Heating With Wood

Should You Buy A Pellet Stove Insert?

A pellet stove insert can transform your old, inefficient fireplace into a very effective source of heat for you home. The pellet stove has some very distinct advantages over a conventional wood stove and is very much worth looking at as a viable option.

The pellets are much easier to manage than cords of split hardwood. The bags are easily handled, can be stored in much less space than firewood, and are not nearly as messy as wood. Depending on your location, you can often have them delivered to your home on a regular basis at a discount price.

One other advantage of heating with pellets is that they can be made of wood that is otherwise wasted. The branches, scrap and waste wood is very often turned into pellets. This is a great way to help the environment, while at the same time saving money on your heating bill.

The high efficiency pellet stove inserts also greatly reduce the danger of creosote buildup in the chimney or stove pipe. Because they burn so efficiently, the gases that make up creosote are burned before going up the chimney. This also captures the maximum amount of BTU's from the wood.

Pellets can also be made of corn, wheat, black oil sunflower seeds, and other plant materials. This is an exciting prospect for the future and represents a big step toward weaning yourself off of fossil fuels.

The Quadra-Fire pellet stove inserts can be installed into an existing fireplace, or even just an opening in the wall. The Mt. Vernon AE Insert is an extra large cast iron pellet/bio-fuel fireplace insert that delivers up to 60,000 BTU's and heats up to 3,800 square feet. They also have the Santa Fe Pellet Insert, which is a medium stove that delivers up to 30,000 BTU's and heats up to 1,500 sq. ft.

The Harmon Accentra pellet insert actually requires zero clearance, which means it can be installed in a corner, or up against a wall, as well as in an existing fireplace. This stove has an automatic igniter and thermostat to control the temperature. Much like a conventional gas or oil furnace, the Accentra will maintain an even, steady source of comfortable heat.

A good pellet insert stove is easy to clean, easy to load and easy on the pocketbook. Plus, you still get the warm, cozy atmosphere of a wood stove and a visible flame. The initial cash outlay is a bit more than with a wood stove, but the payback is clearly fairly quick. With some searching, you can find a used pellet stove and great deals on pellets.

You will also save money by not needing a gas chain saw, chains, a sharpening tool, hearing protection, a firewood shed, and other wood stove accessories.

One of the drawbacks of a pellet stove is the fact that it requires electricity to feed the pellets from the hopper to the fire. In the event of a power outage, this means your stove will not work. It is recommended that you have a gas powered generator or battery backup to solve this problem. If you live in an area where the power tends to go out frequently, make sure you cover this base thoroughly. You certainly do not want to be without heat in the middle of winter!