I have an old farmhouse in SW NH that I'll be spending the next winter in.
I have a Lopi something (model?) stove and want to buy pellets now because though the price of oil could fall (and thus the pellet prices might not rise) I think there is too much risk of the price of oil moving the other way. (Note: I'll leave my "reasons" at the end of this--it's wordy and I don't want to digress too much, those who are interested can go and look).
At any rate, I will not be at my farmhouse until Autumn and so, I'd like to buy 3 or 4 tons "blind," meaning--I can't get a bag and test one brand over another and I'd rather lock in the price now rather then wait till Autumn, I've read enough to know that could be problematic. I know that New England Pellets are made near me (I'm in between a triangle with the apexes at Keene, Claremont and Newport, NH). I've heard that NE Pellets were great, then were terrible....and today--I have no clue.
Can anyone from the SW NH area suggest what they would choose for brands in this area? I realize that pellets change, and I won't hold anyone to any suggestion. Keene, Claremont or Newport is good for the point of delivery origin, or I could pick up half a ton at a time.
Now a specific question. I have a standard fireplace with a 9x9 tiled opening, it's in good condition and about 180 years newer than the farmhouse. In the past I've simply used a wood stove and used an adapter from the stove output to a round stovepipe, adapted the end with an appropriate piece and exhausted the wood stove up the chimney. Its worked well for many years.
Can I simply exhaust the Lopi the same way?
Below are my thoughts on what I perceive is a fast "end run" by the Saudis vis a vis the price of heating oil (and gasoline) this upcoming season... Feel free to ignore:
You’re apt to hear shortly (or maybe you have heard recently) that the price of oil will drop because the (kindly and sensitive) Arabs via their oil minister called for an increase of oil quotas (production) at the recent Vienna conference--just to make sure that the world had enough. He was soundly rebuffed by the other oil producing countries—and so, in fine form he announced that if others would not, Saudi Arabia would just have to bite the bullet produce more. (I'm surprised he didn't say: "for the children.")
What nice guys those Saudi fellows are—to produce more oil so the price stabilizes or possibly even drops some. This is what you are apt to hear or maybe even have heard (I don't have TV or listen to radio so I really don't know.
Here is the rest of the story:
A week before the conference Saudi Aramco quietly announced (to refineries) a reduction in the discount pricing for it’s medium and heavy grades of crude. You see, oil is sold on its grade relative to a certain type of oil and it is discounted relative to that price. I’m not sure but Saudi medium and heavy oil grades may be "discounted" related to the benchmark: Brent Light Crude.
So this is what happened. The Saudis essentially increased the price of much of their oil, but they don’t want to look like the bad guys, so at the recent oil conference they asked for an increase in OPEC quotas. Rebuffed (which is what they expected to hear)—the nice Saudi oil minister (with hidden glee) agreed that the burden to produce more oil would just have to fall upon the Saudis. (without whispering that the price is now higher and thus they are going to make quite a lot more money) and thus help the world out.
What they pulled off was a public relations coup. They look like the “good guys,†but since the price of most of their crude to refiners just went up significantly (even though the benchmark Brent Crude did not) guess what—yup, the price of gasoline, and heating oil will also go up—even if the benchmark crude doesn’t move a bit. The refiners must pass on the reduction in discount (= increase in price) and so the price of heating oil and gasoline will rise. (see jsminset.com for the original story)
Of course if Brent Crude dropped considerably, as might happen if we have another '08 type crash, yes, the price even for fuel oil or gasoline would drop. But this hidden Arab move is such a slick deal that I had to mention it—and now I expect the (dumb talking heads) media to glowingly put the Saudi’s in the “good guy limelight,†when in fact they aren’t. It's sort of like what is happening at the grocery stores, "oh, we haven't changed the price at all!" (No, but you just reduced the contents by 18%--do you think we are stupid?). We live in a time of perfectly legal but absolutely obscene dishonesty. (IMHO) It's all a twist on MOPE--Management of Perception Economics.
As a side note, I have never seen a summer when my point of view of what "could happen" is so volatile. I think it's possible to see oil drop to $40/barrel (due to another '08 type "crash"), and I believe possible for it to rise to $200/barrel. Perhaps caused by a small crash--followed by a "Oh well we just gotta do a QE3...QE4, or turmoil that affects the Middle East and/or the Suez Canal. There is so much volatility and wackiness in the world it never ceases to amaze me. I wonder...how long can one store wood pellets? (Is a decade too much?)
