Simple Pellet Cleaner

[bungalobob]

Have yet to burn a single pellet, but it's hard to believe that these 'fines' are such a problem.

Bungalo,

it's not that it's a big problem w/ most premium pellets, but just in case you get a bag from the "end of a run" or was handled too much and could be "loaded" w/ fines, a simple "contraption" can save work maintaining your stove. And then there's the people that find out their allergic to the dust.

In my case, I want to keep stove maintenance to a minimum, and if building a simple vacuum system will do that, plus 10-15 minutes every couple of days cleaning the pellets will help with that, then it's worth it to me......but everybody is different.

Well, I guess I'll be finding out. I just hope its not that bad. But if people are building contraptions, then they are obviously an issue of some sort. As for buying premium pellets, there goes another problem as well. How can you tell what's premium, when all the dealers think that what they are selling are already gold pellets and not wood pellets? And with the demand, your lucky to get what you can and be happy with it. I have three tons for now to get started, 2 tons of the new england brand, and one ton Hamers Hot ones. Hope they are premium, even though I paid less than the premium price they are going for now, only 279.00 each back in June. Well at least I have something to look for when I start burning, and hopefully I don't find too much of them.

I've burned 5 full tons and about 10 different brands of pellets (in determining which brands I wanted to buy in bulk) and I have yet to find a bag of pellets with enough "fines" in it to warrant building the above sifter and dumping all my pellets through it. Certainly that doesn't make me an expert on the subject but I'm not a newbie either.

I did run into 2 bags that got wet and had to throw out about half the pellets in those bags because they had come apart into nothing but sawdust.

I work with 4 other people that own pellet stoves and none of them have ever had to sift their pellets.

In my experience, if you take a little care when dumping the pellets into the hopper, the amount of pellet dust that ends up on the stove or in the air is minimal.

Of course, everyone's experience is different. Maybe some people encounter more fines than I have. If I had to mess around sifting all my pellets using the above practice (typically outside in 0 degree weather) I'd just burn wood.

Corn, from what I have read, (no experience) is a different story altogether.

Thanks for all that info. Makes me feel a little better knowing I might not have to worry about sifting my fuel. The idea of all that extra work would definetly put a damper on running a pellet stove. I will post my experience with fines once I actually get some experience. Nice to know it might just be an individual kind of thing.

 

[DiggerJim]

"Standard" grade pellets are typically produced/delivered in bulk for industrial purposes and have a very high ash content, comparatively. They are produced and sold for applications that are designed to handle high ash content, which standard residential pellet stoves are not designed to handle.

Actually some residential stoves are designed to handle standard grade pellets. I know the Lennox ones are (like my Profile 30) and I believe the Harmans are as well. In fact, I think there are as many that can handle standard grade as are pellet/corn dual fuelers. The stove's manual will note it.

Just for a reference, Premium pellets should leave no more than a cube of 2.5"x2.5"x2.5" of ash per bag. Most leave less. It's not a lot. Standard grade would be up to 3 times that. Again not a whole lot. It's all relative.

Standard grade pellets meet the same PFI standards except for Ash content. Ash content of Premium grade must be less than 1% and Standard grade must be less than 3%. Since you get no BTUs from ash, if the price of standard grade pellets is more than 3% lower than premium, and your stove can burn them, and you don't mind cleaning the extra ash, you can save money getting standard grade. However, 90% of what's made is premium so it's hard to find them.

 

[gw2kpro]

"Standard" grade pellets are typically produced/delivered in bulk for industrial purposes and have a very high ash content, comparatively. They are produced and sold for applications that are designed to handle high ash content, which standard residential pellet stoves are not designed to handle.

Actually some residential stoves are designed to handle standard grade pellets. I know the Lennox ones are (like my Profile 30) and I believe the Harmans are as well. In fact, I think there are as many that can handle standard grade as are pellet/corn dual fuelers. The stove's manual will note it.

Just for a reference, Premium pellets should leave no more than a cube of 2.5"x2.5"x2.5" of ash per bag. Most leave less. It's not a lot. Standard grade would be up to 3 times that. Again not a whole lot. It's all relative.

Standard grade pellets meet the same PFI standards except for Ash content. Ash content of Premium grade must be less than 1% and Standard grade must be less than 3%. Since you get no BTUs from ash, if the price of standard grade pellets is more than 3% lower than premium, and your stove can burn them, and you don't mind cleaning the extra ash, you can save money getting standard grade. However, 90% of what's made is premium so it's hard to find them.

Great info, thanks!

 

[rap69ri]

seems to me it may just be another toy for our new found hobby? :cheese:

Love the coordinates for location: Wisconsin right?

downtown pittsfield baby, about ten miles west of heaven(lambeau field)

Shouldn't your screen name have cheese in it somewhere?