Pellet Odor

[save$]

There have been several comments about odors, smell from certain pellets. What I don't get is this an odor detected while the pellets are being stored, dumped into the hopper, or being burned?
I have detected a "wood odor" in the garage where the pellets are stored. I also notice it while I am pouring a bag of pellets into the hopper. I can smell wood burning when I am outside and the wind is moving the exhaust air in my direction. My family and friends have never mentioned detecting an odor from burning pellets while inside our home. If an odor is detected in the home from burning pellets, then is it then a sign of an air leak in the stove or exhaust system?
Just curious

 

[ChrisWNY]

If you can smell burning pellets or have smoke/exhaust inside your home, it's *usually* a leaky exhaust pipe. The inside of the stove is under negative pressure, the exhaust is the only component connected to your stove that has a positive pressure. In other words, it is highly unlikely that any exhaust/smoke will leak out of your stove, unless your PL vent pipe is plugged or you have backup problems from winds, etc. Air leaks in the stove (such as a bad rope gasket) will cause other problems, usually a lazy flame or general burn issues that are fairly easily recognized.

If you have Tee's and elbows inside your home before your PL vent pipe goes outside the house (like I do), seal them with high temp RTV silicone. Elbows and Tee's give quite a bit of resistance to exhaust gases and are known to leak even when properly installed, especially after the pellets first ignite. The other potential culprit is a leaky door gasket or seal that needs to be repaired, but the exhaust is much more likely to be the culprit. Many of the newer pellet stoves are finicky about the vacuum inside the stove before ignition, if your stove doesn't pass the vacuum test, it won't run. My Fahrenheit checks for a vacuum routinely every time it starts, if it loses vacuum for more than 60 seconds while burning, it shuts down, so if I open the door or the hopper for more than a minute while burning, my furnace goes into shutdown mode.

 

[RiddleMasterMorgon]

Depends on the stove. Mine is certainly not air tight to the combustion chamber, hence I do get some (pleasant) wood burning smell when I fire up the stove and its full of smoke right before the flames come up. The next is the warming pellets in the hopper when the whole thing warms up - usually a pleasant woody smell, not very intense. I only once had pellets (Natures Heat from Walmart), who gave off a really nice smell - reminded me of sauna. The garage has some woody smell due to the storage as well. I had a thread couple of weeks back, I think aroma pellets would be a nice niche market....

 

[johnnycomelately]

Has anyone noticed that Okies smell like chinese food, Cubex smell like fried clams, Somersets smell like cheesecake, Barefoots smell like pineapple, Uncle Jeds smell like maple glazed ham, Lignetics smell like hot dogs (without saurkraut) Greene Teams smell like sushi, and Hamers smell like chicken marsalla.....I'm just saying.......opinions are like butts, everyone has one. Its heating fuel for christ's sake.....Not Potpouri!

 

[RiddleMasterMorgon]

And since everyone has an opinion we have so many beautiful and diverse discussion threads...as it should be. As for pellets are just fuel....Try to figure this: Rolex is not in the watch business, but in the luxury business. Maybe there is more to pellets than some people know ?

 

[ChrisWNY]

Has anyone noticed that Okies smell like chinese food, Cubex smell like fried clams, Somersets smell like cheesecake, Barefoots smell like pineapple, Uncle Jeds smell like maple glazed ham, Lignetics smell like hot dogs (without saurkraut) Greene Teams smell like sushi, and Hamers smell like chicken marsalla.....I'm just saying.......opinions are like butts, everyone has one. Its heating fuel for christ's sake.....Not Potpouri!

Next thing you know we'll be reading about you slapping some mayo on your pellets between a couple of slices of italian. LOL.

 

[nosaudioil]

Oh man, it is time for spring!

 

[woodsman23]

my pellets smell like azz....

 

[nosaudioil]

this azz stuff, before or after?

 

[woodsman23]

before and then after they smell like roses????

 

[sparkydog00]

Has anyone noticed that Okies smell like chinese food, Cubex smell like fried clams, Somersets smell like cheesecake, Barefoots smell like pineapple, Uncle Jeds smell like maple glazed ham, Lignetics smell like hot dogs (without saurkraut) Greene Teams smell like sushi, and Hamers smell like chicken marsalla.....I'm just saying.......opinions are like butts, everyone has one. Its heating fuel for christ's sake.....Not Potpouri!

I actually convinced my wife that you could tell the quality of a pellet by tasting it....
She even went as far as eating some of them....too bad I couldn't hold a straight face....

 

[gfreek]

Yea its pellet fuel not scented potpourri, but TSC pellets ,(MWP)smell real bad.

 

[woodsman23]

Yea its pellet fuel not scented potpourri, but TSC pellets ,(MWP)smell real bad.

Agreed.......... smell like a chemical???

 

[save$]

I have burned 3 tons of MWP and have a total of 6 tons from three shipments. No offensive odor to any of them. Only a smell of cut wood like I get when I run my saws. Only get that in the garage where they are kept and when I pour them into the hopper. I get them from a place that gets shipments in from th pellet plant every week. He keeps them undercover. I don't know for sure, but I think it is pellets that get exposed to moisture that have the odor. I've been hearing the same complaint abou Okies. Some, but not all have a wet dog odor. I am sure you know what you are saying when you say your pellets have an odor, I also think that it is because of something that happens to the pellets. If you go the the MWP pellet web site, you can see how they are made, and the comment that nothing is added to the pellets. Better yet, write them or call them. They are really good about customer relations.

 

[slls]

If MWP want to protect there reputation, then they better tell TSC to put there pellets under cover. I was going to buy 2 bags from them to try.
One was inside, he went out back for the other, he put it down and wiped his hands, so I felt the bag and it was all wet.
I told him it says right on the bag keep dry, he said I have nothing to do with how they are stored.


I said I changed my mine, thanked him and walked out. He came to my car and offered me the dry bag for free, to try, almost said no.
When finally opened the bag it smelled bad.

I decided to do Mike of Englanders moisture test never had tried it before, it flunked badly.
To be fair I took some of my pellets I have had in storage since 5-08 and passed with flying colors.

This is no fault of MWP but of TSC storage policy.

 

[save$]

This is no fault of MWP but of TSC storage policy.

Agree x2, but doubt that MWP, or for that matter, any other pellet maker has control of that issue. One thing a lot of wet pellets have in common is where they are sold. Then there is the unknown of where they have been if they have a middle man. I've been lucky to get mine fresh and dry. I keep them dry and they last for who knows how long. Just another factor to consider when on the hunt for that right pellet at the right price. All part of the game.

 

[downtocamp]

Save$, can I ask where you buy your MWPs? I'm in central ME. too.

 

[save$]

Save$, can I ask where you buy your MWP? I'm in central ME. too.

(broken link removed) He delivers them right into my garage, best price around for this pellet. Takes cash or credit card at time of delivery. Even took my first order for one ton. He works very hard. So far, three deliveries from him. Good every time. ck comments from Jay T about these pellets.
I've seen MWP at 209, you pick up, sitting outside at one Augusta store. Can't say I would want those unless I got to them before they sat outside weeks on end.