If you are worried about the energy costs of heating your home, as most people are, you may want to consider whether a pellet stove is right for you and can help you keep your energy costs down.
About a million people in the United States already use pellet stoves as either their primary or a supplemental heating source.
Some people use pellet stoves to heat their entire home.
However, it is more common to use an insert, which fits into the wall like a conventional fireplace, or a freestanding pellet stove to supplemental your existing heating system.
Some of the major benefits of pellet stoves include the following.
Pellets are made from sawdust or other recycled materials, so they reduce the amount of waste and pollution.
They burn much cleaner than a traditional fireplace.
You might be surprised to learn that you only need to empty your ash container once a week or less, depending on the amount you use it.
Burning pellets is typically cheaper than oil as well.
It is important to point out that there is some manual work involved with operating and maintaining a stove which is typically not true with oil and gas.
For example, you will need to clean the stove itself regularly by brushing certain and vacuuming out dust and ash from certain parts of the appliance.
You will also need to load pellets once per day or so into the hopper to give it something to burn.
Once you have decided that a pellet stove is right for you, here are the most important things you will want to keep in mind before making your selection: 1) Price.
Pellet stoves range in price from under $1,000 to around $3,000, and there is typically an installation cost as well.
2) You will want to read up on what the maintenance requirements are for the stoves you are considering.
Some stoves are easier to clean and maintain than others.
3) Safety.
Top-fed stoves tend to be a little safer but generally require higher grade fuels.
Bottom-fed stoves will likely be more difficult to clean and can pose a greater safety hazard, but they typically can use cheaper pellets.
4) You need to consider the size of the space you are going to heat and whether the stove has enough power to heat that area.
The heating capacity will be listed in BTUs, ranging from about 10,000 to 90,000 BTUs.
If you have a large space to heat, go with a higher amount of BTUs.
5) Make sure you have access to a ready supply of pellets at a decent price in your area.
6) Read online reviews of the models you are considering.
As I mentioned, about a million people are using them in their homes, so you are likely to find reviews of the models you are considering.