So I'm burning Pellets in my wood stove, vids inside. =]

[jeremy85]

(Note: All important info for this topic will be in this first post that is edited over time.)

I mess up this year and didn't split and season enough wood to get me through the winter. I need about one more cord and noone around me will deliver and drop just one cord plus I don't want someones "seasoned" wood be not-to-seasoned, yomsayin?

SO I built a pellet basket and bought a bag of pellets to try it out.
Here’s video detailing the basket, check it out. =]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQUp3LIAJFo



Here's some vids of my trials today. Outcome looks good. =]]

All my videos in the following playlist are trials from this morning, watch them as they go over important info I learned thru trial and error and every step I took including refueling, etc. and anything I though was important to show.

(vids are raw and uncut of my first trial)

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL55B93380FAB06770

click the link and then at the top of the next page click "play all"
the vids are short so it goes quick. =)

Questions, comments, concerns?
all feedback welcome!! ;]

 

[DanCorcoran]

I had pellet stoves (3, in two locations) for 5 years. I'll be interested to see what you figure your 24-hour cost to be. In our pellet stoves (with forced air combustion and pellets feeding into the grate automatically), we seldom if ever used a 40-pound bag in 24 hours. (I realize you're not doing it by choice or to be economical, but out of necessity).

 

[jeremy85]

I just figured it's easiest, no stacking or moving or respliting anything too big. Guaranteed dry. Saw others on Youtube do it.
Most of all I'm sure it's cheaper then the oil to run my 40yr old oil fired forced hot air furnace.

I was gonna split a load of 4 cords with my Dad, but now he wants me to build him a pellet basket. =D

 

[SKIN052]

Great idea. Maybe not as efficient as using them in an actual pellet stove but works in a pinch. I used a pellet stove in the past, one problem, no coals?

If I am into a another 8 month heating season this year, I may be doing the same.

 

[fredarm]

Or get some Bio/Geo/Eco/Wood Bricks. No basket required.

 

[gyrfalcon]

I mess up this year and didn't split and season enough wood to get me through the winter. I need about one more cord and noone around me will deliver and drop just one cord plus I don't want someones "seasoned" wood be not-to-seasoned, yomsayin?

SO I built a pellet basket and bought a bag of pellets to try it out.
Here's some vids of my trials today. Outcome looks good. =]]

(vids are raw and uncut of my first trial)

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL55B93380FAB06770

click the link and then at the top of the next page click "play all"
the vids are short so it goes quick. =)

Questions, comments, concerns?
all feedback welcome!! ;]

Really interesting. Talk about the "basket" a bit-- what's it made of, how does it sit inside the stove, etc.?

 

[raybonz]

That basket works pretty good but Fredarm asked why not use EcoBricks or similar? That's a valid point and I think it will burn longer and if packed tightly be more controllable.. I would like to try those bricks sometime out of curiousity..

Good Luck!

Ray

 

[gyrfalcon]

That basket works pretty good but Fredarm asked why not use EcoBricks or similar? That's a valid point and I think it will burn longer and if packed tightly be more controllable.. I would like to try those bricks sometime out of curiousity..

Good Luck!

Ray

OP is in NH, and if it's anything like VT, Ecobricks are hard to come by other than wildly expensive small packages in supermarkets, but there are a lot of places one can pick up a reasonably priced 40-pd bag of pellets. Plus, there are a lot of folks around here who use pellet stoves and from whom one might borrow or buy a sub-one ton supply. Nobody I've ever heard of around here uses the biobricks.

No clue whatsoever about who buys those expensive packages in the supermarket or for that matter how there's any kind of market for single bags of pellets, but there must be one. Maybe people with uninsulated fishing/hunting camps that don't get that much use?

 

[raybonz]

That basket works pretty good but Fredarm asked why not use EcoBricks or similar? That's a valid point and I think it will burn longer and if packed tightly be more controllable.. I would like to try those bricks sometime out of curiousity..

Good Luck!

Ray

OP is in NH, and if it's anything like VT, Ecobricks are hard to come by other than wildly expensive small packages in supermarkets, but there are a lot of places one can pick up a reasonably priced 40-pd bag of pellets. Plus, there are a lot of folks around here who use pellet stoves and from whom one might borrow or buy a sub-one ton supply. Nobody I've ever heard of around here uses the biobricks.

