How do you keep you pellets dry in a basement, new to pellets...

[VCBurner]

I'm a newbie to pellets. I would love to store my pellets in the basement, but it does get some water when it rains, although the sump pump keeps it from flooding. There are a couple of spots on one side I noticed with the last rain storm, that get visible water puddles coming from the edge of the foundation. I thought about putting them in the drier side of the basement and keeping a dehumidifier next to the stacks and the obvious pallets underneath. I can store them in the garage for the pre-snow times, but it's a detached garage so I'd like to keep them in the basement for the Winter.

Any suggestions?

 

[newf lover]

I have mine in the basement, on their pallets and keep them away from the concrete wall. I don't think you have to worry too much unless the water level actually got high enough to reach the bags of pellets.

 

[Fish On]

As long as you don't have a river running threw your basement and there is a dry spot, and not a wet spot (laugh) you should be fine.

Just put them on the pallets your pellets came with, and make sure u have plenty of ventilation.

 

[imacman]

As mentioned above, just make sure they are up on at least 1 pallet (or 2 pallets stacked to be really safe). Winter isn't a big problem, but if your basement gets wet during the summer, a de-humdifier will help.

 

[DexterDay]

The only other suggestion I have, is to lay down a layer of plastic (Tarp, bag that covers the ton, vinyl sheet) on top of your pallet, instead of the cardboard/paper sheet that it comes with.
If water gets high enough, it can "Seep" up the wood and bags of pellets have small holes throughout them. This would allow moisture to easily attack the pellet.

Is it nesacary? No.. I do it for extra precaution/protection. I get no water in my basement. We had a flood about 5 years ago. But that was because of a power outage. I have since installed a Watch-Dog Battery Back up Sump Pump and bought a 4400 watt generator.

Overall, lots of people store there pellets in the basement. I run a de-humidifier and also use "Damp-Rid" in the Pellet Crib. I got 9 ton down there now and have been using this area for a few years with zero problems.

Good luck with that Enviro Chris. Its a good looking unit. Looking forward to Oct 1st. I wanna see some more Pics I'm sure your gonna love it.
Another helpful tip.. Get a Good surge protector. These stoves have delicate electronics and are sensitive to power outages and surges. Also try a few bags of pellets before making a large purchase. There seem to be a few general pellet choices that burn well in all stoves, with little to no complaints. Better to try them yourself. But just getting started its hard to know what's "Hot" and what's not. What's a high ash pellet and what's not. It won't take long to figure it out. I have a magnetic thermo (think woodstove/Condor) and a digital cooking thermostat that is very accurate. I have it stuck down in a heat exchange tube (not touching metal). This gives me my actual Convection air temp. This little $17 tool is the most valuable tool (besides the leaf blower for cleaning) It allows me to see exactly the temp difference from one brand to the next. I would suggest finding a way to measure the heat (besides your hand) until you get a handle on it. Many people don't use any of these items. But I'm anal and want to keep as close an eye as possible on my stove. After a week or 2 of not cleaning, my air temp may drop 25*, (240* to 215*/big difference) using the same pellets. A clean stove, is a happy and efficient stove. Ash is a good insulator. Will keep extra BTU's from getting out of the stove and into your room.

Sorry for rambling.... Food for thought. Some people just run there stoves. I like to know how its running, why its running that way, and what I can do to make it better or more efficient. These couple tools help you better understand that.

 

[VCBurner]

I have mine in the basement, on their pallets and keep them away from the concrete wall. I don't think you have to worry too much unless the water level actually got high enough to reach the bags of pellets.

I doubt the water will get high enough to reach the pellets. There is a sump pump and I have a 5000 watt generator to back it up as well as the stove and some other things in case of an outage. Thanks for the reply.

 

[Casie]

I have stored pellets in the basement for 4 years. Knee wall
foundation. I run a dehumidifier in the summer to keep things
dry. I (luckily) do not have water issues. Just in case, they are
stacked 6 inches off the concrete.

I have never had a problem with my pellets, and the
convenience of having them protected in the basement
is great.

