Vegetable oil instead of sifting... it really works!!

[Clay H]

If you are using a torch, what do you need oil for?

Because the oil catches fire much faster and stays lite better than a dry pellet with no air flow while the stove is off. Once its lite I let the fire burn a minute and then turn on the stove.

 

[allFIREDup]

Now that would be a shame. This machinery really ticks like a swiss clock and it's also able to throw out a LOT of heat, but it's a top feeder.
The majority of pellet stoves here in Europe are italian made. Topfeeders, too. Topfeeders just don't like too much sawdust. That is why this idea with 'the oil trick' has evolved somewhere out there in the 'pellet jungle'.

If we focus on my particular stove... there seems to be quite a large gap between the auger tube and the auger screw. It is this gap that allows the sawdust to fall backwards, eventually blocking the intake area when enough has accumulated. Also, it puzzles me why the auger tube is octogonal and not cylindrical. Other stove brands, however, have cylindrical augertubes and a much closer clearance between the screw and tube. These stoves must be less prone to sawdust issues.

Let's get physical instead of lubrical then: The auger system on my Quest Plus needs a mod that will improve its handling of sawdust.
An idea: A long flat garland shaped steel brush point welded on the back side of the screw is a possibility. This would catch and sweep the sawdust up towards the drop chute. But again, this would make the screw too hard to rotate for the motor.

Another idea: A short but powerful burst of compressed air coming from the end plate will blow the sawdust up to the drop chute. There's plenty of space on the end plate to permanently install a proper nozzle/fitting with a valve to seal the orifice to prevent false air entering when not in use. I have a miniature compressor that will fit behind the stove. Hey, this could really work.

Any better ideas?

get a large trash container that will hold a weeks supply of pellets and put your pellets in this. Store the container in your garage,breezeway etc.. then place a plastic storage container with shallow sides on the floor in which you will place your pellet bucket. Get a 6 qt metal grain scoop and drill many holes throughout the scoop so the fines will fall through the holes. Scoop the pellets up from the trash container and give a few good shakes. Now with your pellet bucket in the shallow sided plastic storage container slowly pour the pellets and shake the grain scoop into the pellet bucket allowing the fines to fall into the shallow sided plastic container. This is working great for me.

 

[allFIREDup]

only put the front edge of the grain scoop into the pellet bucket while pouring and shaking and filling the bucket. A metal detectorist scoop could probably be used in place of the grain scoop since it already has holes in it and you wouldn't have to drill holes in the grain scoop.

 

[Stovensen]

only put the front edge of the grain scoop into the pellet bucket while pouring and shaking and filling the bucket.

allFIREDup, thanks for the tip. This will fit naturally in the pellet handling routine and it's cheap in materials. Besides the sawdust is not lost to the vac, but can be reused in our cats litterboxes ( we have three cats ).

But tell me... you have a Harman P43, horizontal feeder, right? Then why do you have to do any sifting at all?

 

[allFIREDup]

allFIREDup, thanks for the tip. This will fit naturally in the pellet handling routine and it's cheap in materials. Besides the sawdust is not lost to the vac, but can be reused in our cats litterboxes ( we have three cats ).

But tell me... you have a Harman P43, horizontal feeder, right? Then why do you have to do any sifting at all?

Good question..I have a bottom feeder. I do this to cut down on the dust and particles that become airborne when dumping the pellets into the hopper in my house. Also there is a feeder body area on the Harmans in which fines can accumulate and has to periodically be vacuumed out...so I try to eliminate fines before I put pellets in the hopper. The fines captured can be reused if you're concerned about wasting any fuel. I guess you could put the fines directly in the burn pot but I'm really not too concerned about it. Let us know if you perfect the "oil trick".

 

[muss]

