Significant difference in heat output with different pellets

[BackDoc]

I am sure this has been discussed but I thought I would just make an observation about different pellets. I have an old beater Englander in my basement that I got for next to nothing and it has served me well last winter and this winter. Last night I switched from Turman hardwood pellets to Ultra brand soft/pine pellets. The stove was clean and functioning properly. With the Turmans I was running the Englander at 1/9 and would wake up to the house at 70 degrees with the outside temp in the 20's. Woke up this morning to the house at 67 degrees with the same outside temp. I can stand in front of the stove and feel a noticeable
difference in output temp. I am going back to the Turmans.

 

[Pete Zahria]

You won't find many people claiming that a hardwood pellet is hotter than a pine..
If you are on setting #1, I would bet that if you played with your air setting, you find that to be true.
I have an Englander in my shop, and burn softwood only..
The hardwood/hardwood blends that I tried just did not have the same performance..
And they do not in my Harman.

Dan

 

[chasf80]

I have the same thing with my Englander. I've tried most all pellets (hard and softwood) that are available around my home and Turmans are the only one that will blow me out of the house with heat..
I've come to the conclusion that they are smaller in length then all I've tried and more feed into the tube with each rotation of the auger.
Settings: 1/6 and or 2/7 - 4/6/1 with single digit temps, other wise 1/6 - 3/6/1.. All on Setting D.

I've even burned more oil this year because this winter hasn't been too cold more me and the house just gets to hot (78-82f) on days that aren't that cold.

 

[BackDoc]

You won't find many people claiming that a hardwood pellet is hotter than a pine..
If you are on setting #1, I would bet that if you played with your air setting, you find that to be true.
I have an Englander in my shop, and burn softwood only..
The hardwood/hardwood blends that I tried just did not have the same performance..
And they do not in my Harman.

Dan

I was told by Ssyko that the air settings don't matter when running on 1 or 2. All I know is that the Turmans burn hotter than the Ultras.

 

[Tonyray]

I burn EZBlaze super softwoods and I get around 474 degrees at the distribution blower vents [accounting for some temp coming off the metal of course].. grabbed a few bags of Green Supremes appalachian hardwoods from HD just for the heck of it..
the GS was 410-420 degrees at identical settings with lots more fluffy ash. my observation. Good heat but,
I pay same price at my dealers in the spring buy for the Blaze as the GS cost me at HD so no bargain there..

 

[BackDoc]

I burn EZBlaze super softwoods and I get around 474 degrees at the distribution blower vents [accounting for some temp coming off the metal of course].. grabbed a few bags of Green Supremes appalachian hardwoods from HD just for the heck of it..
the GS was 410-420 degrees at identical settings with lots more fluffy ash. my observation. Good heat but,
I pay same price at my dealers in the spring buy for the Blaze as the GS cost me at HD so no bargain there..

I am going to check them temperature at the vents and see what I can get with each type. I have one bag of Ultras left.

 

[Tonyray]

I am going to check them temperature at the vents and see what I can get with each type. I have one bag of Ultras left.

I used the ryobi lazer temperature thingie from HD.but prob can use any kind of probe or maybe even a meat thermometer..lol..wasn't too concerned about Exact accuracy as I was the temperature difference between pellets.
50 degrees difference is 50 degrees regardless of how accurate the temp or where u measure if you know what I mean. [assuming your burning settings and conditions are the same] for pellets you are comparing and u measure in same exact spot.

 

[Ssyko]

I was told by Ssyko that the air settings don't matter when running on 1 or 2. All I know is that the Turmans burn hotter than the Ultras.

Lol what i said was the bottom 3 number only effect the heat settings 1&2

 

[BackDoc]

Lol what i said was the bottom 3 number only effect the heat settings 1&2

So I basically got it backward. I am on factory settings on the bottom numbers.

 

[BackDoc]

Ssyko, what do you recommend for the bottom numbers when I am running 1/9?

 

[tlc1976]

You won't find many people claiming that a hardwood pellet is hotter than a pine..
If you are on setting #1, I would bet that if you played with your air setting, you find that to be true.
I have an Englander in my shop, and burn softwood only..
The hardwood/hardwood blends that I tried just did not have the same performance..
And they do not in my Harman.

Dan

I found that in my stove, Kirtland pellets (hardwood/softwood blend) won't burn near as hot as Pro Pellets (full hardwood) on any same heat setting. Big difference in the air coming off the convection blower.

I don't think I've ever seen a full softwood pellet for sale around here.

 

[BackDoc]

I found that in my stove, Kirtland pellets (hardwood/softwood blend) won't burn near as hot as Pro Pellets (full hardwood) on any same heat setting. Big difference in the air coming off the convection blower.

I don't think I've ever seen a full softwood pellet for sale around here.

So many variations in pellets regionally.

 

[Ssyko]

Ssyko, what do you recommend for the bottom numbers when I am running 1/9?

When i had mine i ran it in my office/workshop about 250sf at heat range 1 fan 7 bottom 3 at 2-4-1

 

[Pete Zahria]

I was told by Ssyko that the air settings don't matter when running on 1 or 2.

I can't agree with that....

Dan

 

[Pete Zahria]

I don't think I've ever seen a full softwood pellet for sale around here.

Yeah... different regions, certainly have different materials/brands available.
A lot of places around here do not even carry hardwoods.. Little demand.

Dan.

 

[BackDoc]

I can't agree with that....

Dan

See above comments. It only matters on settings 1 and 2. I had it backwards.

 

[Mt Bob]

Stoves,such as Hamans,that have an exhaust temp sensor,I really cannot see how you could see a huge difference in the heat output,the sensor and programming constantly changes,to keep the stove running optimally.My old Integra,hates cheep/dirty pellets,low heat,clogs stove.This year seems to be a bumper year of cheep/dirty pellets,on the east coast.

 

[Nitro-Fish]

I always return to the Turman's, I have to set the temp dial down about two degrees on the Harman when I come back to the Turman's from anything else and still get the same heat. On my Englander same story, all else being the same I can run the Englander at 1 & 5 and get plenty of heat with the bottom 3 on 3-4-1; when using anything else I either have to change the bottom 3 or move up on the feed rate (usually a 2 or 3 for the left button & keep 5-6 on the left, using anything but Turman's always results in more pellet use with the Englander. I will also add that for (my area at least) the Turman's are always the cleaner burning pellets (in both stoves) too.

 

[Mt Bob]

I always return to the Turman's, I have to set the temp dial down about two degrees on the Harman when I come back to the Turman's from anything else and still get the same heat. On my Englander same story, all else being the same I can run the Englander at 1 & 5 and get plenty of heat with the bottom 3 on 3-4-1; when using anything else I either have to change the bottom 3 or move up on the feed rate (usually a 2 or 3 for the left button & keep 5-6 on the left, using anything but Turman's always results in more pellet use with the Englander. I will also add that for (my area at least) the Turman's are always the cleaner burning pellets (in both stoves) too.

Ya,do not own a england stove.Do not have "Turmans" here.We get a small selection of pellet providers.Over the years,Ligs are reliable,but got bad ones before,last 3 years,north idaho pellets have been good.You people back east get so many different kinds,LOL.

 

[Pete Zahria]

See above comments. It only matters on settings 1 and 2. I had it backwards.

Yeah... I should go down the "new" comments, first....