getting sick and tired of pellet shortages

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ad356

Member
Hearth Supporter
Dec 25, 2009
156
north java, ny
im getting a little fed up with this non-sense. when i started heating with pellets back in 2008 they were $170-190 per ton. it was quite reasonable but not particularly cheap. pellets were also readily available and there was NEVER a shortage, i just went and bought them when i needed them. now the two pellet dealers nearby have $245 and $265 respectively with the dealer priced at $265 only having them by the bag. the pellets at $265 are dry creeks BUT are only being sold on the individual bag basis. the pellets sold at $245 are crap pellets either PA pellet or instant heat-less neither of which i am particularly fond of. i love this stove, it has been a rock solid harman, extremely reliable and adaquate heat. i do not even worry about it sometimes it can go months during the really cold season of just emptying the hopper. the most maintenance free, reliable, best heating pellet stoves on the planet are harman P series i think.

the fuel source on the other hand, i have nothing but complaints the last two winters. very high prices and poor availability. its a game that i think im tired of playing. if i ever get any money think i might get a coal stove and a thru-wall power vent. problem is im kind of trapped into owning a $2000 stove, a great unit but its hard for me to justify parting ways.

i have natural gas here but have a very old junky furance, i also have NO ducting upstairs in a home was built in 1895. the harman stove does a fairly good job of getting heat upstairs, its not really warn but its tolerable low 60's which is ideal for sleeping. my home is very old plank construction and DOES not have deep walls or an easy way to add upstairs ducting.

i also know that the newer high efficiency gas furnaces can be a real pain in the side if they have any problems. they can be a maintenance nightmare and certainly not as reliable as a harman stove. i have heard several complaints over the years of their furnaces giving out in the cold. i also have a very old, damp basement my well is actually in my basement so at times i can have water on the floor. i did not want to invest in a furnace full of electronics to go into an environment like that.

i have a wife that cannot seem to find a job, i work full time and barely make ends meet. i dont know what to do anymore. i feel like pellets are becoming a scam.
 
I would suggest saving up your money and get some ducts run upstairs and replace the furnace. You can run ducts through living space. I have them in living space box them in they blend in. People only report the problems they have with furnaces so it seems like everyone's is breaking down which is not true. They can elevate the furnace off the ground to keep it dry. Your throwing good money away doing anything else. Sorry about your problems.

Pellet stoves are space heaters.
 
my complaint is NOT with the stove or the heat it generates but the cost and availbity of the pellets themselves. the P61 has functioned well as a whole home source of heat, much like many people use a wood stove, it has heated the whole house. some rooms are warmer then others but the warmest room is where we spend the most time. it works perfect the fuel source is another story. i would rather have a coal stove then give my money to the utility companies with their taxes and delivery charges. natural gas is cheap but national fuel is getting rich. if pellets went back to where they used to be i would have zero compaints
 
i would rather put a wood or coal cental furance in my basement then give national fuel any more money then i give them heat hot water. i hate utility companies with a passion.
 
Work on saving the cash and pre-buy in the spring thru early fall and make sure to get enough for the whole heating season. I bought a ton when I first installed my stove and then 7 more tons a week or so later. More than enough to ride out the coldest winter here.
 
Coal has been rising too. I paid $80 a ton in 2002 now im paying $200 a ton. But the good news is TON OF COAL IS EQUAL TO 1.5 TONS OF GOOD PELLETS.
The price of coal went up right behind the rise in oil. Now that oil is back down the price of coal did not budge. I thinking of converting to natural gas as i get older as its so reliable and fairly lower cost and no maintainance,certainly lower than oil,propane,or electric resistance. I agree with you about the utilities, they have a monopoly and the PUC that supposed to regulate them is in bed with them.
 
Just FYI: I have a newer (2009) high efficency LP Gas furnace. Same as a NG one, just different nozzles. It is in a very wet (standing water most of the time) basement in a 1850's vintage house. I have had ZERO issues with it. It works perfectly when I need it. It was installed up on blocks to keep it out of the water and the internal electronics have been fine despite the dampness. My house did not have ducting at all upstairs either. I just ran 2 runs up, 1 at each end of the 2nd floor, and boxed the ducting in. Once finished you would never know they were there. It's not as bad as it may seem. I know I was NOT a handy home improvement guy. Note I said was. Owning a 100+ year old home will teach you things...LOL
 
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If you have coal suppliers in your area, go coal. The only downside- your butt will hurt from kicking your self for not doing it sooner!
 
