MisterHappy
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Cheap-ish pellets on CL
- Thread starter MisterHappy
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MisterHappy
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I have a normal stove, and this season used biobricks.
As someone that has a small stove = short logs:
How do the bio bricks perform vs natural wood of a standard "single year seasoning"
Other considerations:
ease of handling, delivery, etc.
I know a crusty old broad that is set in the ways - try to convince her that the bricks are worth it. Keep in mind that delivery may be difficult, so the local grown option might never be obsolete...
thanks
Jason m
NES Member
Last year we tired a combo of bricks and our normal amount of wood burning. I loved the bricks, I can stack a lot inside the stove on a good layer of coals and it would last the night or close to it. Yes the wood would have lasted about the same amount of time but it was easier for the wife to do it her self if I was lets say plowing.
I didn't buy any this year as I got two log truck loads and spent my money on wood this year. But really for the ease of the bricks and how clean they are I think its worth it.
Jason.
MisterHappy
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This year, "real" wood was not obtainable at a decent price, so I tried
http://www.pelletsdirect.com/Envi Block & Logs.htm
And used the Envi-8s
Good:
delivered on time, as promised.
6-packs of blocks, not light, but easy to carry.
Wrapped pallets take up minimal space.
Lights very easily.
Very controllable, easy to keep stove on a low burn. My stove is relatively airtight, but 30+years old. No catalyst.
Good burn time. Four blocks @~10 PM; four blocks @~5AM Stove still nice and warm, keeps family room from getting cold. Add blocks @~ 4PM (return home from work), this time with more air. Gets it going nice. Figure ~6 blocks till bedtime. If it's really cold, a couple more, to compensate.
Downsides:
EXTREMELY sensitive to wet!!!!! When the delivery arrived, we took a good supply of blocks in. Unfortunately, several 6-packs were damaged in our enthusiasm. Two days later, it rained. Damn things swelled up like the sponges you put in water, dry, that then expand. Expanding 6-packs damaged others. I salvaged a bunch of them, but the expanded ones did not have the same burn time (due to less density),and held water a bit. Keep the heavily-wrapped pallets intact as long as you can, and tarp the crap out of them, if you don't have inside storage.
Expensive. Cost is ~300/pallet. One pallet in theory equals one cord. If you can get wood for <$250, that is likely a better deal. I was not able to, this past season, so......
Summary:
As to heat value.....From October to mid-march, I used 2 pallets, just opened the third this past week. Might not have had to open it, had I not lost some to wetness. So, I'd say that the heat equivalent is about right. My stove tends to run from October, to the end of March. From min-November to the end of March, it's pretty much just one fire. Since I'd generally burn ~2 cords of wood, that's about right. Since the blocks are very dry, there's no heat needed to "boil out" the water in a piece of wood. More efficient, minimal smoke.
So.....it costs about $5/day in my situation. It helps to cut down the furnace's operating time, a bit.
It all comes down to cost. If I can score cheap tree chunks, I'll go with that; if not, more of these.
http://www.pelletsdirect.com/Envi Block & Logs.htm
And used the Envi-8s
Good:
delivered on time, as promised.
6-packs of blocks, not light, but easy to carry.
Wrapped pallets take up minimal space.
Lights very easily.
Very controllable, easy to keep stove on a low burn. My stove is relatively airtight, but 30+years old. No catalyst.
Good burn time. Four blocks @~10 PM; four blocks @~5AM Stove still nice and warm, keeps family room from getting cold. Add blocks @~ 4PM (return home from work), this time with more air. Gets it going nice. Figure ~6 blocks till bedtime. If it's really cold, a couple more, to compensate.
Downsides:
EXTREMELY sensitive to wet!!!!! When the delivery arrived, we took a good supply of blocks in. Unfortunately, several 6-packs were damaged in our enthusiasm. Two days later, it rained. Damn things swelled up like the sponges you put in water, dry, that then expand. Expanding 6-packs damaged others. I salvaged a bunch of them, but the expanded ones did not have the same burn time (due to less density),and held water a bit. Keep the heavily-wrapped pallets intact as long as you can, and tarp the crap out of them, if you don't have inside storage.
Expensive. Cost is ~300/pallet. One pallet in theory equals one cord. If you can get wood for <$250, that is likely a better deal. I was not able to, this past season, so......
Summary:
As to heat value.....From October to mid-march, I used 2 pallets, just opened the third this past week. Might not have had to open it, had I not lost some to wetness. So, I'd say that the heat equivalent is about right. My stove tends to run from October, to the end of March. From min-November to the end of March, it's pretty much just one fire. Since I'd generally burn ~2 cords of wood, that's about right. Since the blocks are very dry, there's no heat needed to "boil out" the water in a piece of wood. More efficient, minimal smoke.
So.....it costs about $5/day in my situation. It helps to cut down the furnace's operating time, a bit.
It all comes down to cost. If I can score cheap tree chunks, I'll go with that; if not, more of these.
Friend of mine got tired of the volume that the pallets of pellets take up, as well as the mess of cleaning it out. He sold the large pellet stove that heated his whole daylight basement and replaced it with a propane wall furnace fed by a huge tank out back. If you do depend on a pellet stove, you need a generator for sure. He lives in an area of frequent power outages and was dismayed that the pellet stove needed electricity to run. The bricks are great-for an airtight stove. They won't work in a fireplace. Nothing beats good dry wood for an actual fireplace. Of course, keep up with chimney maintenance. Stay warm!
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