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How to Prepare Your Pellet Stove for Fall

August 18th, 2017 Pellet Stove Cleaning, Pellet Stoves, Wood Pellet Heating

When it was time to shut down your stove for the summer, did you take the time to do so properly? Probably the most important part of shutting down for the summer is removing all leftover residue and pellets. If you have moisture inside your stove, the leftover pellets will absorb it. This can cause rust to form, which could lead to costly damage.

If you didn’t shut down properly, or if your stove hasn’t had a thorough cleaning in some time – you should consider scheduling one before the heating season begins. A bonus of having a technician work on your stove clean-up is that he or she is able to check on all the stove parts that might need replacement or adjustment.

Aside from the standard ash removal and general maintenance, your wood pellet stove needs additional care not only for safety and preparedness, but also for efficiency. Pellet stoves work off of pressurized air, which is drawn from the exhaust – so pet hair, dander, dust and lint are constantly sucked in. If all the passages within your stove haven’t been cleaned out, or your exhaust hasn’t been cleared of debris – air cannot properly circulate.

Read >> The 5 Tools You Need to Clean Your Pellet Stove Properly

It’s definitely helpful to check your owner’s manual for more insight on this, and to learn more about your pellet stove overall. It’s packed with model-specific information regarding proper stove maintenance, best practices and warranty information – but it’s often overlooked.

Whether you’re taking care of your pellet stove cleaning yourself, or hiring a professional – here’s what the checklist should include for a thorough cleaning:

  • Check Unit for Visible Defects, Ash, Discoloring
  • Vacuum Inside of Unit
  • Remove Baffles – Clean and Reinstall
  • Clean and Inspect Heat Exchanger
  • Remove Access Doors/Panels – Vacuum and Reinstall
  • Clean and Inspect
    • Heat Exchanger
    • Burn Pot
    • Ignitor
    • Ash Pan
    • Convection Fan
    • Glass
    • Combustion Fan
    • Pressure Switch/Hose
    • Tee and Venting
  • Inspect
    • Gaskets
    • Electrical Wiring
    • Auger Motor(s)*
    • Venting Seals
  • Inspect Hopper for Pellet Quality and Excess Fines
  • Vacuum Back of Stove
  • Check and Lubricate Shaker Grate Cam*

 *May not be applicable on some stove models.

 

Farmers’ Almanac Releases Winter Weather 2017-18 Forecast

August 14th, 2017 Uncategorized

FarmersAlmanacThe Farmers’ Almanac is now in its 200th year, and is known for long-term weather forecasts generated by a mathematical and astronomical formula first used in 1818 by founder David Young. This long-standing formula uses sunspot activity, planet positioning, tidal action and a variety of other factors to work. The exact formula is carefully protected by the Farmers’ Almanac organization – known only by their weather prognosticator who goes by the pseudonym of “Caleb Weatherbee”.

Northeastern fans of snow and winter will be happy. For the 2017-18 winter, the new Farmers’ Almanac predicts a snowier-than-normal winter for Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and all of New England. This includes five significant east coast storms, which are forecasted to arrive January 20-23, February 4-7 & 16-19, and March 1-3 & 20-23.

To read more about the long-term forecast, you can order your copy here!

Study Shows Carbon Savings from Forest Residue-Based Power

July 24th, 2017 About Wood Pellets, Renewable Energy Public Policy, The Green Team, Wood Pellet Heating

A recent study commissioned by the Biomass Power Association (an organization representing 80 biomass power plants across the U.S.) compared the carbon intensity of a forest residue biomass power facility in New Hampshire to that of a combined cycle natural gas facility.

Dr. Madhu Khanna (of the University of Illinois Department of Agricultural/Consumer Economics) and Dr. Puneet Dwivedi (of the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources) found significant carbon benefits can be achieved through the use of organic residue based biomass instead of natural gas in power generation facilities.

The results showed immediate carbon savings of 115%, and 98% carbon savings over 100 years.

This “forest residue” is the leftover matter from harvesting wood fiber in a managed forest for paper mills and lumber mills. The leftovers include tops, limbs and other forestry byproducts are generated regardless of being used for power or just left to decay. If it’s not collected and used as biomass power, it will typically remain in the forest in slash piles – which are isolated piles burned safely in order to keep forests healthy. This kind of forest management is important, because unlike living trees that draw carbon from the atmosphere – dead tree leftovers release carbon into the atmosphere.

“The avoidance of carbon and methane emissions by removing from the forest and using materials that decay results in a significant GHG reduction over time. While the decay of these materials releases small amounts of methane consistently over time, the methane gas has a 21 times higher global warming impact on the climate than carbon dioxide. Even a small amount of avoided methane release can substantially increase the near term benefits of removing harvesting residues and using them for electricity generation instead of leaving them in the forest and continuing to burn natural gas for electricity.”