No clue whatsoever about who buys those expensive packages in the supermarket or for that matter how there's any kind of market for single bags of pellets, but there must be one. Maybe people with uninsulated fishing/hunting camps that don't get that much use?

I recall seeing Tractor Supply up your way when travelling there and they carry them as far as I know.. My brother in law lives in the sticks in NH so I know what you mean though.. He has to drive to another town to get his mail lol.. He lives in a beautiful area but some conveniences are necessities to me.. I do like the basket idea and would try it myself if I had the chance..

Ray

 

[jeremy85]

Pellets were easily obtained on my way home from work and were cheaper then bricks or pucks I could find close to me.

I'm going to make a vid detailing about the basket and how much it will hold and prolly for how long a full basket burns for tonight.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Dang pellets look like coyote turds.

 

[gyrfalcon]

I recall seeing Tractor Supply up your way when travelling there and they carry them as far as I know.. My brother in law lives in the sticks in NH so I know what you mean though.. He has to drive to another town to get his mail lol.. He lives in a beautiful area but some conveniences are necessities to me.. I do like the basket idea and would try it myself if I had the chance..

Ray

Good to know, but the nearest TS to me is a good 40 miles or more, so not something I'd do unless I was really committed to it.

I actually get my mail delivered -- at least until they rip the ^%%$^% out of the post office budget -- but nobody lives in the country for the convenience, if ya know what I mean. Personally, I'd kill for some decent Chinese food, but not enough to be worth living for the rest of the time in the burbs.

 

[raybonz]

I recall seeing Tractor Supply up your way when travelling there and they carry them as far as I know.. My brother in law lives in the sticks in NH so I know what you mean though.. He has to drive to another town to get his mail lol.. He lives in a beautiful area but some conveniences are necessities to me.. I do like the basket idea and would try it myself if I had the chance..

Ray

Good to know, but the nearest TS to me is a good 40 miles or more, so not something I'd do unless I was really committed to it.

I actually get my mail delivered -- at least until they rip the ^%%$^% out of the post office budget -- but nobody lives in the country for the convenience, if ya know what I mean. Personally, I'd kill for some decent Chinese food, but not enough to be worth living for the rest of the time in the burbs.

I love all the Northern states! Here is a link to TSC for Eco bricks.. http://www.tractorsupply.com/heating/fireplace-accessories/redstone-trade-ecobrick-pack-of-8-1001261 they were on sale $1.00 off a little while back so a pretty good value.. There is one about 25 miles from me but haven't been there.. I live in the country here too but have all the conveniences close by..

 

[gyrfalcon]

I love all the Northern states! Here is a link to TSC for Eco bricks.. http://www.tractorsupply.com/heating/fireplace-accessories/redstone-trade-ecobrick-pack-of-8-1001261 they were on sale $1.00 off a little while back so a pretty good value.. There is one about 25 miles from me but haven't been there.. I live in the country here too but have all the conveniences close by..

Thanks again, Ray! I forgot these things do burn longer than cordwood, so might be worth the trip to pick some up after all. My tiny stove does a decent enough job keeping me from freezing to death when I'm around to keep feeding it, but the burn cycle is so short, it doesn't come close to a useful overnight burn (and I'm not one of those who can get up in the middle of the night and reload competently). It'd be nice to keep the dam oil burner from coming on overnight quite so early in the depths of winter.

 

[raybonz]

I love all the Northern states! Here is a link to TSC for Eco bricks.. http://www.tractorsupply.com/heating/fireplace-accessories/redstone-trade-ecobrick-pack-of-8-1001261 they were on sale $1.00 off a little while back so a pretty good value.. There is one about 25 miles from me but haven't been there.. I live in the country here too but have all the conveniences close by..

Thanks again, Ray! I forgot these things do burn longer than cordwood, so might be worth the trip to pick some up after all. My tiny stove does a decent enough job keeping me from freezing to death when I'm around to keep feeding it, but the burn cycle is so short, it doesn't come close to a useful overnight burn (and I'm not one of those who can get up in the middle of the night and reload competently). It'd be nice to keep the dam oil burner from coming on overnight quite so early in the depths of winter.

