Question for the pellet pros

  • 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.
Status
Not open for further replies.

Lineman30

Feeling the Heat
Jul 9, 2010
333
Northeastern Oklahoma
I was wondering if pellet manufactors produce non premium pellets and bag them in there own brand bags? Why, I ask is I purchased a couple of tons of pellets thinking they would be premium but after beginning to unload I noticed that there was no analysis profile but the bag is almost identical but missing "premium hardwood fuel". The bag does say they are a member of the PFI and I do know that because I have burned this brand for 3 seasons. I do have 12 bags from last year which are premium grade. I did open a bag and they look identical from the premium from last year. I bought these because they were a great price of $169 a ton but I was wondering from you pellet pros what would make them non premium and do you think that they will be alright?
 
The only thing I can think is that the company no longer wanted to be part of the PFI due to the fact that the PFI standard is crap. So my guess the pellets are fine but they can't legally put "Premium" on the bag with out the PFI logo. The only way to tell is have them tested or watch how they burn maybe even give the company a call and ask about it.
 
Meneillys Woodland Products said:
The only thing I can think is that the company no longer wanted to be part of the PFI due to the fact that the PFI standard is crap. So my guess the pellets are fine but they can't legally put "Premium" on the bag with out the PFI logo........

The OP stated that the PFI logo WAS on the bags. It is also shown on the bottom left corner of the company's website:

www.ozarkhardwoodproducts.com
 
imacman said:
Meneillys Woodland Products said:
The only thing I can think is that the company no longer wanted to be part of the PFI due to the fact that the PFI standard is crap. So my guess the pellets are fine but they can't legally put "Premium" on the bag with out the PFI logo........

The OP stated that the PFI logo WAS on the bags. It is also shown on the bottom left corner of the company's website:

www.ozarkhardwoodproducts.com

Foot in mouth. Guess I should reread things. Well I have no clue why "Premium" would be missing then. Maybe a call to the company to check it out. Thanks imacman!
 
They may have the New PFI label on them. If so the label states the pellet grade.

Post a picture of the bag and a close up of the label if you can. Might be good info for other members???
 
I forgot to mention that these pellets are last year models. The date on the bag is 10-21-09 and on the 12 bags of premium from last year it is 5-18-09. Just maybe they changed their bag starting the busy season but calling should get me some type of answer. There are some selling OHP around here might check out the bags and see what they say.
 
Here are the pictures of the bags. The one on the left is the one that has no premium statement and no analysis. One on right is from last year and has premium statement and PFI analysis. Once again the one on left has a date of 10-21-09 and rights date is 05-18-09.
 

Attachments

  • photo.jpg
    photo.jpg
    49.5 KB · Views: 348
  • photo1.jpg
    photo1.jpg
    49.7 KB · Views: 355
PFI old specs see here: http://pelletheat.org/pdfs/QA_QCprogramREVISED.pdf

look on page 4

Product Labeling
Information that will allow purchasers to make informed decisions must be provided on each bag
of fuel. This information should be provided in a consistent, standardized format. See Appendix
E for an example showing the use of a bar scale to represent the mean value ± 2 Std. Dev.
1. It is required to print the mean higher heating value in BTU per pound as well as the ash
content in % on the fuel bag label using a bar scale to represent the mean value ± 2 Std. Dev.
2. The bag must be labeled indicating which PFI grade of material is in the bag.
3. The bag label must also disclose the type of materials as well as all additives used. For this
purpose, additives are defined in 3.1.10 of the PFI Standard Specification for
Residential/Commercial Densified Fuel.
4. It is required that manufacturers include on their bags the PFI logo and in a printed block the
guaranteed analysis of the fuel.

If you go to the PFI site and look there is no set standards just yet. I think this is because there still in limbo Check and read this:

http://pelletheat.org/pfi-standards/what-are-the-pfi-standards/

So until the standards are defined we may see more quetionable bags like this. I will try to contact Ozark and ask why they haven't defined what grade there pellets are on the bag. But I would think they haven't changed there process and are holding a premium spec. I will forward there reply here, If I get one.
 
Here is a little more reading on the new pfi standards and why there changing them. Also the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now getting involved so don't expect any great speed here! This could get ugly even!

http://www.canadianbiomassmagazine.ca/content/view/1669/63/

The new burning technology in today’s stoves and inserts requires a very specific quality of pellet. Because of the inconsistencies found in pellet production, the industry has been looking to develop an updated standard that will meet the needs of consumers heating with pellet stoves.

The original standards defined criteria for premium and standard grade pellets and were quickly adopted by industry, PFI members and non-members alike. However, recent technology has made it apparent that the original standards lacked key components. The grades were too broad, test methods were not defined, and specified quality control or quality assurance practices and means of enforcement were lacking.
 
Hey great info but what doesn't make sense is the date that has 5-18-09 is a premium and the one with 10-21-09 has no indication of premium. Thats a difference of 4 months of them getting bagged so what changed? So when did these changes begin to occur?
Like you said they probably haven't changed their process and I probably got the same pellet as in the 5-18-09 bags but it makes me wonder.
 
Lineman30 said:
Hey great info but what doesn't make sense is the date that has 5-18-09 is a premium and the one with 10-21-09 has no indication of premium. Thats a difference of 4 months of them getting bagged so what changed? So when did these changes begin to occur?
Like you said they probably haven't changed their process and I probably got the same pellet as in the 5-18-09 bags but it makes me wonder.

The new standards defined in PFI Standard Specifications for Residential/Commercial Densified Fuel were approved by membership vote in July 2008, and implementation began in February 2009.

Sounds like the 5-15-09 bags were the end of the 09 heating season and 10-21-09 might be part of the new run of bags. The 2 bags I tested last season did not have a date and were the same as your 5-18-09 bags. I will dig up my bags an look again but I didn't see any date on them anywhere.

Where was the date on your bags???
 
It is in the upper right hand corner. Right under where the seam is. Hope you didn't rip it to far below that.
 
There wasn't a printed date on my bags anywhere at all. I assume they must be earlier than your dated bags? But they do have the meets premium statement.
 

Attachments

  • OHP bag 1a.jpg
    OHP bag 1a.jpg
    87.3 KB · Views: 316
Yea, your bag is a older one. I've burned OHP for 3 seasons and I really don't have a complaint and in my opinion they are a good pellet. Like you said earlier, about I might be a run of pellets toward the end of season or beginning of season or even the standards that began on feb 09. All those could be possible. If I get a chance I'm going to make a call just for peace of mind but I'm pretty sure I didn't get a lemon.
 
I have had a chance to burn some here and there. Like you somewhere around 3 years or so. Problem is they are kind of pricey around me and I usually find a similar or better quality pellet for about the same amount. But I will burn them when I get them for a decent price. Last years batch had a tad more ash than some previous years though. Definetly have decent heat year after year!
 
Here is an update I just received

No the product is the same the Pellet Fuels Institute is going through changes in the Standards on pellets.  We thought we remove the information until they put all of their (PFI) facts together so it was not to confuse the consumer well guess what it did and I am sorry.
 
The product is the same and we are now back to putting the PFI logo and information on the bag.
 
Again sorry for the confusion and happy burning…when it gets cold.
 
Scott Jacobs
Ozark Hardwood Products
Phone: 417-241-0477
www.ozarkhardwoodproducts.com
 
Status
Not open for further replies.