Pellet faq
Q. What are wood fuel pellets and how are they made?
Wood pellets are a form of heating fuel, created from pure sawdust obtained as a byproduct from the lumber industry. To manufacture pellets, the sawdust is heated and compressed at such a rate that natural lignin is excreted and acts as a bonding agent, creating a formed wood pellet. Wood pellets are 100% natural and are solely comprised of pure wood fiber so they burn very efficiently and leave very little ash.
Q. What is the difference amongst the various wood pellets?
Many factors contribute to the overall quality and cost of a wood pellet: raw material origin (hardwood vs. softwood), sawdust quality and cleanliness, manufacturing process, color, size, density, moisture level, heating value, and finally, quality control and testing. When it comes to choosing a pellet, additional considerations such as your budget, stove type and desired level of maintenance all come into play.
Our high-quality manufacturing processes results in creating the best, most efficient pellets to fuel your home. Our dry, pure, consistently sized pellets will have the highest heat rating with the lowest ash content creating a more intense warmth, longer lasting burn times, and minimal ash. Ultimately our pellets serve up hotter, longer-lasting heat.
Q. What are the environmental benefits to heating with wood pellets?
Pellet fuel is carbon neutral. Sawdust that would ordinarily be sent to landfill is instead used to create this incredible fuel pellets. Pellet fuel also has a 99% combustion efficiency, which results minimal ash production (1% with premium pellets) when it is being burned. Naturally decomposing trees produce more emissions than burning wood pellets, so rest assured, you’re making the right decision to heat your home with pellet fuel.
Q. How long will one 40 lb bag of pellets burn for?
There are a few variables that impact burn time for a 40 lb bag of wood fuel pellets. To keep things simple, if you have your stove set to low/moderate (level 2-3 of 5), one bag of premium wood pellets will last for 16-18 hours of continuous burn time.
Q. How should I store my wood pellets?
Most pellet stove users store their wood pellets in their garage, basement, or shed. If you store them outside, be sure to protect them from weather and keep them off the ground where they are not subjected to snow and ice build-up. Make sure that your wood pellets are covered with a tarp or another shroud in order to protect them from precipitation.
Q. Why should I use wood pellets to heat my home?
The two prevailing reasons to use pellet fuel to heat your home are for environmental reasons.
From raw material acquisition to manufacturing and burning, pellet fuel is carbon neutral. Sawdust that would normally go to a landfill is acquired from the sustainably harvested forest industry is used to make the pellets. The sawdust is cleaned, dried and heat-compressed in a way that natural lignin is released and acts as a natural bonding agent for the pellet resulting in a 100% natural byproduct of the wood manufacturing industry. When wood fuel pellets are burned at home, the dry, efficient nature of the pellet results in minimal ash and next to zero emission release. The ash that results can be used as fertilizer, and the bags that contain the pellets can be recycled.
Q. What are ‘Premium’ pellets?
There are two different grades of pellets. “Premium” pellets, have less than 1% ash content and make up about 95% of pellets on the market, while standard pellets contain higher levels of bark and agricultural residue have less than 3% and can only be used in systems designed to accommodate higher ash content. All Waste to Warmth wood fuel pellets meet the ‘Premium’ quality standard.
The Pellet Fuels Institute (PFI) mandates testing to ensure pellets are labeled correctly, of which Waste to Warmth is a proud partner of.
Q. How much ash gets produced by a bag of pellets?
Our premium wood fuel pellets contain an ash content of less than 1%. This translates to approximately ¼ cup of ash, per 40 lb bag of pellets. Plus, you can use the as fertilizer and maintain a carbon neutral environmental standing.
Q. How many bags are in a ton of wood pellets?
A standard 1 ton pallet contains fifty (50) – 40 lb bags of fuel pellets. Pallet is 48” long and 40” wide, 5.5” high.
Q. Can wood pellets go bad?
No. As long as your wood pellets are stored properly, you should have no problem storing them for several years.
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