Bayou pellets vs Lignetics

[twojrts]

Question......I've tried the Bayou pellets and liked them. Only problem is my Flame FP35 will NOT ignite them!! Any ideas on why?
I've had to us the gel starter and light them that way. Heat output was good, VERY LITTLE ash.

I'm now using Lignetics. They fire right up, but a LOT of ash. But it is really light and fluffy. Heat output is OK. But then too it is REALLY cold here right now.

I have to say I have finally got a "happy pellet stove" going here. Got it all cleaned out this past Tues. The gasket I did myself is just fine!! (Thanks to you all!!)

I'm looking at $325 @ ton for the Lignetics and $275 @ ton for the Bayous.

Could the problem be the ignitor?

Thanks for any thoughts on this.

 

[coloradan]

Ouch, those are some pricey pellets. I'd try shopping around and see if you can find some cheaper. The Lignetics should be producing more heat than the Bayous, it just probably doesn't feel that way because it's been a little bit colder out. As for the lighter, I'm not sure about that, because I don't have one of those on my stove. A really good investment is to get a stove thermometer, so you can actually see how hot the different types of pellets you get burn. I got a little magnetic one for $10.

 

[twojrts]

Thanks nectardan. It has made it up to 27 here and the stove has cycled off and back on twice now. I've got it set on 4. LOL, I'm always cold. The thermostat is set on 73.

Will check out a stove thermometer.

 

[imacman]

Question......I've tried the Bayou pellets and liked them. Only problem is my Flame FP35 will NOT ignite them!! Any ideas on why?
I've had to us the gel starter and light them that way. Heat output was good, VERY LITTLE ash......Could the problem be the ignitor?

Did you get any error codes when it wouldn't ignite the Bayou's?

 

[twojrts]

No. The ignitor stayed on and it just gave up. I guess it ran through it's cycle and shut off. It did this when the installer was here and tried several times to get them to ignite. He left me the starter gel. It works fine that way. But I'm using this stove 24/7 and if it doesn't ignite, then my darn furnace will come on.

 

[imacman]

Have you tried closing the damper? Are the burnpot gaskets in good shape? According to your manual "If the unit doesn’t ignite within 15 minutes, the stove will wait for 5 minutes and will start a second ignition cycle. If ignition fails a second time, an error message will appear on control panel."

Is this what happens? Are you allowing it to try igniting a second time?

 

[twojrts]

Now that I think about it, we didn't give it a chance to pop an error code. He shut it down, scooped out the pellet and tried again. After about 3 or 4 tires, he used the starter gel.

 

[twojrts]

No on allowing it to try a second time. It feeds enough pellets to fill up the burn pot and I have found, if the burn pot is full, it will not ignite. I'm having no problem at all with the Lignetics. They light very easily. I just wish I could find them around here at a cheaper price. The only good thing about getting them from the installers is that they deliver and put them where I want them. I only have to bring them in the house when I need them.

Can't try the Bayous again, I only got 3 bags and have used them all.

 

[imacman]

....I'm having no problem at all with the Lignetics. They light very easily......Can't try the Bayous again, I only got 3 bags and have used them all.

Is it possible the bayou's were sitting outdoors, and the moisture level is too high to light? I've burned a LOT of different pellets, and never saw any that wouldn't light. Any other brands besides those 2 in your area that you can buy a couple bags of just to try?

If you try another brand, and it lights OK, then it had to be the pellets.

 

[twojrts]

They were kind of outside, under a large shed row at American Home & Hardware in Elkton. Protected, but not protected. The dampness could still get to them. The one thing they did that I didn't care for was leave a lot of BLACK creosote looking stuff in the stove.

These Lignetics leave a white residue in the stove. Puzzles me because the ash is darker than the white residue.

Makes sense to me about the pellets not lighting now. Thanks, macman.

The only other ones are at HD, Pres to Logs and Winter Warmth. I may try a couple bags of the WW, but kind of hate to ruin a good thing. She is doing well on the Lignetics.

 

[coloradan]

Try and see if there is an Agway store near you (go to their website at Agway.com and search). If there is, call the stores near you and see what different pellets they carry. They usually carry better quality pellets there, such as Barefoot (one of the best hardwood pellets out there).

