# Bulk Pellet Storage Options



## velvetfoot (Mar 27, 2014)

I've been obsessing about what to do, if anything, about bulk pellet storage for a BioWin pellet boiler. I'm thinking the day hopper is pretty tall, 

pellet bags weigh 40 lbs, I might burn 6-7 tons, and I'm no spring chicken.  

One thing that surprised me is the potential cost of bulk storage, including the accessories like piping, and then also, the cost of getting them 

over to the boiler.

It seems the options are, in absolutley no order of preference:

1) Outside Storage 
     a) Steel Silo
     b) Custom Wood Silo
     c)  Premade Shed
     d)  Underground

2) Inside Storage
     a)  Frameless Sack
     b)  Framed Sack
     c)  Metal Bin
     d)  Custom Built Room


Outside Storage

As PassionforFire&Water, just said in another thread 

"These are some pros and cons for a silo used with a pellet boiler for residential use: say less then 30 kW or 102,000 BTU/hr.

Cons:
 - cost is 2x the cost of an indoor storage room
 - no redundancy in suction point. Most silos have 1 probe at the bottom.
 - if pellets are stacked higher then 8', they have more tendency to bridge because of the pressure.
 - your money is no longer in your pocket when you buy 10 tons at once versus 2 or 3 smaller deliveries.
 - right now there is no real incentive to buy bulk pellets. You would think bulk is cheaper, but it's not
 - when you have a mild winter, you will sit on a lot of pellets for 1 more summer that can pickup moisture

Pros:
 - you save valuable inside space.
 - you keep the possible mess outside from the pellet dust during delivery.
 - lower pellet delivery fee
 - you may be able to take advantage of lower pellet pricing when buying early.

In my opinion, a pellet storage room should be build so you have 2, maximum 3 deliveries per year."

Inside Storage

The frameless sacks seem to be the cheapest option.    I found a place that will install a 3 ton sack for $600. HOWEVER, it's a little unclear about piping, which I don't THINK is included as well as the outside fittings-not sure.  Framed fabric and steel bins of about 4-5 tons are about $2500 or so uninstalled.  

Piping can get expensive but nothing like the conductive hose. The 4" piping and hose are like what is used in agriculture.  I found no generic place on line to get it.  For purely approximate scaling purposes, I found approximate prices of $11 for a 10' straight run, $40 for each transition, and maybe $35 for each clamp that holds two pieces together-these are big sweeps,etc, different from what the average non-farmer has seen. The hose is $24 a foot.  The frameless sack needs two lines because the fabric doesn't breathe.  Same thing for the steel bin and custom room.  The framed fabric bins apparently act as a filter when the pellets are blown in, (one vendor said it works well from a dust perspective), so only the fill line is required.  Where I want to to put my storage, it's about 25'.  For hose, that's $1200 for two lines!  Pipe, 2 sections, 4 transitions, 2 pipes, maybe $900 for two lines.  (Plus, that's if you can figure out what fittings you need with this ag. pipe.)  You still may or may not need to buy the cam lock fill fittlings for maybe $300.  

The sacks, framed and frameless go up very quickly.  Plus they can be taken down similarly when not filled with pellets. The frameless sack just totally collapses when empty.  I can envision some scenerio in the future where I'd like to have access above the pellet storage, or if we wanted to remove it to sell the house, or whatever.  This could be a negative for a custom built room or the metal bin.  

I would consider the single point suction of the silos a plus from a cost point of view.  I understand that the changeover system for 3 points, as is used for a room, is about $1800, as I recall.  I guess the 2" pickup could get clogged and that's where redundency would be helpful. 

Don't forget, you still have to get the vacuum option, which, I'm not looking this up, might be $1500.

Not that I'm totally money-oriented, but convenience costs.  Then again, if you can't lift 6 tons in 40 lb increments, albeit over a 6 month time frame, how much is that convenience worth if you're dead set on burning pellets.

As far as size, PassionforFire&Water made a good point about not having too large a storage.  I am thinking along these lines too, but carryover to the next season might be inevitable.  I am thinking that having some bagged pellets stored might be a good idea in case the autofill system has a problem or you want to totally empty the bag for whatever reason other than mentioned earlier (I'm not sure why-fines removal?). 

