Pellet Dust

[Vector06]

This may sound like a dumb question but here goes. How many of you transfer your pellets to a pellet bucket or whatever to cut down on dust. I have noticed in several pictures that people have there pellets sitting next to there stoves. Is this more for show or is there a purpose to this?

 

[tsmith]

This may sound like a dumb question but here goes. How many of you transfer your pellets to a pellet bucket or whatever to cut down on dust. I have noticed in several pictures that people have there pellets sitting next to there stoves. Is this more for show or is there a purpose to this?

I do not do this but I believe some people do it to make filling the stove easier, not as heavy to lift into hopper. I pour the entire bag fines and all into the hopper, the stove will burn it up.

 

[john193]

I pour it in directly from the bag as well. I will slow it down as the bag nears empty and take a quick peek. If there are lots of fines I may be more gentle in trying to keep them down. In all reality it doesn't truly matter as the stove will just feed the fines through, so long as you keep up with routine maintenance. For example I vacuum my hopper about every 2 weeks.

 

[stevemartin]

I pour it directly from the bag as well.

 

[bostonfan49]

I fill a decorative can with a top from my pellet bags in the basement (holds about 35lbs) I'd love to say that it adds class but there is another reason......We have two Golden Retrievers.....end of story! Bill

 

[Enigma869]

With my Accentra insert, I would pour directly from the bag, into the hopper. With my P68, I figured out it was a MUCH tougher task. The top of the Accentra was cast iron and stayed cold (zero heat transfer on the top of the Accentra), so you could rest the bag on top of the stove without having to worry about the bag melting. I learned quickly that this simply wasn't an option with the P68. My P68 is also kitty cornered in my family room, which makes access to the hopper much more difficult. The top of the P68 is ridiculously hot, so the second a bag of pellets comes in contact with any part of the stove, it will melt, rip open, and you'll have pellets EVERYWHERE! I learned my lesson, and bought a decorative coal hod bucket. It wasn't cheap, but it looks great, and does the job. It also holds an entire bag of pellets, easily. I will say that I can't say that it really cuts down on any dust, because I just leave the bucket next to the stove and pour from the bag into the bucket. The only way it's going to cut down on dust is if you bring the bucket into your garage and make the transfer there.

 

[Lake Girl]

I screen my pellets before bringing them inside for three reasons: screens out the excess fines so your auger is less likely to gum up, keeps dust down inside the house, and no chance of melting the bag since our stove is a bit taller

 

[ebengel]

My stove is tall and it a problem for my wife and daughter to lift a bag that high, so I got a coal bucket which holds about 1/3 of a bag and keep it next to the stove for them to use when I am not home. The stove only holds ! bag so it works out great.

 

[stillersnut]

I bought a lg wire mesh filing basket from Target. Holds 1/2 bag, I shake it outside & pour in hopper. Although it takes a few trips to fill my 120 lb hopper, it's easier on my auger. Been doing this for 10 years & 2 stoves... Never had to replace an auger (knock on wood)!!

 

[zrtmatos]

I usually just empty the bag in my stove (it holds 40 lbs on a filling) and clean out the hopper every few weeks with the vacuum. No auger issues here yet either. Knock, knock, knock.
I do also have a semi-decorative round bin along side the stove that holds about 20-30 lbs for an easy top off for my wife.

 

[Bioburner]

What stove do you have? Some stoves are more prone to problems with fines building up. Had a Quad Santa Fe and the cork screw auger would not lift fines at all and would collect and have to be removed. Bottom feeders with good feed system is no problem. I have a top fed Ecoteck and the fines will blow all over the burn chamber making a mess. Pretty yes, wish would treat with some copper sulfate to make some pretty blue sparks.

 

[Boondoggie]

I transfer to a couple "coal buckets" before pouring into the stove. Because I have an insert, there's basically a mail-slot thru which to pour the pellets, and it's fairly impossible straight from the bag. The result is that I get a little pile of sawdust left behind in the bucket that I dump in the trash.

 

[jimfrompa]

This is my first year with a pellet stove so I am a bit cautious about fines. I scoop the pellets from the bag into my bucket. When I get down to the bottom of the bag, I sift the rest through a $1 colander I bought at The Dollar Tree - only takes a few extra minutes per bag and you wouldn't believe the fines and dust I eliminate. I have been told that the Mt Vernon can get an auger jam if the fines and dust build up.

 

[DneprDave]

I dump the bag right into the hopper. My feed auger laughs at fines!

Dave

 

[MarkSJohnson]

My feed auger laughs at fines!

That there is a fine sense of humor! ::groan::

 

[jfunk138]

I am somewhat cautious about dumping the last 5% of the bag in my Mount Vernon and try to avoid getting too much dust in there. My wife just dumps the whole thing in. After about 40 bags this season, I took the shop vac to the hopper. Spotted very little fines in the shop vac afterwards, maybe the equivalent of 1 bags worth.

For me it appears the Mount Vernon simply pushes them right through.

 

[LMPS]

I dump mine into a bucket. Main reason is you never really know what is in a pellet bag, most of the time just pellets and fines but I have found pieces of bark, just afraid that if I did not do this that I might miss something that could be a real problem for the stove.
Growing up my parents once found a piece of glass in a sauce jar....bottom line is things happen during manufacturing and you never know what could get into a bag of pellets. IMHO it is better to be safe than sorry.

 

[gfreek]

Sorry but a run my pellets through a vac/screening system, unless I'm in a hurry..then into short or tall yellow kitty, warm kitty,,,, litter buckets.. It significantly cuts down the dust when I pour them into the hopper and cleaning of the fines box..

 

[fmsm]

I generally fill the stoves in the morning and at night, when I open a bag I fill a bucket first to make it lighter and then top off the stove, my next fill I finish off the bag and then the bucket

 

[boo boo]

I sifted at first but now I dump from the bag

 

[fmsm]

I do want to build a bin to sift and fill the buckets, maybe even find an old trunk and use that with a scoop. That way I can be a mad mixologist and custom blend my pellets!

 

[jjk454ss]

I'd like to see exactly what you guys who do sift out the fines and/or dust are using. The Greenways I am using seem very dusty and I'd like an easy way to cut down on getting it in my stove.

 

[Madcodger]

For me it appears the Mount Vernon simply pushes them right through.

Yep - same here on my MVAE. If I can avoid them I do. If not, no problems after 4 years.

 

[Lake Girl]

I'd like to see exactly what you guys who do sift out the fines and/or dust are using. The Greenways I am using seem very dusty and I'd like an easy way to cut down on getting it in my stove.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/i-made-my-own-pellet-vac-for-less-than-20-00-video.21107/
post #14 has a diagram for build

I built my own and it works well

 

[bill3rail]

$20.00 Pellet Vac... into used bakery buckets (~20lbs ea.)
This reduces the dust in the house to keep clean fanatic wife happy.

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/i-made-my-own-pellet-vac-for-less-than-20-00-video.21107/
Same subject comes up at least 4 times per season.

Bill
On the right side of the shed.

Plans for above pellet vac.