Dispelling the myth of outside storage.

[PJPellet]

I also posted this in the NEWP fire thread because that's was were someone saw that they were storing them outside! That is where the whole thing start. It was off topic there, So I started this new one. Let the bashing begin!

My mill contact was way ahead of my little test(see below)!

I am going to ask a mill contact to do a little experimenting for us. I suggest he check moisture of the pellets right at the bagging station. Then let that pallet sit outside for some time(nicely wrapped of coarse). Open them up and do another moisture test. Be nice to see actual increase, "if" there is any.

Sometimes we must be our own mythbusters!

Will keep him anonymous. He has already done this for a long time. Here are some bits of the PM.

As long as the cover was intact, there was no significant change in moisture. I’ve tested pellets left on a counter too and they don’t absorb atmospheric moisture. But, if I grind them up first (dust) and leave them on the counter, then they will absorb some.

The problem at the stores isn’t that they store them outside. It’s that the kids driving their forklifts are inexperienced and they tend to smash open the pallets.

The pellets don’t absorb moisture from the air, they have to be physically in contact with the water.

I have a ripped open pallet of pellets that’s been outside since May. I took a sample from one of the wet, ripped bags - a worst case scenario. I reached in the bag and got a hand full of pellets from directly behind the wet mush that were still intact. They tested out at 7.19% moisture (up from the original 5.8% an increase of 1.4%). So they’ll still burn fine but I wouldn’t recommend buying ripped open pallets.

Interesting and hope it helps the outside storage argument.

I don't know about y-all. But I have found a few bags here and there that did get wet. I scooped of the damaged/swelled pellets and dumped the rest in the stove. I really didn't notice much difference in them. Seemed to burn and throw heat. I used to get them for free, So as long as half the bag seemed untouched. I would gladly take it of there hands.


Our buddy Don had a post on where he dumpster dove to get em! Penningtons if I remember right. Thats a pellet pig there!

Hey J, Thanks for this information. This is the kind of stuff I like to know. I appreciate the time you take to research this kind of thing, and of course your pellet reviews too! I'm glad you're here on the forum.

 

[gfreek]

Bought a ton, stored outside, from my dealer last year, 4 bags had huge chunks of ice, you could tell the pellets had gotten wet, no tears in the bags. They had no problem replacing them, but for me, I'm purchasing pellets stored inside.

 

[jtakeman]

Bought a ton, stored outside, from my dealer last year, 4 bags had huge chunks of ice, you could tell the pellets had gotten wet, no tears in the bags.

Good info, But a couple of questions so we can learn. Was there any rips or tears on the pallet cover(big bag that covered the whole skid of pellets)? and Where were the wet bags, Top or bottom?

The pellet bags themselfs already have small perferations(holes) so if moisture got in past the cover or up from the bottom. When I first started buying pellets they never put anythin on the bottom, They just laid the pellet bags on the skid. I have seen some now come with a liner of sorts on the bottom.

 

[Augmister]

Saw this thread and decided to tell my story. I have had a ton of Bare Foots outside, sitting on a pallet on concrete, wrapped in its shipping cover and then covered with a tarp and a strap around the middle of this ton for .... two years. Just moved it to my refurbished shed and am burning them tonight. None of the bags were ruined and they were outside last winter too, with about two feet of snow on them. Burning bright and hot!

 

[smilejamaica]

To my small and inexperienced mind it seems to me that the right question is not being asked. I can accept that an intact pallet of pellets, properly wrapped and protected, will not absorb moisture, absent unusual circumstances or a breach in the integrity of the encapsulation.


BUT . . . if I have that pallet in my driveaway I have to cut into the wrapping to access the first bag. I certainly cannot rewrap the pallet every time I remove some bags. What will the moisture level be when I get to the 30th bag, a month later? That, to my uneducated mind, is the 64 grand question.

I reseal even in my garage, some folds and couple of bricks. Wood is like a sponge.

Might want to change that to "wood fiber" Take a split or 2x4 and try to suck up some grape juice! In a solid form not so much as when in fiber/saw dust. Saw dust/fiber will suck up moisture much better.

I have a door that sticks in the summer, and it's painted, a sponge.

so if you are correct then when you store your pellets INSIDE they will suck up moisture just like your door...... right .so what does all this mean .

 

[smoke show]

Saw this thread and decided to tell my story. I have had a ton of Bare Foots outside, sitting on a pallet on concrete, wrapped in its shipping cover and then covered with a tarp and a strap around the middle of this ton for .... two years. Just moved it to my refurbished shed and am burning them tonight. None of the bags were ruined and they were outside last winter too, with about two feet of snow on them. Burning bright and hot!

Can't be.

All pellets stored outside are junk. ;-)

 

[briansol]

Curiously, the pellets i took delivery of were labeled as 'store inside only', and they are in fact stored inside at BT.

Is this because of the bags, or wrapper? they seemed to be wrapped normally to me with the big white 'tarp' and then plastic wrapped around that on the pallet.

 

[smilejamaica]

Curiously, the pellets i took delivery of were labeled as 'store inside only', and they are in fact stored inside at BT.

Is this because of the bags, or wrapper? they seemed to be wrapped normally to me with the big white 'tarp' and then plastic wrapped around that on the pallet.

im pretty sure they dont store all the pellets inside . i have not been at bt in over a year but they use to store alot of tons outside. they just tarped them very good

 

[jtakeman]

Curiously, the pellets i took delivery of were labeled as 'store inside only', and they are in fact stored inside at BT.

Is this because of the bags, or wrapper? they seemed to be wrapped normally to me with the big white 'tarp' and then plastic wrapped around that on the pallet.

im pretty sure they dont store all the pellets inside . i have not been at bt in over a year but they use to store alot of tons outside. they just tarped them very good

Bristol yes, But the warehouse no. Very hard to have 100% inside storage! Specially when you buy in the spring (pellet house's buy as much as they can in the spring when the prices are low). Space gets filled quickly.

Most mills have enough inside to chug threw the lean times, But once the hammer is down(cranking out the orders) they probably fill that space quickly and have no choice but to head for on site trailers or the great outdoors.

 

[briansol]

These came out of the warehouse in bristol.

they even say on the website that they need to be stored inside.

 

[jtakeman]

These came out of the warehouse in bristol.

they even say on the website that they need to be stored inside.

If they feel the outer liner/packaging isn't water proof or weather tight maybe?

Maybe Brian feels that way, Does it say it on Patomics site? Brian is a member here send him a PM. Or call Debi at the office.