Home Storage – Wood burning pellets

Below you can find tips for home storage wood burning pellets. Please contact us if you have further questions.

Bought Storage Unit

Points to consider when buying your storage unit are:

  • Built specifically for the storage of wood burning pellets
  • Sufficiently vented
  • Waterproof Appropriate air outlet (unless made from cloth).
  • Appropriate connections for delivery , Balcas recommend the male A-400 camlock fitting – pictured here. However, all lorries will carry an adapter to accommodate a continental fitting.
  • The end of the camlock fitting must be within the drivers reach. The actual point where pellets enter the storage unit must be high enough to enable the pellets to fill evenly within the store.
  • If there is a bend in the inlet pipe, Balcas Energy recommends that this is a soft bend, not a 90 degree angle which will cause damage to pellets during delivery.
  • The delivery pipe on the storage unit must be made from metal and must be earthed. Static can build up on plastic piping and is a fire hazard.
  • Balcas Energy recommends that the maximum length of the auger is 3 metres.
  • It is recommended that storage unit has a flexible rubber sheet hanging opposite the inlet pipe. This will stop pellet damage during delivery. It is essential that pellets are not blown against a wall or hard floor.
  • The inside of the storage unit needs to be free from electrical sockets, electrical switches, lights and electrical fittings. This is to prevent a dust explosion.
  • Storage Unit should not be positioned where it would result in a fire risk

Self Built Storage Unit

Points to consider when building your storage unit are:

  • Needs to have the appropriate fitting for accommodating a blown wood pellets delivery from Balcas Energy. This is a male 4 inch cam-lock fitting, serial number: A-400
  • Is the camlock fitting within driver’s reach? Chest height is recommended.
  • Storage unit needs to be waterproof
  • Storage Unit needs to be properly sealed to control dust and designed to reduce condensation.
  • Storage unit needs to be of sufficient strength to hold 4 tonnes of Balcas Energy Wood Pellets; it is unlikely that a stud wall construction will be strong enough. Balcas minimum delivery 3 tonnes
  • It is recommended that storage unit has a sight glass/inspection hatch to monitor volume and to indicate to customer when to re-order.
  • Balcas Energy recommends that the intake pipe has no more than 2 soft bends
  • The delivery pipe on the storage unit must be made from metal and must be earthed. Static can build up on plastic piping and is a fire hazard.
  • Storage unit will need an exit port to allow the release of the delivery air and this port should be fitted with a filter to reduce dust exiting the storage silo.
  • It is recommended that your storage unit has a flexible rubber sheet hanging opposite the inlet pipe. This will stop pellet damage during delivery. It is essential that pellets are not blown against a wall or hard floor.
  • The floors of the storage unit should have a slope of at least 40° going towards the feed mechanism
  • The inside of the storage unit needs to be free from electrical sockets, electrical switches, lights and electrical fittings. This is to prevent a dust explosion.
  • Storage should be lined with a suitable material (e.g. wood)

N.B.

  • The lorry driver cannot take the delivery pipe through a domestic household for Health and Safety reasons.
  • If you use a camlock fitting on your vent pipe please ensure that this is not covered or closed over to enable air to cirulate.
  • Balcas Energy can blow wood pellets 20 metres (on a straight blow) into the customer’s store if distance any further than this, Balcas Energy will request the customer to sign a disclaimer.
  • Lorry dimensions are as follows 12m (L) x 3.9m (H) x 4m (W)
  • Balcas will carry out a site visit to all new commercial customers to ensure compliance with pre-delivery checklist. Delivery cannot take place until this visit has taken place so please let us know well in advance when you require a delivery of pellets. Balcas Energy can advise customers on suitable storage solutions so please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any queries.
  • DUST EXTRACTION – If you wish to avail of this service you need to have an electric socket near hand, a 4″pipe on your vent and you need to be present for the delivery.
  • Balcas Energy recommends that your boiler is turned off during delivery for Health and Safety reasons
  • Burning wood pellets undergo oxidation resulting in the production of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. In a confined space such as an unventilated hopper or storage unit, this can lead to a reduction in the oxygen concentration as well as the development of a dangerous concentration of carbon monoxide, which is toxic. If not using a professional service for storage cleaning it would be prudent to become familiar with current HSE advice (link HERE) and to allow sufficient time for proper ventilation; an increase in oxygen levels and a decrease in carbon monoxide levels.

Who would we recommend?

If you buy bagged wood pellets from us…how do you store them? Throw the bags in the garage, leave them out in the garden, or under a protective shelter that protects them from rain? It is essential that you store your wood pellets in a dry condition to get the best results. Ideally keep your bags indoors in the garage or shed.

Storing them in the house/garage can be troublesome. They take up space that you may need; or cause worry in the event of a fire. Here at Balcas Energy want to ensure you get the best results from burning our wood pellets, in safety. We have considered the issue of storing wood pellets in domestic situations and looked at various solutions. We have also created a special page based on wood pellets storage and you can read it here.


We would also like to introduce you a smart innovative way to keep your pellets dry and safe – the SmartBunker™.

What is the SmartBunker™?

The SmartBunker™ is a strong waterproof UV-resistant polyethylene storage bunker. It does not rust or rot. It stands upright, allowing secure dry storage, easy filling, and dispensing for up to 200kg of our pellets. Bending and lifting are reduced to a minimum. And you can throw away the shovel.

It takes up very little floor space and it can be located either indoors or outdoors. Because of its shape, it throws off any rainwater that falls on it. The pellets are stored about 600mm (2’) above ground level, preventing most flood damage events. Wet pellets in our experience do not burn well which is why we want to ensure we offer the best solution for wood pellet storage!


wood pellet storage


Standards 

Up to now, no specific technical or safety standards have been developed for this type of equipment. However, SmartBunker™ has just been awarded a unique HETAS listing on consideration of the advantages it offers over other domestic solid fuel bunker systems.

If you are interested in more information on the SmartBunker™, please visit https://www.thesmartbunker.co.uk/product/wood-pellets-storage/ and a member of their sales team will help with any queries you may have based on wood pellet storage.

To place an order of bagged wood pellets please click below:



To order a smart bunker with £10 OFF, please use the Balcas Energy customer Discount Code directly on their website. Simply copy and paste the following discount code and apply it at the checkout when ordering on www.thesmartbunker.co.uk :

9MWKHM2M




If you require more assistance, please contact our team and we will help put through your order or deal with any queries you may have if they cannot be resolved by viewing our Frequently Asked Questions.

Thank You,

Balcas Energy