# burning wood in a pellet stove



## gutlo (Feb 22, 2009)

Here's how I successfully burn wood in my pellet stove.
I have an 8 year old Lopi Yankee.  Local cost of pellets is $300-$350/ton, so burning wood became attractive, especially since there's a free local source of plywood scrap.
At first, I supplemented the pellet stream with wood.  This worked well, releasing much more heat than pellets alone, until the cast iron plate behind the burn pot warped.  I installed a new one ($90), then burned wood alone.  I allowed the pellets to run out, lit the fire with gel starter and wood scrap.  The augur turned, the blowers blew, and the stove put tremendous amounts of heat, much more than with pellets on max.

It's been working now for 6 weeks, no signs of warpage.  I think it wapred originally because the combined heat of the pellets and wood were too much for the cast iron.  I add wood every hour or so.  Plywood makes far less dust than pellets.  I let it cool down overnight, vacuum out the ash in the morning, and I'm good to go.


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## kinsmanstoves (Feb 22, 2009)

gutlo said:
			
		

> Here's how I successfully burn wood in my pellet stove.
> I have an 8 year old Lopi Yankee.  Local cost of pellets is $300-$350/ton, so burning wood became attractive, especially since there's a free local source of plywood scrap.
> At first, I supplemented the pellet stream with wood.  This worked well, releasing much more heat than pellets alone, until the cast iron plate behind the burn pot warped.  I installed a new one ($90), then burned wood alone.  I allowed the pellets to run out, lit the fire with gel starter and wood scrap.  The augur turned, the blowers blew, and the stove put tremendous amounts of heat, much more than with pellets on max.
> 
> It's been working now for 6 weeks, no signs of warpage.  I think it wapred originally because the combined heat of the pellets and wood were too much for the cast iron.  I add wood every hour or so.  Plywood makes far less dust than pellets.  I let it cool down overnight, vacuum out the ash in the morning, and I'm good to go.



I have just forwarded this to your Insurance Agent and he wants to have some words with you.......
I hope you do not have family living in the soon to be fire scene.

Eric

edit for color
"Danger Will Robinson, Danger!"


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## jtakeman (Feb 22, 2009)

kinsman stoves said:
			
		

> I have just forwarded this to your Insurance Agent and he wants to have some words with you.......
> I hope you do not have family living in the soon to be fire scene.
> 
> Eric



Eric,

Where's the red text of Danger!!(jk)

We should alert the local fire department to be on standby!!

jay


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## MCPO (Feb 22, 2009)

[quote author="gutlo" date="1235345723"]Here's how I successfully burn wood in my pellet stove.
I have an 8 year old Lopi Yankee.  Local cost of pellets is $300-$350/ton, so burning wood became attractive, especially since there's a free local source of plywood scrap.
At first, I supplemented the pellet stream with wood.  This worked well, releasing much more heat than pellets alone, until the cast iron plate behind the burn pot warped.  I installed a new one ($90), then burned wood alone.  I allowed the pellets to run out, lit the fire with gel starter and wood scrap.  The augur turned, the blowers blew, and the stove put tremendous amounts of heat, much more than with pellets on max.

It's been working now for 6 weeks, no signs of warpage.  I think it wapred originally because the combined heat of the pellets and wood were too much for the cast iron.  I add wood every hour or so.  Plywood makes far less dust than pellets.  I let it cool down overnight, vacuum out the ash in the morning, and I'm good to go.[/quote

REPLY:

Very unusual thing for someone to do , however quite interesting never the less , safety and insurance aside.   How about a picture of a piece of that plywood burning in your stove. Not that I`m gonna try it myself but it`s still quite interesting.
 What`s interests me is how you do it? I mean with such a small burnpot as found in a pellet stove  I wouldn`t think you could put much wood into it.


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## jtakeman (Feb 22, 2009)

Eric,

Much better

Gio,

I wouldn't burn plywood in my woodstove-fireplace or outside fire pit.

You don't know what chemicals are in the binders that hold it together!

Don't breath in those fumes from the vent on that thing

jay


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## fossil (Feb 22, 2009)

Burning plywood in a pellet stove.  Just when I thought I'd heard everything.   :-S   Rick


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## gutlo (Feb 22, 2009)

Glo,

The wood doesn't go into the burnpot.  It just sits inside the combustion chamber and catches fire.  
Eventually, it burns down to glowing coals, whereupon I open the door and insert more wood, which starts to burn almost immediately.

I've also burned different varieties of kiln dried scrap wood.  I don't burn ordinary firewood, because it has creosote and costs money.


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## charles u farley (Feb 22, 2009)

Gutlo is your pellet stove installed under a bridge?


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## fossil (Feb 22, 2009)

gutlo said:
			
		

> ...I don't burn ordinary firewood, because it has creosote and costs money.



