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SQUIER LUMBER PELLET FUEL PROGRAM SPRING 2010
Dear Pellet Fuel Customer,
Thank you for all your business last year. Through the efforts of our customers, we managed to experience a good year while many in the industry faced a very challenging one. We owe this to our customers. It is our mission to be worthy of your business, to increase the value we deliver to you and to continue to earn your business every year. We know that you have many more choices every year and we appreciate your continued business.
Coming out of the chaos of 2008, 2009 was a surprise to most everyone in the industry. As you may recall, 2008 was marked by extremely high fuel oil prices and severe shortages of stoves and pellets. As we came out of 2008 and into 2009, oil prices sagged from a high of $147 per barrel down to $37 per barrel in early 2009. Also, the economy degraded substantially during early 2009 affecting consumer's ability to afford stoves and pellets. These effects contributed to what was generally attributed as a poor year in the pellet and stove industry. As a result of that environment, we saw pellet prices drop slightly throughout the year. At this point, most pellet manufacturers have substantial inventory available although almost all have less than 2 months production on the ground. Many, if not most, mills in North America have experienced or continue to experience shutdowns until the inventory begins to move. As a result, we have been surprised at the strength of wholesale pellet pricing. While the mills are definitely anxious to sell product, we see little evidence of desperation on their part. All mills have plans for price increases throughout the year. Our belief is that if the mills were so inclined to dramatically lower prices, they would be doing it now and are not. We are happy to report however that pricing is down and can say that it has been 3 or 4 years since prices have been this low. The outlook for the rest of the year is as challenging as ever. Most mills have announced price increases for the late spring/summer time frame, albeit small ones. We think these will happen. The barrel price of oil is almost double what it was this time last year ($83 vs. $44). Fuel oil is 40% higher ($2.69 vs. $1.89) and the economy may be strengthening. These situations, together with possible federal energy regulation would suggest that pellet pricing has much more upside than downside potential. Not surprisingly, mills have shown in recent months that they would rather shutdown than lose money on production. Barring a dramatic geopolitical event, we expect average, in season pricing between $249 and $279.
Wood pellets remain an environmentally positive, carbon neutral, domestically produced option, the profits from which remain in North American creating American jobs and do not finance anti-American activities. Pellet heat acts to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. Our customers last year alone eliminated over 1 million gallons of fuel oil imports by heating with pellets. Pellet heat is one of the few heating options whereby you can store an entire season's supply and enjoy the peace of mind in knowing that you are not vulnerable to an uncertain and volatile world energy market.
This year we are offering 7 brands of pellets and have something to offer everyone in softwood, hardwood and blended product. We also have both premium and super premium grades. Whatever works best in your stove, we have it. We are also offering our 14 ton discounted loads on all brands and our 22-26 ton mill direct discounted loads for 4 brands. These programs allow you to get together with neighbors and co-workers to save the most money possible. Please see our attached spreadsheet for specific pricing on each brand.
We would advise our customers not to buy from any retailer or online entity which does not have the product in stock at that time. There are seemingly more and more unsavory and fraudulent wood pellet retailers out there. Do not buy a promise, do not pre-order. Every year we hear another sad case of a deal that was too good to be true. A bargain on a ton of pellets that doesn't exist is no bargain. While it may take us some time to efficiently deliver your pellets, any of our customers can, at any time, stop at our offices and pick up their pellets or get a full refund. We have been selling pellets for 15 years and have been in business for over 136 years. We are real and we are here. We are sorry but we cannot "bank" your pellets and would recommend not buying from someone who does this as they are in all cases "banking" on their supplier to deliver your pellets just before you want them. Please call for our current delivery charges. All pickups of pellets must be accomplished within 30 days of ordering. We ask that you buy in full ton increments if we are delivering as we cannot deliver partial pallets. If you feel more comfortable ordering online, visit our website at www.squierlumber.com and place your order there.
In summary, it has for fifteen years overwhelmingly been in your best interest to purchase your season's pellet needs as early as possible. We understand that money is tight this year but feel that there is a much greater possibility of higher prices this fall than lower ones. Additionally, if a great deal of consumers wait till fall to purchase, the mills will not be able to keep up and the industry will be unable to deliver all the product in the short fall season before cold weather. Once again, thank you all very much for your past business and would ask that you give us the chance to earn your future business. If you have any additional questions feel free to visit our website or call or stop by our office. We love to talk pellets.
Sincerely,
Chris Haley
Squier Lumber
www.squierlumber.com
413-267-5542
P.S. For those interested in learning more about wood pellet manufacturing, mark your calendars for Wood Energy Days at New England Wood Pellet's Jaffrey NH plant on Aug. 28th. Check their website www.pelletheat.com for more information.
How to Burn Anthracite Coal in a Hand Fired Stove
Loading
Coal should never be added unless there is a reasonably hot fire. The coal bed should be burning brightly and vigorously. If the fire is burning hot and there is a deep bed of coals, full loads of coal can be added at anytime. However, if there is not a deep bed of coals, it is best to add small amounts of coal at first.
When loading with coal do not bury all of the hot coals with new coal. As new coal begins to ignite, it produces a lot of volatile gas. This gas builds up in the upper part of the firebox. As the fire burns up through the new coal it can flash ignite those volatile gases, causing the stove to puff. To help minimize this, leave a small area of hot red coals uncovered in a corner. This will act as pilot light and will help prevent flash ignition or puffing. This is not an uncommon occurrence.
