Pellet stoves and pellet fireplace inserts

Pellet stoves and pellet fireplace inserts do not burn wood logs… or gas. They use a renewable and environmental fuel typically made of dried wood and biomass wastes: the pellets.

Pellet stoves and inserts: an environmental clean solution

Pellet stoves and pellet fireplace inserts are a very clean heating option, and also a very efficient one. They pollute very little (a reason why certification and rating of these appliances isn’t absolutely necessary, contrarily to what happens with wood stoves or fireplace inserts.

Freestanding Pellet stove See: New advanced fireplace inserts

Pellet stoves & energy costs

Pellet stoves and pellet fireplace inserts are an excellent alternative to oil or natural gas heating appliances. With today’s soaring oil and gas costs, pellet and insert fireplace stoves are an excellent solution to reduce energy bills, namely in cold climates.

Pellet heaters are more complex than wood and gas Ones

Pellet units are more complex than wood and gas ones. They include a motorized auger that feeds the pellets to the combustion chamber. They also include a fan to driven the exhaust air into the venting system and an air circulation fan to drive the heated air. And all those features require electricity… See: Pellet stoves and electricity.

Pellet Stoves and Inserts advantages

Pellet stoves and pellet inserts are very energy-efficient and, environmentally, a very clean solution. They are also easier to use than wood stoves and provide control over temperatures: most of the operation is automatic and fuel loads may last more than 24 hours. Pellet stoves may also use direct venting, which is a cheaper solution than units using chimneys.

Pellet stoves and pellet inserts disadvantages

There are however some disadvantages. Pellet stoves and insert fireplaces cost a little more than other fueled options. On the other hand, pellets are typically more expensive than firewood (though cheaper than oil or natural gas...).

Also on the disadvantage side the fact that aesthetically pellet fueled units do not provide the natural look of wood, despite recent improvements.

Pellet stoves/inserts maintenance

Since pellet appliances are relatively complex devices with more parts and motors, they require some occasional – though simple and cheap – maintenance. You need to remove the ashes about once a week (supposing a regular use).

Pellet stoves/inserts and electricity

Motorized sub-systems –the fans and the fuel feed auger - require electricity, which can be worrying during electrical power failures (some pellet stoves use batteries to operate motors, but this is a relatively expensive solution).

Bottom and top fed pellet stoves

There are bottom and top fed pellet stoves. Top-fed models may require high-grade-low-ash pellets to avoid potential problems with deposits of ash and clinkers in the combustion chamber. Bottom-fed models don't require that high-grade pellets.

Capacity and size

Pellet stoves capacity is measured in BTU’s per hour: 20,000 - 90,000 BTUs per hour are very common, but the range is much wider. A knowledge retailer will help you to choose the right size, largely dependent on the size of the house and rooms to be heated.

Pellet prices

Prices in the range $2,000 - $3,000 are common for pellet stoves and pellet inserts. Typical installation costs involve some few hundred dollars.

Vent-free pellet (and gas) stoves may also involve huge initial savings over wood stoves (and fireplaces) since they do not require a conventional chimney or flue…