Burning wood pellets in block arch?

[MapleLady]

I didn't accumulate as much firewood last spring as usual. I was wondering if anyone out there burns wood pellets in a block arch?

[sbedilion]

I didn't accumulate as much firewood last spring as usual. I was wondering if anyone out there burns wood pellets in a block arch?

Pallets are great. They burn realllly hot, but fast. You have to be careful though. Only burn pallets that are stamped "HT"....Heat Treated. I think all pallets have to be treated...most are chemical treated. Don't burn those.

[Benny8]

Pallets are great. They burn realllly hot, but fast. You have to be careful though. Only burn pallets that are stamped "HT"....Heat Treated. I think all pallets have to be treated...most are chemical treated. Don't burn those.
sbedilion-I think MapleLady meant Pellets as in pellet stove, or at least that's how it was spelled.

[sbedilion]

sbedilion-I think MapleLady meant Pellets as in pellet stove, or at least that's how it was spelled.


oops...hahaha

[MapleLady]

Yes. I meant pellets -- like the type used in a pellet stove. I have seen inserts for a fireplace and standard woodstove, but wondered if anyone had tried that with a block arch. My arch is insulated with firebrick and I am using 3 steam table pans on top. I have a sheet metal door on the front that is far from air tight, so I thought that those pellets might burn well in that scenario. Just thinking of a different way to handle fuel while boiling.

[fisheatingbagel]

I suspect you might go broke making syrup using wood pellets. Aren't they meant to burn long and slow? I don't think they would burn hot enough to boil sap

[MapleLady]

I too was wondering if they would burn hot enough to keep my pans boiling.... I suppose if it was a good source of fuel, a lot more people would be using it?

I am a bit low on my usual source of dried pine and hardwood mix and like to save my best wood for the house. Next summer, I will need to plan better.

[mellondome]

They will work fine. But you need a " burn pot" for them and a way to keep it full as they burn. There are full size evaporators being produced by the big mfg s that burn pellets. An auger with a supply and a cast "pot" with a blower in the bottom will get you started.

You will not be able to put a pile on the ground, light them , and expext them to burn hot.

[MapleLady]

A friend of mine gave me a full bag of pellets. I plan to create some type of burn pot and experiment with them later this week.

[Matt H]

A friend of mine gave me a full bag of pellets. I plan to create some type of burn pot and experiment with them later this week.

MapleLady, our house pellet stove had enough blower air flow directed at the burning pellets to tumble the pellets (and sometimes even blow them straight out of the burn pot!). The bottom of the burn pot was perforated small enough to keep pellets from falling through but allowed ash to fall into the ash pan below. On one occasion I tried to light them in a small pile on the ground...no go! If I remember right they needed air blown onto them to stay burning proper.
Matt