I had posted my results of burning different pellets including Geneva , but I want to expand on it because I am thinking I must have had some mis-handled bags earlier . The last bags I have in the hopper now are really really impressing me . They are putting out some serious heat , burning cleaner than anything i have tried up to date . This leads me to another question ,If I am correct and feel free to correct me the feed rate is dependent on the heat output and regulated as such. If you get a greater heat output from a better pellet you will actually burn less pellets to achieve the desired overall heat . Am I correct this is just based off of me chilling after a crazy day at work in front of the stove watching whats going on . Now if I am remotely correct when you pay a higher price for a super quality pellet you are actually getting better returns and may not be actually paying a much higher premium for the better pellets when it comes to BTU Output ? Am seriously impressed with these Geneva pellets ! Thanks !
Did you Just clean your stove? A nice clean stove will burn Better with more heat output than a dirty one.
Usually clean my stove everyday but did a good cleaning over the weekend. Really think this load is a choice pellet as its taking a heck of a lot less pellets to crank out the heat of the others .
You are correct to a point. Most really hot/low ash pellets are in the $300 range or in some cases a lot more where a good average pellet will be $30,$40,$50 a ton less. In most instances, the $/BTU favors the less expensive pellet. Another addictive aspect of burning pellets is finding the best pellet for the lowest price. I'm not aware of any others on this site along the Rt. 2 corridor to help keep you informed of prices, but you'll notice that people are always posting prices on this sight to help other out. A tip for you: if you find a great bargain, buy your fill before you post it. There's a lot of hoarders on here that will swoop in and buy them out from under you. Keep an eye on craigslist as well. Pellets show up on there occasionally as well.
In theory yes, but in practice it is rare that you will find a pellet that puts out "enough" more heat that it will be noticeable in this regard. Rare, but not impossible. In general, the level of ash output will be more noticeable to you than the level of heat output will. When you burn a higher quality pellet, you are getting better returns, but higher price does not mean higher quality pellet. In my experience, price and quality are not directly related, and you don't have to go overboard with spending to get a good product. For example, you can buy two brands for the exact same price and one will be great and the other awful. It's trial and error until you find what works for you. You just have to shop around. Keep your eyes peeled, and be on the lookout for deals when they come along. Many great deals are posted here when they do show up. Great to hear you found a pellet you and your stove like a lot!
Great responses by all and taken into consideration. I definitely am able to feel the difference in heat output as I have not been burning pellets that long but have burned just about every kind of wood out there and know almost all of them . Been burning wood for many years and not boasting but I know wood and its output as far as heat. With all the listed pellets that I have burned I bet I could accurately rate their heat output in relation to each pretty darn close(without a thermo), but with these Geneva's it was so extreme that it blew me away . I also understand your theory on loss / gain when it comes to pricing of pellets vs BTU and the overall weighing between the two . Thanks again on all the information ! A question I still have is whether or not I am correct on the stove itself and how it works. Does it in fact sense the amount of heat thus determining how many pellets are fed into the stove and what rate they are fed at ? It would seem so but I am not sure, or does it in fact adjust the feed rate based upon what number you choose to set the stove on ? In my case it has a dial numbered from 1-10 that you can adjust . Let me expand further on what I have observed while sitting in front of the stove with some of Kentucky's finest Bourbon in hand while disolving the days insane amount of stress one pellet at a time ! If in fact the feed rate is adjusted by the tempature in the firebox a greater quality pellet will take less of them to produce the same amount of heat as a lesser quality pellet. It seemed that the feed rate dropped dramatically with the hopper of Geneva's yet the temp was still higher than what I was getting with the lower grade pellets. In addtion to the Geneva's burning a longer duration before the stove fed more pellets. Could be tripping but seems what I observerd . Thanks again
Some stoves, Harman's for example, when run in one mode will actually sense the room temp and adjust the pellet feed to maintain the set temp. Stoves connected to a thermostat will do the same. Other stoves will feed at a set rate determined by the setting on the dial. You will find that when burning higher BTU pellets that the fire will be smaller than that of a lower BTU pellet.
Yes - in general, the more material there is in the burn pot, the hotter the air will be at the Heat Exchange exit. * Key to this is the correct ratio of air / fuel - when your air is dialed-in to the brand of pellet you are roasting, and the pellet is of good quality, your stove will just burn well. Exactly - what ttdberg and subsailor are saying above. Seems like you found a nice pellet there, that your stove likes. Congrats!
It depends on the stove (tip - if you put the stove you use in your signature, everyone will be able to see what you use, so will know how to answer any questions you pose). My Harman's drop pellets at the set feed rate to reach the temp requested (either by thermostat or room temp probe), then slows the feed rate down until it is sure it can turn itself off. If I run a Harman in Room temp / manual then once the desired temp is reached, then the stove will adjust the pellet feed rate to maintain the room temp - the set feed rate is a max it is allowed to use, but not a min. If I run it in another mode, it will steadily feed pellets at the rate I set. So, it all depends on the mode that I run the stove in. The late Hastings also had a couple of different modes that depending on which I chose, would determine how it fed pellets.
TL;DR, but also, keep in mind a dirty stove will negate any marginal (and maybe not so marginal) differences between a great pellet and an OK pellet. If its really dirty, that extra heat is simply going out the exhaust. As for Geneva, glad you like them. I cant say I agree with you on their quality, in the good-better-best area, they are a high good to low better (my opinion).....but if the price is right, hey, good for you! Happy burning!
Thanks bogieb appreciate your input , as far as adding my stove to my signature I will do that. Had reservations as it is a cheap stove being my first stove but actually not even that as I am not afraid to spend the money for quality . It is just that I opted to spend the extra money that would have gone towards a expensive stove towards replacing my roof. (in horrible shape cant figure out how it is not leaking )I am going to hire someone to do it as opposed to doing it myself , that's the plan lets see if I can consed to allowing someone else to do the work . This stove (Pelpro PP130)runs either High / Low or comfort settings in between based off of room temperature. Quite frankly I am very happy and have had zero problems with it and it is getting a workout because in order to heat my house it runs full bore all the time. Thanks again !
Thanks LW I have noted this and I clean my Stove daily sometimes even give the burnpot a quick cleaning 3:30 am before work added it to my daily ritual . Did not pull the trigger on a ton still seems expensive but may do so as they are less than 3 miles from the house and the quality was just outstanding .
Geneva's aren't bad but boy, do they ever leave some stubborn carbon deposits in the burnpot. Normally, a couple of swipes at a carbon deposit with a Pittsburgh scraper takes deposits right off but these deposits have some staying power. It's still much less work than dealing with a wood stove so I'm not complaining.
