Burning fines?

[lordgrinz]

In the Spring time when they delivered my Okies I ended up with some bags wet, they are now dry, and I am sifting thru them a little. Is there really any issue with running more sawdust/fines then usual thru the XXV? I figure either way it is going to burn, and this unit is fairly easy to clean, so are fines/sawdust really an issue?

 

[ironpony]

the "normal" amout of fines I find in my somersets have never been a problem
however I have read where alot of fines will cause auger jams because
they lay in the bottom of the feed well and do not feed through the auger properly
I do not think I would knowingly put pellets that have been wet through the stove

 

[Doocrew]

In the Spring time when they delivered my Okies I ended up with some bags wet, they are now dry, and I am sifting thru them a little. Is there really any issue with running more sawdust/fines then usual thru the XXV? I figure either way it is going to burn, and this unit is fairly easy to clean, so are fines/sawdust really an issue?

If you expose the bags to temperatures below freezing such as an unheated shed for a few days you will be able to tell if there is too much moisture in them. The pellets will freeze together and clump like kitty litter. If they do not clump together, they are OK.

 

[tinkabranc]

At the risk of jinxing myself, I have not had any issues yet with throwing the fines
in with the pellets.

However, bags with wet spots can be a different animal though. A couple of weeks ago,
I ran into 3 bags of pellets with wet spots in them. One bag I was able to salvage about 3/4 of
the pellets, the other 2 bags were so overloaded with fines and mush, they ended up in the garden.

 

[lordgrinz]

At the risk of jinxing myself, I have not had any issues yet with throwing the fines
in with the pellets.

However, bags with wet spots can be a different animal though. A couple of weeks ago,
I ran into 3 bags of pellets with wet spots in them. One bag I was able to salvage about 3/4 of
the pellets, the other 2 bags were so overloaded with fines and mush, they ended up in the garden.

So far so good, the bag I went thru today was almost completely wet in the spring, but I was able to save more than 3/4's of it. Not bad for a little bit of extra work sifting thru them. Keep in mind these were stored in a dehumidified cellar since June, so they were pretty dry.

 

[smilejamaica]

if its only a few bags why risk problems. sift through them through the rest out .

 

[save$]

Very few of my pellets go to waste. I vac out a small amount of fines when I clean out the hopper. The vacuumed fines are mixed with good pellets which I am too lazy to sift out, so I dump the vac content into a pail and set it aside for that handful of start up pellets you put in the burn pot after opening and cleaning the stove. Any pellets I've suspected of being wet go to plant mulch.
I save all my ash for the garden, (lay a circle of it around plants to keep slugs away), Till it into the soil to off set the acid. Spread it on the lawn as you would lime. Dust plants to keep bugs off, and keep some in a pail to put on the driveway if it become icy and I have run out of sand, (can be messy, but better than falling or being stuck)