Wood Pellet Cleaning / Sifting

[@CurtisBoyd-r9u]

Joe, that is a great idea and a great video. Thank you!

[@42lookc]

Yep, good, simple, cheap setup with nothing to wear out. Good job.

[@adventuredog1864]

Great jig! I did an online purchase and got at least 5 bags that were lumpy from moisture and full of dust. Spent a lot of time cleaning he stove after a bad bag got dumped in. I think I'll have to build something similar for the future.

[@louiswestfall9622]

Excellent idea, simple and it works💡

[@fredrightsaid818]

Good idea with the gutter screen. I’d probably just pour the pellets directly into the pipe rather than onto the top of the contraption.

[@hippiewithacowboyhat]

Absolute genius.

[@rd-yp8zf]

AWESOME !

[@joecoviello8157]

Joel, I did run 3 bags through 3x each. The 1st run got more than 95% of the dust and small bits of pellets. The 2nd run had some but very little. By the 3rd time there was absolutely nothing. After running a ton of Valfie pellets through, I ended up with just over 5 pounds of dust/bits. I've had a few folks comment on Facebook that this wouldn't cause a problem with the auger. I just don't want to take a chance on my brand new stove (installed in July 2014). Thanks for your comment.

[@jess31558]

I have a Quadra Fire Santa Fe. Bought house from my father in 2013 who run it years before we got it. I average 100 bags per year and have never screened a single bag and have never had any issues with pellet dust. Just saying. I understand your concerns. To each their own.

[@malcolmthomas1816]

@@jess31558 Not so much "to each their own". It depends on how the auger is built. My first pellet stove (Environtec) pushes downslope and would sift the dust most of which would fall out near the auger motor. My second one (Breckwell) pushes the dust upwards into the chute compacting it and jamming after a few bags of low quality pellets.

[@xzaviar1965]

I agree, the electric vacuum ones look cool but are noisy, use electricity and make an immeasurable difference, if any. This is the first design, that I've come across, which incorporates being able to dump and process the whole bag and my build will be based upon this with a couple minor differences. I happen to have a machine that can heat seal these types of bags. I will try to make the unit a bit taller to incorporate a holder for the bag so the clean pellets can go right back into the bag and be resealed. My inside storage area will accommodate 20 bags of pellets, so I can run 20 bags, seal them, place them in the pre-use storage. I don't like daily tasks. This will be my first year burning pellets. I have had my pellet stove temporarily hooked up in the garage for a couple of months so I can become familiar with it's operation and gain some competence prior to bringing it into the house for heating season. In this short time I've seen how fines can be, at best a nuisance (more ash and dust), at worst slow pellet flow or a complete auger jam. Thanks for the vid. Bill

[@mrjwalker53]

Good idea. I just got a pellet stove last month and I wondered about the dust but it seems to flow through the auger and into the burn pot on my stove. I don't know how you could improve that. Simple and gets results. Have you ever ran a batch through twice just to see if more dust falls off the second time?

[@robinhowell9834]

Would that have to be stored inside???

[@joecoviello8157]

It would be fine. The stove pipe is galvanized but the rest of isn’t pressure treated wood. As long as there isn’t direct rain or snow it should be good.

[@Subie-Driver]

Great idea...but pouring them in would be faster wouldn’t it?

[@JD-ce4so]

I have a coal sifter. Google it. They look like a mail box with a cylinder screen you turn. The coal goes in a clean bucket and the ash drops into a metal trash can.

[@rubentsmith1461]

I want one

[@johnie19644]

Nice but it takes up a lot of room

[@lookherejack]

this is great, and I have improved on your design over the years. Biggest would be to run another section of pipe under your screen that directs all the fines into a bucket at then end of the chute. I can send you pics.

[@666dynomax]

i really dont understand.. why is this necessary? i've been experimenting with various pellet brands just to see what works... and guess what... they all work. Yeah some are more ashy than others, but you're gonna have ash no matter how many times you run it through your great big oversize contraption... i think you got the wrong stove man if you gotta waste your time doing this... get a harmon and dump that crap in and let it burn

[@SirGrogg]

Agreed. There’s no good reason for this. Where there is wood there will always be dust. Get a good stove listed above or a Ravelli like I have. They are amazing. I never have had to do this.

[@hippiewithacowboyhat]

What an arrogant twat. Guys nice enough to share a solution to an issue hes having or perceves, and you try bashing him and putting down someone without a Harmon ?? First, maybe he does have a Harmon, or maybe he has a Pelpro like me. What business is it of yours ? Second, why bash someone whos trying to help, trying to share, and obviously hasngood intentions ? Are you just that much of an asshole that you look for fights on the internet ? I really hope this finds you well. I really hope you were just having a bad day. There are times and people you sometimes have to be a bit of a jerk to, but this wasnt one of them.

[@666dynomax]

@@hippiewithacowboyhat you know what you're right. although this solution is not what i would do, its probably good for some people. I do a lot of things myself that nobody would ever do to save money. I have certainly bought dusty pellets and experimented around with all brands available. Thank you for your honesty and yes my comment was probably harsh

[@hippiewithacowboyhat]

@@666dynomax - Now THAT was a stand up thing to do. Pretty impressed here. Sincerely hope you have a wonderful weekend.