1000sq/ft = one 50lb bag pellets per day???

[BlueMule]

Chimney sweep came out to look at our basement for a pellet stove install quote. I had never thought to calculate what amount of pellets would be consumed in the heating of this space. I just automatically assumed we would go several days on a bag. I only question this because I had never thought of it and it seems to me (uneducated and inexperienced at heating with a pellet stove) excessive. He commented that keeping the temp down there around 60-65 or so during the day time and boosting it to 68-70 during the occasional use would equate to a 50lb bag of pellets per day.

That's a lot of pellets just for an occasionally used finished basement. Got to store several bags at a time, carry them around, fill the stove, etc. Lots of moving of 50lb, and at 45yrs old and maintaining 3 cords of self-sourced wood a year for the fireplace insert, this is a lot of extra pressure on my lower back and a decision changer.

Our rectangular house is perched on a decline from front to back so the basement is underground at the front of the house, fully exposed from long side to long side in back with a walk out. Finished off and I'm assuming the previous homeowner insulated.

Does one 50lb bag of pellets per day for 900-1000 sq/ft sound right?

 

[jackman]

I wouldn't disagree with that assessment. I burn about a bag (40lb)/day to heat 1200+ sq ft. I buy 3 tons during the summer sale and store them in a dry space under the deck of the house. About once/month I move pellet bags closer to the stove. I call it exercise. If it's sounding like too much work you may want to consider some other form of heat for that space.

 

[johneh]

On a typical winter day we burn a bag on very cold days 1.5 to 2 bags a day
(900 Sq. Ft.) I buy a years worth of pellets at a time 4.5 ton stored in my back room
It is totally worth the 3 min a day to fill the stove and the hour on Saturdays
to clean it . I also burn about 5 cord of hard wood all processed by me
and I am nearly 70 . Sounds to me like you do not want to do any physical labour

 

[prh7270]

I have about 800-900 sq ft, open concept area that I heat with my pellet stove. On a average winter day in south/east PA.. 40's high, 20's low.. I tend to burn about 1/2 to 2/3 a bag. I don't recall going through a whole bag in one day. I set my stove at 70 around 6 am, turn it down to 60 at 10 pm...

 

[Washed-Up]

1000sq ft P61 with temp sensor and less than a bag a day unless it’s below 32f 0c then it’s no more than a bag. I have yet to burn more than a bag a day even in -30

 

[Pete Zahria]

2 bags a day. No prob.

 

[greg13]

sounds about right to me.

 

[bogieb]

BTW - a bag is usually 40 pounds although there may be some 50 pounders out there that I don't know about. I hear that sometimes you can find 20# or 30# bags - I just don't live near any place that would carry them so haven't seen them myself.

 

[kenora]

Its either bulk (1 ton tote bag or bigger) or 40 lb bags here... the only way to get 30(ish) lbs is buying buying REALLY expensive (albeit pleasant smelling bags...

(broken link removed)

 

[zrock]

im in a drafty older modular home about 900sq..on the coldest days -20 to -30 i burn 3/4 bag a day and thats keeping me at a warm 23. On days we are hovering around 0 i burn about a 1/4 per day.. Ill fire in 2 bags and that does me about 4 days. Once im up to temp i turn it down to the point of just maintaining the flame..

 

[tlc1976]

I typically burn a bag a day when it's 20F - 30F out. Right now averaging 0F it's more like 1.5 bags a day.

 

[Tonyray]

2 bags a day. No prob.

Less than a bag a day in extreme cold?? ARE these people burning 24/7? Must have super insulated homes or keep the stoves temps very low

 

[Dataman]

Less than a bag a day in extreme cold?? ARE these people burning 24/7? Must have super insulated homes or keep the stoves temps very low

My house is over insulated. Built with thick walls in 1991 by guy who was prepper. Easy to heat and cool. I screwed up his house I bet he thinks going to pellet stove. Typically less than 1/2 each, I turn it up to 75f and max out the fan. (Harmon XXV). Just did 1T cleaning. Hotter now, heat exchanger clean.

 

[Tonyray]

My house is over insulated. Built with thick walls in 1991 by guy who was prepper. Easy to heat and cool. I screwed up his house I bet he thinks going to pellet stove. Typically less than 1/2 each, I turn it up to 75f and max out the fan. (Harmon XXV). Just did 1T cleaning. Hotter now, heat exchanger clean.

Hey good for you. I go at least a bag in 24 hours during medium winter days

 

[Pete Zahria]

the only way to get 30(ish) lbs is buying buying REALLY expensive (albeit pleasant smelling bags...

LG Supers are 33#.. should be available in your area.

Dan

 

[Dataman]

Seen them in 20lb bags (Pellets). Bags of 40lb are so much lighter than the wood I was moving.

 

[Fibersport]

1000 sqft x 40 btu/sqft = 40000 bt u
40000bt u / 8000 btu/lb = 50 lb

That's just using some real quick numbers to show you where he got his estimate. 40 btu/sqft is about what it takes to heat an area, you get about 8000 btu from a pound of pellets. These are very generic numbers of course but probably pretty close to the truth.

 

[Tonyray]

BAREFOOT EASY LIFT
Once Barefoot Always Barefoot. Produced in Troy, PA.

• TYPE: Hardwood
• WOOD: Oak
• BTU / LB: 8530
• ASH % 0.38
• LENGTH ” 0.75
• FINES % 0.17

Same great wood pellet in a New Easy Lift 23.8 lb bag!!

 

[Lordtimothy200]

This is how I figure it, my stove at the lowest setting will burn .8 bushels of corn (as I burn corn, not sure how many ## pellets that would be). So no matter what temp it is, there is a minimum of pellets you will need to burn to keep a stove running. That figure depends on the stove.

 

[BlueMule]

Thanks for the info everybody. This data has helped quite a bit. On paper, 40lb is only 10lb from 50lb, but from an actual physical working standpoint that 40lb bag is more realistic to moving and storing than a 50lb bag when you account for the toll of abuse on the human body. I have mild scoliosis and when my back is out of alignment, lifting/moving objects with some weight to them can cause lasting and differing levels of discomfort. 40lb is more realistic and our deck has an roof system underneath that keeps that area dry where we could store the bags in a weatherproof container. Short walk out the sliding glass door to the container, grab a bag and walk it back in to the stove. Doesn't look to bad. So a pellet stove is looking more possible for us.

 

[BlueMule]

So if I were to buy the pellets in bulk, I've been told they're sold by the pallet. How many is on a pallet? 1 ton? What's the measurements of a pallet full of pellets work out to in gauging the size of a weatherproof container to find?

 

[Pete Zahria]

How many is on a pallet? 1 ton?

Depending on brands
1 ton 1.2 tons 1.5 tons.
A waterproof container for a full pallet is going to have to be a pretty good size!!

Dan

 

[Connecticut Yankee]

A ton of pellets in 40 lb. bags is 50 bags. Stacked 5 bags per level, that's ten levels, or approximately four feet high, including the height of the pallet. Probably best to have somthing underneath the bottom layer, to keep them dry.