Just wait until the US Government realizes they can tax pellet fuel just as they do heating oil, electric, LP, and NG. Just saying.

Eric
 
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Just wait until the US Government realizes they can tax pellet fuel just as they do heating oil, electric, LP, and NG. Just saying.

Eric


Michigan already does... 'alternate fuel tax' on pellets. Corn however (at least if you are a bona-fide ag user is no tax.

Gotta support the gummit. The biggest employer that make no product and does not contribute to the economy, only sucks from it.... How comforting.
 
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Michigan already does... 'alternate fuel tax' on pellets. Corn however (at least if you are a bona-fide ag user is no tax.

Gotta support the gummit. The biggest employer that make no product and does not contribute to the economy, only sucks from it.... How comforting.
Ohio has State Sales tax 6.75% in this hood.
 
Ohio has State Sales tax 6.75% in this hood.

Why I burn corn with pellets as a filler. A couple tons of good pellets is all I need for the season and the corn is always on hand in the grain tank. I actually have enough pellets for next winter without buying anymore.
 
Interesting. Given our gov is the largest purchaser of arms, defense is one area where your tax dollars benefit the private sector.
 
Get your pellets early in the season. There is no shortage, just that they don't have the pellets you want at the price you want to pay.

As for coal, lots more work as more ash and no auto-ignition.
 
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Get ypur pellets early in the season. There is no shortage, just that they don't have the pellets you want at the price you want to pay.

As for coal, lots more work as more ash and no auto-ignition.

Don't need auto ignition on a stove that never goes out unless you lose power (in which case, burn a wood stove) or for the once a year cleaning. Much less work than pellets overall. Need to make arrangements for ash..but to the OP, imagine lighting a stove in November, shutting it down once for a 15 minute cleaning mid winter and that's the end of it. No dust when dumping the fuel in, no auger to get jammed, no fuel shortage, can store fuel outside and in the very rare event you do need to replace something, all the motors are on the outside of the stove. Super easy fixes.
 
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Don't need auto ignition on a stove that never goes out unless you lose power (in which case, burn a wood stove) or for the once a year cleaning. Much less work than pellets overall. Need to make arrangements for ash..but to the OP, imagine lighting a stove in November, shutting it down once for a 15 minute cleaning mid winter and that's the end of it. No dust when dumping the fuel in, no auger to get jammed, no fuel shortage, can store fuel outside and in the very rare event you do need to replace something, all the motors are on the outside of the stove. Super easy fixes.
Then go for it and stop worrying.
 
Get ypur pellets early in the season. There is no shortage, just that they don't have the pellets you want at the price you want to pay.

As for coal, lots more work as more ash and no auto-ignition.

Yeah I guess if you call emptying an ash pan "work"..

On the other hand, you dont have all the cleaning as you do with pellets. Depending on type of stove, pipe configuration etc you can go from months to the whole season without cleaning. I lit my stove in Oct and its been going since. It wont be cleaned till April for the off season.
 
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i buy every spring. 6 tons because that's the most he can haul and the delivery is flat rate.
surplus is rotated to the front until in a few years my basement will be full.
 
LOL, when I need pellets, I just go to TSC. They always charge the same price per bag no matter the brand and the brands have been good this year. Only once did they have North Americans which was no big deal since I just bought Equine pellets instead.
 
i buy every spring. 6 tons because that's the most he can haul and the delivery is flat rate.
surplus is rotated to the front until in a few years my basement will be full.

ever worry about summer time moisture destroying some of your hoard?
 
Yeah I guess if you call emptying an ash pan "work"..

On the other hand, you dont have all the cleaning as you do with pellets. Depending on type of stove, pipe configuration etc you can go from months to the whole season without cleaning. I lit my stove in Oct and its been going since. It wont be cleaned till April for the off season.
Wife and I live in coal country. We looked into it and opted for pellets.
 
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