Creosote comes from burning wood.  Doesn't matter if the wood is called "ordinary firewood" (whatever that means), or kiln-dried lumber scraps, or plywood...or pellets.  Whether or not creosote is a problem depends on a host of factors, the primary one being moisture content of the fuel, but there are some other very important variables as well, having to do with burning practices and the physical characteristics of the appliance and the installation.  Plywood, OSB, and other kindred manufactured forest products contain lots of glue (binders) that are not only bad for your burning installation/flue, but also for the environment.  Rick


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## Souzafone (Feb 22, 2009)

I'm always fascinated by posts like this. Will you keep us informed on a long term basis how this works for you? What about other burnables?
I also belong to a forum for diesel cars, and it always amazes me that people aren't satisfied with 50 mpg , they have to try to run their cars on the cheapest, most dangerous fuel they can get their hands on. Used cooking oil, kero, canola oil, lamp oil, used motor oil. I've seen an amazing amount of fail, even if 90% never report it, most just go away. If pellets are too expensive, use a different heating method. I'm sure most of us have a primary heat source that the pellet stove supplements. Please people, if you don't have a multi fuel stove, don't put anything but pellets in it. I don't care if someone intentionally misfuels a car, trashing the engine. Actually I kind of enjoy it, in a reverse kind of way. But misfueling a stove is life threatening, to at least one person, probably more.


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## MCPO (Feb 23, 2009)

gutlo said:
			
		

> Glo,
> 
> The wood doesn't go into the burnpot.  It just sits inside the combustion chamber and catches fire.
> Eventually, it burns down to glowing coals, whereupon I open the door and insert more wood, which starts to burn almost immediately.
> ...




Simply  "Fascinating"!  That`s the word.


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## rphurley (Feb 23, 2009)

Maybe I should try burning tires in my insert! :lol:


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## OU812 (Feb 23, 2009)

CTburns said:
			
		

> Maybe I should try burning tires in my insert! :lol:



Now thats what I call multi fuel!


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## gutlo (Feb 23, 2009)

Souzafone said:
			
		

> I'm always fascinated by posts like this. Will you keep us informed on a long term basis how this works for you? What about other burnables?
> I also belong to a forum for diesel cars, and it always amazes me that people aren't satisfied with 50 mpg , they have to try to run their cars on the cheapest, most dangerous fuel they can get their hands on. Used cooking oil, kero, canola oil, lamp oil, used motor oil. I've seen an amazing amount of fail, even if 90% never report it, most just go away. If pellets are too expensive, use a different heating method. I'm sure most of us have a primary heat source that the pellet stove supplements. Please people, if you don't have a multi fuel stove, don't put anything but pellets in it. I don't care if someone intentionally misfuels a car, trashing the engine. Actually I kind of enjoy it, in a reverse kind of way. But misfueling a stove is life threatening, to at least one person, probably more.



I'll keep the forum informed.


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## gutlo (Feb 23, 2009)

CTburns said:
			
		

> Maybe I should try burning tires in my insert! :lol:



Wouldn't advise burning tires.  Too much labor in cutting them up into pieces that would fit inside the pellet stove.

BTW, no chance of having a hopper fire-there's nothing in the hopper.

A couple of years ago, in Hudson NY, a big Swiss cement manufacturer attempted to  build a cement plant.  After years of wrangling with the state and local governments in the area, they gave up.  One of the more notable features of the plant was that they wanted to burn old tires.  Very ecological, they said.  Save burning oil and get rid of all those ugly old tires.


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## krooser (Feb 23, 2009)

I wonder how he gets those 4X8 sheets into the stove?


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## webby3650 (Feb 23, 2009)

" I don’t burn ordinary firewood, because it has creosote and costs money. "
Firewood costs money?


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## krooser (Feb 23, 2009)

webby3650 said:
			
		

> " I don’t burn ordinary firewood, because it has creosote and costs money. "
> Firewood costs money?


He hasn't found his neighbor's wood pile yet...


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## TomPajak (Feb 23, 2009)

have you tried burning any type of seeds with pellets yet?..maybe sunflower or some other type?I've thrown in a cube of hickory from my smoker outside..little cube maybe 2x2..HOLY #$%^&....I was afraid..very afraid on how hot it got....and I had heat set towards low end also...that was enough experimenting for me...not ready yet to melt my stove up..


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## Wet1 (Feb 23, 2009)

Gio said:
			
		

> gutlo said:
> 
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> 
> ...


So do you think Harman will start selling a grate that will sit over the ash pan valley so we can burn logs?  



*Gutlo*,
Can you please post some pictures of your setup burning plywood?


