Pellet stoves are different from wood stoves in that pellet fuel is compressed scraps of wood and saw dust waste and generally comes from mills and other wood handling places. The pellets are compressed by heat into small pellets no bigger than an inch in size. When the pellets are burnt they give off virtually no smoke and hence no chimney is reduced. Pellet stoves may require a vent but nothing as major as adding a chimney to your home.

A good reason for buying a pellet stove is that due to their high efficiency in burning the pellet stove itself does not heat up and therefore a pellet stove can be placed an inch from the wall and yet not over heat. This is ideal when you have children in the house.

Pellet stoves are straight forward and simple device to have in the house. All you have to do is load up 50-150 pounds of pellets in the hopper and the rest is automated and the pellets are moved up from the hopper by the auger into the combustion chamber. By using the fire triangle we have the fuel and we need the air/ oxygen, which is added by several ways. A full hopper can generally last for one to two days depending on size of hopper and the usage. Cleaning the stove is simple as there is little or no smoke residue left behind.

Pellet stoves can be categorized into two types, first are free standing stoves that can be placed anywhere in your home and the other is the stove insert which can replace your existing fire place. Slightly different are pellet furnaces that can heat the entire house and are generally large and are placed in the basement.

Cost of pellet stoves can range from $1,500 to $3,500 depending on the model and location where you buy it from. Wood pellets cost anywhere from $2.50 to $5.00 per bag of 20 to 40 pounds and again this will depend where you buy from. More info can be found here...Cost of Pellet Fuel.

So for a small investment you can free yourself from large energy bills and start saving money instantly. Also the wood pellets are environmentally friendly and help your local economy.

A well maintained and clean pellet stove should not create any creosote, the creosote is a sticky, flammable substance that causes chimney fires. Pellets burn very cleanly and create only a layer of fine fly-ash as a byproduct of combustion which is collected within the ash tray. The grade of pellet fuel will affect the performance and ash output.

Premium grade pellets will produce less than 1% ash content, while standard or low grade pellets produce anything from 2 to 4% ash content. When using lower grade or standard grade pellets there will result in extra maintenance.

A pellet stoves typicaly burn wood pellets but now more and more pellet stoves will also burn the likes of shelled corn, grain, seeds and woodchips an exampe would be Quadra- Fire range of products that burns wood pellets and shelled corn.

Pellet stoves venting is nowadays required and needs a certified double walled venting system, normally three or four inches in diameter with a stainless steel interior and galvanized exterior. As pellet stoves have a forced exhaust system, they do not usually require a vertical rise to vent although its recommended to have a three to five foot vertical run to prevent any leakage when theres a power outage. Pellet stoves can be vented horizontally through an outside wall and terminated below the roof line much like a modern gas appliance, making it an excellent choice for structures without an existing chimney. If an existing chimney is available, manufacturers urge use of a correctly sized stainless steel liner the length of the chimney for proper drafting.

A big plus is the fact that in many states in the U.S.A, pellet stoves and fuel are exempt from sales tax.

If you have a manual igniter you need to use a special gel or solid starter material, light the pellet fuel and monitor the progress. If your pellet stoves are automatic then simply add the pellets and push the start button to heat the self-ignite device.

What are my choices of models?

Freestanding or insert pellet stove, with combinations of bottom feed or top feed, and of course there are numerous colors.

What professional should I call if I have an issue?

Of course depands on the issue, but If you are contacting a professional to perform a chimney sweep you should make sure your sweep comes with a complete check of all components in your stove. If you are contacting a professional because the stove is not working corectly, then look though the manual that came with the pellet stove for more info.

What do I do on a regular basis?

Pellet Stove maintainance and Cleaning, You must always keep your stove in good working order, even during the times when you're not using it. If you’ve purchased a warranty with your stove you can usually get a check up done by a professional for free.

Pellet stove Location?

You want to make sure your stove has plenty of ventilation near and around it. Nothing should be blocking the vents or fans, and a good working electrical outlet should be nearby. Check with a professional for the best advice.

What’s so great about wood pellet stoves?

The wooden pellets (fuel) are a biomass product therefore they heat the rooms are eco-friendly and good for the environment. They are made of recycled wood that would normally be left at the local dumpsite. These stoves are cheaper to use than gas and add character to rooms.

Do I need to protect my floors?

Yes. Your manufacturer should be able to give you a list of suitable materials safe to use under wood pellet stoves. Each model is unique and could have varied results, so recommend to ask your professional before purchasing.

How do I shut down my stove?

Thats staright forward, look for the control switch and urn to OFF position according to the operation instructions. The fuel feed then stops feeding the fuel and once it’s cooled all motors and blowers stop operating. Never pull the plug out of the wall to stop operation.

The efficency rating and the Btu output can be useful to comare pellet stoves. The overall efficiency is the measure of the percentage of the energy available in th efuel that is delivered as heat and is more imortant than combusion efficency, always refer to a knowledgeable delaer for more information on sizing of pelet stoves.

Bring the following information when seeing your dealer as this will help him select the best pellet stove design for your needs:

• your intended purpose-primary or backup heat source for the entire house or a selected area
• house size and layout-sketch with room and house size estimate or building plans very helpful
• heating characteristics of your home- insulation and tightness of construction
• your idea of comfort- day and night.

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Dealers can provide details of warranty service, including extended warranty plans, as well as regular service. Dealers will discuss a fuel plan with you, telling you where locally available pellet fuels are compatible with your stove and which pellet mills or shops supply them.

