Somersets -- lots of clinkers

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mrjohneel

Feeling the Heat
Dec 8, 2011
275
Suburban Boston
Just a quick observation after burning 10 bags of Somersets: good heat but far more clunkers than I've had in my stove. I had lots of hard clumps that I had to brush out of the way. That doesn't happen when I burn Barefoots. Next 10-bag test: Spruce Points.
 
No, I don't have an air adjust (at least I don't think I do!). I'm not so concerend as clinkers have not occurred with other pellet brands -- so far. I think it's just a Somerset thing in my stove, at least. We'll see with other brands in the coming weeks.
 
No, I don't have an air adjust (at least I don't think I do!). I'm not so concerend as clinkers have not occurred with other pellet brands -- so far. I think it's just a Somerset thing in my stove, at least. We'll see with other brands in the coming weeks.

Yep sometimes stoves and certain pellets don't jive.....
 
same here.my stove has the agitator in the pot so not such a big deal with the clinkers.however the agitator is now making the grinding sound from all the carbon buildup in the pot.so increasing air will help with this??
 
I have had no problems with either of my P35i's and Somersets. I tried the Barefoot's a few years ago, hot pellet, low ash but long. I got sick of hearing the crunching and was a little concerned of a jam.
 
Somerset is also an industry-leading manufacturer of hardwood flooring which explains the source of their raw material for pellets. Depending on the species used in the pellet production process, you may see a variance in ash/clinkers from year to year. Oak, ash, maple, hickory etc are all species of hardwood floors they make.
 
Somerset is also an industry-leading manufacturer of hardwood flooring which explains the source of their raw material for pellets. Depending on the species used in the pellet production process, you may see a variance in ash/clinkers from year to year. Oak, ash, maple, hickory etc are all species of hardwood floors they make.

i do high end construction and all of the somerset flooring i've seen has been engineered flooring which is an 1/8" of the speced hardwood on 1/2" plywood so there are many other types of wood in their scrap pile .
 
Here in Wisconsin we get a lot of pellets made from fiber byproducts from paper mills and window factories -- so the "hardwoods" can be poplar and aspen as well as hard and soft maple. I've found that a hardwood pellet like Marth Pennywise from northern Wisconsin tends to throw off fewer clinkers and leave less residue in the burn pot than a Southern pellet like Somerset ... but IMO the Somersets burn hotter. I suspect they contain a lot more true hardwoods like oak and hard maple.

I'm burning some Pro Pellets right now, alternating with Lumberjacks, a hardwood/softwood blend. The Pro Pellets produce huge clinkers, but boy, do they burn! I had to turn the feed rate down a bit when I switched from 'Jacks.
 
i do high end construction and all of the somerset flooring i've seen has been engineered flooring which is an 1/8" of the speced hardwood on 1/2" plywood so there are many other types of wood in their scrap pile .
Somerset does produce solid flooring. All pellets are produced from that dust supply. Their Engineered factory is in another state and does not supply any dust to pellet manufacturing.
 
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