Storing pellets beyond burning season.

[requin]

I asked this at the end of another thread but wanted to see what y'all think. What if one were to buy say, 4 tons of pellets when they only need 2 for the winter. Is it a good idea to buy those 2 tons for the next winter? They will be stored in the garage in my case. I want to do this, but am not sure if the pellets will somehow absorb moisture and become difficult to burn, etc. My garage is dry, but summer humidity is pervasive and will get in no matter what.

Any thoughts? Anyone do this in the past and have trouble burning the 'older' pellets? I'm getting NEWP premium.

 

[Xena]

No issues here and I'm in MA near
Canton so I get the same humidity you
get. I have stored them in an unheated garage for the three
seasons I've had this stove. Store them on a
a pallet or equivalent up off the floor.
The first year I had so much extra that I
didn't burn one of the tons until two seasons
later. Didn't have any problems burning
them. Fwiw, they were also NEWP Premium.
Cheers!

 

[buildingmaint]

I keep mine in my basement for the last three years with no problems. I buy my pellets in April /May [April 26 this year] . So some are up to a year old when they get burnt. I know some one who quit burning their stove two years ago , and has 2 tons left over . I don't think I would pay full or half price for them maybe 1/4 price . My problem with them is if they don't work , or mess up my stove I'm out some money or I'll have to dispose of 4000 lbs of junk wood .

 

[Souzafone]

humidity migrates from warm to cold so if pellets are stored in relative warm...

Correct. I store mine in the cellar, which is not wet, but it does get humid in the summer. However, the temperature doesn't change by more than a few degrees during the course of a year. Leave them on a pallet off the floor and they'll be good, but I wouldn't trust them to too much of a temperature change, they're not vacuum packed. BTW, I've got 6 tons coming.

 

[turboscott]

I am new to the site because I am looking to buy a pellet stove this year. I am also in MA, Webster, MA to be exact. But, I drive by the local stove dealer frequently and they store the pallets of pellets outside all summer. You have to keep in mind that the pellets are probably in worse conditions before you buy them and they burn fine so why wouldn't they if you bought them and stored them out of the elements?

How do you all like your stoves? I am thinking of getting a Big E for the basement (I have a 2 car under garage and the kitchen floor is freezing in the winter. I figured heating the basement would keep the floor warm and require less heat on the liveable floors) and another unit for my first floor fireplace. After reading some threads on this site I am thinking that may be too much. My house is 2100 sq ft.

 

[iceman]

I am new to the site because I am looking to buy a pellet stove this year. I am also in MA, Webster, MA to be exact. But, I drive by the local stove dealer frequently and they store the pallets of pellets outside all summer. You have to keep in mind that the pellets are probably in worse conditions before you buy them and they burn fine so why wouldn't they if you bought them and stored them out of the elements?

How do you all like your stoves? I am thinking of getting a Big E for the basement (I have a 2 car under garage and the kitchen floor is freezing in the winter. I figured heating the basement would keep the floor warm and require less heat on the liveable floors) and another unit for my first floor fireplace. After reading some threads on this site I am thinking that may be too much. My house is 2100 sq ft.

very rarely does someone ever get "to much" pellet stoves work great but they must run most of the time to be energy eff..
what i mean is if you want to see room temp jump 10 degrees in 30 min you put it on high but that could burn 5 plus pounds an hr which in a 40 lb bag means 8hr till refill which is wasted energy. if you let it run at a lower setting say 1.5 lbs an hr to maintain a temp or get up to temp 40lb bag lasts a day (24) so a bigger one might have more cfm which means better airflow
hope that helps
also if your house is extrememly well insulated maybe you can go with a smaller one.... if not go bigger you can always turn it down

 

[johnnywarm]

i think it's better to run a big stove lower then a smaller stove on high. i could be wrong?

 

[MButkus]

Keep them dry, no tears in the bags. I have bags left over every year... use then the following with no problem.
Plus the price is usually higher each year. Depends if they are delivered and it saves you from a delivery charge next year.