Wood Pellet Stove Pros and Cons

In the main, a pellet stove, or more especially a wood pellet stove, is not just environmentally friendly, it is possibly among the most convenient, as you are able to start the fire either by pressing a button or adjusting your thermostat. In addition, it is amongst the most cost-effective ways of heating your home that is available these days.

Wood Pellet Stove vs Corn Pellet Stove

Both corn pellet stoves and wood pellet stoves are energy efficient because of the combustion, which is almost complete with no smoke. The majority of corn pellet stoves have an extra setting that adjusts the removal rate along with airflow, permitting wood pellets to be used in it as well.

Many believe that even though you plan to burn wood pellets you should consider a corn pellet stove as well, since there may well be times when wood pellets are in short supply. You could then drop by a pet or feed store to buy a bag of corn feed making it easier to obtain the fuel required to heat your house.

Furthermore, pellet burning stoves are more or less maintenance free. Every few days, depending on your heat setting, all you have to do is tip a bag of corn or wood pellets into the hopper and that is it. Corn is gluier than wood pellets so every month you may need to clean the draft fan and maybe the auger.

It is a good idea to get a wood pellet stove model that provides a battery back-up option because they use electricity to run the combustion air fan, feed augers and the blower. Whenever the electricity does go off, then the stove will automatically change over to battery power.

Wood Pellet Stove Advantages

Pellet fireplaces stoves burn more efficiently than the conventional wood burning stoves and fireplaces and generate less ash, making clean up slightly easier. Because they are clean burning they allow for improved air quality and the majority of wood pellets are actually produced from the waste product that derives from wood processing that would otherwise be worthless and a waste. The wood pellets need less storage space and are a great deal easier to cope with than firewood. Furthermore, they typically come in a forty-pound bag, which makes it easier to carry and store.

Nothing in this world is perfect and that applies to a wood pellet stove as well. For instance, the stoves are mechanical, which implies that they are more inclined to failure than the more conventional wood burning stoves. There is a certain degree of noise involved too, yet the majority of folks do not mind it and describe it as a continuous dull rumble. Obviously, power is needed to operate them and that can add to your electric bills and might leave you without heating in the event of a power failure. The wood pellets do cost more than wood and from time to time can be in short supply.

Advantages of Corn and Wood Pellet Stoves

Pellet Burning Stove With Pellets
Image Credit - EPA

Wood pellet stoves are available in a range of styles, sizes along with finishes that will help to make sure that you will come across at least one that will fit your heating requirements. They are regarded as one of the cleanest and handiest means to heat your house.

Fitted with automated ignition systems along with thermoregulators to make start up straightforward while providing easy control of the heat output, these stoves offer you reliability even if left unattended.

Both corn pellet and wood pellet stoves are typically fitted on a nonflammable floor protector or fireplace irrespective of what style of structure they are installed in. Nevertheless, if you decide to install one in a mobile home, then check that it is certified by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for use in such a residence.

This kind of stove is excellent for regions that suffer temperature inversions during the wintertime that causes the wood smoke to actually settle across the area as opposed to drifting away. Wherever this sort of winter air quality might be a problem, wood pellet stoves could be the best option. Because countless folks experience high heating charges during the wintertime and it is a certainty that heating costs are only going to increase, a pellet stove may well be the ideal answer for clean, inexpensive heating.

Wood Pellet Stoves Fuel

The key to the success of these kinds of fuel stoves is the actual fuel source, which is produced from reprocessed and refined saw dust. Wood pellets are straightforward and cheap to make, which implies that the savings are passed on to you the customer. An additional benefit to making pellet fireplaces stoves your primary source of heat is that you are able to buy sufficient pellets for an entire year, at one time, guaranteeing that you will have plenty to keep you going throughout the winter months.

