Pellet bags "sweating"

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.
BigJohnfromCT

BigJohnfromCT

Feeling the Heat
Dec 29, 2012
325
Danbury, CT
I'm using Hamers Hot Ones again this season. I store them in my attached garage. Not heated but never as cold as outside. A few weeks ago I noticed that the outside of the bags were wet. Not dripping but clearly moist. The roof is not leaking and there are no water pipes above the pellets. I tasted a little the moisture and it is gawd awful so I do not believe it is normal condensation. Have any of you experienced anything like this and, if so, have you come to any conclusions regarding what it might be? Thank you and let's be glad another winter is behind us.
 
BigJohnfromCT said:
I'm using Hamers Hot Ones again this season. I store them in my attached garage. Not heated but never as cold as outside. A few weeks ago I noticed that the outside of the bags were wet. Not dripping but clearly moist. The roof is not leaking and there are no water pipes above the pellets. I tasted a little the moisture and it is gawd awful so I do not believe it is normal condensation. Have any of you experienced anything like this and, if so, have you come to any conclusions regarding what it might be? Thank you and let's be glad another winter is behind us.
Click to expand...
Does the garage have a metal roof ? Or could your dog or cat be peeing on the bags?
 
MCPO said:
Does the garage have a metal roof ? Or could your dog or cat be peeing on the bags?
Click to expand...


Thank you. No, unheated attic above with asphalt shingles, no cats and dog doesn't jump nor does she have regular access to garage.
 
Same thing happened to me with Hamers in an unheated garage. A rapid change in humidity or temperature will occasionally do that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ranger72
BigJohnfromCT said:
I'm using Hamers Hot Ones again this season. I store them in my attached garage. Not heated but never as cold as outside. A few weeks ago I noticed that the outside of the bags were wet. Not dripping but clearly moist. The roof is not leaking and there are no water pipes above the pellets. I tasted a little the moisture and it is gawd awful so I do not believe it is normal condensation. Have any of you experienced anything like this and, if so, have you come to any conclusions regarding what it might be? Thank you and let's be glad another winter is behind us.
Click to expand...

How long had they been in the garage at the time you noticed the condensation?

If the bags were outside and freezing when you brought them in, it takes quite a while for them to acclimate to the new surrounding temp. During this time, when the warmer air of the garage comes around the cold bags, the air will condense and the moisture in the air will drop out and latch onto the cold surface of the bags.
 
BigJohnfromCT said:
I'm using Hamers Hot Ones again this season. I store them in my attached garage. Not heated but never as cold as outside. A few weeks ago I noticed that the outside of the bags were wet. Not dripping but clearly moist. The roof is not leaking and there are no water pipes above the pellets. I tasted a little the moisture and it is gawd awful so I do not believe it is normal condensation. Have any of you experienced anything like this and, if so, have you come to any conclusions regarding what it might be? Thank you and let's be glad another winter is behind us.
Click to expand...

Yes, this happened to me a few years ago. I was storing my pellets outside in my screened in porch. I remember we had mild, rainy, and humid temps over a two week period that winter. The bags began to sweat. I ended up losing several bags as the moisture got inside and the pellets turned to sawdust. I did not have these bags covered by anything inside my porch.

Today I store a pallet in my porch but I cover the bags with the plastic cover they came with. I've not had any issues.
 
Deezl Smoke said:
How long had they been in the garage at the time you noticed the condensation?

If the bags were outside and freezing when you brought them in, it takes quite a while for them to acclimate to the new surrounding temp. During this time, when the warmer air of the garage comes around the cold bags, the air will condense and the moisture in the air will drop out and latch onto the cold surface of the bags.
Click to expand...

They've been in there since August when I bought them. Never exposed to freezing. Seemed to have started two weeks ago. At first I thought it was from a bag of calcium chloride that I had stored on the pellets but now I'm down about four rows from where it was and I have the same problem. Does not seem to effect burn but puts smudges on my stove and have noticed drips on the floor.
 
BigJohnfromCT said:
They've been in there since August when I bought them. Never exposed to freezing. Seemed to have started two weeks ago. At first I thought it was from a bag of calcium chloride that I had stored on the pellets but now I'm down about four rows from where it was and I have the same problem. Does not seem to effect burn but puts smudges on my stove and have noticed drips on the floor.
Click to expand...

Can you buy a few more bags quick and set them on top of what's left of the pallet? I still would not rule out that chloride bag as being part of this issue. It's like putting a Dri Z Air next to a copper pipe or iron plate. In short order the corrosion rate will be incredible.
 
The bags are cool and the surrounding air warms ( cool at night warms up during the day )
the moisture in the warm air condense on the cool bags . Like running a unvented dryer
in the house in winter and the warm moist air condenses on the windows same idea . It
should not hurt the pellets as this moisture will leave as the bags warm up .
 
If it makes you feel any better, I just touched my bags and they're sweaty like yours. ==c
 
  • Like
Reactions: Darkimpulse
fedtime said:
Exactly. My pellets are in a shed, unheated and un-insulated. I get condensation on the outside of the bags all the time when the temperature swings - as it often does in Nova Scotia. It has never caused a problem for me.
Click to expand...
Same here
 
They're probably a heat sink changing temp at a lower rate than the surrounding air.

Or they are decomposing and heating up inside the bags, but I doubt it and the above is more likely.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Deezl Smoke
I got the same thing pretty much in the pellet addition i built onto my shed. Fully sheathed, wrapped in tar paper and then log sided with papered and shingled roof. Over winter many times i noticed a layer of frost between bags. As the temps started to fluctuate even more warm days/cold nights i noticed it more as the bags had condensation on them. I thought my roof was leaking at one point but it wasnt. Its the temperature swings. I may need to add vents in the shed. Although i never had a problem with actuall wet pellets yet.
 
Likely due to the outside air (which infiltrates the garage) warming up quicker than the bags, combined with a high humidity event. And maybe a drop in barometric pressure.

Something like what a typical 'January thaw' rainy day would be here.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

H
Wood stove question, Will venting sweat
Replies
13
Views
479
The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces
begreen
begreen
G
New Harman Owner-Pellet Consumption Question
Replies
8
Views
2K
The Pellet Mill - Pellet and Multifuel Stoves
Dataman
D
M
Ravelli RV 80 air flow/clinker issue
Replies
2
Views
985
The Pellet Mill - Pellet and Multifuel Stoves
MetsFan
M
Nofossil
New to pellet stoves, Quad Castile questions
Replies
5
Views
782
The Pellet Mill - Pellet and Multifuel Stoves
Former Farmer
Former Farmer
Ranckie
Harmon Insert Not Burning Correctly
Replies
2
Views
555
The Pellet Mill - Pellet and Multifuel Stoves
Ranckie
Ranckie
Top Bottom
Back