Pellets not getting to auger - is it the stove or the pellets?

[acammer]

Good morning all. I have had a reoccurring problem with both my previous (Winrich Dynasty) and current (55-TRPAH ie. Englander 25-PAH) stoves. I'm burning Heatr's pellets from my local Home Depot. They burn a bit ashy (and really tend to white haze the window glass in short order) but put out decent heat.

I've attached a picture so you can see exactly whats going on - the pellets are creating a "sink hole" around the auger and starving the stove, causing it to run cooler and cooler, until it actually goes out completely. It would do this exactly the same on either stove, with either a half bag in there, or full to the lid. On the PAH I went ahead and applied aluminum tape to the sides of the hopper in an effort to reduce the drag on the sides of the hopper and encourage things to naturally fall down to the auger - this didn't help much, if at all.

Now, I'm going to try a test with a friend, we're going to trade a couple bags of pellets as he doesn't have this problem, and see if the problem follows the pellets, or stays with the stove. As it's already been both stoves I've had, I suspect the pellets. What do you guys think? Any tips on how to alleviate this problem?

 

[TimfromMA]

Most stoves do this to some degree. The degree in which is does depends on the pellets, how steep and how slick the hopper walls are.

You can try using some graphite paint on the hopper walls to decrease the friction.

 

[acammer]

I would agree that to some degree this is expected, but I shouldn't load a 120lb hopper than then not even be half way through it with the stove out because it starved the auger.

 

[CladMaster]

Many stoves suffer with this problem, and there are loads of reasons as to why this happens.

Here are just a few.....

1/ The hopper -- it's slopes are not steep enough
2/ The pellets -- not heavy enough to fall after a certain point
3/ The pellets -- Dust / fines content can stop the pellets from falling / rolling / sliding
4/ The sloped sides are not smooth in the hopper
5/ The pellets -- damp ?
6/ Stove not level on all four coners

The list can go on and on .....

The two stoves that I have also suffer with this problem, at a certain point within the hopper the pellets will not travel down to the auger, mostly because of the lack of weight, as the hoppers get emptied over time, the weight within the hopper from the pellets also drops over time, that is why some pellets fail to reach the auger and feed into the burn pot.

 

[SidecarFlip]

There is a solution but you may not like it.... add a vibration module to the outside wall of the hopper and put it on a timer. Won't take much but you will hear it cycle.

 

[acammer]

There is a solution but you may not like it.... add a vibration module to the outside wall of the hopper and put it on a timer. Won't take much but you will hear it cycle.

Now that sounds like a great idea. Any idea on sourcing/cost for something like that?

 

[SidecarFlip]

You could buy an industrial one like a Vibeco or you could get a Hatichi corded vibrator (sex toy) for about 50 bucks and attach it anywhere to the hopper. Just don't tell your spouse about it.....lol

A timer and a little shake ocassionally would do it.

 

[CladMaster]

LOL ..... can just picture it .... a rabbit and a stove !

 

[TimfromMA]

Double headed?

 

[Bioburner]

Whats the length of the pellets? Some longer pellets can be self damming jamming?!

 

[DneprDave]

That foil tape probably isn't helping either.

Dave

 

[Bioburner]

The foil tape is pretty slippery and a way to cover bin corners that may have rivets etc.

 

[Lake Girl]

It's the pellets ... I have had this problem with Trebio pellets but not the softwoods I have used (Sure Fire, LaCretes, Heartland, Fire Master). I would just use a doweling to stir the pellets so they would settle down in the void being created...

 

[alternativeheat]

I get that with some pallets and to some degree with all pellets. The difference is usually it wouldn't woof out the stove unless really near empty, usually some pellets still make it into the auger. When I see this I just swoosh the pellets around with my hand. Usually it's about time to top off the stove anyway though.

 

[Lake Girl]

The difference is usually it wouldn't woof out the stove unless really near empty, usually some pellets still make it into the auger.

Have to disagree. When this happened on my stove, the hopper was about 3/4 full and from the surface you couldn't tell this was happening. Stove went out 3 x before I figured it out!

