Outside-the-box pellet storage in living room

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tiger

Feeling the Heat
Feb 3, 2014
438
Seabrook, MD (DC suburbs)
I've been looking around for something aesthetically pleasing to keep some pellets handy near the stove, and finally stumbled across something. I was in a store called "Home Goods", apparently a chain some perhaps there's one near you, and found a large -- hmm, I'd call it glazed earthenware but that might not be the technical term -- planter. This thing is large, maybe some people want a potted sequoia in their house. Anyway, it's heavy, I estimate 80+ LB empty, squared off and tapering top to bottom, and holds 2-1/2 bags of pellets. Sorry, no photo yet. It should be easy enough to fabricate a lid for it (I haven't used the router nor the biscuit joiner for a while) although one could possibly just leave it open. They also had large metal planters, and I even looked at wicker hampers which would have looked OK but perhaps not held up well.

Just mentioning this as it does help to look around at places other than stove stoves or Home Depot; actually, I had never been in a Home Goods before and was looking for something else at the time.
 
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Put em in a closet.
 
How the hell are you gonna pick up that thing for pouring ? I use a 5 gallon galvanized pail & lid that holds a full bag . Spray painted it black & it looks great next to my stove.
 
You can make your own cheaper.
18 1x3x8 @1.68 each
Saw, Sander, Stain. and a nail gun
Its fun project
 
How the hell are you gonna pick up that thing for pouring ? I use a 5 gallon galvanized pail & lid that holds a full bag . Spray painted it black & it looks great next to my stove.

Maybe I'm really strong.;lol Seriously, looking for my wife to be able to replenish the stove and, while she can lift 40LB, wasn't planning on her doing that. Figuring on picking up a small scoop, perhaps 1-qt size, like we use for bird seed) that should do it although filling will take longer. Likely, if/when the stove needs a full bag, I'll simply go downstairs and get one and bypass the "living room stash".

Put em in a closet.

Out of sight! Great idea. Alas, 1949 house, closets in short supply, and no closet in the living room near the stove.

You can make your own cheaper.

Agreed! Except for those with neither the skills nor inclination. Myself, I'm finishing up a remodeling project and both me and my tools are otherwise occupied for the moment. ;)
 
Lifting those 40 pound bags and dumping them into the stove will keep your wife firm and healthy.......;lol
 
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Lifting those 40 pound bags and dumping them into the stove will keep your wife firm and healthy.......;lol
Nothin' like a firm and healthy wife when ya get old and feeble ........... take it from one who knows.....................................
 
Nothin' like a firm and healthy wife when ya get old and feeble ........... take it from one who knows.....................................


Right on bruther... of course I don't know. My wife is old and feeble too.... just like me.
 
I usually fill mine in the morning and I have a very large coal hod that holds a whole bag of pellets along with a feed scoop my wife can use the keep the stove going until I get home. Perhaps you can fill a smaller coal hod or ash bucket that your wife can dump into the hopper? We tried the ginormous can method and feed scoop and it just became a pain.

The reason I suggest the coal hods and ash cans is because I don't think they look out of place next to the stove even in a formal living room.
 
Perhaps you can fill a smaller coal hod or ash bucket that your wife can dump into the hopper?

I'll look around. We put this crock into use within the hour of getting it home, but hadn't thought too much about a "transfer tool" except maybe the aluminum-scoop method, which isn't aesthetically pleasing. Actually, right now I'm using the Pyrex measuring bowl from the kitchen, and she wants it back. Something in brass would be nice.
 
A grain scoop would work well. I have a metal one and use a large ceramic canister with cover and my wife can top it off when necessary. I have seen pics of earthen pots with no top and that looks fine, too.
 
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We use a large, antique wooden chest for storage and a squared off plastic grain scoop to tranfer to the stove. My insert's hopper holds over two bags of pellets and the wooden chest holds four bags plus. We run the stove hopper down and send the boys into the basement to haul up five bags at a time. The squared off grain scoop is perfect for getting all of the pellets out of the chest and works well filling the hopper as the opening to load it is long and narrow. The antique chest is attractive enough that it doesn't look out of place. Loading the hopper with the scoop also keep people from touching the plastic pellet bags against a hot stove. That makes a mess.
 
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Yeah, I have a "grain scoop" in my Amazon wish list now, 44oz size -- although that term also refers to those light, flat-bottomed shovels.

We use a large, antique wooden chest for storage.

That seems like a logical choice. For me, in the corner of the room I had in mind, I preferred a higher-than-wide solution.

What, no one has devised a leaf-blower-powered "power loader" to transfer pellets from the chest to the hopper? ;lol
 
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Yeah, I have a "grain scoop" in my Amazon wish list now, 44oz size -- although that term also refers to those light, flat-bottomed shovels.



That seems like a logical choice. For me, in the corner of the room I had in mind, I preferred a higher-than-wide solution.

What, no one has devised a leaf-blower-powered "power loader" to transfer pellets from the chest to the hopper? ;lol
Saturday I shopped at Homegoods and found a nice bronze colored indoor/outdoor steel planter. It holds exactly 2 bags of pellets. I had recently purchased a 4 quart grain scoop from tsc for $8.99. It is silver, but during the summer I will spray paint it bronze to match the planter. The planter compliments the color of my stove which is also bronze colored.
 
Saturday I shopped at Homegoods and found a nice bronze colored indoor/outdoor steel planter. It holds exactly 2 bags of pellets. I had recently purchased a 4 quart grain scoop from tsc for $8.99. It is silver, but during the summer I will spray paint it bronze to match the planter. The planter compliments the color of my stove which is also bronze colored.

Pictures are always nice.
 
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