 

[imacman]

Yep, what nectardan says is true...Barefoots are a great pellet ( and more $$, usually).

But I have burned the Presto-Logs and liked them, and the Winter Warmth are actually made by Hamer (Hamer's Hot Ones), and are getting good reviews too.

I just suggested trying a few bags of something different to confirm that the problem is with the Bayou's. One bag of a couple other brands will be burned in a day or two.

 

[imacman]

BTW, the Presto Logs are made by Lignetics.

 

[twojrts]

The guy at HD said they would swap out the crap pellets I have for WW or the Prestologs. I'm going to take 4 bags back and see if they will swap them for the WW's. The Pike Pellets screwed up the stove so bad, I don't even want to think about mixing them!! Have had enough aggrivation with them to last a lifetime!

 

[imacman]

The guy at HD said they would swap out the crap pellets I have for WW or the Prestologs. I'm going to take 4 bags back and see if they will swap them for the WW's.....

I think you'll like the WW pellets. Hamer has always made a good pellet.

 

[twojrts]

I'll take the 4 bags back tomorrow on my way to work and get 2 of each....WW & Presto Logs.

Will let you know how they do.

Right now, it is sooooo nice to sit back and watch something work the way it is supposed to! LOL

 

[stoveguy2esw]

mac has a point , moisture can wick up into pellest sometimes, tell you a quick and dirty way to tell if you are running pellets that have a bit more than desired amount of H2O;

take a glass or ceramic (crock) bowl DO NOT USE PLASTIC put about a cup of pellets in it , cover with a non plastic saucer. put in microwave on high for 45 seconds to a minute. when microwave stops , immediately lift the saucer and turn it straight up and down (vertical) normally you will see a light steaming with good dry pellets , if enough moisture is there to actually run down the saucer, the pellets are a bit damp.

damp pellets will show in a few different ways , slow t light is one , also clinkering and carbon buildup, soot on glass that is a bit harder to remove than normal, and buildup in the burn pot. pellets which have taken on a few percentage points of excess moisture can be used, (unless they look like oatmeal) but can cause these burnig issues as well as a higher possibility of auger jams as they do not "hold together' structurally as well and can get wadded up in an auger or drop chute.

my advice is to not buy pellets from a vendor who does not store indoors. even under cover in an outdoor environment pellets can be subjected to moisture


hope this helps ya


BTW my advice is to stick with the lignetic's i have not yet found a pellet which outperforms them (disclaimer, i havent tested okie's yet) just in case BTU is watching ;-)

 

[twojrts]

Thank you, Mike. The Pike's had a lot of moisture. I did the microwave dish test and the top dish was covered w/moisture. Not dripping, but entire dish was covered with moisture. In 2 months and a week they had totally packed the exhaust system from the stove to the top of the chimney outside!! I didn't try that with the Bayou's. And the Pike's were slow to ignite. That was why I thought the ignitor was faulty.

I probably could mix them with the Lignetics, but don't want to take the chance.

I have a 10 x 12 Black Bear shed that I keep them in. Not heated or cooled, but they are inside out of the elements.

 

[imacman]

......I have a 10 x 12 Black Bear shed that I keep them in. Not heated or cooled, but they are inside out of the elements.

That should be fine. Only issue is, where were the pellets BEFORE you got them? This is the hard part about pellets....the chain of transfer from manufacturer to the dealer can include many stops, and could have the pellets sitting outside at any (or all) of them.

That being said, it's still good to have them under cover. This is what I use to store the pellets I can't fit in the basement, and have never had an issue. I don't unwrap them until they come in the basement, if i can help it.

 

[twojrts]

Just a quick update, went to HD today and they are going to come get the Pike's tomorrow morning! Whoo Hoo!! Going to charge me $20 for the truck rental. It is worth it just to get rid of them. The mgr. of the Garden Dept. told me his Dad bought the same pellets in upstate PA and they did the same thing to his stove!! Gee, I'm glad it isn't just me and my little stove! They are going to bring me 4 bags of the WW's to try. If I like them, I will probably get more.

Thanks so much for all your help, guys. It is greatly appreciated!!