Moisture in Pallets of Pellets

[Tim Linden]

Hey Guys

So I read that storing inside/outside is a moot point. It's about how they are stored. Got that.

Question.. I opened up a pallet and found moisture on the outside of the bags. Would it be smarter to remove the outer layer entirely? I have them stored in my garage so my thought was removing the pallet plastic would allow for the moisture trapped inside to go somewhere else..

Tim

 

[Lousyweather]

nah....dont sweat it, tim...you're overthinking this....

 

[Harvey Schneider]

So I read that storing inside/outside is a moot point. It's about how they are stored. Got that.

Wood pellets are just that "wood". All wood will reach an equilibrium with the air's relative humidity. If you store pellets in a damp environment they will absorb moisture directly from the air. They don't have to be wet with liquid to absorb moisture.
Just about everybody is aware that wood changes dimensions seasonally, expanding in the summer due to the higher relative humidity and shrinking in the winter due to the lower relative humidity. Wood pellets are still wood and do the same thing. The dimension change is just a symptom of the moisture content of the wood.
Any moisture that the pellets absorb will reduce their heat capacity due to the need to drive the absorbed moisture back to a vapor state.
As for storing the pellets in a cold environment (I do that), The cold pellets will condense moisture out of the air when they are brought inside. I bring several bags in at a time and let them warm in their sealed bags before opening them. From what I have read the reduction in fuel value is only about 2 to 3%, but If your stove is struggling to cope with a cold spell you may need that margin.

 

[whlago]

I would say remove the outer layer of plastic as long as they are in the garage

 

[heat seeker]

If they're indoors, I'd pull the outer cover off, just because.

I have bought pellets stored outside and the bags were wet, but the pellets were fine.