Clinckers. Is this normal? Or should I worry?

[Brokenwing]

I do not know what kind of stove you have but that thing must be a monster, if it ate those nails and pooped them out into the ash pan. I would check your auger for damage asap. I hope they take these back, there is no excuse for this kind of quality control.

 

[Brokenwing]

And I'm not even drunk! I was thinking when I had some pellets that had a lot of fines, I used to scoop a little into the colander and shake it around and the fines would fall through, not the pellets. That's what I was thinking. The nails won't fall through, but you could see if there were any nails in them. It sounded good to me when I typed this, now not so much!

I do the same thing, at the bottom of the bag where the fines collect I dump them into a colander, and shake the fines out. Works great, and takes 2 seconds.

 

[whlago]

And I'm not even drunk! I was thinking when I had some pellets that had a lot of fines, I used to scoop a little into the colander and shake it around and the fines would fall through, not the pellets. That's what I was thinking. The nails won't fall through, but you could see if there were any nails in them. It sounded good to me when I typed this, now not so much!​

Haha! forgive me Newf....I just pour my bag into a 5 gallon bucket and then the bucket into the hopper. I know a lot of people sift the fines...I just empty and vac out the hopper a couple times a season and generally the fines don't give me a problem. As far as the nails and stones....really nobody should have to deal with that crap! As far as the colander....well...I'm Italian so I use it often

 

[Mr. Spock]

Amazing the XXV just pushed that crap through.WOW. If that were my stove I would not be a happy camper at all. Hopefully the auger and tube didn't take to much damage.

 

[Markus38]

From the pellet co.

Good Morning,

First of all thank you for taking the time to make us aware with this unfortunate issue which has caused you such frustration. You can rest assured this has left us equally confused as to how this could have happened. In over two years of operation this is the first complaint of its kind. This is a new plant in which we have spent millions of dollars in efforts of preventing issues like this. We actually have five industrial strength magnets in which these nails must pass to get into a finish bag of product. I can tell you it is virtually not possible though our production equipment process. The rocks and nails also pass over a screener which would remove them from the production process just prior to packaging. An aspirator is installed just before our bagging machine that removes dust from the product as a last attempt to make the pellets as clean as possible for our customers.

We will certainly pass this picture on to all of our production employees for suggestions as to how this could have possibly happened. The stones surface an immediate question as to how these pellets have been stored after leaving our 30,000 ft² production and warehouse facility. Was this particular bag on the top, middle, bottom of the pallet? We will continue to research this issue but believe it to be a very isolated case that will likely end up as an unsolved mystery. If you were only so lucky in the lottery.

Feel free to take this email back to Pellets Direct for credit on two bags of our product. I believe you will continue to find GAP priced well but burn even better as we use only 100% hardwood for our product w/o adding any waste pallets, particleboard, or resin based materials. We continue to strive to manufacture a better product for our customers which you will see in future bags of our product. Incidentally you will only find GAP at authorized dealers and never in large retail chains who offer no service to our customers.

Thanks again for this input and we hope you continue as a GAP consumer.

Great American Pellet
Stephen F. Ross
2115 Little Gap Road
Palmerton, PA 18071
[email protected]
www.GreatAmericanPellets.com
484-224-9052 ext. 16
800-439-2116

 

[will711]

I like the fact that they responded in a timely manner. Have you heard from your dealer yet?

 

[CT Pellet]

Wow!...Thats one smart Harman.

 

[Markus38]

Have you heard from your dealer yet?

nothing but they could have presidents day off.

 

[subsailor]

I think you ought to contact Harman. This could make for some great advertising for them.

 

[slvrblkk]

I burned them too....no nails but LOADS of ash! The good news on those nails is scrap metal is up in price!

 

[Lake Girl]

Only two bags credit -- wait for it, "virtually not possible" so it must have been after they left the plant is the implication. Our local paper mill has a co-gen using waste from logging operations. When it caught on fire and all the fail-safes didn't work, the manufacturer's reply was that's not possible!! Hubby's reply was, I'm looking at it

I think I would still sieve those pellets just to protect your stove investment

 

[Markus38]

Only two bags credit

Yeah! It is the equivalent of a restaurant giving you a complimentary dinner after giving you food poisoning. Thanks but no thanks.