How Wood Pellet Stoves Work

The majority of stoves come with an option of three different types of ignition systems. The standard technique of lighting wood pellet stoves is by the use of a special starter gel along with matches. In addition, they have auto starting ignition systems, implying that the stoves may be lit with a push button or with a remote control. Several of the stoves are totally automated and can be operated by thermostat and will switch on or shut off without human intervention, depending on your particular heating requirements.

Several models, like the Whitfield pellet stove and the Harman pellet stove, are available with an extensive array of options, dependent on your individual requirements and needs. Many feature glass along with self cleaning combustion areas. Others have deeper ash pans that will reduce the number of times you will need to empty it from the stove and many include battery systems that will make sure your stove will continue running, even in the event of a power failure.

Cast Iron vs Steel Wood Stoves

In the past wood burning stoves used to be the only solution to cooking and heating requirements. Even today, they still have an important function in homes and many are still the primary source of heat, but of course, there have been improvements to wood stoves. For instance, in the past they needed to be positioned a good distance from any wall while many of the more recent designs can be as close as eight inches to a wall. Moreover, they are extremely clean burning with high ratings for their heat efficiency.

The wood fuel stoves occasionally called fireplaces stoves, are available in a variety of designs, ranging from conventional to contemporary looking. The three main components they are manufactured from include plate steel, iron and sheet metal although sometimes a combination of all three may be used. Several of the manufacturers modify the design of the more traditional cast iron stoves through the use of various kinds of material on the external surface. More often than not enamel, porcelain and marble are employed in an array of various colors to alter the appearance.

Cast Iron Wood Stove

The steel plate stoves are typically made out of 3/16 to 1/4" thick plates which are first cut and then stamped into shape. Cast iron stoves on the other hand are made of cast components that get bolted together. Since there is hardly any difference between the cast iron and steel wood stoves, it is much easier to make a decision based upon your budget, style and size that you need. In addition, they both include detailed lines as well as a grain free surface to help with your selection.

More often than not it is possible to tell whether wood burning stoves are well designed simply by looking for tight doors, smooth welds, clean castings and draft controls which are smooth functioning. Needless to say attention to detail along with good craftsmanship will always be important. Many of them have metal plates or fire-bricks that can help protect against burnout. Most of these materials improve the life span of the stoves as well as the thermal mass to some degree. Even after a fire has burned out, wood fireplaces and stoves that weigh five hundred pounds, will still radiate heat for many more hours.

If you are purchasing one of the wood stoves to fit inside a house which has not had one previously, then you must have a chimney put in, which normally entails cutting a hole in the roof. Furthermore, if you intend to utilize a chimney which is already installed, then make certain the stove which you are considering buying is compatible with it. Even when utilizing a pre-existing chimney chances are that it will need to be relined with steel, so as to work properly with the modern stoves which are being manufactured today.

Advantages of Wood Pellets for Stoves

Wood pellets used as the fuel source in wood pellet stoves are made from recycled, processed and compacted sawdust and are a by-product of saw milling and other types of wood transformation processing. These pellets are extremely dense and are produced with low humidity content, normally around ten percent, which allows them to burn with very high combustion efficiency. Their uniform geometry and comparatively small size makes them ideal for automatic feeding with a fine calibration. In addition, they are perfect for feeding to a burner using either pneumatic conveying or auger feeding.

Their extreme density also helps with compact storage and transportation over long distances. In fact, it is possible for them to be blown from the transport vehicle directly to the customer's storage bunker or silo on their property. Because the price of heating with fossil fuels has continued to increase, a lot of research continues to be carried out into finding other reliable sources of energy to replace non-renewable energy such as fossil fuels. To that end, production and sales of wood pellet fuel stoves and corn pellet stoves has continued to grow unabated.

Bio fuels made from bio mass or organic material have actually been proven to be effective substitutes for non-renewable energy sources. Some of these bio fuels are derived from biodegradable materials such as manure, plants, etc. However, the organic wood pellets are considered one of the best forms of wood fuel. Since they are produced through normal activities such as saw milling, or any other type of woodcutting, they are considered plentiful.

