Anyone have a pellet stove?

pitbike502
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pitbike502
Edited Date/Time 12/12/2013 6:51pm
we've had ours for a couple years, and always used the same softwood pellets from our local hardware store, but ran out in a pinch today, and bought a new (to us) hardwood pellet. We were told the heat would be more intense, but that's all the Lowes guy knew about it. Any experience between the difference?
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lostboy819
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lostboy819 12/11/2013 10:12pm
12/11/2013 10:12pm
I have 3 pellet stoves and have never seen any difference in any of the different pellet brands. I think your Lowes guys has no clue what he's talking about. It seem every couple of years there are new pellets on the market but I have never had to change my feed rate or fan rate for any of the different pellets even if one brand cost more and said longer burning. What are you paying out that way for pellets? I can buy them for $4.88 a bag or if I buy a pallet I can get them for $4.25 if I buy a ton. At the end of the season I can get them dirt cheap if I buy whats left in stock.
motosmith
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motosmith 12/12/2013 2:30am
12/12/2013 2:30am
lostboy819 wrote:
I have 3 pellet stoves and have never seen any difference in any of the different pellet brands. I think your Lowes guys has no clue...
I have 3 pellet stoves and have never seen any difference in any of the different pellet brands. I think your Lowes guys has no clue what he's talking about. It seem every couple of years there are new pellets on the market but I have never had to change my feed rate or fan rate for any of the different pellets even if one brand cost more and said longer burning. What are you paying out that way for pellets? I can buy them for $4.88 a bag or if I buy a pallet I can get them for $4.25 if I buy a ton. At the end of the season I can get them dirt cheap if I buy whats left in stock.
How long does a bag last? Do you run it 24/7 ?
huck
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huck 12/12/2013 5:11am
12/12/2013 5:11am
A bag will last 24 hours if I leave mine on the lowest setting. On the highest, it last about 10-12 hours...but will run you out of the room. Mine is just in a 'sun room' type room, and is just used as a secondary heater.

The biggest complaint I have is the dust.
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XXVoid MainXX 12/12/2013 6:01am
12/12/2013 6:01am
My father-in-law had a corn burner in their kitchen for several years. It burned shelled corn and dropped one kernel at a time into the fire pot. It burned very clean. It worked great for him because all he had to do was go out to the corn bin and get another bushel every week or so since they live on a farm.

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lostboy819
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lostboy819 12/12/2013 6:14am
12/12/2013 6:14am Edited Date/Time 12/12/2013 6:54am
lostboy819 wrote:
I have 3 pellet stoves and have never seen any difference in any of the different pellet brands. I think your Lowes guys has no clue...
I have 3 pellet stoves and have never seen any difference in any of the different pellet brands. I think your Lowes guys has no clue what he's talking about. It seem every couple of years there are new pellets on the market but I have never had to change my feed rate or fan rate for any of the different pellets even if one brand cost more and said longer burning. What are you paying out that way for pellets? I can buy them for $4.88 a bag or if I buy a pallet I can get them for $4.25 if I buy a ton. At the end of the season I can get them dirt cheap if I buy whats left in stock.
motosmith wrote:
How long does a bag last? Do you run it 24/7 ?
I only run it 24/7 when we have a real cold snap like last week and it has 4 settings. I will run it on setting 2 or 3 and I can get two days out of a bag with no problem running non stop.It is a fire place insert style that holds one bag, It is not our main heater so its more like a fireplace for comfort and in the winter I will run it a few hours a day so I can a week out of a bag with no problem.The house up at Estes Park I will run it as main heat and it is a stand alone unit and can go about 36 hours on one bag at setting number 3.
gabrielmalinois 12/12/2013 6:52am
12/12/2013 6:52am
Evidently this is a bit like the two stroke vs four stroke debate. hearth.com forum is the place to go for stove info. Those guys over there are really into their stoves and argue about this topic often. Here is a link to one of the many threads they have discussing this http://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/hardwood-vs-softwood.37905/

