Contaminated pellets

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06/29/2009 - 06:21

Does anyone have a clear idea how the rating/certification process works for fuel pellets?  Even those with high ratings vary in quality and now there is concern about outright contamination with some imported from Lithuanian.  The country of origin is not always clear on the sacks and the vendors do not seem to have much information either.  Hate to think a fuel choice made with sustainability and the environment in mind is just another con game.

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 Rating pellets is a never ending source of frustration. Wether it be local (Italian) or foreign brands the ratings on the packaging (if there is any) is often confusing.My advice is to try a few varieties and see which gives YOU the best results; as different Stuffas have different calorific outputs so one brand may suit you not your neighbour. I personally have found that Austrian Pellets work out to be best for my need as they burn cleanly, leave little ash and seem to heat the room well. Some Italian brands often don't burn well and leave lots of ash and residue in my Pallazzetti. 

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

well almost...we have a pellet/multi fuel bio mass burner... in reality you can stick pretty well anything in it from logs to maize to pellets... so it is a little less fickle than the lounge stile pellet burners...even so... we have never bothered with all the sort of alternate bio mass products..,olive remains etc and stuck with pellets... and have three observations... you generally get waht you pay for... good quality italian, austrian and even had candadian have all burnt well with no probs regarding residue or ignition..the best places to buy ... if you can find it a trustworthy local... as we use maybe 5 pallet load year... we get a deal plus the fact that they want our order the next year so generally you get good quality...second best for us... cause only 60 or so bags can be put in the car is/are the local conad/leclerc chain do special offers ... castorama also sells them.. and my belief...maybe mistaken is that these sorts of companies rarely get caught by the illicit producer/sellers that will put anything in a bag and sell it to the nearest money grabbing outlet...  everyone knew Lithuanian pellets were too cheap... and yet they were handled by criminal organisations here and there and sold on without any thought of consequences... generally through less reliable outlets who were also out to make a quick killing..problem is now ... ex eastern european pellets were fine in our type of boiler too... should imagine most Lithuanian ones would be too.. now they are all tarred with the same brush... and their market and their workers will be hit by the greed of a few..happens here in Italy all the time... glowing mozzarella being the last... human nature .. hardly ever thought i would have a philosophical moment over pellets ...  anyway if you have a pretty lounge type pellet stove... go with best quality over mass.. we go for best deals because we have a sort of man eating lion type of burner... and i would think now could head east for the pellets for a while... as they are bound to be controlled more for at least the net year 

the certification rating of pellets is subject to EU norms and is not classified by national governments.the presumed contaminated pellets concerned only one brand of pellets clearly indicated as coming from Lithuania.further info was circulated to the effect that there were no problems with national pellets.we buy pellets that are a derivative of the furniture industry in veneto and everything is clearly marked on the sacks.

Haven't quite figured out the thank you process but do want to acknowledge everyone who has responded to my query about the pellets.  Appreciate the information as well as the reassurance that we are not the only ones who are a bit baffled by the system.  We now have a supplier who swears by his product and the bags do seem to have fairly comprehensible markings about country of origin, rating etc etc.  We are hopeful.