layer of fines dust on everything within three feet of the hopper from when the pellets were poured into the hopper.
> I am somewhat surprised at the heavy handed condemnation of what may be a good solution to a problem. Advocate caution, don't condemn innovation.


 
I wouldn't want an oil gunky layer of sawdust sticking to the inside of the auger tube. During the spring cleaning it would make it more difficult to vacuum out now that oil has been added to the mix.   The oil could possibly crust up during the off season and eventually develop a hard layer buildup in the auger tube.   There are just better  ways of eliminating fines.    The method I use now works well and eliminates most of the fines before I bring it into the house and put the pellets in the hopper.


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## ScotL (Dec 17, 2012)

If anyone does add oil to their pellets and then has a hopper fire, please don't be one of those irresponsible people who then tries to sue the pellet manufacturer - because it's always "someone else's" fault.


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## urkiddin (Dec 17, 2012)

One reason i sift the pellets is i saw a post on this forum where a fellow found a bolt in a bag of pellets.I think that would kinda screw up an auger.


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## Clay H (Dec 17, 2012)

Vegi oil is a fuel. I burn it in my diesel truck. This is a stupid idea.


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## yooper81 (Dec 17, 2012)

I spent a month in Denmark once. Nice, actually, beautiful Country!


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## Harvey Schneider (Dec 17, 2012)

allFIREDup said:


> . During the spring cleaning it would make it more difficult to vacuum out now that oil has been added to the mix. The oil could possibly crust up during the off season and eventually develop a hard layer buildup in the auger tube.


This is a good point. Vegetable oils will polymerize over time in contact with air and become a gel. This would be difficult to remove during spring cleaning. This is no different than linseed oil (linseed is also known as flax seed) which is used as a wood finish and was for many years the base for paints. I would expect that eventually the oil would be as hard as oil based paint in the corners of the auger tube.

By the way, I wasn't advocating this method, I was advocating tolerance to innovation. People have to feel comfortable experimenting with ideas out in the open without the fear of a ton of bricks criticism falling on them.


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## SXIPro (Dec 17, 2012)

Sell your stove and buy a real one if dealing with fines is so awful with yours.


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## ScotL (Dec 17, 2012)

I see you're in Denmark. What do you think of the NBE pellet boilers made in Denmark. Are they any good? What kind of reputation do they have there?


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## CT Pellet (Dec 17, 2012)

Master Chief PO said:


> I should add that the amount of fines in the picture look to be severe. Maybe you should switch to another pellet brand



HALLELUJAH....HALLE-EFFIN-LUJAH!


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## pell it (Dec 17, 2012)

briansol said:


> NEVER EVER add anything flamable to the hopper...





??????  Are you burning rock pellets??? Maybe asbestos ones??



Sorry.  Could not let it slide.  The sawdust is probably more flammable than the oil!


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## Harvey Schneider (Dec 17, 2012)

pell it said:


> The sawdust is probably more flammable than the oil!


In fact, wood dust can be explosive if ignited when airborne.


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## movemaine (Dec 17, 2012)

Wondering if you could "pull a Harman"?

on the underside of the auger tube, drill a small hole that allows fines to fall into a cup you can empty occasionally.


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## notch (Dec 17, 2012)

briansol said:


> ...a Darwin award waiting to happen.


 
That was rich!

I think I would vacuum the fines and pellets out of the hopper before I put oil on them. Oil in the hopper just doesn't seem like a good idea.


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## Stovensen (Dec 17, 2012)

ScotL said:


> I see you're in Denmark. What do you think of the NBE pellet boilers made in Denmark. Are they any good? What kind of reputation do they have there?


 
I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you there. I don't have a clue. Since 2008 my focus has almost exclusively been on the Whitfield stoves and similar types.

My Whitfield stove replaced a very old coal/wood stove from 1898. My family has had this old house for six generations. It was built in 1898 and this coal stove was the original that came with the house The coal stove is danish made by Kerteminde Jernstøberi model 'Helios'. It's still fully functional and It was in use until 2008, when it was replaced by the Whitfield.

The 'Helios' stove is now stored away on the loft, but I can anytime swap it with the Whitfield, if this proves to have too many 'bells and whistles'.

'No pics? or... it didn't happen' , so here are some pics of the old Kerteminde Helios stove from 1898. The style is typical 'Art Nouveau'


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## SmokeyTheBear (Dec 17, 2012)

Neat stove.


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## subsailor (Dec 17, 2012)

SmokeyTheBear said:


> Neat stove.