Yes that's a pretty small stove, do you have a smaller home? I wouldn't like to get up to load wood either and never have.. Hopefully the T-5 gives 8+ hr. burns and people say they do so I should be good.. If you have the room maybe a larger stove would be a plus for you.. One like a Woodstock Fireview will give you 8 hrs... Those Hearthstones are nice looking stoves.. If I ever get to TSC I will have pick up a pack or 2 of the Eco bricks and try em out..

Ray

 

[jeremy85]

Sorry I hate typing. So here's video detailing the basket, check it out. =]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQUp3LIAJFo

I'm going to fill it right now too, to see how much it holds and hold long that will burn for..
Mind you I have a small stove and couldn't get a full load of wood to burn much longer then 3-4 hours max on a good day.

 

[gyrfalcon]

Yes that's a pretty small stove, do you have a smaller home? I wouldn't like to get up to load wood either and never have.. Hopefully the T-5 gives 8+ hr. burns and people say they do so I should be good.. If you have the room maybe a larger stove would be a plus for you.. One like a Woodstock Fireview will give you 8 hrs... Those Hearthstones are nice looking stoves.. If I ever get to TSC I will have pick up a pack or 2 of the Eco bricks and try em out..

Ray

I call it Mighty Mouse....

Yes, pretty small house, and lucky me, I prefer indoor temperatures on the cool side and I'm perfectly happy with unheated 2nd floor bedrooms. i've learned how to get the most out of this stove over the last few years, so with the right high-BTU firewood (beech, black birch, etc) split fairly small and a careful hand on the primary air (plus judicious use of electric space heaters for farther rooms I only use an hour a day or so), I do OK. I work out of a home office and don't have a commute, so I'm around most of the time to feed it every few hours.

I haven't ruled out raiding the retirement funds to get a larger stove, but so far haven't been able to find the right one that would make a big enough difference to be worth the $$, and also work with the existing hearth and clearances, etc., so there'd be the additional cost of making the necessary modifications there, which would probably cost more than the stove itself.

I'm also, to be perfectly honest, a little uncertain about having to wrangle larger/longer splits. I can sling 14-16 inchers well enough, but 18-20 starts to be a real problem. So with this and that, I'm still on the fence on the whole question. Much as I'd love to kiss the oil man good-bye forever, I'm not sure it entirely makes sense in practical terms.

Yeah, the Hearthstones are to my taste head and shoulders over even the Woodstocks esthetically, and I really, really like the soft quality of the heat. It's nice to have the great blast of cast or steel (from a little distance) in mid-winter, but I really hugely prefer the less aggressive heat of the soapstone most of the time.

 

[gyrfalcon]

Sorry I hate typing. So here's video detailing the basket, check it out. =]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQUp3LIAJFo

I'm going to fill it right now too, to see how much it holds and hold long that will burn for..
Mind you I have a small stove and couldn't get a full load of wood to burn much longer then 3-4 hours max on a good day.

Thanks very much, Jeremy. Lousy sound on this computer, so can't hear much of your narration, but I'll check it out on the other one that has louder speakers and probably have some questions for you. Really interesting idea.

What's your stove?

 

[tbuff]

This is very interesting, great videos Jeremy; let us know how long it burns for I may be doing this as a backup. Just a question, do pellets burn hotter/faster than wood? Is there an increased chance of a runaway fire with these as opposed to wood?

 

[Bubbavh]

I wonder if it is really cheaper than oil to do it this way? Pellet stoves are not really a huge savings over oil.

 

[raybonz]

Yes that's a pretty small stove, do you have a smaller home? I wouldn't like to get up to load wood either and never have.. Hopefully the T-5 gives 8+ hr. burns and people say they do so I should be good.. If you have the room maybe a larger stove would be a plus for you.. One like a Woodstock Fireview will give you 8 hrs... Those Hearthstones are nice looking stoves.. If I ever get to TSC I will have pick up a pack or 2 of the Eco bricks and try em out..

Ray

I call it Mighty Mouse....

