Fines Vacuum

[Mattmotors]

I made this fines vacuum that I want to share.
First I built a small platform about 8-10 inches tall. I mounted a 5 gallon bucket to it. The bucket has a hole in the bottom of it along with the platform to insert a vacuum nozzle. I took the 2nd bucket and perforated the bottom with a bunch of small holes. I pour a half a bag in the 2nd bucket and let the vacuum do its work. when I stick my hand in there, I can feel the air move thru the pellets. I pull out the bucket and dump them in my transfer bucket, Then I pit them back in the vacuum bucket. I do this about 3 or 4 times. Then I repeat the process for the other half of the bag. Does it work? I'll see when I rip the vacuum bag open.Cuts the dust down. Please comment And let me know if I waster 2 buckets. Thanks , Matt.

 

[Mattmotors]

Forgot to mention, the process only takes about 2-3 minutes

 

[ARC]

My stove burns the fines. If your stove does not and blocks hopper or auger then you are not wasting buckets or time. A clean stove is the best maintenance .

 

[Mattmotors]

I have a Harman 52i. Fines have given me trouble in the past.

 

[johneh]

I still use my 24-year-old Envrio, keep it clean, since new it burns everything fines included
Never had problems with fines . Don't need the extra work, open the bag and pour into the
hopper, nothing more needed

 

[Whitenuckler]

My pellets don't have many fines, so they all go in. I pour my 40lb bag into two 5 gallon buckets in the garage and I don't see much.
So far my P43 has had no problems, but then again, I'm not putting many fines in.

 

[Tonyray]

nice setup but myself i cant see me moving or picking up 40lb bags more than to stack or pour into stove..

 

[Whitenuckler]

nice setup but myself i cant see me moving or picking up 40lb bags more than to stack or pour into stove..

For me it's good, as my hopper only holds 60 pounds, and I have steps going down to the basement. I can fill my buckets, put them in my porch, then carry one down when I need it. I have one full bag in the furnace room just in case. If somehow I had a bigger garage with taller door oit would be great as the guy could fork lift them right in. As it is I use a wheelbarrow with 4 bags on it to get them in.

 

[tbear853]

Fines burn too.

 

[zrock]

Fines burn too.

Some stoves to not pull the fines into the purn chamber and ends up plugging up the feed over time and loosing performance on the stove. I have to empty my hopper every few months and vacuumed out the fines

 

[SESZOO]

been burning Dry Creeks for the Past month , and they're real dusty , haven't ever had a much of a problem, in the 14/15 yrs of useing my AGP , was burning currans and this past year they were terrible ,with the soot and ash , I've always kept the stove clean through out the years , This year though after the currans with the Dry creeks the dust and fines build up gets so bad ,once a day I'm shutting down as the push auger will get so cloged up the motor starts going crazy beforeit shuts down , so this summer will be replaceing that , Am going to try to do a totsl rebuild ,tat's if I can get the part from Lopi (travis industrys ?)as their customer service is about non -existant when it comes trying to get parts ,with out haveing to go through their company dealers , which after allmy years with this stove ,I know it , But the dealers are a wayss away and expensive , , But question is has any other long time users noticed the quality of pellets in general going down with an increase in the dust and fines and ash along with the heat out put the past couple of years .?

 

[Whitenuckler]

been burning Dry Creeks for the Past month , and they're real dusty , haven't ever had a much of a problem, in the 14/15 yrs of useing my AGP , was burning currans and this past year they were terrible ,with the soot and ash , I've always kept the stove clean through out the years , This year though after the currans with the Dry creeks the dust and fines build up gets so bad ,once a day I'm shutting down as the push auger will get so cloged up the motor starts going crazy beforeit shuts down , so this summer will be replaceing that , Am going to try to do a totsl rebuild ,tat's if I can get the part from Lopi (travis industrys ?)as their customer service is about non -existant when it comes trying to get parts ,with out haveing to go through their company dealers , which after allmy years with this stove ,I know it , But the dealers are a wayss away and expensive , , But question is has any other long time users noticed the quality of pellets in general going down with an increase in the dust and fines and ash along with the heat out put the past couple of years .?

Maybe you should start screening them first. That might be less work than sending them through your stove. That will only help the fines though, if they are loaded full of minerals it won't help that part. My pellets are really good, but I still get hard deposits on my burn pot. I almost need a chisel and hammer to break them off. I have two scrapers, a pointed one and a flat one so I manage.