# Does anyone filter/remove the fines from their pellets?



## Cincinnati Kid (Nov 7, 2012)

I'm trying to fgure out how to remove the fines from the pellets prior to dumping them into the hopper.

Does anyone attempt to do this and if so, how?

Thanks in advance!


----------



## bbfarm (Nov 7, 2012)

I don't but here is a link for you.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/i-made-my-own-pellet-vac-for-less-than-20-00-video.21107/


----------



## Hellfire (Nov 7, 2012)

Share it w/ the neighborhood i say!


Another way to skin the --- Repeat as needed! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			











 To & fro
St croix York model insert with s/s liner DOB (installed diy ) 11.23.2005 Wheels out for maintenance & repairs. ​Hellfire, Sunday at 1:14 PMEditDeleteReportBookmark
#96


----------



## Fish On (Nov 7, 2012)

Hellfire said:


> Share it w/ the neighborhood i say!
> 
> 
> Another way to skin the --- Repeat as needed!
> ...



good idea, but what do u do when it is raining or snowing out. seems like your pellets would get wet?


----------



## briansol (Nov 7, 2012)

I don't see the point, other than if you had dust allergies/etc.   wood is wood, and it all burns the same to me.   why bother?


----------



## Roadstar (Nov 7, 2012)

Cincinnati Kid said:


> I'm trying to fgure out how to remove the fines from the pellets prior to dumping them into the hopper.
> 
> Does anyone attempt to do this and if so, how?
> 
> Thanks in advance!


 
Here is a pellet vacuum video on YouTube:


----------



## Hellfire (Nov 7, 2012)

Fish On said:


> good idea, but what do u do when it is raining or snowing out. seems like your pellets would get wet?


If you have a garage (perfect)just put fan inside a few feet (aiming outside of course)or as to what i have is a big front porch protected from the elements (roof) even after sandy blew through i am happy to say only the front 25% of my porch got wet .

A shed may fit the bill too.

The only time these would get wet is after i carry them from porch to inside the house about 25 feet.

Not sure what you want from this style setup but i use it for dust removal ,just experiment w/fan speed and angle.

I feel it exposes the pellet the most for dust removal IMO but equally works well for broken pellets (fines)

Just pour back and forth for more removal if a bag just happens to be in poor condition. ( a lot of dust/fines)

Sweep up excess dust/fines to use on spilled oil messes (works great).

Sometimes i feel pig pen came for a visit with the dust in my house (just trying to keep dust to a minimum )

I did one of those homemade PVC Vac. units and was not impressed (good if it works for other people ) with the results.(clogged a lot with subpar dust removal)IMO.


----------



## saladdin (Nov 7, 2012)

I don't, no need. But give men free time and we find ways to complicate simple things with home-made gadgets.


----------



## Likin'Fire (Nov 7, 2012)

Roadstar said:


> Here is a pellet vacuum video on YouTube:
> 
> Whether or not dust removal is value-added, that's one heckuva clever idea. I really like seeing ingenuitive ideas like that.


----------



## Likin'Fire (Nov 7, 2012)

Havin' trouble with the forum...anyway, like I said above in the quote:

Whether or not dust removal is value-added, that's one heckuva clever idea.


----------



## nailed_nailer (Nov 7, 2012)

NOPE!


----------



## John Wallington (Nov 7, 2012)

That is a cool gizmo...even if it might not be 'needed'.


----------



## mark2m (Nov 7, 2012)

I don't bother either.  From the bag straight into the hopper.  Never been an issue on my stove and I even dump a bag that had gotten wet where the pellets came apart.  It was like dumping saw dust right in the hopper and not a hiccup from my P43 other than the auger squeal a couple times.  I don't see what the benefit it would have other than the fines collection bin filling a little faster maybe.  Also allergies as said above.


----------



## cdodge04 (Nov 7, 2012)

The first 2 years I had my stove I used a setup similar to the YouTube video. After that I got lazy, said screw it and I just dump them in.


----------



## sinnian (Nov 7, 2012)

Nope ~ cut and pour


----------



## Bigjim13 (Nov 7, 2012)

briansol said:


> I don't see the point, other than if you had dust allergies/etc.   wood is wood, and it all burns the same to me.   why bother?


I don't get it either, can someone explain why one would do this?  Is your stove so picky that it can't handle a bag with a few fines?  Better yet, if your pellets have enough fines to cause an issue with your stove, switch pellets.  What am I missing?