 

[VCBurner]

As long as you don't have a river running threw your basement and there is a dry spot, and not a wet spot (laugh) you should be fine.

Just put them on the pallets your pellets came with, and make sure u have plenty of ventilation.

Thanks Fish, I think it just has water coming from one side of the basement, one near the old well pipe and the other along that same back of the house, the yard slopes down quite a bit, the back being higher than the front. So water naturally pools in the back and the front of the foundation is a lot drier. How do you ventilate your basement? I've read some threads about ventilation systems being cheaper to run than a dehumidifier but they have a bigger price tag, some like $500? Maybe I'll set up a bathroom fan above the stacks and vent it out the front of the house. This should keep the air circulating and give me a light above the stack as well!

 

[VCBurner]

As mentioned above, just make sure they are up on at least 1 pallet (or 2 pallets stacked to sure). Winter isn't a big problem, but if your basement gets wet during the summer, a de-humdifier will help.

Ok, got it. Pallets are a must I'm sure. I have enough scrap lumber to build a 12'x4' deck on some pallets with pressure treated lumber. I'll slap some plastic on the deck to assure the moisture does not get to the bags. A dehumidifier will probably run all year. I understand the summer is a lot more damp but in the winter water still reaches the basement.

 

[Fish On]

i ventilate a cheap way i open all my windows in the basement when the weather is nice and dry. dehumidifier when its humid

i would also fix your water problem,u be amazed at what u can do to help yourself..

 

[save$]

I've been keeping my pellets in a detached garage. We bring in a weeks supply and stack them in a glassed in porch which often is above freezing. Works out good so long as I don't forget or get lazy and not bring in the bags in advance. Only takes 5-10 mins. to move a weeks worth of pellets and I usually can do it on a day when the "dooryard" is free of snow and the ice has been dealt with.
You might want to keep a few bags in both the cellar and in the garage, same brand and same lot, then compare the burn a year later. If they burn differently, you'll have your answer!

 

[VCBurner]

The only other suggestion I have, is to lay down a layer of plastic (Tarp, bag that covers the ton, vinyl sheet) on top of your pallet, instead of the cardboard/paper sheet that it comes with.I like the plastic idea. Simple and easy to do. Even if they sit on a PT deck I'll still do it.
If water gets high enough, it can "Seep" up the wood and bags of pellets have small holes throughout them. This would allow moisture to easily attack the pellet.

Is it nesacary? No.. I do it for extra precaution/protection. I get no water in my basement. We had a flood about 5 years ago. But that was because of a power outage. I have since installed a Watch-Dog Battery Back up Sump Pump and bought a 4400 watt generator. Now that I think about it I may just build the deck up on 2' stilts/posts. This way I don't have to bend down as much to get the bags off the floor and they'll be safe from water. As I mentioned above I'll also have a 5000 watter in case of outages.

Overall, lots of people store there pellets in the basement. I run a de-humidifier and also use "Damp-Rid" in the Pellet Crib. I'm not familiar with Damp-rid, what is it?I got 9 ton down there now and have been using this area for a few years with zero problems.