-Case Study: Carbon Intensity of Harvesting Residue-Based Electricity

The decay rate of forest biomass, the carbon/methane emissions that would have occurred if the organic leftovers stayed on the forest floor, and the incidental carbon emissions incurred during the harvesting/chipping/transportation process were all factors taken into account during the study.

Interested in learning more? Check out the full study, here.

Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Just Throw Out Water Damaged Wood Pellets

July 20th, 2017 About Wood Pellets, DIY Projects, Horse Bedding, The Green Team, WoodPellets.com
1 Comment

Woodpellets.comAs you probably know, wood pellets turn to sawdust when water is applied, because they absorb moisture immediately and return to the original state of clean wood fiber. Did you have some packaging damage that let in some snow or rain – and now you have leftover sawdust? Don’t throw it out, because you can put it to good use! Here are some of the ways wood pellets can come in handy – aside from heating.

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Home Brew Bottle Holder Made from a Wood Pallet

July 12th, 2017 Customer Feedback, DIY Projects, Wood Pallets, WoodPellets.com

We love how creative our customers are. Have you seen our recent blog showing off some of their ideas on how to reuse wood pallets? Check out this project submitted by Kevin, of Massachusetts:

Wood Pallet Bottle Holder

He explains, “I’ve been a home-brewer for more than 30 years.  We all have cases for 12 oz bottles, but not for the larger ones that come in a variety of shapes.  It was very labor intensive but worth it to make my own cases that hold 8 big bottles each.  These two stack on top of each other.  Each case will turn out a little different from the last because or the varying dimensions of the pallet wood.”

Do you have any pallet reuse projects you’d like to share? We invite you to post them to our Facebook community!

You Can Burn Wood Pellets in a Fire Pit Using This Invention

July 7th, 2017 The Green Team

Repose

It was early 2008 when Brian Grady, a professional sawyer from Maine, came up with the idea for reusable firewood. After months and months spent testing and researching, he created Fire Logs. The “logs” are handmade rectangular stainless steel baskets able to withstand temperatures up to 1400 degrees Fahrenheit – and designed to burn wood pellets.

Read more

Watch: Woodpellets.com Home Delivery

June 21st, 2017 Convenient Delivery, WoodPellets.com

We tagged along with Rob (one of our NH drivers) on a 1-ton Value delivery of Cleanfire Wood Bricks. You’ll see in the video below that the forklift is mounted on the back of the truck, which parks in the road. The driver lowers it down to the ground, uses it to remove the fuel from the truck, and then drives it up the driveway to place the pallet where he’s instructed.

The video below shows the entire delivery, and is a great example of a seamless experience. Knowing his wood bricks would be dropped off that morning, the home-owner moved his car out of the way to keep the path clear for Rob. At the time of ordering, he requested the pallet to be placed in the driveway, about 10 feet in front of the shed.

As you can see, the customer isn’t present for this driveway delivery. As long as your instructions are clear, and you let us know exactly where you’d like your fuel, our driver can handle it in most situations without your physical presence. Our driver will do everything possible to safely deliver your pallets where you want them. Of course, we have your contact information in case something comes up.

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Helpful Customer Ideas for Repurposing Wooden Pallets

June 9th, 2017 Convenient Delivery, DIY Projects, Wood Pallets, WoodPellets.com

Whether you order in increments of 50 wood pellet bags (1 ton) or 75 bags (1.5 tons) – they will be delivered on wooden pallets. Recently, we asked our customers to submit photos to our
Facebook page of how they reuse their pallets and wood pellet bags for a chance to win a free Woodpellets.com delivery voucher. Check out our favorites below!

Long Outdoor Table: Todd, a Woodpellets.com customer from New York, explained: “We needed a table for a get together. Rather than buying more wood, I used left over studs for the frame, and pallet wood around it.”

Woodpellets.com
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How to Prepare Your Pellet Stove for the Summer

June 1st, 2017 Pellet Stoves, Wood Pellet Heating, WoodPellets.com

Woodpellets.com Pellet Stove Best PracticesWhen the little stretches of warm days transition into consistent summer weather – you’re ready to let your pellet stove go on vacation. But, there are extra steps you should consider taking to protect your precious heating investment.

Turn off your stove and unplug it from the surge protector, or unplug the entire thing. Why do you need a surge protector? Most modern pellet stoves have a circuit board that can be damaged without protection from even small electrical surges caused by power outages. Be sure to check your manual for information on electrical recommendations.) Once you’re fully disconnected, make sure it’s completely cooled off before moving forward.

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