 
X2.


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## thedude110 (Dec 17, 2012)

smwilliamson said:


> *BE SAFE PEOPLE. DON'T BE A DUMBASS RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS AND BECOME HOMELESS OR DEAD.*



What, you couldn't find the flashing font?

But yeah, I'm not tossing oil in my hopper.


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## rwthomas1 (Dec 17, 2012)

My Lopi Pioneer is a top feeder and I only vacuum the hopper every 2-3 weeks.  Only time I ever had an auger jam up was last week trying a bag of Dry Creek.  Their pellets are extremely hard and one wedged just so.....  Even when I do vac the hopper I don't have near as many fines as those pics.  If the Lopi was that troublesome I would have sold it.  Denmark is too damned cold to have an unreliable stove.


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## Clay H (Dec 18, 2012)

FWIW, my igniter is out and I use vegi oil to start a fire manually. Soak some pellets in a bowl of oil and put them in the burn box and light with a torch.


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## Harvey Schneider (Dec 18, 2012)

Clay H said:


> FWIW, my igniter is out and I use vegi oil to start a fire manually. Soak some pellets in a bowl of oil and put them in the burn box and light with a torch.


If you are using a torch, what do you need oil for?


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## Clay H (Dec 18, 2012)

Harvey Schneider said:


> If you are using a torch, what do you need oil for?


Because the oil catches fire much faster and stays lite better than a dry pellet with no air flow while the stove is off. Once its lite I let the fire burn a minute and then turn on the stove.


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## allFIREDup (Dec 18, 2012)

Stovensen said:


> Now that would be a shame. This machinery really ticks like a swiss clock and it's also able to throw out a LOT of heat, but it's a top feeder.
> The majority of pellet stoves here in Europe are italian made. Topfeeders, too. Topfeeders just don't like too much sawdust. That is why this idea with 'the oil trick' has evolved somewhere out there in the 'pellet jungle'.
> 
> If we focus on my particular stove... there seems to be quite a large gap between the auger tube and the auger screw. It is this gap that allows the sawdust to fall backwards, eventually blocking the intake area when enough has accumulated. Also, it puzzles me why the auger tube is octogonal and not cylindrical. Other stove brands, however, have cylindrical augertubes and a much closer clearance between the screw and tube. These stoves must be less prone to sawdust issues.
> ...


 
get a large trash container that will hold a weeks supply of pellets and put your pellets in this. Store the container in your garage,breezeway etc.. then place a plastic storage container with shallow sides on the floor in which you will place your pellet bucket. Get a 6 qt metal grain scoop and drill many holes throughout the scoop so the fines will fall through the holes. Scoop the pellets up from the trash container and give a few good shakes. Now with your pellet bucket in the shallow sided plastic storage container slowly pour the pellets and shake the grain scoop into the pellet bucket allowing the fines to fall into the shallow sided plastic container. This is working great for me.


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## allFIREDup (Dec 18, 2012)

only put the front edge of the grain scoop into the pellet bucket while pouring and shaking and filling the bucket.     A metal detectorist scoop could probably be used in place of the grain scoop since it already has holes in it and you wouldn't have to drill holes in the grain scoop.


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## Stovensen (Dec 19, 2012)

allFIREDup said:


> only put the front edge of the grain scoop into the pellet bucket while pouring and shaking and filling the bucket.


 
allFIREDup, thanks for the tip. This will fit naturally in the pellet handling routine and it's cheap in materials. Besides the sawdust is not lost to the vac, but can be reused in our cats litterboxes ( we have three cats ).

But tell me... you have a Harman P43, horizontal feeder, right? Then why do you have to do any sifting at all?


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## allFIREDup (Dec 19, 2012)

Stovensen said:


> allFIREDup, thanks for the tip. This will fit naturally in the pellet handling routine and it's cheap in materials. Besides the sawdust is not lost to the vac, but can be reused in our cats litterboxes ( we have three cats ).
> 
> But tell me... you have a Harman P43, horizontal feeder, right? Then why do you have to do any sifting at all?


 
Good question..I have a bottom feeder. I do this to cut down on the dust and particles that become airborne when dumping the pellets into the hopper in my house. Also there is a feeder body area on the Harmans in which fines can accumulate and has to periodically be vacuumed out...so I try to eliminate fines before I put pellets in the hopper. The fines captured can be reused if you're concerned about wasting any fuel. I guess you could put the fines directly in the burn pot but I'm really not too concerned about it. Let us know if you perfect the "oil trick".


