Time for the switch to "cold weather" pellets...

[Wilbur Feral]

It will be in the mid '50s here today and tomorrow, but by New Year's eve (one week out) we're forecast see high temps in the '20s and lows in the teens. That's my signal to switch over to my ~two months of "cold weather" pellets, which have a bit higher BTU output and, more importantly, less ash per pound burned (so my cleaning schedule remains the same at once per week). Anyone else planning for / doing something similar?

BTW, my switch is from Prest-to-logs for the shoulder seasons to Hamer's for the cold weather.

 

[Phoenix Hatchling]

It will be in the mid '50s here today and tomorrow, but by New Year's eve (one week out) we're forecast see high temps in the '20s and lows in the teens. That's my signal to switch over to my ~two months of "cold weather" pellets, which have a bit higher BTU output and, more importantly, less ash per pound burned (so my cleaning schedule remains the same at once per week). Anyone else planning for / doing something similar?

BTW, my switch is from Prest-to-logs for the shoulder seasons to Hamer's for the cold weather.

Curious how the Hamers are this year. Last season they were VERY ashy and did not put out the heat as the previous years batch did. Hope they returned to they quality they once had. I for one am waiting a bit more to bring the real heat.

 

[Bioburner]

Weather forecast here for cooler weather end of the week. Lost all of the snow with warm foggy depressing rain. Brown Christmas. Ice fishing houses sinking. November was the 9th coldest on record. I just want some snow and normal temps. Got plenty of corn and pellets to now probably go though half of next season. Dried some corn down to 9 % so get us some cold weather so the dogs don't keep dragging in mud.Turned on the gas and fired up the gas fireplace for Christmas.

 

[F4jock]

If I had to worry about switching pellets based on the weather I'd go back to oil. Lignetics are my pellet of choice for the whole season. My Harman munches them fine, place is as warm as I want it.

 

[Doug Doty]

I am going to buy a pallet of the current TSC pellets this week as I need one more and they burn 25 degrees hotter and cleaner than my current easy heats. Either one gets the job done as far as heating but it is just a change up I guess. My stove stays cleaner when I burn it hotter, maybe everybody's does, but I have noticed the hotter burning pellets make us turn it down to a near smoldering flame when the weather is in the 50's as opposed to the lesser pellets we can go up a click on the temp and the wifs can see a little fire.

 

[F4jock]

I am going to buy a pallet of the current TSC pellets this week as I need one more and they burn 25 degrees hotter and cleaner than my current easy heats. Either one gets the job done as far as heating but it is just a change up I guess. My stove stays cleaner when I burn it hotter, maybe everybody's does, but I have noticed the hotter burning pellets make us turn it down to a near smoldering flame when the weather is in the 50's as opposed to the lesser pellets we can go up a click on the temp and the wifs can see a little fire.

I keep my Harman Accentra insert set on room temp and let it worry about all that stuff.

 

[bogieb]

Pretty funny - if I had "cold weather pellets", I wouldn't even be starting on them yet even though the temps around here for the last month have been what you are being forecast. I am lucky to find any pellets that aren't really crappy (not a shortage, just not many brands to choose from), so just burn what is on top row of the 2 pallets that I have set up in the basement. My only concession is to if I am going out of town and my house-sitter takes care of the animals and pellet stove - then I make sure to have the lowest ash-producing pellets (Maine's Choice this year) on top so it can easily go 24 hours before knocking ashes off the front of the burn pot.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I never knew there was a difference but then, mixing corn with any pellet (good or bad) mitigates the burn hotter or colder scenario, everything burns the same...... HOT. If it got real cold and windy, I'd just run straight corn...that would eliminate any heat output change.....