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## TomPajak (Feb 23, 2009)

perhaps a rotissiere on the outside..it gets plenty hot enough..
I've seen woodstove with grills for bbq'n...why not pelletstove...ummmm the sweet smell of marinated roast beef drifting through my house...who needs air freshners


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## Yardbird (Feb 23, 2009)

HarmanP68 said:
			
		

> perhaps a rotissiere on the outside..it gets plenty hot enough..
> I've seen woodstove with grills for bbq'n...why not pelletstove...ummmm the sweet smell of marinated roast beef drifting through my house...who needs air freshners




I cook on my charcoal grill with wood, does that count?  I try to use apple when I can get it, otherwise go with maple or hickory.  I use paper to start the fire, and let it burn.  I haven't tried pellets yet, and don't think I want to.  Wood is good enough for me.


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## allhandsworking (Feb 23, 2009)

Old carpet burns great you just have to stuff it into the stove real fast before it lights up! Oh yeah only do it at night because your neighbor's will think the Titanic has just pulled up to its berth!


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## lecomte38 (Feb 23, 2009)

This thread does start me thinking ( dangerous )  Why not design and build a multi - fuel stove?   I'd really like the option of switching to wood from pellets in my insert.


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## caseyr77 (Feb 24, 2009)

Haha all I can say is That's Not To Bright and Here's Your Sign..... I hope there are no Innocent bystanders around this Stove.


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## 56 chevtruck (Feb 26, 2009)

i kinda like going by instruction in manual . but i guess cord would not plywood so maybe it ok lol. i think only approved for burning pellets  for my stove is pretty  simple to understand.might as well burn pressure treated lumber in it while your at it. doesnt sound like a real good thing to be posting.


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## Wet1 (Feb 26, 2009)

I'd still love to see detailed pictures!


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## heb80 (Feb 26, 2009)

I filled up a dixie cup with gasoline and set it inside my stove.


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## jtakeman (Feb 26, 2009)

heb80 said:
			
		

> I filled up a dixie cup with gasoline and set it inside my stove.



KA-BOOM! :-S

Only to be used on pellet stove that you never want to see again!

jay


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## ssupercoolss (Feb 27, 2009)

pictures! we like pictures!


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## heb80 (Feb 27, 2009)

futureboiler said:
			
		

> pictures! we like pictures!




http://www.linglestownfire.org/Images/Photos/EarlDrSignal101.jpg


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## ssupercoolss (Feb 27, 2009)

ha ha....good one heb80.


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## Joe F (Feb 27, 2009)

I've burned a couch in a fireplace once....after taking it apart.

house was being knocked down, so a fire wasn't an issue....but it felt nice


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## TomPajak (Feb 27, 2009)

CZARCAR said:
			
		

> coal


what would happen if I mix 1-2 cupfulls of ricecoal into my pellets?..would that make the pot too hot and warp?I can use a mix of 70-30 of corn/pellets so I was just wondering


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## Wet1 (Feb 27, 2009)

HarmanP68 said:
			
		

> CZARCAR said:
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If you're going to do it, add the coal to the pot as Pook suggested.  I've found coal burns good if I have a pretty good pellet fire going under/behind it, but it doesn't burn so well w/o a good hot base under it (unless you mod the stove as Pook has done).  People will tell you you're going to kill yourself, your family, and your stove doing this, but if you just add some coal to the burn pot every so often, I doubt you'll have any issues at all... at least I haven't anyway.  With that said, it does burn hot and nice and long.


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## stoveguy13 (Feb 27, 2009)

house must have burned i dont see any pics of the wood/wood pellet stove i am all for experimenting with things just not putting your life at stake to do it. t


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## TomPajak (Feb 28, 2009)

stoveguy13 said:
			
		

> house must have burned i dont see any pics of the wood/wood pellet stove i am all for experimenting with things just not putting your life at stake to do it. t


what do you mean?


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## jtakeman (Mar 2, 2009)

Got this from a Harman manual

Warning: Burning Garbage, Use of Improper Fuels, Fire Starters or Altering the Stove for Higher Heat Output May Cause Damage to the Stove And Could Result in a House Fire. Use Only Approved Fuels and Follow The Operating Guide Lines.

Just thought you should know!

jay


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## gutlo (Mar 2, 2009)

jtakeman said:
			
		

> Got this from a Harman manual
> 
> Warning: Burning Garbage, Use of Improper Fuels, Fire Starters or Altering the Stove for Higher Heat Output May Cause Damage to the Stove And Could Result in a House Fire. Use Only Approved Fuels and Follow The Operating Guide Lines.
> 
> ...



Still alive and well.  Had an electrical surge that took out the control board on my stove and my digital scale.  Will install new board on Monday and fire up the stove again on plywood scrap.

Cleaned out the exhaust after 6 weeks of burning-virtually no ash.  It all ends up in the firebox, which I vacuum out every morning after being off all night.


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## pelletizer (Mar 2, 2009)

Gutlo, burn baby burn good for you on your plywood scrap burnage and as expected on this site you will continue to get the waa waa waa, BS from the pellet hens.


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## MCPO (Mar 2, 2009)

gutlo said:
			
		

> jtakeman said:
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> ...



One good thing is the price of plywood scrap is reasonably stable.


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