Piping a wood stove thru wall of metal shop

[CBari]

I have been looking at these as an option for my house. I sell the pine pellets for horse bedding and the manufacture that makes those also make the hardwood pellets for the stoves. I have thought that they with the cost of the pellets if you didn't burn more than a bag a day that they would be extremely economical.

Thanks for the info.

My cost is about 2. 75 a bag on the hardwood pellets what do most of you have to give for them.

 

[BIGNASTY]

CBari



We pay on ave. $125. 00 to $130. 00 per ton but we buy 4 tons at a time from the lumber yard in town that makes the pellets. If you were to just buy 1 ton the cost would be more. They back up to my garage and have a belt that feeds then into the hopper that we built to store them in.



I dont want to start a fight with anybody but I see that your post said Hardwood Pellets. When we bought our stoves the salesman told us to use soft wood yellow pine they last longer and burn hotter than hardwood. (DONT ASK ME ) But I thought the guy was nuts because EVERYBODY KNOWS BETTER THAN THAT!!!!!!



When the house was complete we put fire to the stoves to make sure they were set up right didnt want to re-do in the cold time of year. We used Hardwood pellets. They worked and did a good job. When we ordered 4 tons of pellets from the lumber yard in town he asked hardwood or softwood. I looked kind of puzzled I guess. The salesmen said use softwood they burn better. So what the HAY ill give it a try. Sure as Hell they do last longer in the stove and they do burn hotter NOTICEABLY LONGER AND HOTTER. I dont know why because everyone knows that the hardwood burns better and not nearly the ash as hardwood.

 

[mwilson]

That is interesting, I don't think that softwood pellets are available here.



No doubt that they would burn much hotter, the fact they last longer is what puzzles me.



I would not burn softwood in the house stove for fear that I would melt a hole in the top of it.



I've seen guys burn softwood in a garage stove during the day, it will heat a shop much faster but you are right there to keep an eye on it.



The fire would not last the night either.



Now maybe softwood in pellet form is different, I am going to ask some questions about that.



At break I will bring the subject up and see what the local brains say about it... ...



Mike.

 

[BIGNASTY]

COPY



Are hardwood or softwood pellets better for my pellet stove?



Many people believe that because hardwood was always burned in woodstoves and fireplaces that it must be better. This isn't the case with fuel pellets. A softwood pellet will produce more BTUs (10-20%) per pound than most hardwood species and create a lighter ash. This is due to the slightly higher level of resins in most softwoods. Whether hardwood or softwood; once pelletized, there is negligible difference in the benefits of one over the other. Your greatest concern should be to purchase the best quality wood pellet from an ash content perspective in your area.







This might help MIKE

 

[CBari]

I know at times the plant that makes pine pellet horse bedding I buy from runs out of stock on the bedding due to a coulple of national accounts that they have buying lots more than usual because they selling it for pellet stoves also. It is usually 2-3 times more expensive than the hardwood pellets.

 

[BIGNASTY]

Well down your way southern yellow pine should be readily available shouldn't it. Again I was told that made the best high heat pellets.

 

[RolandJ]

i found all my piping. I was looking into pellet stove for my other garage and possibly in the house. they work good ?

 

[BIGNASTY]

Roland I wouldnt be without mine propane heat would be out of control cost wise electric is not ever an option. Good luck



BIG

 

[CBari]

They have shut down several of the plywood and paper mills down here it the last couple of years so the pellet manufacture who for years had used waste material had to but in a processing plant and start buying logs sent the price up somewhat, but yes the yellow pine is quite easy to get.

 

[mrtrombley]

According to my son, the main thing is low ash content pellets. His comment was "people do not understand that they are not wood stoves". Hard or soft wood pellets do not make much difference, although soft may possibly give slightly more heat.

Big, I wish I could get pellets here for the same price as you. I assume because you buy bulk that helps on the price. I buy a pallet of 50-40lb bags (one ton) for $245 to $255 per ton. I have to pick them up, bring home, and unload them myself. Just like doing wood! Keeps you warm year round!!

 

[BIGNASTY]

Well bulk does make a difference i'm sure and the cost of the bag and the person to run the bag machine and the one to stack the bags the one to load the bags on the truck. It all adds up.



More than any is that just about everyone has one for some kind of wood heat. I just looked at your local I'm sure that many use them their also. And I agree with you I LIKE THE WOOD. We also have a regular fireplace but its more ornamental than anything.