It'd be great if people with actual operating experience with the different systems chimed in.  I myself would be interested in how dusty the fabric (framed and frameless) ones are, since that's the way I am currently leaning.


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## Boil&Toil (Mar 27, 2014)

Zip, zilch, zero, nada experience - but two observations:

Lifting pellets will help to keep you as a springier version of a tough old bird, .vs. not lifting pellets. If you're not already broken, your doctor should be able to confirm that the way to *stay* active is to *be* active, or something like that. i.e. it's good for you.

Ain't nothing that says you can't open the bags and hoist 5 lbs 8 times, or whatever, if you lose some of your springs. Or use some of your retired time to develop a bicycle-powered chain-auger system with tin-can buckets to elevate your pellets. 

Of course, that doesn't do much for leaving for a week or two.


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## PassionForFire&Water (Mar 28, 2014)

Hi Velvetfoot,

One more idea I like to put in front of you: *The Windhager Mobile Wood Pellets Storage Trailer*
If you have a pickup truck to tow it and a local point to fill up pellets, then this is something to think about it.
As you can see, I did a lot of thinkering myself over the course of the last year.

I will be busy today and over the weekend, but I try to way in on this topic when I can.
Don't forget the wheel lock !


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## Mpodesta (Mar 28, 2014)

The trailer storage unit is pretty slick.................


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## DZL_Damon (Mar 28, 2014)

PassionForFire&Water said:


> Hi Velvetfoot,
> 
> One more idea I like to put in front of you: *The Windhager Mobile Wood Pellets Storage Trailer*
> If you have a pickup truck to tow it and a local point to fill up pellets, then this is something to think about it.
> ...


Great idea Marc!


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## Willman (Mar 28, 2014)

Discount for advertising?


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## velvetfoot (Mar 28, 2014)

Unless you have a carport for "protection".


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## velvetfoot (Mar 28, 2014)

Implusive guy I am, I found a good price on the three ton pellestore 3tx bag, hose, fill kit, and clamps, and ordered it.  About $850.


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## Markus38 (Mar 29, 2014)

Hey Velvet
Where did you find this great deal? 
What does the fill kit look like?  Is it just the connectors for the delivery?
What are you seeing for prices for bulk delivery in your area?


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## chken (Mar 29, 2014)

You can use that pellet storage trailer for mobile job sites. Now you only have to develop a portable stove to go with it.


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## Mpodesta (Mar 29, 2014)

I was thinking about this last night......Do the bulk pellet delivery places allow you to do pick ups? I got a 9ton equipment trailer out back doing nothing and could easily build a box on it to hold pellets


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## chken (Mar 29, 2014)

Mpodesta said:


> I was thinking about this last night......Do the bulk pellet delivery places allow you to do pick ups? I got a 9ton equipment trailer out back doing nothing and could easily build a box on it to hold pellets


The bulk deliverer near me, Heutz in Lewison, Maine lets you do pickups. I don't know how common it is, but if you save them the hassle of delivering it, why not?


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## velvetfoot (Mar 29, 2014)

Markus38 said:


> Hey Velvet
> Where did you find this great deal?
> What does the fill kit look like?  Is it just the connectors for the delivery?
> What are you seeing for prices for bulk delivery in your area?



I don't want to jinx the deal before I actually get it.  You know it's only the frameless bag deal, right?  It's the darn accessories.
Yes, just the connectors for delivery.
Off the top of my head, I'm not sure.  
I think Vermont Renewables were at 299, but they were saying they get 279 bagged-must be something special.  Vincents Heating in Poland, NY, was considerably cheaper, I forget how much and the details.  Sandri was not cheap either.  I wrote it down at work.  They're still pretty far from me, although Vermont Renewables has a place in Pownal, VT, they said the pellet trucks come out of Rutland.  
What I find encouraging is the there are at least 3 companies willing to deliver bulk to where I live.  Maybe there's someone even closer.
I might try that leaf blower trick too.


