new to pellets got a few questions

i am in the process of getting my pellet furnace installed in my basement and i will be buying 3 tons of pellets the first week of november. here are the three pellet options i have.

1.menards. somerset pellets 200 a ton 68 delivery fee

2.lowes. cheat river pellets 220 a ton 55 delivery fee

3.rural king. american wood fibers pellets 200 a ton. no delivery

i also have another question, the pellet furnace will be located in the basement and sometimes it can be damp in the basement. can i store the pellets down there? they wont be sitting directly on the ground. i have two firewood racks that i can convert to hold the bags. let me know what you all think. thanks

if you are new to pellet stoves and this is a new install, DO NOT buy a ton or several tons of any pellet.
buy a few bags of each so you can try them out and make sure your stove likes them.
there are big differences in how they burn in different stoves.
Somersets are great quality and I burn them in my Harman

Just my 2 cents Don`t forget that when you get the pellets in ton format you usually get the skid with it . When you decide where to purchase your pellets ask them for one skid/pallet that way when you put them in your basement you have something to set it on.

I've burned all three of those, and I liked Somersets the best. I'd be quite happy to burn the AWF all winter too. The cheat rivers are ok, but I'd much rather have the others. Burn a few test bags ASAP, and then go buy 6 tons of Somersets

Hi Daisy - I also am needing to store my pellets in my basement. During period of heavy rain, my floor (cement) does get a small 'stream' start across the floor. My dehumidifier kicks in and if the water is too heavy, I use my shop vac to pick it up. I have between told by several others that as long as my pellets are on pallets and the bags are not stored open in this room, that there should not be significant issue. Are u saying this is incorrect? I really have no other storage space.

SORRY!! Dratted spell check on my tablet!

Hey Daisy I agree with you that a dehumidifier is a good idea (for any damp basement). Just curious what you mean by "the correct way to use it". I have one, I set it to 50% humidity and let it run (with a Little Giant condensate pump in the tank to empty the water outside). Is there something else to know?

Good question notch. I think I may have to upgrade mine. It was an inexpensive model with no settings. Just plug it in and it runs until either the damp is gone or the container is full

after a really good rain or after alot of snow has melted the floor of the basement gets wet. i do not have a de-humidifier. so it looks like i better just keep the pellets stored in my garage. the hopper on the furnace holds 250 lbs i think.

1st choice to last
Somerset
AWF
Cheats

I was told by a pellet maker, Pellets don't absorb as much as you think. Unless you see moisture building up on the bags it shouldn't be an issue. Just don't let em touch water or all bets are off!

Now you done went and done it yet again. How are we ever going to train the newbies?

Rule #1 dealing with pellet newbies, pellets have expiration dates and need to be disposed of after that date.
Rule #2 pellets exposed to damp air need to be disposed of right away.
Rule #3 properly disposing of pellets requires that you call the nearest pellet pig so they can arrange the disposal.
Rule #4 you need to pay the disposal person.

Yep, What he says.

Sorry bear! CRS ya know.

thanks for all the advice everyone. so do the majority believe i would be ok to store 1/2 to 1 ton in the basement if its a foot off the floor? i think i will get a few bags of the somersets and give them a try.

Go for it those pellets normally have to get wet before they go to he|| in a hand basket

I mostly agree, although you might want to split the order.....50/50 Somersets/AWF

You didn`t say what type of floor ie: concrete or clay/earth but i have a use for the used bags cut them open as to lay a moisture barrier then use the skids as a redneck boardwalk (the one`s with tight spacing)to give a floor you can set things down on assuming it gets muddy , for height just stack the skids on top of each other. Best thing it`s comes with your pellet order. recycle is a good thing Good luck

Out of the 3, I wouldnt be afraid to buy 10 ton of Somersets. No matter what it was burning in.

The AWF's are a decent pellet. But I had an issues a few years back, with some Super Long pellets. I bought sample bags several times now and never got anymore. But those 2"-3" long pellets were Nasty. So a spot check for me would be necessary. But again, thats just me. Somersets are the smallest, hottest, and most consistent pellet in my area of Ohio (Lorain, Medina, Cuyahoga, Ashland Counties), with Pro Pellets taking 2nd.

Looking forward to install pics.

I put my pallet on the cement floor then cut open two large garbage bags and placed them on the pallet before placing the pellets. I didn't go higher - right or wrong - as the water has not yet gotten too high in this basement. Knock on wood, cross fingers, throw salt.......

What happened to dig deep hole in cellar floor, add a few channels to help the water find the sump hole, and install large sump pump? Along with a power backup system just in case loss of power happens at time of high water. huh?

My basement is on the damp side as well. I've stored pellets for 4 years and as long as they're still on the pallets off the ground, and not against the concrete wall as well, no problem.

Its called I have a cement cellar floor, a single salary and no extra money for such improvements. Are you volunteering to fund the upgrade? So far I have only had water find it's way across the middle of the floor. No flooding.......yet.

I see, not a do it yourself when there is cement involved, can't say as I blame you. I spent a week back the last part of June doing the hole digging, mixing, and pouring concrete for a new deck. It wasn't fun in the sun and heat.