Home Design and Architecture Guide

Pellet Stoves

More and more people are looking at all their options when it comes time to heat the home. With the rising cost of energy, it is no wonder that finding the most efficient and cost effective is now a priority for many people. If you love having a fire burning but want to enjoy it without paying a fortune, there is a great solution in a pellet stove.

One of the problems with a traditional fireplace is that while the wood smells wonderful, it also creates pollution. The problem with a gas fireplace is that although it looks beautiful and can add heat to the home, gas can be very costly. Therefore, if you want to enjoy the warmth and ambience that a fireplace creates, you might think about buying a pellet stove.

This particular type of stove was first introduced to the market about 10 years ago. Since that time, people are finding that a pellet stove offers a number of outstanding benefits that are simply hard to pass up. First, the fuel for this type of stove is literally pellets that are made from recycled wood shavings, sawdust, peanut or walnut shells, and other types of materials.

These pellets are environmentally safe, which means that waste that is typically dumped into landfills is recycled and used to create energy. Since the pellets are tightly compressed, all moisture is removed. In fact, the moisture level is typically reduced to 8% or less. When you compare that to wood, which ranges from 20% to 30%, you can see that because the pellets are much dryer, they will produce far more heat.

The pellet stove also offers consistency. The pellets naturally burn much cleaner and efficiently than what you would get with wood. When buying an EPA-approved pellet stove, you will find that they only carry 5 grams of particulates in the smoke per hour whereas a traditional wood stove burns from 30 to 50.

Additionally, the wood stoves used back in the 1970s converted up to 60% of their fuel to heat but with a pellet stove, that number now rises to as high as 90%. In many cases, the heat extracted from this type of stove is so much, it can be vented going through the wall horizontally rather than up through a standard chimney.

Another use advantage in that burning wood in a traditional fireplace creates creosote, which is a soot-like substance that can create fire hazards. However, with a pellet stove, the amount of creosote produced is far less, meaning you are burning a safer fire while still enjoying the heat and beauty.

Finally, when it comes to price, it is true that pellets cost more than wood but remember that the weight measurements are different and the benefits are greater. Therefore, while you might spend a little upfront to get a pellet stove in place, you will be helping to save the environment and enjoying a clean-burning fire.

The weak customer chooses the understandable rack.