Bioenergy wood pellets

Am I purchasing wood pellets from a manufacturer or from a dealer?

In practice, there are 3 types of certified A1 wood pellets: 1. Manufacturer’s certificate based on clean untreated residue from the wood-processing industry. The raw materials do not need to be dried, are free of bark and do not contribute directly to deforestation for the benefit of fuel. Low carbon footprint. (Plospan 0.0)

​2. Manufacturer’s certificate based on round timber from direct deforestation. The trunks are chopped with bark residue after which the chopped wood is dried, adding a great deal of (usually fossil fuel such as diesel oil) extra energy to the process. Unknown carbon footprint.

​3. Dealer’s certificate of which the source of the wood cannot be traced. (Unless the dealer discloses this data.) Unknown carbon footprint. You also have wood pellets produced based on DIN 51731 and wood pellets produced in accordance with ENplus®/DINplus, but neither of these are inspected by an independent inspection body. Wood pellets with a dealer’s certificate (ID 301 and higher) are sometimes mixed with non-certified wood pellets. In practice, this is sometimes 50% because inspectors of ENplus®/DINplus may examine purchase invoices but may not inspect for authenticity. Of course, this is not permitted, but luckily the number of reliable dealers is greater than the number of rogue dealers. The slogan "produced in accordance with ENplus®/DINplus" is often also used to cause search engines to put them at the top of the list as a correct search result. But these wood pellets are NOT certified!

​FOR EXAMPLE:
AT 301 is therefore a dealer! Unfortunately, a dealer’s certificate does not say anything about the source and/or origin of the wood pellets. These wood pellets are purchased in a country somewhere from an ENplus certified factory and/or dealer.

You can check certification in relation to authenticity by using the following links: ENplus®: http://www.enplus-pellets.eu/production/certified-producers DINplus: http://www.dincertco.tuv.com/search?locale=de&q=plospan NTA8080: http://www.betterbiomass.com/

What is a wood pellet stove/system?

A pellet stove/pellet system is a modern wood burner, but with a higher output (where a fireplace reaches 10% to 15% output, a pellet stove/pellet system reaches much more than 90%). Pellet stoves/systems are fed by a computer-controlled worm wheel with wood pellets with a diameter of 6 mm or 8 mm from a supply area behind the back of the stove or via an external storage facility. The stove is fitted with an automatic ignition and thermostat so that the area(s) to be heated maintain a steady temperature. The more luxurious models can be connected to the central heating loop system and produce hot water through a buffer tank.

Do I need to remodel my house to a great extent?

The pellet stove can be connected to the existing flue. If there is no flue, a double-walled pipe with an internal diameter of 80 mm will do. (Stainless steel or black.) This can be attached along your wall much like a drain pipe. In densely populated areas, the flue gas duct must be higher than the highest gutter. Should the power fail at some point, you still need enough natural pull to exhaust the remaining flue gases. In all cases, the fitter must install a custom flue gas duct.

How much cleaner is a pellet-heated system when compared to one that burns wood?

To compare: 1 fireplace causes just as much air pollution as a biomass plant that uses wood pellets that provides heat for 3600 households. However, this should not be confused with coal-fired power stations that use imported wood pellets to co-fire. Here the output is around 35% and is actually a very poor alternative for fossil fuel.

Which type of heating is suitable for me?