I just looked into the types of pellets I should use last week and from what I could gather softwood generally burn hotter and cleaner. However, there are other factors involved such as purity of pellets (no binders) region, company, price, type of soft and hard woods used and I am sure a few others. Being pellets are sold by weight you get more softwood pellets per 40 lbs bag than you do hardwoods Also individual stoves work better with a particular types of pellets. It's best to experiment with various types of woods and companies and see which works best for your stove for the price. Because of where I live I have never seen hardwoods for sale so I can't speak to how they compare to softwood in my stove. If you live in a hardwood region it may be more economical to burn hardwood though.
Bytor
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Bytor 12/12/2013 7:00am
12/12/2013 7:00am
I looked at pellet stoves and decided to just keep the wood burner. I get my wood for free for the most part(gas money to drive to it). I do hate the dust too but I used the electric heat for a couple months last year and about had to go bankrupt. I have to go get wood tomorrow so the other plus is getting excercise in the long cold winter.
pitbike502
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pitbike502 12/12/2013 7:36am
12/12/2013 7:36am
lostboy819 wrote:
I have 3 pellet stoves and have never seen any difference in any of the different pellet brands. I think your Lowes guys has no clue...
I have 3 pellet stoves and have never seen any difference in any of the different pellet brands. I think your Lowes guys has no clue what he's talking about. It seem every couple of years there are new pellets on the market but I have never had to change my feed rate or fan rate for any of the different pellets even if one brand cost more and said longer burning. What are you paying out that way for pellets? I can buy them for $4.88 a bag or if I buy a pallet I can get them for $4.25 if I buy a ton. At the end of the season I can get them dirt cheap if I buy whats left in stock.
i didn't think his information was accurate, but I was hoping he knew a but more than us. We get ours for about the same price, we bought a ton early this year and ended up getting $4 a bag, but we had early big storms and we went through it all already. CNY has had a shortage the past couple years come February, so Im guessing we will be right around $5 soon
pitbike502
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pitbike502 12/12/2013 7:38am
12/12/2013 7:38am
gabrielmalinois wrote:
Evidently this is a bit like the two stroke vs four stroke debate. hearth.com forum is the place to go for stove info. Those guys over...
Evidently this is a bit like the two stroke vs four stroke debate. hearth.com forum is the place to go for stove info. Those guys over there are really into their stoves and argue about this topic often. Here is a link to one of the many threads they have discussing this http://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/hardwood-vs-softwood.37905/

I just looked into the types of pellets I should use last week and from what I could gather softwood generally burn hotter and cleaner. However, there are other factors involved such as purity of pellets (no binders) region, company, price, type of soft and hard woods used and I am sure a few others. Being pellets are sold by weight you get more softwood pellets per 40 lbs bag than you do hardwoods Also individual stoves work better with a particular types of pellets. It's best to experiment with various types of woods and companies and see which works best for your stove for the price. Because of where I live I have never seen hardwoods for sale so I can't speak to how they compare to softwood in my stove. If you live in a hardwood region it may be more economical to burn hardwood though.
this Is why I wanted to ask someone outside of googling it. Everyone has their own preference, and Im sure grouchy old guys argue to the moon about it. Our softwood pellets are quite ashy though, we've only used the same brand so im not sure how others work.
gabrielmalinois 12/12/2013 8:56am
12/12/2013 8:56am
gabrielmalinois wrote:
Evidently this is a bit like the two stroke vs four stroke debate. hearth.com forum is the place to go for stove info. Those guys over...
Evidently this is a bit like the two stroke vs four stroke debate. hearth.com forum is the place to go for stove info. Those guys over there are really into their stoves and argue about this topic often. Here is a link to one of the many threads they have discussing this http://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/hardwood-vs-softwood.37905/

