Selecting the Best Fuel for your Pellet Stove

Pellet Stoves use plant based products from wood chips, used pallet, saw dust or other wood product that usually can end up in our landfills. Small wood pellets compariable to what we associate with animal food, averaging about one inch to 1.5 inches long and approximately .25 inches in diameter, are produced by squeezing the discarded products into a range suitable for pellet stoves.

Fuel for pellet stoves a couple of grades of pellets.. The premium grade is the most common, producing up to 95 percent of the pellets made, the balance of the production is standard grade which quite frequently is used in agriculture as animal bedding. To decrease jamming and or bridging from happening in a pellet stove, manufactures try to meet the premium grade standard for range. The optimum favorable deminsion is generally smaller then 1.5 inches in length and preferably even less then 1 inch to prevent bridging from happining of the augar of the pellet stove as the pellets drop onto the auger. The best grade pellets will have no more them 1 percent ash content once the pellets are burned. If there is a excessive amount of bark mixed into the pellet fuel, there will be a greater amount of ash content. The whiter in color the pellet fuel are indicators of the amount of bark, e.g. very dark indicates a lot of bark, with little or no bark the pellets are very light in color. The grade of pellet is not determined by the hardness of the wood as both soft wood and hard woodare used. The type of wood that will be used will be determinedby the available source of wood that the pellet mill has available for their production process.

It usually is a a wise thing to test burn different manufactures of pellet fuel before making your finale decision to establish, which manufacture works best for your pellet stove. Before you stock up to keep your home warm for the winter. Different brands of pelletsusually have different prices. Often the less expensive pellets sometimes is a better value for your money, don't make a decision just only on price Look at the pellet fuel as you pour the sack into your pellet stove hopper, make sure there is not an excessive saw dust in the bottom of the bag although some saw dust fines will will not be abnormal. A lot of pellet stoves can not auger these loose sawdust very well, nor do these loose sawdust create very much heat value as saw dust fines usually just turn into fly ash, means more through cleaning is necessary to keep you pellet stove air flows from being reduced. Some consumers will screen the saw dust fine out of the pellet to to be sure that the pellet stove can feed the pellets correctly. Check to make sure the pellet fuel you are buying are equivalent to or are premium grade, as this info should be listed on the bag. The Pellet Fuel Institute has set guidelines for pellet fuel to help the consumer to make a better choses of the grade of pellet fuel that is right for their brand) of stove. Another reliable indicator of the suitability of the pellets could be whether or not the manufacturer is a member of the Pellet Fuel Institute could indicate thatthe manufacturer of the pellets is trying to supply a quality product. The membership will be posted on the bag./p>

One big question that is ask frequently, can my pellet stove burn corn. The answer is yes maybe, but in a mixed corn / pellet mixture with the corn. Corn burn hotter and could The heat of corn is greater then from wood pellets and can shut off your stove, so be careful not to be too aggressive with setting the heat selection to high. Remains from the burnt corn has a excessive amount of substance left over that are called clinkers. Clinker are very hard and will builds up in the burn pot and have to be removed manually, usually with a scraper, requiring frequent scrapping of the clinker then would be expected with residue from wood pellets. By keeping the burn pot clean of this clinkers, air flows are not disrupted allowing the pellet stove to work correctly. almost all pellet stove manufactures do not recommend corn to be used in their appliances as they are aware of the potential problem the end user may have. If you do decide to try to burn corn, start with a limited quantity mixed completely with your pellets. The rule of thumb is not to exceed a ratio of corn to pellet of 30 percent to 50 percent. You need to ask yourself, why do I want to burn corn? There really is only a couple of answers. First, if there is a shortage of pellets in my area. Second is the price of corn substantiallycheaper than pellets to warrant the extra work.

With the use of a pellet stove, you will be able to cut your home heating cost when compared to the use of conventional gas or oil type of products or electrical heat. It is necessary that you follow the guidelines. Purchasing a pellet stove is a fairly expensive decision, a speciality hearth company or a store that deals mainly hearth products are more familiar as they are better suited to answer your questions and aid you if your pellet stove appliance is not running the way it is supposed to. big chain stores, multi product web sites, and farm stores do not provide you any service. Usually they will reply call the manufacturer or a pellet stove dealer in your area. Any stove store are internet site that do specialize in stove product that did not sell you the pellet stove will not help you as they have no desire or obligation to help you. Some pellet stove manufacture will help you but in very limited manner, other manufacture will not help you at all, as the manufacturer requires you to contact the company that sold you the pellet stove answer general questions and or do any warrenty work. frequently, when you want the most guidance and or help is in the main part to the heating season when the manufacture is having their highest call volume and not so uncommon will not respond to your call promptly. Price is very important, but if your pellet stove appliance does not operate the way it is supposed to, or you have to hire a qualified tecnition to fix your stove, how much money did you save? A knowledgeable service technician can often walk you though a dignosis of your problelm without even showing up at your door, and have your pellet stove appliance back and producing heat in a quicker length of time..