In the last couple of seasons I've had soo many shut downs due to accumulated sawdust in the bottom of the hopper that I even considered replacing my Quest Plus with a wood stove. It's a bit depressing to come home to an icecold house time after time... and the sight I saw EVERY time I had shoveled all the pellets out of the hopper, was that of the picture below.
Then I remembered a tip I got from an experienced pellet burner: Try to pour a little vegetable oil over the pellets when the hopper is nearly empty. This way the sawdust will cake up and be made transportable for the auger screw.
A month ago I started my experiments. Result: A tremendous success!! No more shoveling pellets and vacuuming off the hopper.
Note: Only a very small amount of oil is necessary ( one to two tablespoons ) and it must be used preventive in this way: When the hopper is nearly empty, I sweep the remaining pellets and the sawdust in a small pile towards the intake and pour the oil over it. Hmm, a brush soaked in oil may be even better to ensure a limited dose. That will be my next experiment.
Caution: Too much oil should be avoided. The rubber gasket on the end plate and the auger bushing on my stove are not 100% tight, and one time, when having added too much oil, I noticed that the oil would leak out under the auger inside the stove. Also, I could imagine that it may be a fire hazard if the drop chute is all wet of oil... the fire might spread to the hopper in the worst case!!
The oil I use is rapeseed oil/canola oil and it costs the same as diesel oil around here: About $2 for one litre.
BTW, some years ago Shell sold some Super Premium pellets here in Denmark that had been impregnated with rapeseed oil during the pressing at the mill, I tell you, these pellets are the most energy intensive pellets I have EVER burnt!! They don't make them anymore. They were expensive and perhaps they were too good?
But hey, maybe bad pellets could be turned into premium pellets be brushing/spraying them with some rapeseed oil? Hmm, that will be my next experiment. I'll let you know how it turns out

Important discovery: Vegetable oil does NOT disintegrate/destroy the pellets turning them into sawdust like water does in a couple of minutes.
This phenomena is puzzling me, and I think the explanation has to do with the nanostructure of woodfibre: It was created/made to enable the living tree to transport water and minerals from the root to the branches, leaves and fruits.
View attachment 85320

Been using about a teaspoon of canola for 2 seasons just the way you describe. The pellets & fines absorb immediately & go right down the auger. Haven't had a jam since

 

[Harvey Schneider]

I guess you could put the fines directly in the burn pot

Bad idea. Putting wood dust into a burning fire can cause a flash back. You can lose your eyebrows that way. (Don't ask how I know, I won't tell)

 

[SteveB]

Bad idea. Putting wood dust into a burning fire can cause a flash back. You can lose your eyebrows that way. (Don't ask how I know, I won't tell)

Wait till you open up an outdoor furnace full of hot coal gas right after the draft blower shuts off, and it hits all that nice fresh oxygen
Talk about a face full of fire and losing eyebrows! Thank goodness for the safety latch on the door! (Don't ask how I know, I won't tell either!)

 

[allFIREDup]

Bad idea. Putting wood dust into a burning fire can cause a flash back. You can lose your eyebrows that way. (Don't ask how I know, I won't tell)

Oh I meant priming the burn pot with the fines when starting up the stove after the weekly cleaning.

 

[Harvey Schneider]

Oh I meant priming the burn pot with the fines when starting up the stove after the weekly cleaning.

I don't mean to be difficult, but wouldn't that just get blown away by the combustion blower? In both my stoves, I see loose bits of pellet flying away as they ignite during start-up.

 

[MCPO]

FWIW: Burning it might be it`s best use yet. Canola oil is far from being the healthful oil alternative , as we have been led to believe. Google it and read up on it.

 

[cheap-skate]

I have a Breckwell P23i(insert) that I burn 24/7 durring the CT heating season in a poorly insulated 22 sq-ft cape (4-4.5 tons season). Have tried many types of pellets from the cheap big box pellets to the super premium pellet house ones. The SP are much better quality for heat, fines and ash. I have never sifted pellets and never had a jamb. The only issue i have is the dust in my living room.

 

[gfreek]

Dust from dumping the pellets in the hopper? Thats where I get mine and why I sift

 

[Dinger]

I've seen some amazing ideas on this site, LBT in particular.

I'm fascinated by the ingenuity of the PVC sifter vac, but frankly, I don't have a need for it?

I've run five or so tons through my stove since last December, and run out several times. If I was going to plug my feed chute due to fines, surely I would have seen this by now. Sure I have fines, but the pellets just seem to drag them through right along for the ride, BTU's baby!

Unless I've missed some cavity during my cleaning?

 

[jtakeman]

I have a Breckwell P23i(insert) that I burn 24/7 durring the CT heating season in a poorly insulated 22 sq-ft cape (4-4.5 tons season). Have tried many types of pellets from the cheap big box pellets to the super premium pellet house ones. The SP are much better quality for heat, fines and ash. I have never sifted pellets and never had a jamb. The only issue i have is the dust in my living room.

I'd look at a pellet vac. Maybe imacman or DexterDay can show you theirs? They are cheap to make and clean the dust-fines out. Just a mess of PVC fittings and a common vacuum cleaner.