How To Determine A Good Pellet For Your Stove

[Don2222]

Looks good

Nice wide flame and very lively. That is what you need for good heat!

Good paper from MIT!

Pellet Pre-Heating. Ah Ha ! ! How about a wood pellet incubator?

Selkirk DT comes close with burn air warming!

I always recommend storing pellets where it is warm before dumping into the stove!
Takes less energy to warm them up for combustion!

 

[Bioburner]

You should be able to get where you want. Haven't needed to play with settings and have used three different pellets. Not going to use Indeck as they are far more ash. Thinking of getting and using some straight Aspen that is available for horse bedding in our area for $210 a ton. What I've read on aspen is its very high output and low ash. Trying for as low ash as possible to keep cleaning down with the stoves small pot and ash bin.

 

[EastMtn]

You should be able to get where you want. Haven't needed to play with settings and have used three different pellets. Not going to use Indeck as they are far more ash. Thinking of getting and using some straight Aspen that is available for horse bedding in our area for $210 a ton. What I've read on aspen is its very high output and low ash. Trying for as low ash as possible to keep cleaning down with the stoves small pot and ash bin.

Interesting. I never thought of using horse bedding. It is after all a pellet made from the same pellet manufacturers. Thanks. We have tons of aspens up here. I wonder if I can find something equivalent.

I'm going to bring up the feed rate in small increments. 1/2hr later it looks like there's only a single layer of pellets in the burn pot. I might be a little on the starvation side. I think the elevation and pipe length is the reason why I am having to make these manual adjustments. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[EastMtn]

Looks good

Nice wide flame and very lively. That is what you need for good heat!

Good paper from MIT!

I always recommend storing pellets where it is warm before dumping into the stove!
Takes less energy to warm them up for combustion!

 

[EastMtn]

I thought you might like that MIT study.
I'm storing the pellets in the garage until I get the second one built. The wife and I are in a constant battle for workshop space so I'm gonna solve that by building another garage.

 

[EastMtn]

Just got off the roof and checked opacity from the stack. I could see right through the smoke with only the flicker of the exhaust gas as evidence that anything was coming out. 47 outside 70 inside.

Now, back to pellet choice. has anyone ever used horse bedding? From what I understand the main difference is price and amount of fines.

 

[jtakeman]

Now, back to pellet choice. has anyone ever used horse bedding? From what I understand the main difference is price and amount of fines.

Often its the same pellet depending on which mill makes them. They don't change the mill process to make them. What they may change is the cleaning process(shifting and screening out the fines) and some don't even do that. Depends on the mill. Some may change the fiber and use something with a higher ash content as the bedding pellets aren't untended to be burned? I don't really know for sure, But the given is they will not use black walnut as its a danger to the horses health.

I have burned my share and notice little difference in the pellet itself. Just a bit more fines in what I purchased.

 

[Melissa220]

From the looks of the flame in the picture, it appears your stove needs more air.

Umm, I've only been burning one year. How do you know that more air is needed? On startup, I will occasionally have a flame that reaches from the burn pot to the exchangers, but it is a straight bright white/yellow snapping flame. Once the room begins to heat, this dies down to a 'normal' size flame.

 

[jtakeman]

Umm, I've only been burning one year. How do you know that more air is needed? On startup, I will occasionally have a flame that reaches from the burn pot to the exchangers, but it is a straight bright white/yellow snapping flame. Once the room begins to heat, this dies down to a 'normal' size flame.

Thats pretty common on start up. More fuel is often put to the burnpot than it actually needs. Then burns off.

White/yellow tips and active flame, which is good. Usually see light gray or white ash on glass.

Dark orange or black tips is bad, That is usually a rich lazy fire. Usually see black or dark gray ash on glass.

 

[subsailor]

Umm, I've only been burning one year. How do you know that more air is needed? On startup, I will occasionally have a flame that reaches from the burn pot to the exchangers, but it is a straight bright white/yellow snapping flame. Once the room begins to heat, this dies down to a 'normal' size flame.

You can't adjust your air on a Harman. The stove is supposed to take care of that.

 

[Melissa220]

You can't adjust your air on a Harman. The stove is supposed to take care of that.

Yes, I knew that and I wouldn't fiddle with the workings of my stove unit for anything! But once you start thinking about something, it's hard not to second guess yourself!

 

[krooser]

In you area (NM) you should find plenty of good softwood pellets... maybe a lot of beetle killed pine. Those seem to work pretty good...

 

[EastMtn]

We have great firewood, (pinion, juniper, ponderosa) pines for wood stoves as well as prolific aspens. This in fact may be why pellet choices are low. It costs nothing or very little for a permit to chop and sell firewood. We only have one pellet mill but it uses recycled urban waste wood for one brand and hard/soft blend scrap from its moulding operation as the other brand. Showlow, AZ is the next nearest manufacturer and I've got a ton of their bags to try out.

But after that the stores heavily market and mark up hardwood brands. I've gotten prices of $7/bag softwood lignetics, $9/bag Good Times hardwood. Lowes had some other $8/bag hardwood.

 

[stayfitz]

Found a published paper from MIT on wood pellet efficiency. it states: " It should be noted that the pellet feed rate has a direct influence on pellet combustion occuring in the burn pot, i.e. too small rates
lead to starvation or shortage of pellets whereas at higher feed rates the combustion dies out due to shortage of air."
(broken link removed to http://web.mit.edu/~npdhye/www/Wood_Pellet.pdf)
video of my flame at 2600rpm combustion and 4.1 per 12 sec feed rate. How does it look now?

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Thanks for the find! Look forward to reading! Also, where did you acquire your stove?

 

[EastMtn]

Thanks for the find! Look forward to reading! Also, where did you acquire your stove?

Rettinger Fireplace in New Jersey. They were the only retailer that I talked to that had the manufacturers permission to sell a Piazzetta outside their territory. Enerzone wouldn't even entertain selling to my area. Wittus will also sell their MCZ to a customer direct if there are no dealers in the area.

 

[stayfitz]

Rettinger Fireplace in New Jersey. They were the only retailer that I talked to that had the manufacturers permission to sell a Piazzetta outside their territory. Enerzone wouldn't even entertain selling to my area. Wittus will also sell their MCZ to a customer direct if there are no dealers in the area.

Thanks for the info! I ran into similar issues when looking for stoves too

Sorry forum peps... A little off topic

 

[CT Pellet]

"How To Determine A Good Pellet For Your Stove"
The absolute best way to do this is the same way that you determine your favorite flavor ice cream. Keep trying them all til you find something that you like. Eventually, you'll discover your cookies-n-cream as well as your rum-rasins. Happy tasting!

 

[stayfitz]

"How To Determine A Good Pellet For Your Stove"
The absolute best way to do this is the same way that you determine your favorite flavor ice cream. Keep trying them all til you find something that you like. Eventually, you'll discover your cookies-n-cream as well as your rum-rasins. Happy tasting!

mmm... Rum Raisin