Fines in the Harman Accentra

[smirnov3]

how much of a problem are fines for a Harman Accentra? I just want to know how thorough I have to be in keeping them out.

Also, what happens if a clump gets in, will it jam the feed?

 

[HarryBack]

If the bag hasnt been wet, fines should be a problem. Any problems Ive seen is with folks putting bags in which have been totally wet....the pellets are no longer pellets, they are sawdust. When you have slot of fines in there, such as sawdust, the pellets dont drop into the hopper as they should, they just "cone" down in...pretty obvious when you see it tho. Clumps? the only clumps you get is if the bags been torn and then gotten wet. If you get a clump, dont use it...it can and most likely will bridge off the auger. Just throw the clump away or in the mulch pile, and so long as there arent excessive fines in the bag, its fine to use the remainder in the stove.
I dont know anyone who goes thru great lengths keeping fines out. Dump the bag in. You'll be able to tell which bags have been damaged or wet, they will swell obviously, and in severe cases, can be so heavy you cant lift them easily. Usually the only time you see this is when the bag has been submerged.

 

[smirnov3]

What happened was the pellets I ordered were delivered right before it started to rain. they were well wrapped in several layers of plastic, but about a dozen bags got some moisure in the outer corners, enough to 'de-pellet' a double handfull of pellets.

 

[GVA]

I wont ask you where you got your pellets from but past experience has shown that most of the pellets I have bought have been kept outside and at most one maybe two bags get wet. I pick them up in my truck and in the rain sleet and snow, have not had much of an issue. Most pellet companies do an exceptional job in wrapping pellets, they are bagged there is an overwrap to protect against water penetration and then the stretch wrap. I'm willing to bet these protective layers were damaged. Usually in storage or by fork truck drivers trying to fit more pellets into a limited amount of space.
Check with the place that you got the pellets from they might replace the wet bags although if you have 12 bags out of 50 that are wet they probably don't care..... and will tell you you should have gotten them into storage quicker.
It is important to note that once these protective layers are removed (or torn)and the bags are exposed to the elements they can get wet very quickly, The bags have small holes in them to let the excess air out of the bag after being sealed. After somthing similar happenend to me I don't buy pellets from them anymore especially as they get more expensive. Most of the bags that I have gotten that were wet, like you said only have a handful or two that are wet, the rest of the bag hopefully is fine if you have any doubt get a clear sterilite container (Their pretty cheap) and pour the bag into it this should help you make the determination. If you have any doubt after that try mixing it in with a dry bag. Pellets should be just that pellets not sawdust though every bag will have a little bit if dust, but I think your talking about them looking more like oatmeal....
Don't burn this stuff.... Just think of it as mulch for the garden....

 

[HarryBack]

yea, Anton, GVA is 100% correct......we keep all ours outside....very few wet bags....some brands more than others.....I find the western Canadian softwoods to be the worst for this, but theyve been transported so far and handled so many times......
Id go back to the retailer as well....12 bags wet, of which you likely can use 80% of the rest of the bag? Id ask for 6 bags, and bring some of the wetter ones with you for show and tell.