----------



## cdodge04 (Nov 7, 2012)

I did it initially because I thought I was some how helping my stove...I was trying to do everything "right"...then I realized that I was just doing unnecessary work.


----------



## Northwoodneil (Nov 7, 2012)

Cut and dump. Fines = BTU's


----------



## imacman (Nov 7, 2012)

Bigjim13 said:


> I don't get it either, can someone explain why one would do this? Is your stove so picky that it can't handle a bag with a few fines? Better yet, if your pellets have enough fines to cause an issue with your stove, switch pellets. What am I missing?


There are forum members and/or their family members that had allergic reaction/breathing issues from the fines that became airborne while dumping the bags in.  The cleaners fixed that problem, for the most part.

Others wanted to reduce the dust that settled on the furniture.


----------



## m159267 (Nov 7, 2012)

My Harman P38 eats fines for dinner. Nothing more than a tablespoon full at season's end.


----------



## Bigjim13 (Nov 7, 2012)

imacman said:


> There are forum members and/or their family members that had allergic reaction/breathing issues from the fines that became airborne while dumping the bags in.  The cleaners fixed that problem, for the most part.
> 
> Others wanted to reduce the dust that settled on the furniture.



Ok, that makes sense


----------



## Melissa220 (Nov 7, 2012)

Not being able to lift a 40 lb bag to empty in my hopper, I bought a 24 oz plastic 'cup' at Home Depot by the pails.  I use this to scoop pellets into the hopper.  BY the time I get down to the bottom of the bag and I've scooped up fines with the pellets, I shake the cup to settle the fines at the bottom, pour out the pellets and the top and then finger sift the pellets from the bottom leaving the fines in the cup bottom.

A little labor intensive, but it works for me at the moment.  

Alternately, you can dump the bag in and then use a scoop to scoop out the fines pile; weeding out the pellets you pick up too.


----------



## glenc0322 (Nov 7, 2012)

Just dump and burn and no problems in my harman


----------



## DexterDay (Nov 7, 2012)

Ok... I will bite. All that say they don't need one. 

Naysayers . Quads dont a screw and cylinder type auger. Its an open spring. Which DOES NOT bring fines up the auger flight. So the fines build up and it lowers the feed rate on All Quads and Heatilators. 

The Hopper will need Vac'd if you don't Sift. 

Sifting also catches any foreign material. If you have burned pellets long enough. You have found a Bolt, Screw, Piece of wood, Rubber, Corn, Etc in your pellets. It happens. Pellet manufacturers are far from perfect


----------



## Melissa220 (Nov 8, 2012)

OMG.  I can't even imagine beginning to construct that.  Let alone have the space to put it!


----------



## Hardy_Boy (Nov 8, 2012)

If you are spending more time sifting your pellets than burning them you may have a problem....


----------



## Hellfire (Nov 8, 2012)

imacman said:


> Others wanted to reduce the dust that settled on the furniture


 
My point exactly

If my hopper was outside i would dump a whole bag with no regrets

Just hate the dust flying around in the house no matter how slow you would pour them direct from the bag 

Besides who wants extra work to vacumn a house more often because of dust

10- 5g buckets for pellets RTB

Sometimes i feel like i live in a wood shop without a dust/vac system

I am not passing the white glove test that`s for sure


----------



## ironpony (Nov 8, 2012)

no,no,no dump them in and go. do not find to many fines in my Somersets.
maybe because we buy direct from the factory and eliminate some handling??


----------



## Backstreets75 (Nov 8, 2012)

Threw together some scrap wood and screen.  Fines are from 4 bags of pellets.  House is MUCHO less dusty by sifting out the fines!

To each his own!


----------



## Pellet-King (Nov 9, 2012)

I like how the fines add a flash of light!!
Last night watching Tv, saw a quick bright flash from the stove, love them fines!!


----------



## imacman (Nov 9, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> OMG. I can't even imagine beginning to construct that. Let alone have the space to put it!


Dexter went a little overboard (IMO) with a lot of extra plastic piping.  It can be made much more simple and compact:


----------



## boosted3g (Nov 10, 2012)

Just got this finished tonight.  Took and hour to build and about 30 minutes to tune.  Sifted 7 bags of cheat rivers and when i dumped some into the hopper not a bit of dust.  Before this contraption there was dust everywhere.


----------

