Pellet dust safety

[revolutionrock]

Hi all. Quick question. I know from amateur woodworking that sawdust is harmful to the respiratory system. Lately, I’ve noticed that when I dump pellets from a bag to a bucket, or from the bucket to the stove, a cloud of sawdust tends to “puff” out of the bucket/hopper opening and into the room.

Is this typical? Given that my family congregate in this room, should I be concerned about this in the air?

Thanks!

 

[Cincinnati Kid]

Hi all. Quick question. I know from amateur woodworking that sawdust is harmful to the respiratory system. Lately, I’ve noticed that when I dump pellets from a bag to a bucket, or from the bucket to the stove, a cloud of sawdust tends to “puff” out of the bucket/hopper opening and into the room.

Is this typical? Given that my family congregate in this room, should I be concerned about this in the air?

Thanks!

Yes, it happens to me but depends on the wood pellet. I’m burning Somerset and Country Boy pellets. The Country Boy have significantly more sawdust than the Somersets.

 

[Mt Bob]

Poor slower. If stove is running, there is always a bit of suction in the hopper,also. Not very dangerous, unless there is tons of it.

 

[Dataman]

Always get a little. I just tell the Robot Vac to do it's duty. Nice Little Shark

 

[tbear853]

Not here, but I just set the bag on the stove top front, load door already up/open, then I trim the top of the bag off to open it, then I gather the open bag ends in my left hand and hold it together as I tip the bag top backwards into the hopper, bag laying still on stove top. I control load rate looking over the top, slowly, not a full speed dump. When full, I grab both sides of the bag at top and lift it, keeping remainder in bag. I pick it up and set it beside the stove hearth. I don't get any turbulence or dust.

 

[tlc1976]

Not here, but I just set the bag on the stove top front, load door already up/open, then I trim the top of the bag off to open it, then I gather the open bag ends in my left hand and hold it together as I tip the bag top backwards into the hopper, bag laying still on stove top. I control load rate looking over the top, slowly, not a full speed dump. When full, I grab both sides of the bag at top and lift it, keeping remainder in bag. I pick it up and set it beside the stove hearth. I don't get any turbulence or dust.

I do it pretty much like this, except I rip the bag open while on the floor. Pick it up, turn it over and let it rest in the hopper. Lift it out slowly, one side at a time, while I push the pellets into the corners of the hopper, then remove the bag. Little to no dust this way.

If I couldn’t lift a full bag, then I would scoop from the bag with a cup, bowl, or feed scoop until I could lift it, then dump it in like above. Not really any dust this way either since I’m not getting to the fines in the bottom of the bag, until the bag is contained in the hopper.

It’s probably not a concern anyway. Woodworking produces piles of sawdust, forced through the air by power tools, leaving gobs of it in your nose and everywhere else. Dumping in a bag of pellets is really nothing in comparison.

 

[bogieb]

I'd worry more about the reaction of whomever dusts/vacuums the room, than the small amount of particulates in the air.

If someone in the house has a chronic respiratory problem, then maybe think about pouring the pellets into the bucket in another area. I do the same as @tlc1976 and let the bag rest in the hopper when I pour the pellets in.

There are good ideas from other people also if you can't lift the bag, or if the hopper is too small to accept a whole bag. But regardless how you do it, slower is better than fast to keep dust distribution to a minimum.

 

[mtnbiker727]

I tuck the end of my shopvac into the hopper and turn it on and pour a bag in. My 3 year old recently decided she likes to hold the hose for me, so that works too.

 

[gfreek]

I used to use my shop vac connected to a diy system to "clean" the pellets..Not so much any more though..
Here:

 

[Dataman]

My Stove don't care if they are dust free. It burns the dust same as pellets. Harmon XXV. Seems like a ton of work to clean them. Been thinking of using sawdust for startup from Wood Shop. Small scoop to promote startup. Now I use small scoop of pellets.

 

[tlc1976]

My Stove don't care if they are dust free. It burns the dust same as pellets. Harmon XXV. Seems like a ton of work to clean them. Been thinking of using sawdust for startup from Wood Shop. Small scoop to promote startup. Now I use small scoop of pellets.

Same here, I’ve never cleaned pellets, it pushes dust through just the same. Never had the auger out since installed it 7 years ago.

 

[shtrdave]

My pellets are in the garage, I dump them in to two 14qt buckets and carry them in to dump in the stove. I just dump and there is dust comes up and it is allover the things around the stove and other places near by. If I dump while the stove it running the dust get spread out more from the fan blowing it around. I just but the large packs of Swiffers and clean it up now and then.

 

[gfreek]

Hi all. Quick question. I know from amateur woodworking that sawdust is harmful to the respiratory system. Lately, I’ve noticed that when I dump pellets from a bag to a bucket, or from the bucket to the stove, a cloud of sawdust tends to “puff” out of the bucket/hopper opening and into the room.

Is this typical? Given that my family congregate in this room, should I be concerned about this in the air?

Thanks!

If you are concerned that family members are inhaling pellet dust, or a member has asthma, bronchitis, lung issues, etc, I would sift the pellets before dumping them in the hopper...Or another option , fine dust room air purifier.... I moved my stove so it is no longer where we congregate, I do sift occasionally depending how dusty the pellets are..