 

[imacman]

I would have sworn that the OP was going to say those nails & stone came from bags of Infernos, with all the scrap wood & pallets they grind up to make pellets.

 

[jjs777_fzr]

The first question that comes to mind - does the OP have kids, nieces,nephews or any other small humans that would find throwing nails into the hopper irresistible ?
The fact that your stove chewed them up and spit them out literally makes me a believer of your model stove.
wOw

 

[brack86svo]

Two bags is a crap offering. That entire response was them patting themselves on the back, talking about how great they are and saying how impossible it is for them to make mistakes. They are basically pointing the blame at the retailer or the consumer.

 

[Eatonpcat]

Wow!...Thats one smart Harman.

I figured the Harman would take the nails and stones and spit out a natural stone topped coffee table or something!

 

[ScotL]

That does seem a little mysterious how nails or stone could get in there. It has to be after pelletizing otherwise the nails would be pellets and the stone would be crushed. But it's normally a sealed system from the pellet machines through the cooler and storage and dust screening then bagging. I could see how a bolt from the silos or a piece of belting from a conveyor belt can happen (all machinery breaks eventually), but pallet nails and rocks must be a very isolated incident.

 

[ScotL]

The first question that comes to mind - does the OP have kids, nieces,nephews or any other small humans that would find throwing nails into the hopper irresistible ?
The fact that your stove chewed them up and spit them out literally makes me a believer of your model stove.
wOw

I'm not implying this is what happened, but it reminds me of a story I was told by a former pellet manufacturer once.
He had a call from a lady that found one of those green plastic army men in her hopper. He didn't keep a supply of plastic army men at the pellet plant so he asked if she had any grandkids visit recently and that's what it turned out to be.
Not that this happened here, it's just a funny story I was told once.

 

[whlago]

He didn't keep a supply of plastic army men at the pellet plant​

Never trust a pellet manufacturer that doesn't keep a supply of plastic army men

 

[Jack Morrissey]

After finding the large stone, weren't you looking at the pellets as you pored them into the hopper?, don't mean to offend you or anything but it seems very strange so many nails and stones could go unnoticed....

 

[Eatonpcat]

After finding the large stone, weren't you looking at the pellets as you pored them into the hopper?, don't mean to offend you or anything but it seems very strange so many nails and stones could go unnoticed....

I think us insert guys have more contact with the pellets than the free-standing group..I think I would notice the debris because I have to stuff the majority of the pellets from the bag into the stove with my hand. I believe the free standers just rip and dump, so it seems that it would be more difficult to detect any contraband!.

 

[Jack Morrissey]

I think us insert guys have more contact with the pellets than the free-standing group..I think I would notice the debris because I have to stuff the majority of the pellets from the bag into the stove with my hand. I believe the free standers just rip and dump, so it seems that it would be more difficult to detect any contraband!.

True..

 

[Bioburner]

Never trust a pellet manufacturer that doesn't keep a supply of plastic army men

They are the backup for the army of zombie employees

 

[will711]

I've been thinking about this today and I think GAP has missed a great PR opportunity 2 bags is BS how about we don't want any unhappy clients so we've made arrangements with the supplier to pick up the remaining 1/2 ton and bring you another ton, or refund the purchase price of 1 ton. Should you not feel confident in burning the other 2 tons same deal. Because we at GAP feel very confident in our product blah blah..........

You get the idea and with all of the pellet consumers on this site i would think that would go a long way word travels Fast here

Let me get off my soap box time for another adult beverage

 

[Eatonpcat]

I've been thinking about this today and I think GAP has missed a great PR opportunity 2 bags is BS how about we don't want any unhappy clients so we've made arrangements with the supplier to pick up the remaining 1/2 ton and bring you another ton, or refund the purchase price of 1 ton. Should you not feel confident in burning the other 2 tons same deal. Because we at GAP feel very confident in our product blah blah..........

You get the idea and with all of the pellet consumers on this site i would think that would go a long way word travels Fast here

Let me get off my soap box time for another adult beverage

No need to get off the soapbox Will...I'm sure you will fall off before too long!!