A free-standing stove with hot air is the cheapest to purchase. It heats the room it is in and some models also heat adjoining rooms through channelisation. In a situation where there is a gas central heating system, you could choose a stove that connects between a loop system or a pallet central heating system. Often, a standalone stove is sufficient in a modern residence because this type of residence often has a (semi-)open kitchen and stairs. In practice, with average insulation, this type of residence needs 1 kW for every 20 m3 on the ground floor. For a terraced house, an average of 6 kW will be sufficient and for a corner house an average of 8 kW (standalone type). For pellet central heating, the capacity of the existing gas central heating is a good guideline. In relation to a new build, consult a fitter. Over time, a pellet central heating or standalone stove with too much capacity will no longer operate optimally. (Look at it as a car that never has to drive faster than 80 km/h.) ​Do, however, bear the following tips in mind: There are many different qualities of wood pellets. Do not be misled by big names. Those factories sometimes offer up to 4 different qualities. So do not just look at the price but also at the price/quality ratio, source and production method. As a rule, cheap wood pellets give a lower yield because (approved) adhesives have been added such as cornmeal, starch and/or lignin. Even worse, wood pellets produced from contaminated raw materials derived from laminate, chipboard, three-ply wood, MDF, HDF and other contaminated wood residues. Using poor quality wood pellets may result in having to replace your flue gas fan, auger and air vent in time (not included in the guarantee of your device). Poor quality wood pellets are also an unnecessary burden on the environment. ​“White" wood pellets or mixed (brown) wood pellets. The choice of the type of wood pellets that you want to use depends on the type of stove/system. Do not confuse our mixed (brown) wood pellets with hardwood wood pellets. This is something that fitters and importers often do not know. Our mix of wood pellets consists of an optimum mix of softwood and hardwood, which has a lower consumption and higher output. “White” wood pellets consist of 100% softwood that has a higher consumption and lower output. Normally, any pellet stove/system manufactured after 01-01-2010 can run on mixed wood pellets. (More adjustment possibilities.) If you are unsure about the one you should choose, consult your fitter or us. Faults and/or problems. There may be different reasons why your heating system malfunctions. Usually, the system is set for a certain type of wood pellets at the factory. Inform your fitter clearly as to which type of wood pellets you will be using. Plospan’s standard mix of wood pellets are (light) brown, but, with bagged products, you can choose the mixed or “white” wood pellets. With mixed wood pellets, the stove will need less than with “white” wood pellets. If the stove/system has not been adjusted properly, certified wood pellets will also cause problems. ​Maintenance of your system or stove. A pellet stove or system is a modern wood burner and therefore does need to be cleaned. With small stoves/systems, this is once a day (see the user manual). Usually, simply removing the ashes and unburnt residue from the burn pot will be sufficient. What people often forget is to clean the T-piece and the horizontal part of the chimney. It catches flue gases and can create an obstruction because, at low outdoor temperatures, more condensation occurs and therefore flue gases will form pieces. Some stoves/systems also have a second ash receptacle just in front of the flue gas fan. This must be cleaned a few times each heating season as well as the funnel of the supply tank, which is where all of the grit collects. Be careful! The more or the longer you heat, the dirtier the flue gas duct and the interior of the pellet stove/pellet system get! After cleaning, the flame pattern must be clearly visible again where the colour of the flame should be light blue (gas), pale yellow or dark yellow. If the flame is orange, there is a blockage somewhere in the air supply or flue gas exhaust or there are too many wood pellets. Tip: when vacuuming, put a particulate filter on your vacuum cleaner to protect it (available at major DIY shops). The vertical part of the flue gas duct must be cleaned once a year. Plospan wood pellets are produced in an environmentally friendly and CO2 neutral manner from clean untreated wood residue without any additives such as adhesives or other binding materials. They are available in bulk in bags of 10 kg or 14 kg or packaged on a pallet with 78 or 56 bags, respectively. (Big Bags are not available because of the high dust/grit content.)

Animal bedding

Are Plospan’s bedding materials harmful for my pet?

Plospan’s bedding materials are not harmful for pets; there is a strict protocol from procurement to sales. Plospan only uses clean and untreated wood.

Which type of wood is used to manufacture Plospan’s bedding materials?

Plospan’s wood fibres are manufactured from pinewood that comes from a species of spruce. Plospan’s cat litter wood pellets are manufactured from clean untreated 1st quality pinewood sawdust. Plospan’s beech chips are, as the name implies, produced from beech wood.

What is the difference between the Classic wood fibre and the Excellent wood fibre?

Plospan’s Classic has finer wood shavings that are smaller than Plospan’s Excellent. The Excellent is manufactured in our own factory and this helps make the product be completely dust-free and have a larger size for more comfort.

How heavy is a bale?

For pets, the weight varies from 1 to 10 kg. For horses and farm animals, it varies from 18 to 24 kg.

What is the difference between sawdust and wood fibre?

Sawdust is finely sieved from wood fibre. To reduce the amount of dust in the wood fibre, it is sieved several times. This is how you get sawdust.

How many bales fit on a pallet?

It varies per type of bale and pallet (Euro pallet or Industrial pallet.) In relation to wood fibre, it is a maximum of 60 bales. In relation to sawdust, we can stack a maximum of 78 on an industrial pallet.

Can I purchase directly from you too?

Plospan has a strictly selected network of wholesalers, dealers, garden centres and pet stores throughout the world. We would be happy to put you in contact with any of them for more information.

Do you also have dust-free wood fibre?

Our Plospan Excellent is dust-free.

Which wood fibre is recommended for horses with respiratory problems?

Plospan Excellent is recommended and used by veterinarians and top riders throughout the world.

How are Plospan’s horse box wood pellets used?

Plospan horse box wood pellets are pellets manufactured from clean untreated sawdust. Distribute a layer of about 5 cm on the entire surface of the horse box. Next, carefully sprinkle the top wood pellets so that they burst open for quicker absorption. Depending on your horse, you use 1-2 bags each week to keep the box clean and fresh.

What are Plospan’s cat litter wood pellets made of?

Plospan’s cat litter pellets are manufactured from clean and untreated pine sawdust.

Can the cat litter wood pellets be disposed of with organic waste?

If you want to clean a cat litter tray filled with Plospan cat litter wood pellets, the pellets may be put in the organic waste container. TIP: Do you want to enjoy your Plospan wood pellets for a long time? Scoop your cat’s droppings out of the litter box every day for a longer and cleaner result.

Why are Plospan’s cat litter wood pellets better than those of others?

Plospan only uses the best raw materials from clean and untreated A wood for its products and therefore the Plospan cat litter wood pellets are consistently always of the highest quality.

From which quantities do you deliver to residences?

We always try to determine what is most cost-effective for our customers in consultation with them. Numbers can be combined where Plospan products are available and when collaborating with its wholesales or dealers.