My Bulk Fill photos

[bostonfan49]

Wazilian: Not to beat a dead horse, but at least check with any of the companies that might deliver you bulk pellets. My guess is that they won't deliver if you use PVC as a fill pipe. Here is what my dealer did. 1. Prior to an agreement, he wanted a description of every piece of the set up I had, and to make sure that the fill pipe bracket and the two fill pipe adapters ( that connect) to the trucks fill hose were grounded. And more importantly....2. Before the driver would even hook up to my connectors, he would have to inspect my set up and if it didn't meet their standards...no pellets. Overkill? All I know, is that when they are "In you basement" or wherever your set up is, they start the flow by a remote control. They want to make sure that the pellets coming in are going exactly where they are supposed to go. Static charge is a MAJOR concern, not only to your house but to the companies truck (fill hose) that is connected to your system. His truck might hold 12-15 tons of pellets and he doesn't want an accident...........just be prepared to rip out your PVC! Bill ( a concerned Hearth.com member)

 

[sinnian]

There is anti-static pvc piping

 

[smoke show]

Or you can add a ground wire like the corn burning boys do.

 

[wazilian]

Funny thing is, I do recall my dealer and I talking last fall about using PVC pipe. They actually wanted me to use 6". I thought that was overkill, but I'll be talking to them here soon about my setup. Whatever needs done really, I just want my pellets in the bin somehow lol. All I have to do now to the bin is put on the plywood walls.

 

[Woody1911a1]

http://www.woodpellets.com/bulk-wood-pellets/

 

[PassionForFire&Water]

We tested PVC-pipe for a while with our Caluwe WP-series hydronic wood pellet boilers and our experience is that PVC piping for wood pellet transport is not holding up long to the "abrasive" wood pellets pushed into the PVC piping at high velocity. Once the PVC pipe becomes roughed-up on the inside the wood pellets take small to medium chunks out of the PVC pipe and deliver it into the pellet hopper togetter with the wood pellets.
And finaly the PVC pieces end up into the burner pot and get burned with the nasty plastic smell as a result.
Our experience is not the use PVC with a high velocity feeding truck and for the piping from bulk pellet hopper to pellet boiler/stove.

 

[raybonz]

That is one badass looking truck! I can see how this further makes pellet burning easier! I would have dust concerns along with static concerns but there are solutions. Personally I feel the storage bins should be covered as it wouldn't take much to ignite pellet dust..

Ray

 

[schoondog]

Nice! I'm nearly an old fart and I'm kinda liking that set up.
schoondog

 

[aburress1223]

Nice!

 

[Harvey Schneider]

****I am no expert...but you don't want PVC...It creates static electricity which could result in a loud BOOM!

Is this any different than the issue faced by wood workers that use a dust collection system? The solution used there is a bare copper wire run through the duct and grounded at the end of the run. That allows the static charge to dissipate before there is much energy collected preventing any sparks from occurring.

 

[raybonz]

Is this any different than the issue faced by wood workers that use a dust collection system? The solution used there is a bare copper wire run through the duct and grounded at the end of the run. That allows the static charge to dissipate before there is much energy collected preventing any sparks from occurring.

Good point Harvey! Unlike a wood working shop it will only get used for a short time and maybe 1 or 2 times a year.. A quick search found this and there plenty of other products beyond this..

(broken link removed)

Ray

 

[wazilian]

We tested PVC-pipe for a while with our Caluwe WP-series hydronic wood pellet boilers and our experience is that PVC piping for wood pellet transport is not holding up long to the "abrasive" wood pellets pushed into the PVC piping at high velocity. Once the PVC pipe becomes roughed-up on the inside the wood pellets take small to medium chunks out of the PVC pipe and deliver it into the pellet hopper togetter with the wood pellets.
And finaly the PVC pieces end up into the burner pot and get burned with the nasty plastic smell as a result.
Our experience is not the use PVC with a high velocity feeding truck and for the piping from bulk pellet hopper to pellet boiler/stove.

Fair enough, so what do you recommend using for a pellet bin entry point? I think the OP stated using black rubber hoses with an anti-static lining. I would think the same thing would happen to the rubber of the hose as with the PVC. To remedy the static issue, I may look at getting a few cans of that rubber in a can and lining the interior of my PVC, but again I'm considering all options.

 

[smoke show]

http://forum.iburncorn.com/wiki/index.php/Vacuum_based_systems

 

[Harvey Schneider]

I just happened to come across this on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=4YCVtUZZ8NM
The hose from the delivery truck looks remarkably like a urethane hose with a spiral copper wire. I can't be sure of the components, but that sure is a spiral hose.

 

[WoodPorn]

Thanks all! Yeah, between the 300+ trips up and down the basement stairs, I'd rather go up the other stairs with my wife. He he......

You must be a newlywed?...

 

[WoodPorn]

The PVC absolutely needs to be lined with a ground conductor to dissipate the static.

 

[Shaw520]

My next endeavor,.... although the burners are still quite expensive,... they can be used on most popular boilers.

 

[Shaw520]

The bags came from Heutz oil in Maine. Total for everything was about $500. They did have some bags (different model) but similar capacity on sale for around $ 79 bucks each..I missed the sale. I did have to have the two inlet holes drilled and that was another $100 bucks. The plywood and cinder blocks I already had. So yeah, it was expensive but.....whereas a lot of folks have the use of a pickup and some HD type stores will even fork lift them into the back, I have an SUV and most of the places I went for pellets last year won't help you at all as far as loading. So it's lift up...put on cart, lift up, put in car, lift up, put in garage, later....lift up put in basement, repeat many times Hell, I'm an old fart, I will seek the path of least resistance! As far as dust, I learned a lesson.....the bags do breath, but some dust is created and unless you want to blow the bag like a balloon you have to keep one of the bag vents ( at the top) open to expel the dust, hence the dust on the top of the bag and a bit on the floor. The solution (for next time) is to hook up a dryer vent hose at the top and run 8' to my basement window to shoot out the excess dust. Now I just have to dream about the reverse house vac trick and shoot the pellets right into my hopper.

The bulk fill bags Ive seen have exhaust tubes with filters on them,... so when filling, the displaced air/dust has a place to go instead of in your basement.