Pellet size of Trebios was comparable to LaCretes so pellet length is not the only answer ... actually LaCretes have been running slightly longer.

 

[chken]

There is a solution but you may not like it.... add a vibration module to the outside wall of the hopper and put it on a timer. Won't take much but you will hear it cycle.

Funny, I was just thinking that when I was looking at my automatic espresso machine. It grinds the beans, and there's a little vibrating plate on top which shakes the beans down. Something like that would be perfect. If the blower were unbalanced, it might create enough resonance to shake the hopper walls and allow the pellets to vibrate their way down. Just be sure not to fall into the sink hole!

 

[alternativeheat]

Have to disagree. When this happened on my stove, the hopper was about 3/4 full and from the surface you couldn't tell this was happening. Stove went out 3 x before I figured it out!

Pellet size of Trebios was comparable to LaCretes so pellet length is not the only answer ... actually LaCretes have been running slightly longer.

Mmmm, ya, I meant that is the difference between the OP's situation and mine. I know some people have bigger hopper trouble than I do. Lets put it this way, so far I have not met up with that condition or the pellets that cause it.. I did nearly run out one time, the auger was looking pretty dry of pellets and there were pellets clung to the sides of the hopper that were hung up in fines.. If I got up a half hour later that day the stove would have been out but it really needed filling too..

I wonder if some folks think log jams of pellets and really it's this going on. Well anyway, I never doubted other peoples situations.

 

[Jason845845]

In the case, it's the pellets. I had to stop using the Heat'rs because I'd have to push the pellets off the sides every couple hours . I started using my Hamer's and they feed fine.

 

[acammer]

In the case, it's the pellets. I had to stop using the Heat'rs because I'd have to push the pellets off the sides every couple hours . I started using my Hamer's and they feed fine.

See, I keep hearing that it's the pellets, more than a few people have claimed the Heatr's tend to do this.

 

[alternativeheat]

See, I keep hearing that it's the pellets, more than a few people have claimed the Heatr's tend to do this.

Soon as you make that swap of a couple bags you should know if that is your issue as well.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Well, you could buy a vibrating case tumbler (for cleaning firearm cases and take the bowl off and fasten the shaker assembly to the bin side (if buying a 'personal' vibrator' is too much. They are about 40 bucks online and shake like all heck. Probably a second or so every hour would do the job. I've never had this issue with my stove but then the wife is the fireman, I just haul the pellets to the deck....

 

[Jason845845]

Holy crap, just noticed you bought 4 tons of these! You could try dry graphite spray over the tape to further convince the pellets to drop. These pellets burn great in my stove, it's just a shame that they practically glue themselves together.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I guess you could drop kick the stove when you walk by to 'agitate' the hopper and get the pellets to drop..... just say'in.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Good morning all. I have had a reoccurring problem with both my previous (Winrich Dynasty) and current (55-TRPAH ie. Englander 25-PAH) stoves. I'm burning Heatr's pellets from my local Home Depot. They burn a bit ashy (and really tend to white haze the window glass in short order) but put out decent heat.

I've attached a picture so you can see exactly whats going on - the pellets are creating a "sink hole" around the auger and starving the stove, causing it to run cooler and cooler, until it actually goes out completely. It would do this exactly the same on either stove, with either a half bag in there, or full to the lid. On the PAH I went ahead and applied aluminum tape to the sides of the hopper in an effort to reduce the drag on the sides of the hopper and encourage things to naturally fall down to the auger - this didn't help much, if at all.

Now, I'm going to try a test with a friend, we're going to trade a couple bags of pellets as he doesn't have this problem, and see if the problem follows the pellets, or stays with the stove. As it's already been both stoves I've had, I suspect the pellets. What do you guys think? Any tips on how to alleviate this problem?View attachment 147249

That picture looks like an aerial view of last years Superbowl......

 

[hossthehermit]

When pellets stop feeding in mine, the hopper looks like this................