Hardwood Vs. Softwood Pellets
Wood pellets are available in several forms including hardwood and softwood. Hardwood pellets and softwood pellets come with their advantages and disadvantages. Both types of pellets are available with different blends of woods. All wood pellets are manufactured to produce heat and leave a minimal amount of ash. Does this Spark an idea?
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Features
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Wood pellets are made of compressed wood and used as heating fuel. According to WoodPellets.com, "Wood pellet mills use sawdust and wood chips from both hardwood and softwood byproducts to produce a carbon-neutral and efficient fuel."
Heat
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Both hardwood and softwood pellets are employed to produce heat. One advantage that softwood pellets have over hardwood pellets is that they produce between 10 and 20 percent more BTUs per pound depending on the species of wood used.
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Comparisons
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Hardwood pellets generally cost more than softwood pellets. Hardwood pellets put out less heat than softwood pellets and they produce denser ash. They have a lower moisture content than softwood pellets and burn longer. Softwood pellets initially burn hotter than hardwood pellets. They also are easier to light than hardwood pellets.
Considerations
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Ash content and pellet length can affect burn and maintenance requirements. Pellets are available in lengths between 0.25 and 1.5 inches. Changing pellet length may result in having to adjust the feed rate to get a desired intensity of burn. Ash production may also be affected by pellet length.
Brands
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There are several suppliers of hardwood and softwood pellets. American Wood Fibers is a large producer of hardwood wood pellets. Cleanfire's Northern Blend of hardwood pellets are some of the cleanest burning pellets on the market. Eagle Valley's premium softwood blend is known for its low ash content and high heat.
Facts
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Both hardwood and softwood pellets are traditionally shipped in 40 pound bags. Both types of pellets come in a variety of shades of dark brown, brown, tan and yellow. Usually, lighter wood pellets are softwood and darker wood pellets are hardwood. Some softwood pellets are dark if the bark and needles are mixed in with the wood during production.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of JOHN LLOYD
