# Do I need to remove loose sawdust from wood pellets before putting them in my pellet stove



## Randy (Mar 8, 2013)

Do I need to remove loose sawdust from wood pellets before putting them in my pellet stove? Some people say I do so it won't ruin the auger.


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## blades (Mar 8, 2013)

If it builds up too much - causes jams


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## Randy (Mar 8, 2013)

So if I keep an eye on the auger and there is no build up it is fine? What is meant by build up? Thanks for answering.


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## Mr. Spock (Mar 8, 2013)

By loose sawdust do you mean fines? The wood dust that mostly sticks to the insides of the pellet bags?
Put your pellet stove and the pellets your burning in your signature like mine below. Some stoves are pickier that others when it comes to fines and it will help us provided better feedback.


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## Randy (Mar 8, 2013)

Thanks but I know what the fines are , just wondering when build up of the fines are too much to cause a jam. Does it have to be enough to actually stop the auger from moving? Is loose sawdust around the auger ok or will it cause a problem? Sorry I don't have a picture but my stove is a Glowboy or Danson bay glass door something????.

I was told to screen all my pellets that I would burn to remove all sawdust as it could damage the auger.

Thanks.
Randy!!


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## Mr. Spock (Mar 8, 2013)

Just trying to clarify what you meant by sawdust. There are cases where pellets have broken down which creates a situation that is not the same as fines. i.e. wet pellets turn into sawdust.
Some fines are to be expected and in most cases don't present issues with operation. If your particular pellets seem to have excessive fines then the stove may need  to be cleaned more often. I am not experienced with your model stove but I am sure other members here will chime in as to what level of fines will may affect the auger.


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## Shaw520 (Mar 8, 2013)

..seems that some stoves are more 'sensitive' to 'fines',... seems some pellet brands yield more 'fines' than others,...  I think it safe to say that most of us _dont_ sift our pellets.... Ive never had a prob.


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## whlago (Mar 8, 2013)

Shaw520 said:


> seems that some stoves are more 'sensitive' to 'fines',... seems some pellet brands yield more 'fines' than others,... I think it safe to say that most of us _dont_ sift our pellets.... Ive never had a prob.​


 X2


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## skibladerj (Mar 8, 2013)

I sift my pellets, I think that my stove runs better but it could also be my imagination. Then again some of the brands that I have tested have produced about 2 cups worth of fines per bag! (powerhouse was the brand)


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## sheetmetaldan (Mar 8, 2013)

skibladerj said:


> I sift my pellets, I think that my stove runs better but it could also be my imagination. Then again some of the brands that I have tested have produced about 2 cups worth of fines per bag! (powerhouse was the brand)


 
Maybe Powderhouse would be a better brand name!


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## Defiant (Mar 8, 2013)

Shaw520 said:


> ..seems that some stoves are more 'sensitive' to 'fines',... seems some pellet brands yield more 'fines' than others,... I think it safe to say that most of us _dont_ sift our pellets.... Ive never had a prob.


X3


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## Woody1911a1 (Mar 8, 2013)

no way i'm throwing away btu's .  not to mention that sifting is work .


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## john193 (Mar 8, 2013)

I dump my bags in, fines and all. I can see the fines coming through with the pellets, they just burn. I don't make a habit of dumping the fines into the hopper if I can help it, but I'm also not loosing sleep over it. I have yet to read someone had an issue with fines in an average dry bag.


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## jtakeman (Mar 8, 2013)

Shaw520 said:


> ..seems that some stoves are more 'sensitive' to 'fines',... seems some pellet brands yield more 'fines' than others,... I think it safe to say that most of us _dont_ sift our pellets.... Ive never had a prob.


 
X4


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## Dgopetactical (Mar 8, 2013)

X5


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## iceguy4 (Mar 8, 2013)

Shaw520 said:


> ..seems that some stoves are more 'sensitive' to 'fines',... seems some pellet brands yield more 'fines' than others,... I think it safe to say that most of us _dont_ sift our pellets.... Ive never had a prob.


 
X6


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## Xena (Mar 8, 2013)

Shaw520 said:


> ..seems that some stoves are more 'sensitive' to 'fines',... seems some pellet brands yield more 'fines' than others,... I think it safe to say that most of us _dont_ sift our pellets.... Ive never had a prob.


 
X 7


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## SmokeyTheBear (Mar 8, 2013)

Shaw520 said:


> ..seems that some stoves are more 'sensitive' to 'fines',... seems some pellet brands yield more 'fines' than others,... I think it safe to say that most of us _dont_ sift our pellets.... Ive never had a prob.



