Pellet stoves are known to be efficient, clean and affordable ways to heat a home. Used along with a secondary source of heat, such as a fuel oil, a pellet stove can help you keep energy costs down. But what about pellet stove inserts? Should you consider an insert over a free-standing stove?
There are times when a pellet stove insert is the way to go. If you have no floor space for a free standing pellet stove, but have a fireplace is one example. If you don't want to have a freestanding stove is another. If you're looking for the ambiance of a real wood burning fireplace without the mess of using air cured wood. For some people it's simply a matter of convenience. Some homeowners actually get tired of dealing with messy firewood and end up not using their fireplaces at all.
If you want to be able to utilize your fireplace as a legitimate heating option for your home consider a fireplace insert with a programmable thermostat. A ton of wood pellets has the same burn time as a cord and a half of wood. Wood pellets work well because they have the same burn time, unlike fire wood. Pellets also burn without harmful fumes and smoke, making it a better choice for the environment and your family.
Another reason to consider installing a pellet stove insert is that it's a quicker and cheaper installation. If you install an insert into your existing brick and mortar fireplace you don't have to worry about adding a chimney or flooring protection. Almost every company that makes a free standing pellet stove also has pellet stove inserts. They include. Breckwell, Harman, Whitfield and QuadraFire.
You'll find that the better and higher end brands offer options like automatic lighting, programmable thermostats and quiet fans. A lot of homeowners opt to purchase free standing pellet stoves and inserts with large hopper capacity so they don't have to be filled as often.
The easiest way to find the best pellet stove and find pellet stove ratings is to read pellet stove forums and ask questions. Talk to professionals. Realize that a fireplace pellet stove insert against a wall will not have the same whole house heating ability as a free standing pellet stove, but is still a better choice than continuing to use a drafty dirty old fireplace.
Check out each individual model when you go shopping. Know the square footage you're interested in heating. Find out the power of the motor on the blower, this makes a difference. Understand that heating capacity and BTU numbers from the manufacturers are based on perfect conditions. If your home has single pane glass windows that leak or is low on insulation you won't get the same output.
Harman insert pellet stoves are highly thought of by homeowners, as are Enviro inserts. Your choices may be limited however based on what stoves are sold in your area.
