Fines from Pellets

[MuchoBueno]

Stupid question here. Get ready. So I heard fines are very bad for the stove. What exactly happens to the fines when they get loaded into the hopper? Do they make it all the way to the firepot or do they go somewhere else in the stove where I have to get to them? Happy New Year btw.

 

[NHcpa]

Good question and I wondered the same... I would think for the most part, it mixes in with the pellet and gets burned like all else. What doesn't get burned and falls out before or entering the auger, gets trapped in a "fines" box in my Harman. I don't sift my pellets and instead pour the entire bag contents in. I probably should sift the fines out as after 2 tons, I cleaned the fines box out and was surprised as to how much debris was captured.

 

[MuchoBueno]

Good question and I wondered the same... I would think for the most part, it mixes in with the pellet and gets burned like all else. What doesn't get burned and falls out before or entering the auger, gets trapped in a "fines" box in my Harman. I don't sift my pellets and instead pour the entire bag contents in. I probably should sift the fines out as after 2 tons, I cleaned the fines box out and was surprised as to how much debris was captured.
View attachment 149185

Ok so you check the fines box after 2 tons?

 

[NHcpa]

I have an insert and I'm not too crazy about pulling it out to just check the fines box. I pulled the insert out more out of curiosity but was surprised to see how much junk was in the box just after 2 tons. I guess the moral of this story is that I probably should sift each bag or get in to the habit of routinely cleaning out the box.

 

[Bioburner]

So many stoves with different feed systems. Some auger from bottom and drop on a horizontal plane(Harman and Hestia), some like a Quadrafire have a corkscrew affair that hardy pickups pellets let alone fines and tries to lift before dropping down a chute to the fire. Bixby uses a feed wheel and leaves the fines to build up on the bottom. Several manufactures give directions to empty the bin once in awhile and clean.

 

[heat seeker]

Mine just eats them up and drops them into the fire pot. No fines box to clean, everything goes up the chute for the ride down into the fire.

 

[Ranger72]

I'm with 'heat seeker'

 

[DneprDave]

Mine eats them up too, just like Heat seeker's.

Dave

 

[DV]

Mine is a bottom feed. It all gets burned no problem. My biggest issue with the fines is all the dust that goes everywhere when I fill up the hopper.

 

[Pellet-King]

I like to see the flash of light for a second when the fines burn after dropping down the shute, before you pour pellets shake the bag so most drop to the bottom of bag so when you pour them in most will stay in the bottom of bag and throw away

 

[Pass the Pellets]

My stove also does not have a problem with fines. Just eats them right up. Depending on the pellet brand, you do have to be careful about the "dust" cloud when pouring them into the hopper.

 

[mepellet]

Harman's handle fines exceptionally well. Sifting is like leaving a window open while the stove is running. Well maybe that's a little bit of an exaggeration..... But it is throwing heat out....

 

[MuchoBueno]

Ic ic so my ill gotten worry about fines has been snuffed by information. Btw I don't fill my hopper directly from the bag. I have 2 containers next to the stove that I fill first then use a scoop to fill the hopper with. Lots of fines are collected at the bottom from the natural "sift" that I get from the scoop digging and moving the pellets.

 

[bags]

To me fines are nothing to be concerned about. They burn also. What doesn't burn the vac and cleanings take care of. However, many people do like to reduce the dust in their homes for various reasons. Entirely up to personal preference. As for the statements that all fines get burnt, well, that is simply a myth. Fines can and do work their way into wherever they can get. Some of the fines are airborne particles also. There is not a single feed system out there that handles all of the fines. Look into your hopper if you don't think so when it's empty. Those are fines the augers didn't manage to get to the burn pot for example. Still not a big deal just more mess.

 

[SXIPro]

Fines don't bother me or my stove, dust however bothers the wife. I pour my pellets from the bag into a coal hod down in my cellar. While pouring I run my shop vac with the nozzle near my coal hod and it sucks up most of the dust and some light fines as well. So never a dust plume when I pour pellets into my stove.

 

[F4jock]

So far my Harman has munched everything with no problems. I've had the fines box cover off three times in seven years and there has been almost nothing in it each time.

 

[Chrisnow86]

With my stove it's like sprinkles on ice team... She don't mind it.. Just eats them up

 

[Tonyray]

I vacuum my fines box every other full cleaning.
get more broken pieces of pellets than fines..
other than that, it's not an issue that I have concerns about enough to sift each bag..
The Fines will be there waiting or me at cleaning time.
comes with the Territory..

 

[bbfarm]

Same stove as heat seeker. No fine box and no problem

 

[MuchoBueno]

My nerves are at a complete tranquility! Thx guys and dolls. In a few weeks I'll be pulling my insert for the first time for a deep cleaning and hopefully put all the mystery that is the "What's back there" to rest.

 

[bags]

Nothing to be worried about at all. It's a walk in the park. Very easy to do. After the 1st time you'll be a pro. Just make sure the cover seats back and hooks properly at the top. There is a little lip that sticks thru a slot on the cover. Undo the wing nut and just lift up slightly and out. Once you look at things and get your bearings things will make more sense and they are easy to work on if you need to.

Good Luck!

 

[MuchoBueno]

Nothing to be worried about at all. It's a walk in the park. Very easy to do. After the 1st time you'll be a pro. Just make sure the cover seats back and hooks properly at the top. There is a little lip that sticks thru a slot on the cover. Undo the wing nut and just lift up slightly and out. Once you look at things and get your bearings things will make more sense and they are easy to work on if you need to.

Good Luck!

Back in '05 I bought the wife a new beetle and a year later one of the headlights burnt out. Sooooo being the "handyman/mechanic" that I am I proceeded to try to change the headlight bulb on this pos car. Well after a couple of cracking sounds I got the thing off and I instakked the new bulb. Then I put the headlight housing back in. Well it went in but not like it was before. It was in there but something was "off" a bit. You know what I mean? I'm going to pull this thing out out and watch, it probably won't go back in flush like the installer had it. It's just me. This always happens to me lol.

 

[Lake Girl]

Harman has videos of servicing pellet stoves under the owner resources on their website.