Ok pellet people PFI "TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY"

The PFI gives Guide lines for quality.
but ther is NO government Regulation that test them.

Most pellets are going to be high grade.
But each pellet changes from batch to batch do to the type of wood they get from the mills.

You found pellets Where?? RUN!! BUY THE PELLETS BEFORE THE ZOMBIES. Oh wait, wrong movie. My local Lowe's, in Flanders, NJ is already sold out, 4 times. 3 truckloads a time.

Convenience has a cost. Sometimes it has a line.

When I was burning pellets before the economics switched me completely to corn I never saw any difference in pellets no matter what the brand. I only got one bad batch and that was from Agway for the measley sum of $5.20 / bag. Luckily they were only 5 bags to light my corn and didn't do that well. Absolute garbage and marked Premium too boot.
Seriously if you have trouble getting pellets then start getting corn and mixing it before your pellet supply gets low. Nearly any stove will burn 50/50 mix easily and I have heard all will burn 30%. That will certainly help keep you from running out. Another FWIW through some quirk in the matrix I legally run P-vent in my corn stove. The manual not only allows it but specifies it. The dirty little secret is this. While the pipe companies are running scared about changing the composition of their stainless due to unexpected corrosion issues my simple P-vent seems unscathed by 2 years ( 11 tons ) of corn. Nothing but some light staining on the inside. Even if it starts to corrode its cheap enough to repleace every 5 years and still come out way ahead. Any rusting of the outer galvanized pipe is easily solved by simply respraying with some Rustoleum cold galvanizing like I use on my boat trailer or just painting it and touching up yearly. Use never seize on the twist joints so you can easily disassemble them for inspection.

Corn burns great, if you can't find a supplier just drive in the country and stop at the first farm stand you see . Tell them what you want and in all likelihood they will be happy to sell you dry corn. If not they will point you to where you can buy it.
I get mine from my neighbor for 120 a ton dried , cleaned, and bagged.
I do use pellets so it will burn while the stove is on idle.
If you don't have pellets you can light it with a hand held propane torch

Joshua,

Try Tractor Supply in Washington. SOS Stoves in Port Murray has a big supply, but their prices are insane....

Richg, thanks, but I actually don't use them. I check on them for this forum, and for some friends, but I don't actually burn a darn thing yet. I have 1 coal stove, 1 wood stove, 1 wood stove I'm supposed to pick up this week, and 6 fireplaces, and I DON'T BURN A DARN THING. Argh. Proper chimneys are so expensive.


I have a battle plan. 2 chimney liners being delivered to morrow. 1 for coal stove in basement, 1 for stove or insert(not bought yet), in same masonry chimney. When I have time and money, rebuild oil burner chimney (which is already screwed up) with two flues. One for coal furnace in basement, one for oil burner in basement. the 2 liners will then become a coal insert liner, and a wood insert liner. The big 8 foor fireplace gets the all-nighter stove for looks. Fireplace in bedroom gets candle rack. That only leaves me 2 fireplaces I have no idea what to do with. I might eventually line them and put a gas fireplace in one, and a corn insert in the other. Diversify your fuels

Sorry for the rant. Lots of crap circling in my head. Can you tell?

JOshua

Lots of good info:

www.pelletheat.org