 

[LordmetalZ28]

Weather forecast here for cooler weather end of the week. Lost all of the snow with warm foggy depressing rain. Brown Christmas. Ice fishing houses sinking. November was the 9th coldest on record. I just want some snow and normal temps. Got plenty of corn and pellets to now probably go though half of next season. Dried some corn down to 9 % so get us some cold weather so the dogs don't keep dragging in mud.Turned on the gas and fired up the gas fireplace for Christmas.

you said it. Im cleaning dog paws 6 times a day. Freeze up and gimmie a bitter wind to take the leaves away.

 

[GeHmTS]

No switching for me. I use whatever is available. They all work well during the cold season.

 

[SidecarFlip]

you said it. Im cleaning dog paws 6 times a day. Freeze up and gimmie a bitter wind to take the leaves away.

Hush up. The wife just told me that last year, today, we had 14 on the ground and it was snowing..... My brussels sprouts are growing just fine, checked them this morning.

 

[TimfromMA]

Been burning DF for a few weeks already.

 

[Tonyray]

No switching for me. I use whatever is available. They all work well during the cold season.

my plan this year is to stay with my ashier pellets [Energex Hardwoods/O'Malley's] straight thru till spring...They are plenty hot and will keep us quite warm. 3 tons total.
I have 2 tons of Energex Golden 0.5 ash and Blazers which I intend to keep for next winter and add "only ' low ash pellets to my stash from that point on..
I got bitt by the low ash pellets and do want them as long as I don't have to take out a mortgage to buy them next spring..
my dealer usually has early buy specials for the Golden Pellets so I won't do HD anymore[ no more Stove chows here/ very hot but crapload of ash] unless they get in Blazers again.

 

[Bioburner]

Hush up. The wife just told me that last year, today, we had 14 on the ground and it was snowing..... My brussels sprouts are growing just fine, checked them this morning.

Looked up on the calendar and woke up to 22 below zero. Blew the gasket out of the oil filter on Jeep. Glad had a heated shop to get into to get it fixed.

 

[woodmakesheat]

I burns what I had delivered. I ain't paying more to heat my place when it's cold, that defeats the purpose of keeping it cost effective and simple :D

 

[Harvey Schneider]

My 5 tons of LG's will see me through the winter. Just past the 1 ton mark now.

 

[Bridgeman]

The common dialog here is Harman owners just burn what they have and other brand stoves require hotter pellets when it get cold. Am I missing something?

 

[TimfromMA]

Its not a requirement but a preference. I dont own a harman and I burn whatever I have on hand.

 

[Tonyray]

The common dialog here is Harman owners just burn what they have and other brand stoves require hotter pellets when it get cold. Am I missing something?

well, the thing is certain pellets burn hotter than others regardless of stove type..and some people will pay lot more to get them. May use less pellets along the way but milage will vary.
does that mean so called Shoulder pellets won't keep your house warm ? like most brands at Home depot? lot of people will argue that one..
but if your talking low ash/lotta ash, then that's a different story altogether.
an example is I burned Energex Hardwoods and HD stove chows all last winter..
both pellets kept us plenty warm thruout the Vortex and so on..
Blazers[which I have and Energex Golden Pellets are claimed to be few hundred degrees hotter output. something like 9200 BTU.
That's good but I want them more for the low ash they produce. ' or don't produce'.
most pellet brands burn in the 8,000 BTU range, some lower, some higher in the 8's..
So, It all depends on what you have, what you like, and what you can afford...
From what I have read here, very very few brands are so bad that they won't keep you warm all winter and anyone who got burned buying them surely won't get that brand again/.

 

[yrock87]

20s! It has been below 20 for two months! This morning was - 14,the second cold day we have had this winter. It has been strangely warm this winter as it usually drops below 0 and stays there around 1 November.
New years calls for cold though! - 28 on the forecast! I will need to start plugging my car in...

I have been burning crap pellets up until now. If they can't keep up at - 30 I may try to switch to my DF before I run out of my crappy stuff just to see if I can eek a few extra BTU's out of my stove. I understand that harman will automatically regulate feed rates in order to reach desired temps, but I wonder if running full tilt it still adjusts for that? Or if a hotter pellet is fed at the same rate on max, thus burning hotter and providing more BTU?