Increasing Heat From a Low Fire
Every effort should be made not to let a coal fire burn too low so that the fire has started to die. This will cause the reloading process to take much longer, and there is a good possibility of losing the fire.
Do not shake or stir with a low fire.
Open the draft control to full open to get maximum draft. Do not leave the stove unattended in this state.
Run the stove with the draft control open until the fire is reasonably hot.
Start adding small amounts of coal. When the new coal is thoroughly ignited or there is a substantial bed of hot coals, the stove may be shaken thoroughly. Be sure to shake down all ashes (but do not over shake). You should see small amounts of glowing red coals dropping through the grates.
After shaking, keep the draft control open until you are sure that the fire is continuing to burn hot, and then return the draft control down to the proper operating level. Do not leave the stove unattended with the draft control fully open.
Shaking
Shaking should be done only when there is a hot fire.
The frequency of shaking will depend on the degree of burning. Shaking should be done at least once a day and preferably twice a day. On warm days you can use the depth of ash to retard the burn rate in conjunction with restricting the draft.
Best results from shaking will occur when short "choppy" strokes are used rather than long, even strokes.
The amount of shaking is critical, too little or too much can result in the extinguishing of a fire due to air flow restriction. The proper amount normally occurs when small red coals start to drop through into the ash pan, the entire length of the grate. Shaking with a small fire can result in a "snuffing out" of the coals that are remaining. Do not shake when a small amount of red coals are sitting on top of the ash bed. Gently bring the fire back to life and then shake.
Draft Controls
The heat output of the coal is controlled by the primary draft control, which is generally found on the back of the unit and on the ash door slide of the free standing units. On the fireplace units it will be found on the ash door slide. Experience and trial and error will dictate the proper setting for your heat requirements.
Coal responds very slowly to changes in the draft settings. Because of this slow response time, over-correcting is a common problem. When changes in heat output are needed, make only small changes in the draft setting and wait for the temperature to stabilize.
A poor drafting chimney could result in reduced heat output of the unit or the inability to burn coal. Hard drafting chimneys may require a damper to be installed in the stove pipe on free standing units.
Ashes
Ashes should never be allowed to accumulate in the ash pan, so that they do not in any way impede the flow of combustion air to the fire. Excess ash accumulation can cause the fire to go out and cause severe damage to the grates and grate carrier. This happens because of the absence of a cooling air flow beneath them.
Ashes should be put into a metal container with a tight fitting lid. The closed container of ashes should be placed on a noncombustible floor or on the ground, well away from all combustible materials, pending final disposal.
CAUTION!! ASHES SHUOLD NEVER BE ALLOWED TO ACCUMULATE ABOVE THE TOP OF THE ASH PAN. ASHES IN CONTACT WITH THE BOTTOM OF THE GRATES ACT AS AN INSULATOR, INTENSIFYING THE HEAT ON THE GRATES, AND COULD CAUSE THEM TO WARP. WITH AN EXCESSIVE ASH BUILDUP, PRIMARY COMBUSTION AIR IS RESTRICTED, THUS THE UNIT'S OUTPUT COULD BE REDUCED.
Safety
Whenever a loading door is opened, it always should be cracked slightly to allow oxygen to enter and burn any combustion gases that are present before fully opening. Failure to do this could result in sudden ignition of the unburned gases when the door is opened.
The ash door should never be left open and unattended, as this will result in over firing. Serious damage can occur from over firing.
Coal stoves should always be installed into a CLASS A chimney. REMEMBER, COAL, LIKE ALL FOSSIL FUELS, CONTAIN GASES THAT ARE TOXIC. YOU SHOULD HAVE MULTIPLE CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS IN THE HOUSE. CALL YOUR LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR PROPER PLACEMENT.
Trouble Shooting
Problem |
Cause |
Cannot get the coal to light
|
Entire grate area is not covered Draft controls are not in the full open position Not enough draft |
Cannot keep a coal fire going
|
There is not a deep bed of burning coal Shaking the grates too little Too much ash buildup Not adding enough coal Poor drafting chimney |
There is a good established fire but no heat
|
Poor quality coal Hard pulling chimney Too much ash build up |
Smoke in the house on start up |
Reversed draft in chimney |
Notes on Draft
Draft is vitally important to the proper operation of a hand fired coal stove. Coal will not burn in some cases because of inadequacies of the chimney resulting in an inadequate draft. Generally speaking excessively tall chimneys, excessively short chimneys, chimneys that rise on the outside of the house and chimneys that are too large (8x12 flue or larger) pose a potential problem for the burning of coal. These problems can usually rectified by installing an insulated liner inside your current chimney cavity to reduce the cross sectional area of the cavity and to keep the flue gases warm. This is required in some cases by building code for this reason. The "chimney effect" of your house can also cause a problem with drafting. Your house can act as a "chimney" in its own right. This is called the "chimney effect". Warm air rises up through your house where it escapes through cracks in your ceiling or attic. The air rushes back in to the house usually at the lowest levels of the house to replace this air lost through the attic and upper stories. The easiest way for your house to replace this air is by having the air rush down your chimney and into your house. This is a "reversed draft" and can cause smoky startups or the inability of your stove to operate properly on warmer days.
This article adapted from an article entitled "Operation of Hand-Fired Anthracite Stoves" provided by Hitzer Inc. drawing from their decades of experience burning coal and building coal stoves.