Fines Box and AWF.
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That's why the fines box needs to be checked and cleaned out before a problem occurs. Which pellets have you been burning? My fines box is never that full. Cleaned it twice this season already and will do it again at the end of January before I leave for an out of town job.
That's from burning 7 bags of those AWF ultra premium pine something. I just had a bad feeling about all that sawdust and when I checked today, BAM! Sawdust everywhere.
the pony boy
Member
WOW! 7 bags! I had 10% of that fine stuff (if that) after a ton or 50 bags. What does AWF stand for? A Wall of Fines...... seems excessive in the dust department for 7 bags.
Ranger72
Minister of Fire
My Whit just burns the fines and goes on about it's day. 
The thing about these pellets is that many here seem to like them. It's no good in a p35i where the sawdust stuck to the walls of the hopper 1/4" or more thick and wouldn't let the pellets slide down to the auger opening.
Mucho,
It could also be that you are the lucky one with a cruddy batch???? Did you buy the bags separately or a whole palletized ton? They could have been beaten about producing more fines. After all I've seen with others here having fits with different pellets and various problems with different ones I am fortunate and grateful I landed Somersets on my first go round. I would have been hacked off too because I swung for the fence and bought 7 tons in one pop. Had the money and just went for the wall after reading many reviews on them here and wherever else. Never saw any negative reviews on them. If I would have been stuck with 7 tons of crap I'd have been beyond pissed. LUCKY!
I now know why all the old schoolers say buy a few bags and try then first..........
It could also be that you are the lucky one with a cruddy batch???? Did you buy the bags separately or a whole palletized ton? They could have been beaten about producing more fines. After all I've seen with others here having fits with different pellets and various problems with different ones I am fortunate and grateful I landed Somersets on my first go round. I would have been hacked off too because I swung for the fence and bought 7 tons in one pop. Had the money and just went for the wall after reading many reviews on them here and wherever else. Never saw any negative reviews on them. If I would have been stuck with 7 tons of crap I'd have been beyond pissed. LUCKY!
I now know why all the old schoolers say buy a few bags and try then first..........
Bioburner
Moderator
I bought 10 to try. I don't doubt more fines were created while in transport, but the pellets themselves do not keep their integrity. They break up easily with just a roll and a squeeze between your fingers. They just turn to sawdust. Just that and nothing else. No other materials, colors, etc. pure pine sawdust. Definitely no bark, and they burned fine, not as hot but fine. I will have to stay away from these from now on because it was just too messy. Maybe I've become spoiled too soon. I mean this is my 3rd month burning pellets and I'm already talking trash about some bags of pellets lol.
right? That's I I've been reading you guys say and that's what I think it should be! No more soft pine pellet like materials for me.
Peterfield
Minister of Fire
I have the big brother of your stove and when I burned AWF's it was plenty of heat, very little ash and minimal fines/sawdust. I have just struggled with some bags of Green Supreme I bought loose and it was quite obvious water got into the bags. Loads of fines, pellets stuck to the hopper walls, gave off minimal heat and they eventually froze my auger. I had a heck of a time clearing out the sawdust and it sounds like that's what happened to your bags. If you can find a few bags of AWF's that the seller can assure have been stored properly, I think you'll see a difference.
Pellet-King
Minister of Fire
Same here buddy, yesterday morning me and the wife were sitting by the stove, a quick flash of light get's my wife's attention, I said just the stove burning the fines, fines never a issue with the right stove, remember Whitfield Invented the pellet stove, the rest how good you think they are, are just Knock Off'sMy Whit just burns the fines and goes on about it's day.
Wilbur Feral
Minister of Fire
Easy, folks... I said the same thing about my Whitfield Quest - even bragged about it a little - until one day I got a chute clog and sure enough, just the right combo of fines and pellets was to blame. Admittedly Whits are much more tolerant than many stoves of fines, long pellets, etc. But it can happen to anyone. Don't jinx yourself!
Husky
Feeling the Heat
I have had good luck with the AWF pellets. They do have a few more fines but I have not experienced any thing like that. I bought a pallet of them. They are more brittle if you put them in your hand and crumble them. I think you are right about people who only buy a few bags. I suspect that the bags get tossed around many times before people are buying them. I just cleaned out my fine box yesterday and had maybe a quarter of that after burning 1 ton of AWF and 1 ton of Barefoot. I'll buy again but only a ton at a time that have not been opened off the pallet.
From what I've seen and read handling and storage can be the cause of various different problems with pellets. You can't really blame a certain brand of pellets IF they have been left out in the rain and bags used for soccer balls in the back lot by the high school kids on their breaks.
Some brands do seem problematic no matter what so that is fair for a general consensus, but where some have good performance and others poor due to mishandling it's not a deal breaker on a brand for me. Some folks buy lemon Fords while others get cruddy Chevys or whatever manufacturer. Some is just luck of the draw.
It is good for people to sling the dirt on stuff if they are having problems though.
Some brands do seem problematic no matter what so that is fair for a general consensus, but where some have good performance and others poor due to mishandling it's not a deal breaker on a brand for me. Some folks buy lemon Fords while others get cruddy Chevys or whatever manufacturer. Some is just luck of the draw.
It is good for people to sling the dirt on stuff if they are having problems though.
I'm burning some right now. I've seen some fines in the hopper but I've seen far, far worse. The Whit doesn't care anyhow.
Heat is good, not spectacular. They don't bridge the burn pot with leftovers like the pellets I just burned the last of. The ash is nonexistent. They do throw some sticky sap on the glass, but no evidence of creosote.
I'm convinced that all pellets are a compromise, no matter the brand.
Heat is good, not spectacular. They don't bridge the burn pot with leftovers like the pellets I just burned the last of. The ash is nonexistent. They do throw some sticky sap on the glass, but no evidence of creosote.
I'm convinced that all pellets are a compromise, no matter the brand.
Tonyray
Minister of Fire
I am burning Somersets and usually have a very small amount of fines and a few small pieces of pellets when I open the fines box once a month. I know I could go the entire heating season without cleaning it out but it only takes a few minutes so I just do it. It will only help keep the stove in great working order.
Jason845845
Feeling the Heat
My fines box looked just like that after pulling the cover tonight. Stove was installed 1/1/15. I Burned about 10 bags of the awf pine whatever's. Never again!
Jason845845
Feeling the Heat
First go at the fines box took me about 15 minutes or so. Still don't know if I will ever want to do that every month.
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