 

[Tonyray]

20s! It has been below 20 for two months! This morning was - 14,the second cold day we have had this winter. It has been strangely warm this winter as it usually drops below 0 and stays there around 1 November.
New years calls for cold though! - 28 on the forecast! I will need to start plugging my car in...

I have been burning crap pellets up until now. If they can't keep up at - 30 I may try to switch to my DF before I run out of my crappy stuff just to see if I can eek a few extra BTU's out of my stove. I understand that harman will automatically regulate feed rates in order to reach desired temps, but I wonder if running full tilt it still adjusts for that? Or if a hotter pellet is fed at the same rate on max, thus burning hotter and providing more BTU?

sounds like the Crap pellets have been keeping u warm so far at those low temps....
good to hear u have Blazers...

 

[GeHmTS]

20s! It has been below 20 for two months! This morning was - 14,the second cold day we have had this winter. It has been strangely warm this winter as it usually drops below 0 and stays there around 1 November.
New years calls for cold though! - 28 on the forecast! I will need to start plugging my car in...

I have been burning crap pellets up until now. If they can't keep up at - 30 I may try to switch to my DF before I run out of my crappy stuff just to see if I can eek a few extra BTU's out of my stove. I understand that harman will automatically regulate feed rates in order to reach desired temps, but I wonder if running full tilt it still adjusts for that? Or if a hotter pellet is fed at the same rate on max, thus burning hotter and providing more BTU?

Here's a great explanation on how Harman works. It part of the missing manual.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/how-your-harman-works-what-your-manual-doesnt-tell-you.91030/

 

[Wilbur Feral]

well, the thing is certain pellets burn hotter than others regardless of stove type..and some people will pay lot more to get them. May use less pellets along the way but milage will vary.
does that mean so called Shoulder pellets won't keep your house warm ? like most brands at Home depot? lot of people will argue that one..
but if your talking low ash/lotta ash, then that's a different story altogether.
an example is I burned Energex Hardwoods and HD stove chows all last winter..
both pellets kept us plenty warm thruout the Vortex and so on..
Blazers[which I have and Energex Golden Pellets are claimed to be few hundred degrees hotter output. something like 9200 BTU.
That's good but I want them more for the low ash they produce. ' or don't produce'.
most pellet brands burn in the 8,000 BTU range, some lower, some higher in the 8's..
So, It all depends on what you have, what you like, and what you can afford...
From what I have read here, very very few brands are so bad that they won't keep you warm all winter and anyone who got burned buying them surely won't get that brand again/.

Yep, this describes my reasoning. I want to touch the stove for cleaning / vacuuming once each week. Burning a cleaner pellet lets me do that in colder weather.

And my sympathies to those who think 20 isn't cold. Minus 20 males my head hurt to even think about it. Living in PA is my concession to business and family/friends. Otherwise I think I'd be celebrating Christmas under a palm tree.

 

[yrock87]

Here's a great explanation on how Harman works. It part of the missing manual.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/how-your-harman-works-what-your-manual-doesnt-tell-you.91030/

I understand how the sticky describes it. My question is at the upper limit, stove temp 7 for example, will low btu pellets hit that esp temp? Or will you only be able to truly max out the stove(hit that esp max temp) with high btu pellets.

 

[GeHmTS]

I guess it depends on how bad the pellets are with respect to moisture, etc... It seems that they would have to be pretty bad pellets.

I don't have the answer as I've never ran it that high for very long. However, one time I mistakenly put in stove temp mode when I normally run in room temp mode. I was burning NEWP on stove temp 5 and my thermostat reached about 93 before I switch to room temp mode. It was between 30-40 outside that day.


Other may want to chime in, but I don't want to bump this thread. Probably bets to start a new thread.