Sitting here cracking some walnuts and brazil nuts....wondering how well the shells will burn? Curious bout that....grind em up and auger em in??
Nut shells?
- Thread starter turbulator
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil. -
Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
- Status
mr coffee
Member
Hello
We also have a member that burns dried Acorn Shells. Now that is Free Heat!!
See
Anyone burning crushed acorn shells? Answer is Yes
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/75229/
We also have a member that burns dried Acorn Shells. Now that is Free Heat!!
See
Anyone burning crushed acorn shells? Answer is Yes
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/75229/
We started burning Hazellnut shells back in 92.
I get the shells from the local nut plant in the fall. Usually about 4-5 tons worth.
Haul the stuff home by the dump truck load and then barrel it up in various sizes of drums, from 55 gallon steel ones to 15 gallon cardboard ones, plastic garbage cans etc.
We currently have two whitfield stoves handling the daily chore of turning shells into ashes.
The downside (if you want to look at it that way) one needs a truck to haul the stuff, barrels to store it in and then it must be screened before going into the hopper to clear out any sticks or ???? stuff that can jam the auger.
The other caviat is the stuff makes about twice the ash of pellets and the pot needs to be given a "swish" with a long handle putty knife twice daily to clear the clinker.
The stuff ususally has a lotof broken nut meats too, this stuff gives off oils that although add to the heat output, will cause the impurities (dirt) to stick and form a clinker.
OK now for the good.
Cheap to heat with. I can heat our 2400Ft home for the entire season for under $200.
Probably in the $160 range.
Not all stoves will run the stuff either. The Quads with their large spring feed screw will not run it.
Almost any stove with a solid flight feed screw can burn the stuff. Just a little tweeking to get things into the sweet spot.
I have to add a "scatter bar" to the center of the fire pot, right under the drop tube to spread the shell pieces across the fire. Without this bar the shells tended to PILE up into a LUMP in the center.
The draft has to be tweeked a tad as doe the on/off cycle times.
The nut shells put out very good heat (more than pellets, read this as HOTTER burn)
The best part is that nobody is cutting down trees to get this stuff. Totally renewable every season and it is a waste product that has to be disposed of.
Here is a Piccy of the stuff in barrels and my VERY HIGH TECH screening device ;-)
Learned early on that screening is an absolute MUST DO
Another caviat is that the shells will not roll down the hopper wall, and with stove that have a shallow slope to the hopper the center area falls into the auger and this will leave a large amount of materials on the edges that will not fall in.
A hopper vibrator set on a timer so it rattles the thing every 30 minutes or so would work swell.
Jammed up an earthstove back in the early days and broke the auger drive coupler. Stick the size of my thumb stuck in the auger inlet port.
Yup Yup shells forever.
Snowy
I get the shells from the local nut plant in the fall. Usually about 4-5 tons worth.
Haul the stuff home by the dump truck load and then barrel it up in various sizes of drums, from 55 gallon steel ones to 15 gallon cardboard ones, plastic garbage cans etc.
We currently have two whitfield stoves handling the daily chore of turning shells into ashes.
The downside (if you want to look at it that way) one needs a truck to haul the stuff, barrels to store it in and then it must be screened before going into the hopper to clear out any sticks or ???? stuff that can jam the auger.
The other caviat is the stuff makes about twice the ash of pellets and the pot needs to be given a "swish" with a long handle putty knife twice daily to clear the clinker.
The stuff ususally has a lotof broken nut meats too, this stuff gives off oils that although add to the heat output, will cause the impurities (dirt) to stick and form a clinker.
OK now for the good.
Cheap to heat with. I can heat our 2400Ft home for the entire season for under $200.
Probably in the $160 range.
Not all stoves will run the stuff either. The Quads with their large spring feed screw will not run it.
Almost any stove with a solid flight feed screw can burn the stuff. Just a little tweeking to get things into the sweet spot.
I have to add a "scatter bar" to the center of the fire pot, right under the drop tube to spread the shell pieces across the fire. Without this bar the shells tended to PILE up into a LUMP in the center.
The draft has to be tweeked a tad as doe the on/off cycle times.
The nut shells put out very good heat (more than pellets, read this as HOTTER burn)
The best part is that nobody is cutting down trees to get this stuff. Totally renewable every season and it is a waste product that has to be disposed of.
Here is a Piccy of the stuff in barrels and my VERY HIGH TECH screening device ;-)
Learned early on that screening is an absolute MUST DO
Another caviat is that the shells will not roll down the hopper wall, and with stove that have a shallow slope to the hopper the center area falls into the auger and this will leave a large amount of materials on the edges that will not fall in.
A hopper vibrator set on a timer so it rattles the thing every 30 minutes or so would work swell.
Jammed up an earthstove back in the early days and broke the auger drive coupler. Stick the size of my thumb stuck in the auger inlet port.
Yup Yup shells forever.
Snowy
Attachments
- Status
Similar threads