Yes, pretty small house, and lucky me, I prefer indoor temperatures on the cool side and I'm perfectly happy with unheated 2nd floor bedrooms. i've learned how to get the most out of this stove over the last few years, so with the right high-BTU firewood (beech, black birch, etc) split fairly small and a careful hand on the primary air (plus judicious use of electric space heaters for farther rooms I only use an hour a day or so), I do OK. I work out of a home office and don't have a commute, so I'm around most of the time to feed it every few hours.

I haven't ruled out raiding the retirement funds to get a larger stove, but so far haven't been able to find the right one that would make a big enough difference to be worth the $$, and also work with the existing hearth and clearances, etc., so there'd be the additional cost of making the necessary modifications there, which would probably cost more than the stove itself.

I'm also, to be perfectly honest, a little uncertain about having to wrangle larger/longer splits. I can sling 14-16 inchers well enough, but 18-20 starts to be a real problem. So with this and that, I'm still on the fence on the whole question. Much as I'd love to kiss the oil man good-bye forever, I'm not sure it entirely makes sense in practical terms.

Yeah, the Hearthstones are to my taste head and shoulders over even the Woodstocks esthetically, and I really, really like the soft quality of the heat. It's nice to have the great blast of cast or steel (from a little distance) in mid-winter, but I really hugely prefer the less aggressive heat of the soapstone most of the time.

Gyrfalcon,
It sounds to me that you're satisfied with things as they are and that's a good thing.. I like the style of the Hearthstone Stoves with that 1-1/4" thick stone and the style is more traditional which I prefer.. I will be at Woodstock to see their stoves in person Friday and Saturday so that will be interesting as I have only seen pics of their stoves but read great things about them.. Should be a good time and look fwd. to meeting Hearth.com members..

Ray

 

[tbuff]

I wonder if it is really cheaper than oil to do it this way? Pellet stoves are not really a huge savings over oil.

How do you figure?

 

[jeremy85]

All my videos in the playlist are trials from this morning, watch them as they go over important info I learned thru trial and error and every step I took including refueling, etc.

And please let's not hijack this thread too much more with off topic chat so it serves as good info for people that would like to do something like this.

Thanks guys.

 

[fishingpol]

Jeremy, It is interesting that you brought this up. I made one maybe over a year ago. I built the basket in the same fashion, figuring I could use it for shoulder season and save the hardwood for the cold weather. It was more like I wanted to try and see what happens. I picked up all the materials at Lowe's and built it in less than 2 hours. I used to use starter gel to get it going, but I would probably use a piece of supercedar now. I made the legs on it and have a lower pitch in the front to ease loading. From the pics you can see that I added an upside down "v" of expanded metal along the width in the middle to let more air circulate up through the pile.

I have a bigger stove this year and a s/s lined flue, which I don't think I had when I tried it last. I may pick up a bag and see what happens. You know as well as I that there are days when we have a crappy Nor'easter up here and you need just a small fire to chase the dampness away.

 

[DexterDay]

I wonder if it is really cheaper than oil to do it this way? Pellet stoves are not really a huge savings over oil.

This is my 1st year with a woodstove. But I have been using pellet stoves for the last 3 seasons. And all I can say is it depends on what you used to heat your home. We used Propane and spent almost $4,000 a yr doing so. Since the pellet stove, we have not used LP at all and only burn 4 tons a yr (avg around $200/ton) . So thats a savings of $3,000 a yr to me. To say they are not efficient is not true. Mine runs on a thermostat (if needed, But I normally run on its lowest setting/ 24/7 during the coldest months) and will keep your place just as warm. .

To the OP. I made a basket this Summer to use in our outside wood pit. Worked pretty good, but imagine that the draft created by the woodstove would make them burn much better. Pellets need a good deal of air to burn effectively. I may be building a larger basket, just to give it a try. I have plenty on wood for this season. Almost 5 cord is good to burn. And plenty for years to come.

I will continue to burn my Pellet stove and the Woodstove. Both cost equal parts money to me. Even if you get your wood for "Free", it aint free. My time and equipment cost a lot of money. So do pellets. It may actually be cheaper, by the time you factor in the time. I get paid very well at work. If I were to use this same #. Then it would cost much more. I do it for the savings, YES... But I also enjoy it. Both thr C/S/S of wood and the hunting for a good deal on pellets.

Looking forward to a experiment soon. Thanks for the video's....