Choosing Between a
Wood and Pellet StoveWood and pellet stoves are available in a range of styles that are able to fit into fireplaces already in place. They look attractive and provide heat to homes.
Pellet stoves create hot air by burning compressed wood waste, such as shavings and sawdust. They also make use of a fan to force exhaust gases through specially designed venting systems.
Cost
When comparing wood heat stoves to pellet stoves, the cost is a major factor. Pellet stoves are more expensive initially than their counterparts. However, they are much cheaper when compared with home fossil fuels or electric heat sources. The long-term savings of a reduced dependency on a central heating can also offset the initial investment.
Pellet stoves utilize the combustion chamber to burn compressed pellet fuel like alfalfa, oat or timothy. These pellets that resemble wood are more efficient in terms of BTU/hour and a higher heat content than cordwood. Additionally pellet fuel is available in bulk to reduce the amount of time required to refill a stove hopper.
The pellet stove has the benefit of being an automatic. The stove will keep the temperature you set on the thermostat. This will save you from having to continually add fuel to a fire and also prevents huge temperature fluctuations within your home that could happen when you use a wood stove.
The pellet stove requires less maintenance than a wood-burning stove. While wood stoves must be cleaned regularly to prevent the buildup of creosote, pellet stoves generally produce
small pellet stove amounts of creosote and require regular cleaning of the chimney vent to ensure optimal performance.
Upfront expenses for pellet stoves are typically more expensive than wood heat stoves, but the energy savings they can offer can help offset these costs over time. A pellet stove requires power to put pellets into the combustion chamber. This can pose a problem if there is a power failure. Battery backup systems can mitigate this risk.
If they are properly maintained, both wood heat stoves as well as pellet stoves are fairly safe to use. In order to ensure the safety of your stove, always follow manufacturer instructions for maintenance and operation. This includes removing all unused pellets at the conclusion of each heating season from the stove's feed system, hopper, and cleaning the flue vent on a regular basis to reduce the accumulation of soot.
Energy Efficiency
A pellet or wood stove is a fantastic option for a home since they produce heat at a far more affordable cost than oil or gas heaters. They can also be used to create a cozy environment and as an alternative heating method such as furnaces or fireplaces. However, if you're shopping for a new stove it's important to choose the
best pellet stove one for your needs and your budget.
Pellet stoves have a rectangular shape. They come with the combustion chamber, hopper and vent to exhaust gasses from combustion. The stoves can be self-lighting, and come with a thermostat to allow you to regulate the temperature inside your home. They can be used to heat small or large houses, based on the power of the unit and its capacity to generate enough heat per hour.
There are many kinds of pellet fuels, including grains, nutshells, wood and nutshells. Other byproducts, such as paper and cardboard are also a possibility. Depending on the kind of pellet you select you'll need to take into consideration whether it's burning correctly or produce excessive ash. The best pellets have a higher energy density. This means that they will produce more heat than lesser brands.
A pellet stove makes use of electricity to power augers and fans that transfer pellets into the combustion chamber. You might want to install an emergency generator or backup system to ensure you can generate heat in the event of power outage. Pellet stoves are more efficient than wood-burning stoves since they require less air to burn, and produce less creosote and ash.
Both pellet and wood stoves require some maintenance. However wood stoves typically require more maintenance. You'll need to periodically remove the accumulated "clinker" and ash from the bottom of your stove. It's recommended that you make use of a vacuum cleaner made of metal with a flexible hose, so that you can get rid of the hot material without burning yourself. Depending on the type of stove you buy you'll probably have to replace the fire screen at least every year, too.
Environmental Impact
Wood burning stoves emit huge quantities of air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (furans and dioxins) and volatile organic compounds. These emissions also contribute to fine particle pollution, which can harm human health. In addition burning wood releases creosote, a toxic and carcinogenic chemical that accumulates in the flue vent and can cause house fires. Wood pellets create less air pollution, have no creosote is produced and require less storage space than logs.
Pellet stoves require more maintenance than log fireplaces. They need to be inspected by both the homeowner and a professional annually to ensure they are working properly. Electricity is also used to power the controls, fans, and pellet feeders. In normal use pellet stoves consume approximately 100 kilowatt-hours a month. If the power is cut off the stove will not operate, unless there is a batteries to backup it.
The species size, dimensions, and moisture content of the wood used will determine the efficiency of energy and environmental impact of a pellet or wood stove. Wood pellets made from dense hardwoods, such as oak and hickory produce more heat pound for pounds than pellets made of softwoods, such as pine or spruce. The heat-to-weight ratio for different species is also a crucial factor.
While the initial cost of a pellet stove is lower than a wood stove, it will need to be replaced every 10 to 15 years. The majority of manufacturers recommend that you take away all unneeded pellets at the end of the heating season from the stove hopper, feed system and the ash pan. This will prevent the stove from rusting and make it easier to light at the beginning of the next heating period. It is also recommended that the vent for the flue be cleaned on a regular basis to avoid the build-up of soot.
The results of this study, while the pellet stove performed better in most impact categories than the fireplace or spruce log stove, are specific to the appliances and conditions under which they functioned. Further research is required to compare performance of residential heating systems in a cradle to grave perspective. This includes forest management activities, wood split log and
pellet stove for garage production, transport and storing, and thermal energy production.
Maintenance
Wood and pellet stoves require regular maintenance to keep the combustion process operating smoothly and efficiently. Weekly cleaning is required to eliminate ash and other debris. They should also be emptied of their ash pans and the vent pipes on a regular basis. Keeping up with these requirements helps prevent the accumulation of creosote which could cause the stove to malfunction.
A professional technician should perform the cleaning and inspection of a pellet stove prior use every season. This will help determine and fix any mechanical problems before they become more serious. The technician should also clean and examine the venting system in order to ensure proper operation. The technician should also clean any parts that are clogged or oily and lubricate fans.
Pellet stoves are much more complicated than wood stoves and require more care in maintaining. The controls, the blower and the hopper require electricity.
