Funneling suggestions

Doesn't sanding ruin the finish of the hopper walls and it becomes a new maintenance issue? I would remove the resin gunk and spray graphite. If the hopper didn't get so damm hot, it wouldn't be a problem but it isn't the case here
I haven't burn pine pellets in awhile now

 

Same here ivanhoe , not for awhile - last time was test burning AWF white pine pellets, and let bags 2-5 sit open for a few days b4 roasting, after bag 1 funneled the hopper - that helped some,

and also tried mixing in about a cup of (spruce/pine) fine sawdust (aka: wood flour) from bags previously vacuumed w/ the pellet canister vac here.. that helped more - and actually worked pretty good (JT's suggestion),
* but seeing as we only burn about 1/5 the total amount of pellets that LB does in a season - that may not be realistic "fix" for him.

 

So far, on both of mine.... no.

Dan

 

I get funneling with easyblaze super premium soft Woods. But,they seem to drop down after a while or you can fondle them a little bit before you go to bed

 

Different stove=different hopper material=different approach=different results

 

Zactly.

 

Simple orange to clean the gunk. Then ptfe dry lubricant helped me out.

 

I am away from the stove at least 15 hours a day so I do not have the option of carefully tending to the massaging of the pellets in the hopper. It is a matter of training the Mrs. to adding more pellet to the hopper that I am dealing with so that is the task at hand.
Dan if you do not get to Oxford let me know I would happily bring you up some bags to test it out and see if it is in your interest to burn / purchase the Matra's for future sale / use of these pellets. They (Robbins Pellets ) May not have any as they were the only pellet going out at a rapid rate while I was there .

Hope all are well and warm.

 

Goo Gone is good too but I find it to smell volatile

 

Sniff that long enough ivanhoe .. and you won't care about the pellets funneling. * Works great on removing Vinyl sticker adhesive off vehicles though.

 

Thank you for the generous offer...

Dan

 

Luney just a random thought here. If you don’t already have one on your stove(s) the hopper extension could help you immensely. Not just with the funneling, but in general - considering how much you burn through? bogieb may be able to chime in with real work experience, since she has the hopper extension.

 

I really don't experience funneling when I keep the hoppers full. I think I've seen it only once or twice on the P61a when I let levels get low - but then I rarely burn pure softies either. Blends and hardwoods don't have a problem with funneling.

 

How much time / pellet quantity does the hopper extension buy you? Would you recommend for help with Luney’s situation (regardless of funneling experience)?

 

I think the extension for the harman is 30 lb?

 

The hopper for the P61 is something like another 40 lbs. The one for the P43 is a little smaller at about 30 lbs (I think). I think having the extension would probably help - and it is nice that I never have to worry about running out of pellets no matter how hard they run (as long as I check once per day in the really cold times). I use a two step ladder to fill the P61a hopper and a 1-step ladder to fill the P43 (just to relieve stress on the old shoulder joints).

Adding an extension would certainly take away any issues of being away for 15+ hours a day. That is the main reason I got the P43 to replace the Hastings - on a regular basis it was either on the last couple of pellets, or had run out by the time I got home (13-15 hours later). And that was with the P61a running downstairs. I believe Luneyburg said his house is big and drafty, so an extension would certainly help him.

 

TLDR, sometimes "funneling" we call ratholing.......thats when MOST of the pellets stay in the bin due to excessive fines.......you get up in the morning, the house is cold, your significant other is questioning why he/she ever married you (probably pretty common for most of you anyhow), so, you go over to your stove, open the hopper, see nearly a full hopper, except for a hole in the center....ratholing....lots of fines.....

 

My Accentra loves to be fondled,and that is with graphite and quality pellets,very little fines.My Integra,not so much.Years ago,a neighbors stove(cannot remember what brand,and they have moved away),said the problem in his stove was so bad,he built a device,connected to the auger/motor assembly,and once a revolution it would hammer the hopper,lol.I remember it being quite loud.

 

That right there is desperation!