Good luck with that Enviro Chris. Its a good looking unit. Looking forward to Oct 1st. I wanna see some more Pics So am I brother, can't wait to get her here and fire it up!!I'm sure your gonna love it.
Another helpful tip.. Get a Good surge protector. Like the 6-10 way ones they sell for homes or something diffferent? I have a 3way GFI used in commercial construction, I'm a union carpenter, but it's yellow, what kind do you use?These stoves have delicate electronics and are sensitive to power outages and surges. Also try a few bags of pellets before making a large purchase. There seem to be a few general pellet choices that burn well in all stoves, with little to no complaints. Better to try them yourself. But just getting started its hard to know what's "Hot" and what's not. What's a high ash pellet and what's not. It won't take long to figure it out.I'm hoping the Infernos at National Lumber in Gardner are a good fit. We get the family discount from them and a ton would cost just over $200 for these "premium hardwood pellets." But I have heard some mixed reviews on here about them. Some love them, some say they produce big clinkers. Mostly they sound inconsistent from batch to batch. Another alternative would be from the big box store at the cheapest price. I'm not a big fan of the HD's and Lowes of the world, but money talks. I'd just rather support local if the price is reasonable. I have a magnetic thermo (think woodstove/Condor) and a digital cooking thermostat that is very accurate. I have it stuck down in a heat exchange tube (not touching metal). This gives me my actual Convection air temp. This little $17 tool is the most valuable tool (besides the leaf blower for cleaning) It allows me to see exactly the temp difference from one brand to the next. I would suggest finding a way to measure the heat (besides your hand) until you get a handle on it. Many people don't use any of these items. But I'm anal and want to keep as close an eye as possible on my stove. After a week or 2 of not cleaning, my air temp may drop 25*, (240* to 215*/big difference) using the same pellets. A clean stove, is a happy and efficient stove. Ash is a good insulator. Will keep extra BTU's from getting out of the stove and into your room. Thanks for those tips, I can tell you're going to be instrumental in my learrning curve, like many members were in the hearth room!! Sounds like a pretty easy way to measure the difference in heat output between pellet brands.

Sorry for rambling.... Food for thought. Some people just run there stoves. I like to know how its running, why its running that way, and what I can do to make it better or more efficient. These couple tools help you better understand that.No apology needed! I love to find out as much information as possible, the longer the post the better. This is the reason why I hang out here in this site. The knowledge we share is vital to the correct operation of any type of stove, wood or pellet. Thanks again DD!!

 

[VCBurner]

I've been keeping my pellets in a detached garage. We bring in a weeks supply and stack them in a glassed in porch which often is above freezing. Works out good so long as I don't forget or get lazy and not bring in the bags in advance. Only takes 5-10 mins. to move a weeks worth of pellets and I usually can do it on a day when the "dooryard" is free of snow and the ice has been dealt with.
You might want to keep a few bags in both the cellar and in the garage, same brand and same lot, then compare the burn a year later. If they burn differently, you'll have your answer!

When they get delivered they'll probably sit in the garage for a while, but I would like to move them into the basement before the yard gets covered in snow! The basement door sits right behind the side door of the house at the foot of a little landing. Five steps to the left of the landing up into the diningroom, to the right of the landing is the basement door. It is barried behind the exterior door as you walk in. The only way to access the basement door is to close the exterior door. So the best way to get the pellets in the basement is through the basement exterior door. That door is on the other side of the house. No driveway on that side. I guess what I'm trying to say is, it would be extremely hard to bring in pellets from the garage after the snow covers the yard. It would have to be done prior otherwise I'll end up having to bring in single bags by hand. Before the snow comes I can use a hand truck/utility dolly or the riding mower with a cart in the back and get it done in a fraction of time. I'll probably only keep 3-4 tons at the most. The way things are around here, there is no money to spare and we will not have thousands of dollars laying around to buy multiple tons at a time.

 

[VCBurner]

i ventilate a cheap way i open all my windows in the basement when the weather is nice and dry. dehumidifier when its humid

i would also fix your water problem,u be amazed at what u can do to help yourself..

I rent this house so there will be no fixing the water problem. I could do it myself, but all the work would be a waste of time and money. I've done home improvements on other properties we've rented and it did not pay off in the end! This time I will not put anything in this house I cannot take with me when I move! The last house I built a deck in the back, slider door put in to acces the back yard (in place of windows), bow window in the front, refinnished the walls in the livingroom, kitchen and a bedroom, including stripping wall paper and skim coating all walls, painted walls and borders. The kitchen even got oak trim around the windows and a two piece chair rail. New hardware and paint on the cabinets. I did not charge them a penny, the landlady was elderly and on a fixed income, the property was left to her by her brother. She became ill, her niece took over and things started going down hill after that. She will get to reap the benefits for all the work we did in the four years we were there. I plan on taking the stove and all the pipes including the thimble when I leave here.

Anyway, the basement is not that wet. I think a dehumidifier, a bathroom fan for times when the place gets wet and can be vented out instead of trapping all the moisture down there. Some plastic on the deck I'll build and I'll be OK.