Spruce Pointe Pellets

[Steve76]

I just picked up a couple of bags.

When I dumped them into the hopper, I noticed a LOT of fines/dust.

Is this normal for softwood pellets and this brand?

This is the first bag of soft for me, as well as the first post. Been lurking for a while and find this place very informative.

If this is in the wrong forum, please move.

Thanks so much........Steve

 

[imacman]

Spruce Pointe pellets are one of the better ones you'll find....I WISH I could get them here.

As for the fines, ALL pellets have some degree of fines.

One tip about dumping the pellets into the stove: Cut the top off w/ a razor knife, hold the open ends closed w/ one hand, and turn bag upside down and lower to bottom of hopper before letting go of the end.....than slowly slide bag out. Makes MUCH less dust in the air.

BTW, welcome to the forum. I suggest putting your location in your name heading, and also your stove make ,model, & year made in your signature line.

 

[smalltown]

I noticed a local delaer has Spruce Points for $289 a ton. Pellets sue are creeping up. I am hoping spring will bring some price relief!

 

[imacman]

..... add smacking the bag around before i pull it up so the fines/dust get out of the bag. i havent had any issue with my stove with fines ( Yet)

I don't do that....leave any fines that stick to the bag in it. I gently roll the bag up from the bottom, fold in half, and put in garbage. Excess fines don't need to be put in the stove on purpose.
(yes,yes, I know, but my garbage company won't take them in recycling)

 

[imacman]

they have BTU value If the stove dont complain im not dealing with them

I understand the BTU thing, but that little amount of fines stuck to the plastic will have virtually NO effect on heat output. And as for the fines not bothering the stove, like you said, it hasn't happened....yet.

 

[jrogers999]

I have 5 tons of them. A lot of Fines and Dust. Small pellets. Burn really hot and clean.

 

[PoolGuyinCT]

yep, i know and read about fines issues but it would be dumb for me to go thru the work of sifting when i havent had a problem as of yet. but of course i will deal with them if a problem occurs

When you clean your quad, put shop vac on pellet chute from inside firebox, you will get a good blast of fines out the chute..
Fines have never jammed up my quad.

 

[PoolGuyinCT]

I'm going to put myself out there during this cold snap, It won't jam, no way Jose.

 

[djs_net]

I burned about 10 bags of Spruce Pointes earlier in the season, I liked them a lot. I did notice that the pellets are small and there were plenty of fines but my stove doesn't seem to mind. They burned hot and clean for me.

 

[Lousyweather]

well, the Spruce Pointes come from VERY far away, are screened at the plant, so its conceivable that all that shipping could cause the pellets to abrade one another, increasing the amount of fines that one would see at the plant (where the product is sampled to be tested). Add to that the extra handling unloading the railcar and storing at a reload, then reloading on a truck and unloading at a retailer, then maybe reloading for delivery to you, or, at a minimum in your own truck, the carrying them around.....yea...can see alot of potential for fines.

 

[jrogers999]

Alberta Canada I think it says on the bag.

 

[Lousyweather]

Alberta Canada I think it says on the bag.

so, what 2500 miles or so? Thats far.

 

[Steve76]

I just empties another bag into the hopper. I stopped short of emptying the entire bag. I sifted the last few pounds with my wife's colander (don't tell her). I wound up with a measuring cup of fines/dust. (again, don't tell her).

Because I have an insert, and it is SUCH a pleasure to get to the fines box, will I have a problem if the fines box gets packed and I don't clean it for a while? I'm still learning about pellet burning and the insert itself.

Whadayathink???

 

[CT Pellet]

Whadayathink???

What do I think????? I'll tell ya.
I think you are burning some of the best pellets available in one of the finest stoves you can get. The combination of the two is bulletproof and and as a result, your life Steve, well at least your "pellet burning world," is pretty effin good right now. I also think that I cannot wait until the day in MY life when I have time to grab my wife's colander and sift a moderately fined pellet for a stove that won't even appreciate your efforts because fines in a Harman is a non-issue. Take that Harman of yours, stuff her full of Pointes, and know that for both pellets and stoves, you could have done way, way worse. Burn baby, burn.

 

[imacman]

I just empties another bag into the hopper. I stopped short of emptying the entire bag. I sifted the last few pounds with my wife's colander (don't tell her). I wound up with a measuring cup of fines/dust. (again, don't tell her).

Because I have an insert, and it is SUCH a pleasure to get to the fines box, will I have a problem if the fines box gets packed and I don't clean it for a while? I'm still learning about pellet burning and the insert itself.

Whadayathink???

If you're concerned about having to pull the insert to get at the fines box, maybe make one of these vacuum pellet cleaner some of us made....$20-25 in parts and a small shop vac. Read through this thread:

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/i-made-my-own-pellet-vac-for-less-than-20-00-video.21107/

 

[Steve76]

Thanks for the responses.

I was just concerned that the stove would not perform properly with a full fines box.

 

[CT Pellet]

Thanks for the responses. I was just concerned that the stove would not perform properly

Relax Steve, your'e new at this. We were all nervous our first time too.

 

[Steve76]

Relax Steve, your'e new at this. We were all nervous our first time too.

OK I'll relax, but please be gentle......Call me.......