 

[CBari]

I think the pellets would be lots cheaper and easier than wood. A cord of wood around here delivered and stacked is $160. Even at $250 a ton on the pellets they would be a bargin. I will be adding one of these stoves to my shop and possible my house if I find one I like or should I saw the wife likes.

 

[BIGNASTY]

As for regular fire wood I have it brought in whole logs the last one was about 10 logs or de limbed trees 30ft long driver backs to spot and rolls them off and we did the cutting and splitting . Didnt have to get rid of all the brush and crud that I didnt want. We have fires outside in a fire ring when we have party's

 

[GHarman]

BIG, Ya got me looking at a fireplace insert pellet stove:-laf! I dont do much wood any more, 'cept for the shop. I would prefer to have a backup heat source with a battery backup drive, unit. We'll see how this transpires? Just lookin right now. Peak heating season is NOT the time to buy or stock up on fuel. GregH

 

[BIGNASTY]

That's was the plan for us Greg the back up was that we have a gen for power and heat from the stoves. Was talking to the wife about what one of the other posters said that he wishes that he could get the pellets as cheap as us. She reminded me that we bought them early in the season. And if you keep the dry they last. As with anything Greg supply and demand i'm sure you know what that is all about. But they are nice. We drink tea and you can put a pot of water on top and have always hot water and warm some of the blueberry cinnamon rolls that the wife makes.

 

[GHarman]

Makin me hungry

BIG, I am partial to Cowboy Coffee, Blueberry cobbler and ice cream:-laf! But I'd take cinnamon rolls: and drink tea and keep my mouth shut -laf:-laf:-laf:-laf' !

I do miss a wood stove in the house. My Grandparents and Uncles had wood ranges, in their kitchens, when I was a young feller. Lots of stories I could tell about good farm cookin'Oo.

Used to heat my old house with wood as well as propane. That wood stove saved my bacon one year when the propane company wanted 3X the cost to fill the tank as they did the previous year. Oh well! I told them they could drink the stuff 'cause I wasnt buying any, and get yer rig off my property That was back in 1989. The following year the price was not so outlandish as I switched suppliers (owned my own tank). The propane was handy but not an absolute necessity.

Now we have natural gas. The price does not fluctuate as wildly and is very handy.

I was also considering getting a backup generator. I would get one natural gas fueled. Loss of fuel supply? Its always a possibility. However, not normally due to a power outage. Far easier to maintain flow in buried fuel lines than transport fuel like propane or gasoline over the road and deliver it in an extreme storm. Barring apocalyptic conditions? In that scenario, theres no absolute guarantee! GregH

 

[BIGNASTY]

Greg I cant do much in the way of cooking I wont starve to death but sure would loose weight cause it wouldn't taste so good. Can cook up the meat but the others o well. But on the bright side I do make some mean Ice Cream to go with the cobbler now that I have fresh milk and cream. I asked the wife if she wanted to go old school for a stove when we moved to MT the look she gave me was enough of an answer. We went propane on the back up gen just because it's so cold and the diesel would have to be winterized and then changed because of age it just wasn't practical. We have a pretty good size tank and should last us the winter that way we can refill in the summer and hope it's cheaper then. About the only things that we use it for are cooking and hot water and that is in a tank less water heater that only burns it when it is on and the back up heat furnace that we hope we dont have to use. Its all about thinking the easy life of the city is great but they sure dont have the scenery and the fun close at hand and I cant smell the air like I could in CA. :-laf Ahhhhh caught her I think she let me . Told Jason to turn the antlers DOWN and said SURE BEATS WORKIN IN A FACTORY BOY!!!!!!!!!

 

[GHarman]

GOOD ONES, BIG! Was that a Tomahawk in her hand:-laf! Watch yer scalp, Bro!

Cant have a gas/propane tankless up here. They dont run very efficiently as they are derated (BTU output decrease) about 25% for altitude. GregH

 

[BIGNASTY]

Not much of a scalp left Greg. What altitude are you?

 

[GHarman]

BIG, Yep, I dont have one either:-laf. I prefer a shaved head, but Wife hates it when I take a straight razor to my brain housing group! Things get kinda "chilly" around here till it grows out!

We are at 9050' according to the TOPO maps. GregH