Wood pellet stoves are gaining in popularity since their introduction onto the market in the 1970's.They are for a lot of homeowners a very affordable viable alternative to expensive fuel oil or electric heat. There are many reasons other than financial to choose to heat your home with a pellet stove. Those reasons have to do with the environment and your health.
Wood pellets are a sustainable product. Wood pellets are mainly manufactured from the waste products of the wood processing industry and also include the use of wood waste from tree trimming and land clearing. The way that wood pellets are manufactured makes the burn incredibly cleanly and evenly. A ton of wood pellets burns efficiently and has about the same burn time as a cord of air dried fire wood. Not only does it burn efficiently, it burns cleanly. Wood pellets burn CO2 neutral, meaning on harmful fumes are released into the atmosphere or into your home for your family to inhale. There is no more having to clean a messy fireplace. Wood pellets stoves are easy to fill and have easy empty ash cans.
Wood pellet stoves are also much safer in your home than a conventional brick and mortar fireplace. Although a wood pellet stove gives off incredible heat the outside tends to remain cooler than wood stoves. This means less chance of a child or family member receiving an accidental burn.
There are many well know and respected pellet stove manufacturers such as QuadraFire, Harman, Whitfield, Breckwell, Jamestown and Englander just to name a few. All of these manufacturers offer a wide variety of stoves. These stoves are generally rated by the amount of BTU's they deliver as well as the amount of square footage they heat. You'll find most manufacturers offer stoves of the same power. Some offer their wood pellet stoves with things like automatic ignition, large hopper capacity, programmable thermostats, whisper quiet fan motors and remote controls.
These manufacturers also offer wood pellet inserts for traditional brick and mortar fireplaces. These inserts fit inside the fireplace. Some homeowners choose pellet stove inserts because they don't need to be vented (chimney) or have floor protection installed. Wood pellet stove installation runs between $425 and $700.
As with any large appliance purchase you make for your home you should take advantage of information offered online to make sure you get the best deal. Pellet stove ratings and reviews are easy to find online as are pellet stove forums. Read about different brands and ask questions. You'll need to make sure that the brand of pellet stove you choose is available in your local area. Not all brands are sold country wide and you want to make sure you have a trusted dealer nearby to take care of any problems or maintenance on your stove.
