Question about fines...
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Stovensen
Minister of Fire
In the beginning of this season I ran into some 8 mm pellets with too many fines... the feeding system simply quitted and the fire went out. I had to empty the hopper and vacuum the fines out of the hopper. Now, the fines never blocked the rotation of augerscrew, but the feeding system in my Whitfield Quest Plus is not able to transport saw dust, since it's based on the ancient Archimedes screw principle invented by Archimedes in Greece ca. 300 B.C. Photo below.
Pellet stoves with a horizontal auger, however, may be able to tranport the fines... I don't know. As far as I know the Harman stoves have a horizontal screw auger, so perhaps they can do the trick ;-)
The only "harm" the fines did to my stove was stopping the fuel feed (and eventually the fire)... they never blocked the rotation of the auger and I believe this is mainly due to a significant difference between the ancient screw on the photo and the one in my pellet stove... in order to transport water there's very little clearance between the screw and the cylinder.
For safety reasons and to avoid blocking there's a bigger clearance between screw and tube in the pellet stove. Also, the tube is not cylindrical but octogonal, thus creating some channels where stubborn/long pellets may be pushed aside on their way up to the chute.
Pellet stoves with a horizontal auger, however, may be able to tranport the fines... I don't know. As far as I know the Harman stoves have a horizontal screw auger, so perhaps they can do the trick ;-)
The only "harm" the fines did to my stove was stopping the fuel feed (and eventually the fire)... they never blocked the rotation of the auger and I believe this is mainly due to a significant difference between the ancient screw on the photo and the one in my pellet stove... in order to transport water there's very little clearance between the screw and the cylinder.
For safety reasons and to avoid blocking there's a bigger clearance between screw and tube in the pellet stove. Also, the tube is not cylindrical but octogonal, thus creating some channels where stubborn/long pellets may be pushed aside on their way up to the chute.
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Thanks for the reply Stove...just thinking feeding all the fines I've gotten from some pellet brands isn't good so I've been 'sifting' the bottom of some bags. Told my brother he could have them for his OUTSIDE fire pot and he laughed and said it was 'fuel' and he'd feed it to his stove! 
hh:
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hossthehermit
Minister of Fire
DobieMom said:
As Stovenson said, the only harm is likely to be auger plugs. Seems to vary with stove model, some are real sensitive. Not mine, and I've had some with a LOT of fines. You'll probably get some input soon from some of the Quad owners on here.
DobieMom, the auger on your Quad, is not a solid auger. It resembles more of a spring. I just dump everything from the bags in. When I do my bi-weekly cleaning (or monthly if u pefer), I normally let the stove run out, or close to running out. Shut stove down, get what pellets you can out with a cup, hand, etc. Then just vacuum out the entire hopper.you still have to worry about fines. Its just not a screw to cylinder clearance issue. Its a build-up issue. The fines will build-up and not allow the pellets to move up the auger. Especially if you have your fuel gate (rod) closed most of the way. Its not the most heavy duty system out there, but I have been burning AWF's that are on average 2", with a lot of them pushing 3" long. Eats them just fine. The somersets I've been burning, have about a hanful or better in each bag. Pic below is about a months worth.
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I had some bags that got real wet and then dried out, about 1/4 of the bags were pure sawdust, they fed through my Whitfield without a single problem. There is nowhere for them to go but up the auger and burn in the pot. The Harmans have a fines box and i'd be real careful dumping excess fines into my XXV, its bound to get clogged. I'd say it depends on the stove.
ironpony
Minister of Fire
I dump them right in
the Harmans have a fines box as stated above
I clean it out about every two weeks during routine cleaning
not to much in there usually
and they drop out far enough away from any moving parts
that they should never interfere with stove operation
unless really neglected
the Harmans have a fines box as stated above
I clean it out about every two weeks during routine cleaning
not to much in there usually
and they drop out far enough away from any moving parts
that they should never interfere with stove operation
unless really neglected
Ro3bert
Member
DobieMom
In the ten years I've been using our pellet stove I have only once noticed a problem with dust but never with fines (if I understand the difference). The only thing I did was make sure I separated the dust from the last couple of lbs of pellets. I thought that was enough and apparently it was as there was never a jam or loss of fire. That is not to say problems do not occur just that I've never had a problem.