I have a Lopi something (model?) stove and want to buy pellets now because though the price of oil could fall (and thus the pellet prices might not rise) I think there is too much risk of the price of oil moving the other way. (Note: I'll leave my "reasons" at the end of this--it's wordy and I don't want to digress too much, those who are interested can go and look).
At any rate, I will not be at my farmhouse until Autumn and so, I'd like to buy 3 or 4 tons "blind," meaning--I can't get a bag and test one brand over another and I'd rather lock in the price now rather then wait till Autumn, I've read enough to know that could be problematic. I know that New England Pellets are made near me (I'm in between a triangle with the apexes at Keene, Claremont and Newport, NH). I've heard that NE Pellets were great, then were terrible....and today--I have no clue.
Can anyone from the SW NH area suggest what they would choose for brands in this area? I realize that pellets change, and I won't hold anyone to any suggestion. Keene, Claremont or Newport is good for the point of delivery origin, or I could pick up half a ton at a time.
Now a specific question. I have a standard fireplace with a 9x9 tiled opening, it's in good condition and about 180 years newer than the farmhouse. In the past I've simply used a wood stove and used an adapter from the stove output to a round stovepipe, adapted the end with an appropriate piece and exhausted the wood stove up the chimney. Its worked well for many years.
Can I simply exhaust the Lopi the same way?
Below are my thoughts on what I perceive is a fast "end run" by the Saudis vis a vis the price of heating oil (and gasoline) this upcoming season... Feel free to ignore:
You’re apt to hear shortly (or maybe you have heard recently) that the price of oil will drop because the (kindly and sensitive) Arabs via their oil minister called for an increase of oil quotas (production) at the recent Vienna conference--just to make sure that the world had enough. He was soundly rebuffed by the other oil producing countries—and so, in fine form he announced that if others would not, Saudi Arabia would just have to bite the bullet produce more. (I'm surprised he didn't say: "for the children.")
What nice guys those Saudi fellows are—to produce more oil so the price stabilizes or possibly even drops some. This is what you are apt to hear or maybe even have heard (I don't have TV or listen to radio so I really don't know.
Here is the rest of the story:
A week before the conference Saudi Aramco quietly announced (to refineries) a reduction in the discount pricing for it’s medium and heavy grades of crude. You see, oil is sold on its grade relative to a certain type of oil and it is discounted relative to that price. I’m not sure but Saudi medium and heavy oil grades may be "discounted" related to the benchmark: Brent Light Crude.
So this is what happened. The Saudis essentially increased the price of much of their oil, but they don’t want to look like the bad guys, so at the recent oil conference they asked for an increase in OPEC quotas. Rebuffed (which is what they expected to hear)—the nice Saudi oil minister (with hidden glee) agreed that the burden to produce more oil would just have to fall upon the Saudis. (without whispering that the price is now higher and thus they are going to make quite a lot more money) and thus help the world out.
What they pulled off was a public relations coup. They look like the “good guys,†but since the price of most of their crude to refiners just went up significantly (even though the benchmark Brent Crude did not) guess what—yup, the price of gasoline, and heating oil will also go up—even if the benchmark crude doesn’t move a bit. The refiners must pass on the reduction in discount (= increase in price) and so the price of heating oil and gasoline will rise. (see jsminset.com for the original story)
Of course if Brent Crude dropped considerably, as might happen if we have another '08 type crash, yes, the price even for fuel oil or gasoline would drop. But this hidden Arab move is such a slick deal that I had to mention it—and now I expect the (dumb talking heads) media to glowingly put the Saudi’s in the “good guy limelight,†when in fact they aren’t. It's sort of like what is happening at the grocery stores, "oh, we haven't changed the price at all!" (No, but you just reduced the contents by 18%--do you think we are stupid?). We live in a time of perfectly legal but absolutely obscene dishonesty. (IMHO) It's all a twist on MOPE--Management of Perception Economics.
As a side note, I have never seen a summer when my point of view of what "could happen" is so volatile. I think it's possible to see oil drop to $40/barrel (due to another '08 type "crash"), and I believe possible for it to rise to $200/barrel. Perhaps caused by a small crash--followed by a "Oh well we just gotta do a QE3...QE4, or turmoil that affects the Middle East and/or the Suez Canal. There is so much volatility and wackiness in the world it never ceases to amaze me. I wonder...how long can one store wood pellets? (Is a decade too much?)
