Lethal carbon monoxide poisoning in wood pellet storerooms

[augiedoggy]

Wood pellets off-gas CO2
So hoppers need to be vented not
sealed to the outside air. In order
to get enough CO2 from pellets you
would need a grain elevator full and
SEALED . This is most unlikely to happen
in your house with wood pellets alone

Yes, Thats my understanding of it too but the home stove hopper would need to be vented still, not because of risk of co2 buildup from the day or two the pellets reside in the hopper between fills but rather the co2 that would be pulled in from the negative pressure of the pellets dropping and to offset the space with makeup air instead of gas from the combustion chamber.

 

[johneh]

If the hopper were totally sealed it would also be under neg pressure so CO2 would also be pulled into the combustion chamber. If the hopper is not sealed it is still under negative pressure because the pellets are being dropped or pushed into a negative pressure stove and the hopper is not sealed from the combustion chamber
I have also never seen a totally sealed hopper even with a gasket all around the top lip

 

[DeadTreeBurner]

Yes, Thats my understanding of it too but the home stove hopper would need to be vented still, not because of risk of co2 buildup from the day or two the pellets reside in the hopper between fills but rather the co2 that would be pulled in from the negative pressure of the pellets dropping and to offset the space with makeup air instead of gas from the combustion chamber.

What size hopper are we talking about? If it's on the stove, it ain't producing anything close to what would suffocate/kill a person.

 

[shootrj2003]

Entering any tank or storage container has potential air problems. They have training for that in the Navy ,fire departments,etc. I’m surprised that I survived my teenage years after doing things me and friends did.!

 

[Homeskillet359]

strikes me there have been accidental deaths from people in grain silo's in the past. probably due to the same conditions

That's different, thats more of a suffocation where they sink into the grain and can't get out.

 

[Expat_Latvia]

Interesting. I keep 3 tons in individual 15 kilogram bags under my basement stairs OUTSIDE of my furnace room. I wonder if it's okay? Hmm... I have 2 CO detectors in the house and they've never gone off, one of them is in the furnace room itself. I ventilate the house about once a day with a built in ventilator that moves air in and out of the house. I guess maybe the saving grace here is that my stairwell goes from the basement to the attic and there's a huge volume of open space where air can move around inbetween.

 

[Mario Flower]

Hey folks, I was reading this thread and just wanted to add my two cents. I've been using wood pellets for heating for years now, and I know firsthand how important it is to be aware of carbon monoxide poisoning.

One thing that I've found helpful is to install a carbon monoxide detector in every room where I use wood pellets. That way, I can be alerted if there are any dangerous levels of carbon monoxide present and take action immediately.

Additionally, I always make sure that my storage area is well-ventilated. I use an exhaust fan to circulate the air and keep a window open to allow fresh air in.

Lastly, I have my heating system and storage area inspected regularly by a professional. They can catch any potential issues early on and prevent any dangerous situations from occurring.

Carbon monoxide poisoning is no joke, and it's important that we take the necessary precautions to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe. Let's keep the discussion going and share our best tips for preventing carbon monoxide poisoning in wood pellet storerooms

 

[WalkerW]

Few people use gas detectors correctly, some will simply install them and abandon them without maintenance; some workers at enterprises smear them in the natural environment, which then leads to very unpleasant consequences, so everything basically depends on the person.