Also, until just recently, have I vacuumed the hopper but when I did (just this year) the hopper had an awful lot of dust in it. If it hadn't been for this forum I'd probably gone sailing along never cleaning anything but the front end (burn pot, glass, etc.) and at the end of the season vacuum the exhaust pipe (horizontal, about 24 inches out from the outside wall).
Others have had no end of problems with all sorts of things going wrong but my Whitfield Quest Plus (freestanding) has never given me a problem, all the motors still run and there are no exotic noises or vibrations.
I do suggest you do a through cleaning at least once a year that includes removing motors and vacuum everything you can. I will be doing that for the first time this year. Oh, and some people suggest a complete cleaning after each ton burned.
In the ten years I've been using our pellet stove I have only once noticed a problem with dust but never with fines (if I understand the difference). The only thing I did was make sure I separated the dust from the last couple of lbs of pellets. I thought that was enough and apparently it was as there was never a jam or loss of fire. That is not to say problems do not occur just that I've never had a problem.
Also, until just recently, have I vacuumed the hopper but when I did (just this year) the hopper had an awful lot of dust in it. If it hadn't been for this forum I'd probably gone sailing along never cleaning anything but the front end (burn pot, glass, etc.) and at the end of the season vacuum the exhaust pipe (horizontal, about 24 inches out from the outside wall).
Others have had no end of problems with all sorts of things going wrong but my Whitfield Quest Plus (freestanding) has never given me a problem, all the motors still run and there are no exotic noises or vibrations.
I do suggest you do a through cleaning at least once a year that includes removing motors and vacuum everything you can. I will be doing that for the first time this year. Oh, and some people suggest a complete cleaning after each ton burned.
slls
Minister of Fire
I sift all mine, gives me something to do in the winter. When your fire gets smaller time to empty hopper and clean out the fines, they leave no room for pellets.
Burned almost 1 ton, never cleaned hopper. In your owners manual Quad recommends cleaning fines from hopper every so often.
Burned almost 1 ton, never cleaned hopper. In your owners manual Quad recommends cleaning fines from hopper every so often.
checkthisout
Feeling the Heat
Definitely true, fire will be much larger, when there is room for the pellets. Fines take up a lot of the space at the bottom. Doesn't take much time at all.slls said:
kofkorn
Feeling the Heat
The Englander PDV could care less. Normally when the stove runs out of pellets, there will be a bunch of fines built up on the little slider door. I just slide them into the auger and turn the stove back on. Never had a problem with them and never did anything but dump the full bags right into the hopper.
Thanks to all for your input...I'll just keep saving the fines for my brother and let him do with them as he wishes but I'm NOT feeding them to my Quad oh...and I do vac the hopper when pellets get low or I see buildup starting on the sides so your comments/pics are all very useful to me 
Thanks!
Thanks!By the time I carry a bag o pellets from the garage to the basement most of the fines seem to have worked to the bottom of the bag. Then, when I pour the pellets into the hopper, the fines fall on top of the pellets and disperse through the pellets. THis means my stove doesn't get a lot of fines all at once. As a result, I haven't had any issues with 'fines'. Now, peanut shells - that's a different story!
RonB
RonB
nailed_nailer
Minister of Fire
My Enviro burns anything I can put into it.
I just dump the whole bag. I never give a care about dust/fines.
About the only thing I notice is the fines give me a flying spark in the firebox.
I guess it depends on which stove model you have weather it becomes an issue.
---Nailer---
I just dump the whole bag. I never give a care about dust/fines.
About the only thing I notice is the fines give me a flying spark in the firebox.
I guess it depends on which stove model you have weather it becomes an issue.
---Nailer---
krooser
Minister of Fire
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