We are in our second year of buying bulk pellets. The amount of fines is so great our Harman P68 won't make it thru the night. In general, the ash backs over the fire almost smothering it completely. This year the stove goes out during the night because the fines prevent the pellets from dropping down in the hopper. Do all bulk pellets come with this percentage of fines?
Bulk pellet having excessive fines.
- Thread starter Amwel
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Tonyray
Minister of Fire
what brand?? never bought bulk pellets...
from prev exp I know that softwoods have lot of fines but are zilch as far as ash so assume u have hardwoods..
P61A here which is same stove but bit smaller hopper capacity...
what settings are u using??? sometimes it's not always Just the pellets...
from prev exp I know that softwoods have lot of fines but are zilch as far as ash so assume u have hardwoods..
P61A here which is same stove but bit smaller hopper capacity...
what settings are u using??? sometimes it's not always Just the pellets...
bogieb
Minister of Fire
I don't use bulk pellets, but at least one pallet of the GS Midwest hardwoods (pure HW) that HD delivered last spring is loaded with fines/dust, without any bags being broken (1st two bags that came off the pallet in pics). I haven't had any issues with either the P43 or P61a feeding or running on it though. In the past I routinely would just break up any clumps of disintegrated pellets that were in broken bags, and run them thru the stoves.
![[Hearth.com] Bulk pellet having excessive fines.](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/gs-midwest-hw-bag-1-dust-webp.337487/ "[Hearth.com] Bulk pellet having excessive fines.")
![[Hearth.com] Bulk pellet having excessive fines.](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/gs-midwest-hw-bag-2-dust-webp.337488/ "[Hearth.com] Bulk pellet having excessive fines.")
![[Hearth.com] Bulk pellet having excessive fines.](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/gs-midwest-hw-in-p61a-hopper-webp.337489/ "[Hearth.com] Bulk pellet having excessive fines.")
Not saying that fines aren't your issue, but perhaps make sure your airflow into the pot is unimpeded and the exhaust is good. Also make sure all doors/plates, including the plates for the igniter chamber and fines chamber are installed correctly (disturbances in airflow can cause issues). Make sure your fines box isn't crammed full, and potentially causing issues with pellets dropping.
Not saying that fines aren't your issue, but perhaps make sure your airflow into the pot is unimpeded and the exhaust is good. Also make sure all doors/plates, including the plates for the igniter chamber and fines chamber are installed correctly (disturbances in airflow can cause issues). Make sure your fines box isn't crammed full, and potentially causing issues with pellets dropping.
If you are getting that many fines then you should probably be sifting them before loading them into the hopper.
Don't think I have ever seen so many fines
in a bag. They must of had some rough handling
in a bag. They must of had some rough handling
I was going to suggest the same.. Bulk pellets may naturally have more fines considering they are more than likely just dumped into giant bags by the ton (or whatever UOM) and not looked at again... Look into a vacuum sifter or something similar.
I am hoping to find bulk pellets in my area. Either way I plan on making a bulk storage container so I can vacuum fines out depositing them into my bulk storage and then (maybe) again upon dispensing into buckets to take into the house.. We'll see how far my motivation takes me
Tonyray
Minister of Fire
the easiest and less time handling of fines is,
shake bag up/down a few times...use a ice tea or water pitcher or any type scooper to put pellets into the hopper.
leave about a quarter bag or less and pour as much into a sifter as it will hold. most of the fines should be at or near bottom...[ we use a very large metal pasta strainer] over a HD orange bucket and shake till fines are gone then dump into hopper. only have to do it maybe 3 or 4 times till bag is empty as opposed to a whole 40lb bag.. unless u have some kind of vacuum type apparatis this would be good quick way.
shake bag up/down a few times...use a ice tea or water pitcher or any type scooper to put pellets into the hopper.
leave about a quarter bag or less and pour as much into a sifter as it will hold. most of the fines should be at or near bottom...[ we use a very large metal pasta strainer] over a HD orange bucket and shake till fines are gone then dump into hopper. only have to do it maybe 3 or 4 times till bag is empty as opposed to a whole 40lb bag.. unless u have some kind of vacuum type apparatis this would be good quick way.
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I just dump the bag into the hopper, its eats everything 🤪
Just what Ssyko said, both my Envrio's eat it all
never a problem with fines
never a problem with fines
tbear853
Feeling the Heat
I've been watching since another post, mine is a fine eater too.
bogieb
Minister of Fire
Most of that pallet was like that. I don't know what they did at the mill, but they need to stop whatever it is.
They need more heat, lignin or binder to keep the pellets from falling apart. Imagin we are paying for them to not care. Guessing. There has to be 1-2 pounds of fines in them bags Bogieb has. Add that up to a pallet!
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To clarify, I only vacuum the pellets because the amount of dust that fills the room and gets all over anything. Neither of my stoves care about burning fines, but my wife cares about a dirty house
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