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## muss (Dec 19, 2012)

Stovensen said:


> In the last couple of seasons I've had soo many shut downs due to accumulated sawdust in the bottom of the hopper that I even considered replacing my Quest Plus with a wood stove. It's a bit depressing to come home to an icecold house time after time... and the sight I saw EVERY time I had shoveled all the pellets out of the hopper, was that of the picture below.
> Then I remembered a tip I got from an experienced pellet burner: Try to pour a little vegetable oil over the pellets when the hopper is nearly empty. This way the sawdust will cake up and be made transportable for the auger screw.
> A month ago I started my experiments. Result: A tremendous success!! No more shoveling pellets and vacuuming off the hopper.
> Note: Only a very small amount of oil is necessary ( one to two tablespoons ) and it must be used preventive in this way: When the hopper is nearly empty, I sweep the remaining pellets and the sawdust in a small pile towards the intake and pour the oil over it. Hmm, a brush soaked in oil may be even better to ensure a limited dose. That will be my next experiment.
> ...


    Been using about a teaspoon of canola for 2 seasons just the way you describe. The pellets & fines absorb immediately  & go right down the auger. Haven't had a jam since


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## Harvey Schneider (Dec 19, 2012)

allFIREDup said:


> I guess you could put the fines directly in the burn pot


Bad idea. Putting wood dust into a burning fire can cause a flash back. You can lose your eyebrows that way. (Don't ask how I know, I won't tell)


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## SteveB (Dec 19, 2012)

Harvey Schneider said:


> Bad idea. Putting wood dust into a burning fire can cause a flash back. You can lose your eyebrows that way. (Don't ask how I know, I won't tell)


 
Wait till you open up an outdoor furnace full of hot coal gas right after the draft blower shuts off, and it hits all that nice fresh oxygen
Talk about a face full of fire and losing eyebrows! Thank goodness for the safety latch on the door!   (Don't ask how I know, I won't tell either!)


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## allFIREDup (Dec 19, 2012)

Harvey Schneider said:


> Bad idea. Putting wood dust into a burning fire can cause a flash back. You can lose your eyebrows that way. (Don't ask how I know, I won't tell)


 
Oh I meant priming the burn pot with the fines when starting up the stove after the weekly cleaning.


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## Harvey Schneider (Dec 19, 2012)

allFIREDup said:


> Oh I meant priming the burn pot with the fines when starting up the stove after the weekly cleaning.


I don't mean to be difficult, but wouldn't that just get blown away by the combustion blower? In both my stoves, I see loose bits of pellet flying away as they ignite during start-up.


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## MCPO (Dec 20, 2012)

FWIW: Burning it might be it`s best use yet. Canola oil is far from being the healthful oil alternative , as we have been led to believe. Google it and read up on it.


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## cheap-skate (Dec 21, 2012)

I have a Breckwell P23i(insert) that I burn 24/7 durring the CT heating season in a poorly insulated 22 sq-ft cape (4-4.5 tons season). Have tried many types of pellets from the cheap big box pellets to the super premium pellet house ones. The SP are much better quality for heat, fines and ash. I have never sifted pellets and never had a jamb. The only issue i have is the dust in my living room.


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## gfreek (Dec 21, 2012)

Dust from dumping the pellets in the hopper?  Thats where I get mine and why I sift


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## Dinger (Dec 21, 2012)

I've seen some amazing ideas on this site, LBT in particular. 

I'm fascinated by the ingenuity of the PVC sifter vac, but frankly, I don't have a need for it? 

I've run five or so tons through my stove since last December, and run out several times. If I was going to plug my feed chute due to fines, surely I would have seen this by now. Sure I have fines, but the pellets just seem to drag them through right along for the ride, BTU's baby!

Unless I've missed some cavity during my cleaning?


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## jtakeman (Dec 21, 2012)

cheap-skate said:


> I have a Breckwell P23i(insert) that I burn 24/7 durring the CT heating season in a poorly insulated 22 sq-ft cape (4-4.5 tons season). Have tried many types of pellets from the cheap big box pellets to the super premium pellet house ones. The SP are much better quality for heat, fines and ash. I have never sifted pellets and never had a jamb. The only issue i have is the dust in my living room.


 
I'd look at a pellet vac. Maybe imacman or DexterDay can show you theirs? They are cheap to make and clean the dust-fines out. Just a mess of PVC fittings and a common vacuum cleaner.


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