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## Markus38 (Mar 29, 2014)

Those are the prices I have seen out here.  I can't justify paying 280/ton for the bulk when i can go to lowes and get the same pellet for 190/ton with coupons.
For $90 a ton savings I would easily move them myself and shoot them into the bulk container myself.


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## Mpodesta (Mar 29, 2014)

Yeah, I just did some checking around and their seems to be no savings in buying "bulk" packed pellets, I can stick with the cheaper bagged stuff


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## Paste (Mar 30, 2014)

Markus38 said:


> Hey Velvet
> Where did you find this great deal?
> What does the fill kit look like?  Is it just the connectors for the delivery?
> What are you seeing for prices for bulk delivery in your area?


Maine energy sells the bin. I'm using one with my biowin and it works great.  I didnt need the connectors because my bin is next to a basement window, so I just hook the delivery truck hose to the bin.  I think the bin was 290.  Maine energy is great to work with and their delivery staff is prompt and friendly.  You can also fill the bin yourself with 40 lb pellet bags by blowning them in with a leaf blower or pouring them in via the top hatch.


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## chken (Mar 30, 2014)

Paste said:


> Maine energy sells the bin. I'm using one with my biowin and it works great.  I didnt need the connectors because my bin is next to a basement window, so I just hook the delivery truck hose to the bin.  I think the bin was 290.  Maine energy is great to work with and their delivery staff is prompt and friendly.  You can also fill the bin yourself with 40 lb pellet bags by blowning them in with a leaf blower or pouring them in via the top hatch.


Maine Energy in Bangor, or MEsys in Bethel?

If it's MEsys, then they have a neat product for commercial operations which includes a pellet boiler and pellet storage all in a box container that they can just drop off at your job site or commercial application:

http://www.maineenergysystems.com/Energy-Boxes.htm

I only mention it because this past week, Kelvin, aka foamit up, showed me his Biowin unit in Monmouth, Maine, and he had installed his Windhager inside an airline shipment box, which looks like a small 20ft trailer box, and next to his Windhager is a pellet storage bin he had built. It basically looked just like a smaller version of the Energy Box that MEsys sells. Pretty neat way to retrofit the heating for an apartment building.


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## velvetfoot (Mar 30, 2014)

Paste said:


> Maine energy sells the bin. I'm using one with my biowin and it works great.  I didnt need the connectors because my bin is next to a basement window, so I just hook the delivery truck hose to the bin.  I think the bin was 290.  Maine energy is great to work with and their delivery staff is prompt and friendly.  You can also fill the bin yourself with 40 lb pellet bags by blowning them in with a leaf blower or pouring them in via the top hatch.



I remember your thread, and you put the suction hose though one sleeve and the vent hose through another.  I think you said the pickup worked pretty well as far as getting most of the material out.  I'm still going to be burning wood for a while, so three tons may go awhile.  It'd be a drag to fill the bag in the middle of winter though, without a bulk delivery.  I might keep a pallet of pellets in the basement or maybe also the garage where I keep the wood.  I've never burned pellets before though, so we'll see.

.


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## velvetfoot (Apr 25, 2014)

Boil&Toil said:


> Zip, zilch, zero, nada experience - but two observations:
> 
> Lifting pellets will help to keep you as a springier version of a tough old bird, .vs. not lifting pellets. If you're not already broken, your doctor should be able to confirm that the way to *stay* active is to *be* active, or something like that. i.e. it's good for you.
> 
> ...



Now that the big day is only a week away, getting a little shakey thinking about what the heck I'll be doing shuffling around the house anyway, I'm thinking more along these lines.


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## Karl_northwind (Apr 25, 2014)

PassionForFire&Water said:


> Hi Velvetfoot,
> 
> One more idea I like to put in front of you: *The Windhager Mobile Wood Pellets Storage Trailer*
> If you have a pickup truck to tow it and a local point to fill up pellets, then this is something to think about it.
> ...


Marc, We're thinking along the same lines.  even thinking about having an exchange program....
karl


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## heaterman (Apr 26, 2014)

Price for bags, delivered in minimum 5 ton lots, from Michigan Wood Pellets is $155/ton right now.
Other than convenience, there is no reason to go with bulk delivery here.


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