Wood Pellet Fuel
Pellets made from agricultural waste contain more ash, but they may produce more
heat than pellets made from wood.
The Pellet Fuels Institute (PFI) maintains National Residential Pellet Fuel Standards,
although fuel quality certification is the responsibility of the pellet manufacturer.
Under the standards, there are two pellet fuel grades: premium and standard. The
only difference between grades is in the inorganic ash content: premium should be
less than 1%, and standard less than 3%. Premium is usually made of core wood (not
bark).
You can check pellet fuel quality by inspecting the bag for excessive dirt and dust. (Dirt
can form clinkers in the stove.) There should be less than one half of a cup of dust at
the bottom of a 40 pound (18 kg) bag.
Pellet stoves designed for low-ash (typically top-fed stoves) tend to operate poorly
when used with pellets of a higher ash content. Many pellet appliance manufacturers
are redesigning their products to burn pellets with varying ash contents.
Although pellet fuel availability is increasing, you should be sure there is a reliable
pellet fuel supplier in your area before purchasing a pellet stove.
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Wood pellet fuel is made from
sawdust and ground wood chips,
which are waste materials from
trees used to make furniture,
lumber, and other products.
Most wood pellet fuel has a low
5%–10% moisture content
compared to 15% for fuel corn
and 20% for seasoned fire wood.
Some pellets contain either
petroleum or non-petroleum
lignin used as a lubricant in the
pellet production process,
though most contain no additives
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