In considering the increase in the cost gasoline and travel distance to the nearest production supplier of Wood Pellet Stove fuel. I purchased 25, 40# sacks of OHP, Ozark Hardwood Products at your Marion, Illinois Menard's store to carry me over through the winter months.

I only use my pellet burner as back-up heat to my central system of a heat pump when the outside temperature drops below 32 degrees.

In using the OHP Pellets, I discovered, that the said product, is the poorest grade of pellet fuel I have used in the past 5 years. The said pellets have an unusual large amount of ash and caking build-up in the burner pot. Thereby, starving off the flow of the forced air, which keeps the pellets burning as they are fed into the combustion pot. It is necessary to shut down the pellet burner every 14 to 18 hours to clean up the ash and burner pot caking deposits.

The two different pellet fuel products, that was used before using the OHP pellets, only required a shut down, for removal of ash deposit, was on an average of every 4 to 5 days of continuous use. At no time, during the use of the first two brands of pellets, did the burner pot ever cake-up and starve off the combustion air into the burner pot.

In short I have purchased my last OHP, Ozark Hardwood Product pellets. It was suggested, by pellet burner service individual, that the caking up of the OHP pellets is possibly due to a chemical bonding agent used in the production of the said pellets.

I personally, have no idea as to the actual cause of the pellets caking up. However, I do know that I am highly dissatisfied with the OHP brand of wood pellets. However, I consider myself very fortunate to have only purchased 25 of the 40# sacks, instead of my normal purchase of 50 sacks equaling, 1 Ton of pellet fuel.

Thank you for your consideration to this subject experience.