X some other number higher than Xena's.

If you are concerned shake the bag of pellets and dump only the first 30 pounds into the hopper dump the rest into a large trash can.  This should cut down on the amount of pellets you might have to sift or vacuum with a fines/corn vacuum.

I just dump them in and when I do a deep clean I run the hopper and auger out and clean out any that might be at the bottom of the auger flight.  My auger system doesn't really mind all that much, the spring systems in the quads seem to have more issues with fines than solid auger systems.


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## save$ (Mar 8, 2013)

I only have cleaned out the fines when I am cleaning the stove.  I keep the fines and toss them in the burn pot when I am lighting the stove after a shut down.   My stove is fussy about the brand of pellets, but shows no issues with sawdust.   No clue how your stove will respond to them!


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## smoke show (Mar 8, 2013)

Shaw520 said:


> ..seems that some stoves are more 'sensitive' to 'fines',... seems some pellet brands yield more 'fines' than others,... I think it safe to say that most of us _dont_ sift our pellets.... Ive never had a prob.


x9


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## Phil Do's fire. (Mar 9, 2013)

Randy said:


> Thanks but I know what the fines are , just wondering when build up of the fines are too much to cause a jam. Does it have to be enough to actually stop the auger from moving? Is loose sawdust around the auger ok or will it cause a problem? Sorry I don't have a picture but my stove is a Glowboy or Danson bay glass door something????.
> 
> I was told to screen all my pellets that I would burn to remove all sawdust as it could damage the auger.
> 
> ...


If fines build up, the auger will eventually jamb. Vacuum out the hopper and feed tube whenever possible


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## MCPO (Mar 9, 2013)

Many stoves just burn the fines up with ease as both my stoves do but some stoves don`t burn well or will they ignite properly due to fines.
In reading literature from Palizetti stoves they stress the importance of high grade pellets with minimum dust for proper ignition in their stoves and to provide the higher heat necessay for a good secondary burn.  That`s probably sound advice for any pellet stove since the crappy pellets I burned this year don`t seem to be worth their lower price.


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## gfreek (Mar 9, 2013)

For me it cuts down on the dust as I pour into the hopper.  That way I don't have to hear "where is the dust coming from"'??    And less times I have to clean the 'fines box' on my Harman...some brands have more fines than others


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## gbreda (Mar 9, 2013)

Shaw520 said:


> ..seems that some stoves are more 'sensitive' to 'fines',... seems some pellet brands yield more 'fines' than others,... I think it safe to say that most of us _dont_ sift our pellets.... Ive never had a prob.


 
X10

Cut-Dump-Burn for me


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## glenc0322 (Mar 9, 2013)

Just pour them in the hooper and burn away


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## skibladerj (Mar 9, 2013)

gfreek said:


> For me it cuts down on the dust as I pour into the hopper. That way I don't have to hear "where is the dust coming from"'?? And less times I have to clean the 'fines box' on my Harman...some brands have more fines than others



I don't have a Harman but I agree! less dust makes the wife happy, which in turn makes my life happier!


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## smoke show (Mar 9, 2013)

glenc0322 said:


> hooper


You must have attended the SmokeyTheBear school of spelling.


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## tonyd (Mar 9, 2013)

Walk outside and pour them into a bucket from the bag. With a breeze, the fines will head east and the pellets will fall into the bucket. Come back in and fill the hopper. I use to do it with my leaf blower as I dumped, but now I just pour.


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## glenc0322 (Mar 9, 2013)

smoke show said:


> You must have attended the SmokeyTheBear school of spelling.


Lol using my phone and the stupid swype


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## Utilitrack (Mar 9, 2013)

whlago said:


> X2


X11


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## movemaine (Mar 9, 2013)

depends on your stove...some of us dump them in and never look back - but that's because our stoves will never clog because of them.


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## St_Earl (Mar 10, 2013)

you can also just let the hopper run empty every so often and vacuum out the auger channel.
i don't do this. but it is an option if they cause problems for you.

i have started noticing this year that if i always keep the hopper full, the fines start to concentrate from successive bags.
i have not really measured it. but i've started letting the hopper run low more often so the fines form a period of time run through before i start keeping things topped off. 

i'm four tons in this year and no problems so far.


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## Jack Morrissey (Mar 10, 2013)

Utilitrack said:


> X11


x12


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