A pellet stove is a stove that burns compressed wood or biomass pellets to heat your home. Pellet stoves burn cleaner, are more efficient, and are powerful enough to heat most average-sized, modern homes. They work by burning small pellets that measure between ⅜ to 1 inch in length to heat your home. Pellet fuel is normally sold in 40-pound bags at about $3 to $4 each or about $180 to $250 a ton. If you’re going to choose a pellet stove installation for your main source of heat in your home, a good estimate is to plan to use two to three tons of pellet fuel a year.
Pellet stoves are less expensive to operate than electric resistance heating, oil, and propane-fueled appliances, which is why they are becoming increasingly more popular. If you are interested in a pellet stove installation, reach out to an HVAC contractor for more information and to schedule a free estimate.
Energy Efficient
Being energy efficient means using less energy to produce the same level of energy. This is done in an attempt to reduce human greenhouse gas emissions. Pellet stoves are energy efficient and are a great way to help reduce your carbon footprint. They are energy efficient for two main reasons – they burn a renewable fuel and they emit a low level of air particles, and pellet stoves burn pellet fuel which is made up of a mixture of sawdust, wood chips, bark, and other materials from plants. These materials are readily available to use, and in the case of sawdust, they wouldn’t be used otherwise. By repurposing these materials and turning them into a source of fuel, we are reducing the amount of waste we’re putting into landfills. They also produce fewer greenhouses gases than other types of fuel. Pellet stoves are energy efficient because they emit lower levels of air particles than other heating options. This is very important in helping to improve air quality and prevent air pollution.
Benefits of Pellet Stove Installation
Pellet stoves are great for homeowners who are conscious of living in an eco-friendly manner. They can help you reduce your carbon footprint because they burn a renewable fuel. Pellets are made of compressed sawdust, wood chips, bark, and other materials derived from plants. Normally, these materials would be placed in landfills, but turning them into pellet fuel has become a great way to repurpose them into green energy. They are also low-carbon, so by burning them you are helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions when you choose a pellet stove installation over other heating options.
Pellet stoves are very dense and efficient, so they release much less air outdoors than do alternative heating options like a wood stove. They also produce very little ash and don’t generate chimney creosote which allows you to worry less about doing any major cleaning. Some models even come with automatic cleaning cycles that will make maintenance even easier. Pellet stoves often come with extra-large ash pans so you don’t have to worry about emptying them very often.
Not only are pellet stoves extremely environmentally friendly, but they can also save you money. Investing in a pellet stove installation is a smart financial decision when you compare it to the cost of heating your home with fuel oil or propane. While you will have to purchase bags of pellet fuel, you won’t go through them very quickly. You’ll probably only have to load pellets once every day or two.
Another great advantage to a pellet stove installation is that you can choose one that fits in with your decor. They tend to come in many different styles so you can choose what color, finish, and trim works best in your home.
Pellet Stoves vs. Wood Stoves
When it comes to choosing between a pellet stove or wood stove, most people are going to be concerned with price. Pellet stoves are typically more expensive to buy but they can be cheaper to install, whereas wood stoves can be cheaper to buy but more expensive to install. However, initial buying costs and pellet stove installation fees are only part of the picture.
Pellet stoves only burn a certain type of fuel, pellet fuel. This means you’re going to have to purchase fuel and be conscientious of where you store it to keep it away from any moisture. Luckily, they don’t attract any rodents or insects so you won’t have to worry about that. Most people who are using a pellet stove to heat an average-sized, modern home go through about two to three 40-pound bags of pellet fuel a year. Wood stoves use the cheapest fuel there is, wood. Wood can be especially cheaper and easier to obtain if you’re getting it from your own backyard.
Another major difference between pellet stoves and wood stoves is how efficient they are. Efficiency is one of the top reasons that people choose to buy pellet stoves. Pellet fuel is the cleanest burning soil fuel. Some models can even adjust the amount of heat produced to match a wall thermostat. A pellet stove that has a large hopper could even burn for up to 65 hours without having to be tended to. Pellet stoves were designed with efficiency in mind. Wood burning stoves have certainly improved over the years and have become far more efficient, but they still aren’t quite as efficient as pellet stoves. Newer versions produce less smoke and creosote and are able to produce a lot more heat than a traditional fireplace.
One disadvantage to pellet stoves is that they require a small amount of electricity to run the fans and augers which feed the pellets into the burn box. If you are worried about the electricity going out, you can always buy a battery backup. A disadvantage to wood stoves is that they require a chimney and must be installed at least a foot away from combustible walls.
Both pellet stoves and wood stoves have their pros and cons, so it is important for you to decide which will provide you with the best value at the lowest cost, with the least amount of downsides. Contact an HVAC contractor for more information on the energy efficiency of pellet stoves and request an estimate on a pellet stove installation.