To answer the question “Which pellets are the best?” To answer the question correctly for yourself, you will find some useful information and tips about fuel here.
Before the heating season, many people who own a fireplace or pellet stove ask themselves: “Which pellets are the best?” There are numerous products on the market today to choose from, with a few factors to consider. Since consumers also have different needs and preferences, the answer to the above question can actually vary from person to person. Some define wood pellets with the highest calorific value as the best, while others prefer fuel that emits the least ash. In addition, there are people for whom pellets with the least amount of dust are best. Depending on what type of heater, boiler or pellet stove you use, you can use the following rules of thumb to help you orient yourself.
How should you decide and which pellets are the best for private use?
Most products meet the quality standards and yet many people define one or the other as much better when it comes to private consumption. Certain brands are considered to be of higher quality and, according to manufacturers, differ from the rest of those on offerWood pellets also for storage. In addition, there are different tastes, everyone can praise a particular product or describe it as inferior. In order to make the best possible decision, it is therefore advisable to judge the quality according to some of the main characteristics of pellets. Depending on your own criteria, this makes it easier for you to find out which pellets are best for your personal needs.
Actually, the types of wood pellets for heating vary more than the quality. For this reason, it might be more helpful to use different typesdepending on the pellet stove usedor other burner to experiment. Although it is an efficient fuel, information on how to distinguish low-quality and high-quality pellets can be useful. However, navigating the variety of pellets on offer can often be a challenge. As a guide, you can therefore adhere to the following rules.
Pay attention to the diameter when buying wood pellets
According to international standards, the diameter of high-quality pellets should be either 6mm or 8mm. The most common for home use are those with a diameter of 6 mm, this size contributing to combustion efficiency. Pellet stoves, fireplaces, boilers or other burners that can be operated with them are designed for this. If the fuel you are using is not the correct size, this can cause problems. Every device for this type of heating should also indicate what diameter the wood pellets should have so that they can burn optimally.
Depending on their fragility decide which pellets are the best
The quality of the pellets in turn determines how crumbly or brittle the raw material will be. The harder and more unbreakable the individual pieces are, the higher quality they should be. This can be seen by the fact that pellets do not break when transferred to the oven and fed to the burner. Another term for friability is “abrasiveness”. This can be measured with so-called ligno testers, whereby the sample is loaded with a weight of 100 kg. Quality is determined by the amount of particles smaller than a certain size. The larger the quantity of these particles, the lower the quality. The fragility can then be determined and how much the pellets could withstand mechanical stress. The smooth surface of high-quality pellets ensures that no sharp pieces are left behind when broken manually.
Determine the quality of the wood pellets based on their smell
The cellulose used for production also determines the quality of pellets. Since color does not guarantee you a high-quality product, you can tell the quality by the smell. To be able to determine which pellets are considered A1 and which are the best, you should smell the light and delicate aroma of the wood. If the pellets smell of something other than wood, this indicates that the fuel has been stored for too long and has absorbed moisture and other odors from the room. In addition, high-quality pellets should be made of pure wood and free of “impurities” such as bark.
Can dissolvability in water determine which pellets are best?
There is another way to determine the quality of wood pellets for heating. This could help you with your purchase, where you can use a simple method with dissolvability in water. To do this, dip a piece into the water to find out whether a slurry forms after a while. However, if no such result is obtained, a chemical substance was probably used to glue the particles together. The best pellets will sink to the bottom immediately, and if they are inferior, the pieces will either float to the surface or sink slowly, expelling air bubbles.
Another test method you can use after the first is to see how long it takes for the pellets to dissolve in the water. If the quality is high, this should not happen after too long. Since such a type of fuel logically does not interact well with water, it soon begins to swell and lose its shape. If this is not the case, the manufacturer almost certainly used bonding chemicals during production. High-quality wood pellets are therefore made with lignin, which is contained in cellulose.
Pay attention to the dust content of wood pellets for heating
As a rule, high-quality pellets must not be mixed with dust, although only a small amount of it remains during the manufacturing process. However, if there is contamination with more dust, then there will definitely be residue left in the bag, which is a clear sign of poor quality. Another possibility that dust can accumulate between the pellets is storing them without packaging. The only way to tell if there is dust in the bag you buy is to turn it over and see if and how much dust remains on the floor. Good pressing of quality wood is a guarantee for this compactness. If the pellets are mixed with dust, it means inferior raw material quality and poor pressing.
Final thoughts
The bottom line is that there are no best or worst pellets, only those that meet needs. The best possible strategy when choosing would be if you are happy with sticking with the chosen product. Otherwise, constant switching can be costly unless there is a very important reason to change pellets. This could be a particularly low price or a limited supply. When purchasing, look for the ENplus® certification, which is a leading system for wood pellets worldwide.