Many of the characteristics of pellets, including low humidity content and higher density, allows them to be automatically used in clean burning heating appliances. Since the pellets are considered biomass they are environmentally friendly, releasing less emissions and ashes. And, as renewable material the wood pellet offers the benefit of a continuous energy supply. There is no deliberate cutting down of trees in order to produce them. Since the pellets are actually considered waste materials, utilizing them as an energy source lessens the problem of waste and waste disposal.

With the increasing costs of fossil fuels it is only natural to turn toward other forms of heating and the pellet stove models have become increasingly popular. The stoves that are specifically designed for wood pellets do have advantages over other types of home heating systems. The normal wood burning stoves require constant maintenance compared to the wood pellet fireplaces stoves. They are also much easier to operate and are more convenient than the traditional wood fireplaces and stoves. Although the physical appearance is similar to the traditional stoves that burn wood, these have microprocessor controls that ensure a clean and efficient fire.

Wood Pellet Fireplace Options

One of the more environmentally friendly ways to reduce reliance on fossil fuels is to heat with wood instead. To that end, using a wood pellet fireplace or wood pellet stove to heat your home is not only convenient but also satisfying knowing that you are doing your bit to help reduce global warming.

Unlike the more conventional wood fireplaces, these types are automatic in that the wood pellets are fed from a storage hopper into the fire, which in turn causes warm air to circulate. The heat output can be adjusted manually or controlled completely hands free with the use of a thermostat.

Existing chimneys can be used with pellet fireplaces although you will likely need a pellet stove insert fitted. However, it is not essential to have an existing fireplace since some fireplace inserts are zero clearance. This means that the pellet fireplace can sit right next to framing or any other interior surface without causing a fire hazard. To do this the fireplace contains a means of controlling the surface temperature of the exterior casing in order to keep it cool. Zero clearance is an ideal choice when installing as part of a new construction or renovation project.

Wood Pellet Fireplace Insert

Several companies have inserts that will help to convert your fireplace, such as the Whitfield pellet stove insert, which creates everything you need to enjoy a wood pellet fireplace. If there is an existing masonry or metal fireplace, then there are many easy and attractive ways to bring new life to it. There are wood, gas and pellet burning fireplace inserts that will fit into almost any traditional fireplace opening.

Overall, pellet fireplaces stoves can be installed into almost any home situation. There has been an increase in the number of companies that sell a vent free fireplace, which in turn has lead to them becoming very popular. Equipped with such things as a remote control and a variable flame height adjustment, most make it possible to control the speed of your assembly blower as well. Although some allow you to turn the unit on from a wall switch, actual flame adjustment must still be carried out manual via the valve on the fireplace and not with any type of a remote device.

Traditional wood fireplaces have always held a special place in the heart and mind of many, as the ambiance and warmth from the flickering flames just seems natural. Nevertheless, the standard fireplaces have come under increased scrutiny during the last few years due to their output of carbon and the pollution caused by the particles that are in the smoke.

Fortunately for us, the wood pellet fireplace is one of the results of the evolving wood fireplace that helps to mitigate some of the problems, including the air pollution. Of course, part of the allure of a traditional fireplace is that ambiance that folks are afraid of losing, yet some of the pellet varieties have features that are designed to enhance the product, such as an adjustable flame height and heat output, which are reminiscent of the traditional fireplace.

Home Gas Stoves History

The first gas stove was unveiled to the world back in 1851, during the World Fair in London. However, the technology of gas stoves did not start to become a commercial success until the 1880s, partly due to the slow growth of the gas pipe network. The first stoves were somewhat awkward and clumsy to use but that soon changed once the manufacturers incorporated an oven into the base and reduced the overall size of the appliance in order to fit and match in with other kitchen equipment.

