Austroflamm, Robins thoughts today

Its great time of year, pellet stove service is in full swing here in Sacramento and Northern California.

Today I serviced a Lopi Insert that would not stay on for more than thirty minutes and a Austroflamm Insert had a similar problem. Before I give you the answer to what was wrong with these two stoves ( they had the same problem) I want to give you my thought for the day.

"The problem is usually very simple. Look for the simplest answer first".
OK, now the answer to the question above,

A local dealer told my customers that they would have to keep changing out parts until the could find the answer. That would be very expensive ( profitable for the dealer , expensive for my customer). I cleaned their stove and found that they had a plug that kept the combustion air from moving through the stove, no parts!

The Lopi needed a good deep cleaning also and now it runs with out shutting down and is putting out nice warm wood pellet heat!

On a final note I saw LIGNETICS wood pellet, which I have found to be one of the most superior brand of pellets at the Tractor Supply Store in Dixon today for $215 a pallet (50 bags). That is a great deal folks if you live any where near one of these stores.

Stay Warm,
Robin

Sacramento Pellet Stove Heating November2010

The Temperature in Sacramento today Nov11, 2010 will be a high of 66 and a low of 36, that means that there are thousands of homes with pellet stoves humming away keeping my customers and friends warm and happy. I have one very simple tip for you folks today check your mantels and make sure that there isn't anything that can fall in the fuel hopper. Over the last few years ( including today) I have pulled Christmas decorations, kids toys, screw drivers and women s underwear out of pellet stove augers. Today I pulled a brass Grass Hopper out, just remember if its with in a foot above or a few feet from the stove it can in up inside.

On another note, I hope you all have bought and stored, your pellets for the season, I have seen some great sales this year. I saw Golden Fire at one mass merchant as low as $200 a ton which is what we were selling pellets for in 1995!

Happy Heating
Robin

Holiday Pellet Questions

Hi Pellet Stove Guys,

Question--What is this a good pellet fuel?

Prestolog pellets are not my first choice. My personal list in order would be 1. Goldenfire. 2. Lignetics 3. Blazer 4. Atlas The top Three Brans are a Douglas Fir blend Pellet . They haves the lowest ash content The word PREMIUM Is to Broad It means any pellet under 1% ash and as low as .25% (1/4) that may not sound like much but it makes a big difference in your stove. At this time I cannot recommended any pellet made from oak or agriculture waste ( corn,nut shells etc. Always try a bag or two before you by a whole pallet of a new brand of pellets that you are not familiar with.

Question 2, The rope seal around the door is coming off. What do I use to secure it back in place? Any special instructions?



OSH has High temp Silicone in the stove section, that is what I use to seal rope gasket back on doors.


Warm Wishes for the holidays,
Robin

Clean air and pellet stoves

Here we go again folks, The Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District is lumping you, the clean burning energy conscious pellet stove users in with wood stove and fireplaces burners.

Instead of giving you an exemption for choosing a clean air product, that not only eliminates barrels of oil that our state and country buy from countries that hate us, they have lumped you right in there with wood stoves. My guess is that Larry Green and his staff at the SMAQMD have never even seen a home heated by a pellet stove, if they had they would know that when you have your beautiful stove going that nobody in the neighbor even knows it is on while you enjoying your warm cozy home.

There were 5 community meetings in the Sacramento area this this summer. Oh, you say you didn't know about those? Do you suppose that's the way they wanted. Your air district board which is made up by the members of the Sacramento county board of supervisors supported amendments to "rule 421" to increase the number of days that you can not use your pellet stove. The only board member to vote NO vote was Robert J McGarvey Representative from Rancho Cordova. Thank you Mr McGarvey for standing up for what is right and not be a roll over politician.

Here is the Air Boards own numbers for pellet stoves VS wood stove and fireplaces

Board Memo
Rule 421
September 24, 2009, Page 10

Device TypePM2.5 perdevice per year
(lbs/year)

Fireplace
Aesthetic 3
Heating 24

Uncertified wood stove 71
Catalytic wood stove 47
Non-Catalytic wood stove 34

Uncertified wood insert 57
Catalytic wood insert 38
Non-Catalytic wood insert 27

Pellet stove 6 ( Do we belong with the above aplliances?)

Its time to get organized! Lets get Pellet Stove exempt from no burn days! Its time to let your politicians know that they work for you.

More to come,
Robin McDonell
The Pellet Stove Guys
916-705-8609