Here's a few questions you could ask:

• Shopper's Checklist
• Fuel requirements and availability
• Dealer's owner training program and materials
• Special features like self-igniter system, remote thermostatic control, glass air wash and imitation logs for fire viewing, ash drawer size
• Ease and expected frequency of routine owner maintenance
• Availability and cost of professional service
• Understanding of heating system requirements and installation plan
• Backup power or alternate heat source plan (if important)
• Warranty details
• Total system and installation cost

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• Performance
• Cost
• Convenience.

Operational design convenience is affected by the number of features. Like hopper capacity which can range from 40 to 100 pounds will effect the number of times need fill the pellet stove. The hopper size should match the heating needs and have a reasonable loading cycle.

Manaual control pellet stoves require occasional adjustment of the inlet air dampers as the pellet fuel rate is changed. Pellet stoves appliances with more sophisticated controls are able to monitor burn conditions and make these adjustments automatically.

So depending if you want the ease of automated pellet stove or enjoy the interaction of a manual control pellet stove.

Cerain features the effect ash tolerance and fuel compatibility may influence both convenience and preformance, espically where fuel grade choice is limited, but nowadays newer pellet stoves perform well with most pellet fuels.

Bottom fuel feeding pellet stoves appliances moves ash and clinkers away from air inlets. Whereas specially designed grates in top feed designs either allow heavier ash and clinkers to fall through to the ash drawer, or they rotate themselves to move ashes and keep air inlets open.

In both pellet stove designs, a larger ash drawer reduces ash removal frequency and thus becomes more convenient, and grates which can be dumped without stopping operation add extra convenience. As long as a compatible pellet fuel is available, the issue of ash tolerance is one of convenience and not the acceptability of stove design.

Ease of pellet stove maintenance is enhanced with such features that make routine cleaning tasks easier for the end user. The heat exchanger can be cleaned by simply moving an external rod handle back and forth on some pellet stoves.

Ask your pellet stove applaince dealer to demonstrate the heat exchanger cleaning as well as access to ash traps, receptacles behind the fire chamber designed to separate fly ash from the exhaust. Although pellet stoves are safety tested as a solid fuel heater by an accredited laboratory, stoves safety tested to ASTM Standard E 1509 undergo stringent testing specifically designed for pellet appliances to assure their safety and performance reliability .

Hers's some other features bring added convenience and enjoyment when using your stove:

• Automatic ignition. Offers simple, reliable startup. Typically more desirous on stove used intermittently than on one used continuously.
• Remote thermostatic control. Controls heat output based on room temperature. Ensures even temperature from unattended stove regardless of changes in the weather. Discuss with the dealer the merits of thermostats and stove startup design: automatic ignition stoves cycle on and off according to heat demand; manual start stoves keep fire at low setting and return to high.
• Large glass view and air wash system. Offers fire viewing, particularly enjoyable in living area installations. Air wash keeps glass clean by directing warm air over the glass during combustion.
• Imitation log sets (stove manufacturer approved only). Improve aesthetics of the fire. May increase frequency and difficulty of maintenance; ask if removable.
• Blower quietness. A concern in some areas of the house, depending on room use and personal preference.
• Backup power source. Consideration for primary heat stoves in areas subject to frequent power outages. Should automatically switch from utility power to battery and back again.
• Extended warranty for components. Low cost, high value extension of warranty on components (from normal one or two years to as many as five).

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Free Standing Pellet stoves (figure 4)
floor protector can be installed in almost all living rooms, they are installed a specific distance away from. these have a great range of flexibility in the installation, supported by legs and sits on a non-conbustibleconbustible materials but still can be placed closer than typical wood cord burning appliances.

Fireplace inserts (Figure 5)

Firepalce inserts are installed in existing working firepalces, panels are added to fill up the void around the new pellet stove, certsian pellet stoves can only be used with masonary fireplaces, whereas others can be installed in apporved factory built metail firepalces.

Built-in appliances (Figure 6)

Built-in appliances are an excellent choice for homes without an existing fireplace but can give the look of having one. A built in pellet stove can be boxed in with a close clearance to combustible framing, materials like brik can be added around the pellet stove to give appearance of a fireplace.

Pellet furnaces are large units designed to heat an entire house through duct work. They are usually installed in a basement or other non-living area of the house. Like pellet stoves, furnaces require venting to the outside.

Pellet stoves can also be categorised accordling to the deliverly of pellet fuel.

Top feed pellet stoves deliver pellet fuel from a tube or chute above the fire, and bottom feed stoves deliver pellet fuel from behind or beside the burn pot directly to the fire (see Figure 2).

There are many variations within these two categories depending on manufacture, but bottom feed stoves preform better with the wider range of ash content in standard grade fuel because the feeding action moves ash and clinkers away from the burn area thus keeping the air inlets open and will reduce the frequency of cleaning.

To feed pellets stoves do have advantages in overall heating efficency sice thepellet fuel remains in the burn pot and exhaust gases move slower and improves the heat transfer. Special grates or rotating burn pots in some top feed pellet stoves will also reduce maintenance frequency.

If only standard grade pellets are available to you, or if there is a desire to burn a higher ash or special fuel like shelled corn or nut hulls, special attention must be paid to the issue of fuel delivery, ash content, and stove compatibility. Otherwise, design differences are less significant considerations of relative degrees of efficiency and maintenance frequency.

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By having automatic fuel delivery of the pellet fuel the user does not need attend to the frequent loading while at the same time providing clean burns and the desired comfort level. To get the desired combusion air is automated or with a slight manual adjustment.

In most pellet stove designs, a fan delivers air to the fire and will blow exhaust by-products out of a vent pipe, which is a smaller and cheaper version of a chimmey (Figure 3).

In most pellet stoves systems, a fan delivers heat to the home by blowing air through heat exchangers in the stove and out into the home. Heating efficiency is greatly enhanced by removing the heat from the appliance before it can exit the system.

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