There are two basic types of ignition systems used in the cooking stoves of today, which are either electric or standing pilot. A standing pilot refers to a small continuous burning gas flame called a pilot light that is under the cook top, usually between the front and rear burners. When the stove is turned on, the flame lights the gas that is flowing out of the burners. The advantage of this type of system over electric stoves is that it is easy to use and is totally independent of any other type of external power source. The one downside is that the flame consumes fuel on a continuous basis, even when the stove is not in use.

Home Gas Stove

The early gas stoves did not have pilot lights, as they had to be lit manually with a match. If somebody inadvertently left the gas on with the door closed, then gas would fill the stove/oven and eventually the whole room. Even the smallest of sparks, such as the small arc that sometimes occurs when a light switch is turned on, could ignite the gas resulting in an explosion. To stop this from happening in the future, the manufacturers developed and installed safety valves. The safety valve uses a pilot flame that ignites the main burner when it is turned on, heating a thermocoupler that sends a signal to the valve to stay open. If for any reason the pilot goes out, then the thermocoupler cools and signals the valve to close, which shuts off the gas to the stove.

The modern fireplaces/stoves are designed to burn either propane or natural gas; they require very little maintenance, emit little pollution and can be installed virtually anywhere in your home. Most often, gas fuel stoves can be made to appear like wood burning stoves with the large flames and glowing embers.

Fireplaces stoves can also help save you money on heating costs through zone heating, which means the stove is used to heat only a specific area of the home, such as a family room. In addition, newer gas stoves can be vented out through an existing chimney or even directly vented through a wall that is behind the stove. Not all of the models require outside venting, although the Environmental Protection Agency does not support their use due to the degradation of indoor air quality if venting to the outside is employed.

What is a Pellet Stove

A pellet burning stove is considered to be amongst the most efficient methods of home heating and folks who try out a pellet stove often find that they thoroughly enjoy the efficient and environmentally friendly appliance.

They are automatic in their heat production without relying on expensive and sometimes messy firewood, as is necessary for wood burning fireplaces stoves. For little more than a few cents an hour, you can fill your home with warmth as well as reduce your monthly heating bills significantly. The initial investment will soon be recouped from the amount of money that can be saved.

How Does a Pellet Stove Work

Wood Pellet Stove

The pellet stove wood burning units are modern, state-of-the-art and efficient heating appliances. They work by carefully controlling and modulating the fuel to air ratio inside the stove, which guarantees complete and clean combustion of the fuel. The whole process also allows for very low smoke emissions, which makes them cleaner burning, even as outside cooking stoves. This is particularly helpful in areas that have temperature inversions, which are a layer in the atmosphere where temperature increases with altitude. This phenomenon causes wood smoke to settle over an area rather than blowing away.

It is almost certainty that heating costs are not likely to be going down any time soon. Indeed, the likelihood is that they will only continue to rise which means that anything that you can do in order to reduce heating costs is a step in the right direction. The overall efficiency of a pellet stove comes from its fuel source, which is processed, recycled sawdust. It is simple and economical to produce and the cost savings are passed on to the consumer. An additional advantage is the fact that you can purchase enough fuel for an entire year at one time, guaranteeing that you will always have what you need.

Best Pellet Stove to Buy

There are a number of features to consider when you are deciding what size or style of the wood pellet fuel stoves are right for you. The size of the stove is in fact secondary to the quantity of heat that is emitted. Smaller sizes are capable of producing enough heat to keep a large area warm although the hopper may be unable to hold more than a few days worth of fuel. As you would with any major appliance you are considering, whether it is one of the indoor or outdoor designs, it is important to do some research and ask questions.

There are specialty shops that concentrate on just selling pellet burning stoves, which make them an excellent resource when considering your purchase. Most of the pellet stove retailers are more than adequate when it comes to helping consumers choose the right stove for their needs. If they do not provide these services on site, then they will be knowledgeable about where you can go to purchase the fuel, have maintenance completed or where you can locate someone certified to install the stove for you.