Tell us, here, about your wood pellet purchases over 2022 to 2023

I got enough pellets for the winter. I was fortunate to get some decent pellets at a good price considering. The store is out, but if they get more in. I have room for another 2 tons, unless I want to store some in the pole barn.

I should only need 3.5-4 tons depending on the weather. Propane is really expensive this year.

 

I do have some insulation in the attic but the thickness varies between R13 and R19. Also have ceiling tiles instead of sheet rock (about 1/8" thick and each tile is 12" x 12") . Adding insulation is problematic as it is a shallow roof, hip-style so cut up with bracing everywhere, and the attic access is in a 3x3 closet. No housewrap and walls are 2x4, so R13 was as much as I could put in when I tore out the walls summer of 2014 .

The 4-6 tons is Keeping the temp at 69-70*between two stoves with 650 sq/ft in the basement and 940 sq/ft on the main floor (13x24 under house garage is unheated). Until the summer of 2017, the basement floor and walls had absolutely nothing over them. I put in a raised floor system installed rigid foam along the cinder block walls. For roughly half the basement walls, I also installed reflectix over the foam then sheet rock, with a 1/2" gap between the two (the rest is still exposed rigid foam - I'll get to it I swear ). Winter of 2018/19 I used 299 bags, but that was a hard winter and the most I've used since I started keeping track winter of 2016/17.

I was using 200-300 gal/month of propane from November 2013 thru January 2014 wehn I put in the P61a (huge incentive to find an alternate heat source at $5.50/gal!). There is no heat run to the basement from the boiler, that was for the main floor only and thermostat set at 64* But propane doesn't compare well to oil gallon-wise as it is lower BTU output.

BUT - Until you get insulation in that attic, you are going to probably bleed more heat than I can possibly imagine!

It's really hard to compare houses and how they react to weather influences. Trees/shrubs in the right place, sun exposure, wind exposure, wind funnel effects, how warm you need your house, layout of house all contribute to differences. You could need every bit of 6 tons and it would be smart to plan for more than less. After all, you can use leftovers next year (or the next).

 

My saying is expect the worst, and I am never disappointed and sometimes even pleasantly surprised

 

Pellets Direct in Uxbridge is sold out of wood pellets.That's crazy.My local BBS is sold out.Glad I bought in the spring or I would be in panic mode.

 

We knew it was coming. Completely in uncharted territory here. Looks like we have 7 days to a Big pattern change, and the start of the heating season.

 

And the pellet stove dealers are running ad after ad after ad. I'm betting there will be a lot of frustrated new buyers later in the season.

 

Just got my two tons delivered yesterday from Robbins . It's not the brand I ordered, but at this point I guess I can't be choosy.

 

PD has been out for a month. All the pellet shops around here look similar, low (if any) inventory. One shop posted they were out of two products for the entire season...at the beginning of October. Home Depot in Auburn has 4 pallets on hand. The typical November cold weather is coming this weekend. Kinda concerned for the last minute buyers.

 

Haven't had time to even pull up this page since early August. non-stop pellet deliveries running two trucks at times - until there was no more stock! We are getting loads most every week and filling orders off of a waiting list. never had to do that before. limited pick skids for baggers as well.
Spent weekends building a 4000 sq ft building at the museum to house our engine collection purchase (as if i needed more things to do!) pic's when i have a chance.

 

Curious, what did you order and what did you get?

 

I ordered Matras back in July. I took Energex American Hardwood.

 

Big difference between the 2 but at least you got your winter stock...
Matras are very high btu but my compaint is the funneling... sticking to the sides of the hopper.
have to kinda stir them now and then...
have read some fixes for that problem but most are temporary..[as far as I know]..

 

I agree.They funnel like crazy.

 

I have the add on hopper on my P43, and never burned Matras before. Will the hopper lessen the funneling effect till it gets low?

 

I tried Matras in my stoves a couple of years ago (both have the hopper extensions). I don't remember any issues with funneling. I rarely let either hopper get much below 1/2 full, so that might be why.

My P61a did not like them. But, since insulating the basement and putting in the raised flooring, it hasn't liked any really hot burning pellets except a couple of hardwoods. Nothing to do with the pellets, everything to do with the circumstances (small space being heated causing short cycles so stove doesn't get really hot). The P43, which heats a bigger area and doesn't short-cycle, liked them just fine.

 

now that u mentioned it, it seems to happen when the hopper is down to less than half full...
my wife is home all the time so she knows to give them a push at least once a day.
lot of fines also but they burn same as the pellets plus i clean out my fines box every few weeks..
the Matras are hot enough that they allow me to lower my feed rate enough that it's worth it to go thru couple of hoops as mentioned. box store hardwoods we're a bigger chore with the crapload of ash they produced.

 

I never had an issue with Matras. They burned pretty clean, and until now, I didn't know funneling was a thing! I noticed on the Energex label that they use vegetable oil in processing. I don't recall seeing that on any other brand. Makes me think I'll be cleaning the glass more often this year. We'll see.

 

They have to be loosing a bunch at $277 a ton ....