I just looked into the types of pellets I should use last week and from what I could gather softwood generally burn hotter and cleaner. However, there are other factors involved such as purity of pellets (no binders) region, company, price, type of soft and hard woods used and I am sure a few others. Being pellets are sold by weight you get more softwood pellets per 40 lbs bag than you do hardwoods Also individual stoves work better with a particular types of pellets. It's best to experiment with various types of woods and companies and see which works best for your stove for the price. Because of where I live I have never seen hardwoods for sale so I can't speak to how they compare to softwood in my stove. If you live in a hardwood region it may be more economical to burn hardwood though.
pitbike502 wrote:
this Is why I wanted to ask someone outside of googling it. Everyone has their own preference, and Im sure grouchy old guys argue to the...
this Is why I wanted to ask someone outside of googling it. Everyone has their own preference, and Im sure grouchy old guys argue to the moon about it. Our softwood pellets are quite ashy though, we've only used the same brand so im not sure how others work.
The amount ash has a lot to do with the amount of binders in the pellets. The bags will usually say the percentage and type of wood used, some have cardboard in them which makes a lot of ash. Two brands I use here in the NW are Cleanburn and Lignetics both are 100% softwood pellets (no binders). The Clean burn seems to be a little hotter and about a third of the ash as the Lignetics. Another factor is the length of the pellets. Shorter pellets will run through your auger at a greater rate making your stove burn hotter but go through bags faster. Hardwood pellets will tend to burn more slowly and steadily like a four stroke while softwood pellets will burn faster and hotter like a two stroke. Essentially it is just a matter of preference of whether you want a four stroke pellet stove or a two stroke. Of course type of gas, premix oil and jetting matters as well.
Choppy
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Choppy 12/12/2013 9:01am
12/12/2013 9:01am
I never noticed a difference between pellets, but I also only use it as a secondary heater at my winter cabin.
You can find people that swear by this brand or that , but all I can think if is the term confirmation bias.
gabrielmalinois 12/12/2013 9:49am
12/12/2013 9:49am
Choppy wrote:
I never noticed a difference between pellets, but I also only use it as a secondary heater at my winter cabin. You can find people that...
I never noticed a difference between pellets, but I also only use it as a secondary heater at my winter cabin.
You can find people that swear by this brand or that , but all I can think if is the term confirmation bias.
"confirmation bias" yeah, not really. Cardboard and glue do not burn hot and creates a lot of ash. Different types of wood burn better and / or differently than others. Is there also a confirmation bias for those who prefer race gas to 10% ethanol regular unleaded?
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MR. X 12/12/2013 10:17am
12/12/2013 10:17am
@PITBIKE Are you guys seeing any of the snow we got here next to the lake ?
lostboy819
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lostboy819 12/12/2013 11:39am
12/12/2013 11:39am
pitbike502 wrote:
i didn't think his information was accurate, but I was hoping he knew a but more than us. We get ours for about the same price...
i didn't think his information was accurate, but I was hoping he knew a but more than us. We get ours for about the same price, we bought a ton early this year and ended up getting $4 a bag, but we had early big storms and we went through it all already. CNY has had a shortage the past couple years come February, so Im guessing we will be right around $5 soon
I will look at the pellets we have and see if it says hardwood or softwood on them, being we are in Colorado I don't think we would see many hardwood pellets but I guess the part of the country you live in will be the main factor. I only have to clean the ask out of my stoves a couple times a season so whatever we have burns pretty good. We had a shortage a few years back also and that was when pellet stoves got real popular fast so everyone was buying pellets but they are stocked up now and every place that sells them has plenty.
Our house in Estes park has a propane furnace and in the winter I would need to fill the tank once a month for about $550.00 to $650.00 to heat the house but with the Pellets I can heat it for less than $3 a day so even if they get more expensive it will be better than the propane .
Bytor
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Bytor 12/12/2013 11:52am
12/12/2013 11:52am
Do they make pellet making machines to make your own or is that a silly question.
huck
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huck 12/12/2013 11:57am
12/12/2013 11:57am
Around here, you can buy pellets even cheaper in the summer...if you buy several pallets at a time. A lot of people are going to those big outdoor furnaces though. They seem to work great, except for having to go outside to fill it. lol
pitbike502
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pitbike502 12/12/2013 12:52pm
12/12/2013 12:52pm
MR. X wrote:
@PITBIKE Are you guys seeing any of the snow we got here next to the lake ?
A little now, heading to ogdensburg to Twisted Kilt! Looking half and half so far

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pitbike502
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pitbike502 12/12/2013 12:56pm
12/12/2013 12:56pm
gabrielmalinois wrote:
The amount ash has a lot to do with the amount of binders in the pellets. The bags will usually say the percentage and type of...
The amount ash has a lot to do with the amount of binders in the pellets. The bags will usually say the percentage and type of wood used, some have cardboard in them which makes a lot of ash. Two brands I use here in the NW are Cleanburn and Lignetics both are 100% softwood pellets (no binders). The Clean burn seems to be a little hotter and about a third of the ash as the Lignetics. Another factor is the length of the pellets. Shorter pellets will run through your auger at a greater rate making your stove burn hotter but go through bags faster. Hardwood pellets will tend to burn more slowly and steadily like a four stroke while softwood pellets will burn faster and hotter like a two stroke. Essentially it is just a matter of preference of whether you want a four stroke pellet stove or a two stroke. Of course type of gas, premix oil and jetting matters as well.
I didn't know that about the binders, we only have a couple options here depending on the store but I'll have to ask. It gets quite ashy at times
BUTCH
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BUTCH 12/12/2013 3:34pm
12/12/2013 3:34pm
Hey fellas , notice a few of you are talking about the dust , with the pellet stove......could you explain! What's up with the dust? I'm thinking about getting a pellet stove.
Choppy
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Choppy 12/12/2013 4:33pm
12/12/2013 4:33pm Edited Date/Time 12/12/2013 4:35pm
Choppy wrote:
I never noticed a difference between pellets, but I also only use it as a secondary heater at my winter cabin. You can find people that...
I never noticed a difference between pellets, but I also only use it as a secondary heater at my winter cabin.
You can find people that swear by this brand or that , but all I can think if is the term confirmation bias.
gabrielmalinois wrote:
"confirmation bias" yeah, not really. Cardboard and glue do not burn hot and creates a lot of ash. Different types of wood burn better and /...
"confirmation bias" yeah, not really. Cardboard and glue do not burn hot and creates a lot of ash. Different types of wood burn better and / or differently than others. Is there also a confirmation bias for those who prefer race gas to 10% ethanol regular unleaded?
Don't think you understand what confirmation bias is or why I said it.
lostboy819
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lostboy819 12/12/2013 6:51pm
12/12/2013 6:51pm
BUTCH wrote:
Hey fellas , notice a few of you are talking about the dust , with the pellet stove......could you explain! What's up with the dust? I'm...
Hey fellas , notice a few of you are talking about the dust , with the pellet stove......could you explain! What's up with the dust? I'm thinking about getting a pellet stove.
The only dust I see is when I empty a bag of pellets into the bucket I put my pellets in. There is no dust from burning them.

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