Alternative Heating: A Look At Pellet Stoves

18 December 2018
 Categories: Home & Garden, Blog


Homeowners interested in alternative ways to heat their homes, or individual rooms in their homes, should consider using pellet stoves. These devices are a great way to warm up your house on those dark winter nights when cold winds blow and the temperatures drop below freezing. The following article takes a closer look at this intriguing subject.

What Are They?

Pellet stoves are similar in many ways to wood-burning stoves except that they burn a different fuel. The pellets that these stoves use as a fuel are small bits of material made from scrap wood or sawdust. To operate the stove, you simply put some pellets into the stove's hopper and let the machine burn the fuel until the supply is exhausted. One of the stove's components, the auger, will ensure that the correct amount of pellets enter the burn chamber as needed. As the long as the hopper contain pellets, the stove will continue to provide heat.

Types

Two types of pellet stoves are available to homeowners. The first type is the freestanding pellet stove, which you simply place in a convenient spot in your home. Freestanding pellet stoves will typically sit on a raised base so that they do not touch the floor. The raised base, however, is not required if the floor is made of a fireproof material, such as stone.

The second type of pellet stove is an insert that fits over your fireplace and vents through the chimney. All wood stoves, regardless of their design, must be vented to avoid the risk of carbon monoxide being drawn into the home.

Environmental

One key advantage of pellet stoves is that they burn cleaner than wood stoves. They use 93 percent of the pellet fuel as energy. This greatly reduces the chances that the stove will add to the air pollution in your neighborhood or town in any significant way. Another environmental benefit is that they are made of scrap materials. No trees are cut down just to provide wood for the pellets.

Maintenance

The stove will produce a small amount of ash after burning the pellets. This waste collects in an ash pan which you should empty on a weekly basis when the stove is in use. Pellets stoves also need to be inspected by a trained service person on an annual basis.

Clearly, pellet stoves are an excellent option for people looking to heat their homes in less traditional ways. To learn more, contact a pellet stove company in your area.


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