What to Know About Pellet Stoves

Once you experience a pellet stove, it's easy to understand why people rave about these efficient and unique home heaters that generate an automated, economical and earth-friendly wood heat...and all without firewood! For just pennies an hour, a pellet stove can deliver a deep, penetrating warmth that provides independence from high heating bills while emitting almost no wood smoke.  And, with tremendous flexibility in installation and sizing, pellet stoves are a sophisticated choice for convenient heat that helps protect the environment and doesn't break the bank.

Help Take Control of Heating Costs:

Pellet stoves are the perfect choice for people that often experience high home heating bills due to fluctuating energy costs.  In fact, pellet stoves are often installed in homes as secondary heat sources to help maintain control over heating expenses.  The reason is the fuel.  Pellet Stoves burn economical pellets made from recycled sawdust. The economy of pellets is due to the low cost of the materials and the efficiency of the manufacturing processes, as well as the ability for people to lock in an entire year of fuel costs before the beginning of the heating season.

Pellet stoves are efficient home heaters thanks to state-of-the-art technology that helps control the fuel-to-air ratio within the stove and ensures almost complete combustion of the fuel.  This technology helps to generate minimal wood smoke, making pellet stoves the lowest emission solid-fuel burning hearth products available today and a popular choice is areas where winter air quality is an issue. 

Automated Wood Burning:

A pellet stove is an automated wood burner.  Pellet stoves operate with an easy-to-use convenience while providing a rich, radiant and convection heat. To use a pellet stove, simply load a supply of pellets into the hopper and start the stove.  Once the stove is operating, an automated feed system delivers the wood pellets into a burn chamber within the stove where combustion air is forced through the fire creating a mini furnace.  In many pellet stoves, the ignition system is also automatic, increasing the convenience factor.

Easily Installed and Maintained:  

The power-venting feature of a pellet stove allows for installation almost anywhere in a home.  The key to installation is placing the stove near an electrical outlet.  All pellet stoves require electricity to operate, although battery packs are available for many stoves just in case the power goes out.  Once installed, pellet stoves are easy to maintain.  Routine tasks include filling the hopper with pellets, emptying the ash pan weekly, periodic cleaning the burn pot, hopper, ash traps, glass, and annual professional service of the entire unit before the start of each cold season.

Selecting a Pellet Stove:  

Much like any other appliance, it is important to spend the time to choose the right pellet stove.