I figured it's high time I shared my data. I think too much, so I take too much information. Accordingly it's time to publish so to speak.
I noticed my stove builds up ash and then just stays that way pretty much for the season. So I ran a few bags to get things "primed" and did some experimenting and measuring with a few different pellets. I clear the ash bucket then run 6 bags, then pour the ash into a gallon jug. Then I mark the amount, dump the ash, and measure the volume of ash by carefully filling the jug with water. The idea is BTU & % ash is all well and good as an indicator, but I want to know how often I'll have to empty my ash bucket and whether I can go 24hrs on 2 bags running steadily with worthwhile heat. I'll shut up now and let the data speak for itself. Stove info is in my sig, I just run it steady at a feed and draft setting. And I'll apologize for not being able to make a table in this forum, I don't know the UBB code very well but the real crimp is that "tab" doesn't seem to work....
6-bag tests (edit feature working again, see below for comments):
2018/19
LaCrete(soft_____Range 3__Feed -2__375degF__11.25hrs__52oz
Lignetics(blend)__Range 3__Feed -2__340degF__12.75hrs__52oz____slightly clumpy
MaineWds(sft)___Range 3__Feed -2__410degF__~10.5hrs__40oz____many unburnt pellets
___________________Range 2__Feed -1__300degF__~14hrs___________fines, dirty burn pot
Turmans(hdwd)__Range 3__Feed -2__370degF__11hrs_____14oz___many unburnt pellets
___________________Range 2__Feed 0__315degF__~14hrs
___________________Range 2__Feed +1__340degF__11.75hrs________2 bags = 24hrs
2017/18 (did not burn in 16/17):
2015/16:
2014/15:
2013/14:
I tried a couple others before going all technical; the FSUs seemed pretty similar to the Plats with maybe a little more ash and Ambiance wasn't as ashy as NEWP/GS's but was too dirty for me to repeat the test. The two conclusions I drew from all this are:
- I get pretty annoyed if I can't re-fill the stove at a given time of day
- There is a difference between low- and high-ash pellets!
- I should have trimmed down the feed more when running the GS's, they're what gave me the idea.
- If my stove had a "Feed -3" I would have more choices for that 2bags/day problem
I picked 6 bags since it takes a bag or so to get the draft set, and a couple bags just didn't seem like enough data to reach a conclusion.
I've kept with the Platinums as my baseline because that was about the only low-ash pellet I could land here where I needed them reasonably, thanks to one store's lax delivery policy. For 2016 that got tightened up some so I may be more ready to shop around, but those pellets are pretty tough to beat at least in my stove. I feel I need to stay low-ash because "I know what I'm like" and therefore low maintenance is a big thing. With the low-ash stuff I can clean the exhaust path once per 3-ton season and I like it that way. A lot.
on edit - I should add I cleaned the exhaust after a couple of the above and 2 tons of Plats, too little in the pipes to worry about.
Thanks for listening,
- Jeff
I noticed my stove builds up ash and then just stays that way pretty much for the season. So I ran a few bags to get things "primed" and did some experimenting and measuring with a few different pellets. I clear the ash bucket then run 6 bags, then pour the ash into a gallon jug. Then I mark the amount, dump the ash, and measure the volume of ash by carefully filling the jug with water. The idea is BTU & % ash is all well and good as an indicator, but I want to know how often I'll have to empty my ash bucket and whether I can go 24hrs on 2 bags running steadily with worthwhile heat. I'll shut up now and let the data speak for itself. Stove info is in my sig, I just run it steady at a feed and draft setting. And I'll apologize for not being able to make a table in this forum, I don't know the UBB code very well but the real crimp is that "tab" doesn't seem to work....
6-bag tests (edit feature working again, see below for comments):
2018/19
LaCrete(soft_____Range 3__Feed -2__375degF__11.25hrs__52oz
Lignetics(blend)__Range 3__Feed -2__340degF__12.75hrs__52oz____slightly clumpy
MaineWds(sft)___Range 3__Feed -2__410degF__~10.5hrs__40oz____many unburnt pellets
___________________Range 2__Feed -1__300degF__~14hrs___________fines, dirty burn pot
Turmans(hdwd)__Range 3__Feed -2__370degF__11hrs_____14oz___many unburnt pellets
___________________Range 2__Feed 0__315degF__~14hrs
___________________Range 2__Feed +1__340degF__11.75hrs________2 bags = 24hrs
2017/18 (did not burn in 16/17):
- NorWarmth Spruce Range 3 Feed -2 350degF 11hrs 68oz modest buildup
2015/16:
- Okanagan Gold__Range 3 Feed -2 350degF 12.5hrs 44oz sticky clumpy ash
- Okanagan Plat___Range 3 Feed -2 360degF 11.75hrs 40oz very little buildup
- Barefoot_______Range 3 Feed -2 390degF <11hrs 63oz dusty buildup
- Spruce Point____Range 3 Feed -2 390degF 12.5hrs 60oz fine dusty ash
- Lignetics HW____Range 3 Feed -2 385degF 10.5hrs 68oz hot but quick!
- Geneva HW_____Range 3 Feed -2 345degF 12.5hrs 64oz clinkers in ash bin
- Okanagan DF___Range 3 Feed -2 445degF 9.5hrs 32oz hot but really quick, pellets very short
2014/15:
- Green Supreme__Range 3 Feed -1 385degF 12.5hrs 160oz temp snap opens
- Okanagan Plat__Range 3 Feed -2 375degF 12hrs 68oz very little buildup
- Cubex________Range 3 Feed -2 390degF 11hrs 58oz temp snap opens
2013/14:
- Okanagan Plat__Range 3 Feed 0 380degF ~11hrs 52oz very little buildup
I tried a couple others before going all technical; the FSUs seemed pretty similar to the Plats with maybe a little more ash and Ambiance wasn't as ashy as NEWP/GS's but was too dirty for me to repeat the test. The two conclusions I drew from all this are:
- I get pretty annoyed if I can't re-fill the stove at a given time of day
- There is a difference between low- and high-ash pellets!
- I should have trimmed down the feed more when running the GS's, they're what gave me the idea.
- If my stove had a "Feed -3" I would have more choices for that 2bags/day problem
I picked 6 bags since it takes a bag or so to get the draft set, and a couple bags just didn't seem like enough data to reach a conclusion.
I've kept with the Platinums as my baseline because that was about the only low-ash pellet I could land here where I needed them reasonably, thanks to one store's lax delivery policy. For 2016 that got tightened up some so I may be more ready to shop around, but those pellets are pretty tough to beat at least in my stove. I feel I need to stay low-ash because "I know what I'm like" and therefore low maintenance is a big thing. With the low-ash stuff I can clean the exhaust path once per 3-ton season and I like it that way. A lot.
on edit - I should add I cleaned the exhaust after a couple of the above and 2 tons of Plats, too little in the pipes to worry about.
Thanks for listening,
- Jeff
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