Who knows about Pellet Stoves?

[MrsDeathlynx]

I'm trying to look into an alternate form or heating, fuel is too damn expensive this year. If anyone knows anything about Pellet Stoves, or has any insight good or bad, your help in my research would be greatly appreciated...

 

[voluptuary_manque]

We don't have any use for such here, but they have an excellent reputation. I remember reading about them in the Last Whole Earth Catalog which dates me, I know. There's a place in Pennsylvania that caters to the Amish which has a lot of woodburning things. Do a google for it and then give them a shout.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Lehman's Non-Electric is the place.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

With skyrocketing oil prices, the cost of heating homes is jumping off the charts. The Department of Energy expects heating bills to be 27 percent higher this winter for people who heat with oil and 41 percent higher for those who heat with natural gas. In cold-winter climates, this number will be closer to 30 percent. What can you do?

Some homeowners are turning to pellet stoves to provide supplemental (or in some cases, primary) heat. Pellet stoves look similar to wood stoves or fireplace inserts, but the similarities end there. Inside, they are very sophisticated combustion appliances.

BUYING CONSIDERATIONS

Most pellet stoves produce a small fire that, concentrated in the center of the unit, burns hot. If you like the look of a fire, it's important to find a unit with a good flame pattern and large viewing glass. For some stoves, you can get ceramic logs that help disperse the flames and give the fire a more traditional look.



One drawback of pellet stoves is that they're relatively complex. The various moving parts and motors require occasional maintenance. It's a good idea to select a model that gives you easy access to any parts that need care.

In regard to maintenance, it's not a bad idea to get a service contract because servicing a pellet stove can be a bit tricky.

When choosing between a bottom- or top-fed pellet stove, consider the benefits and drawbacks of each. A top-fed stove has a lesser chance of fire burning back into the hopper because of its pellet delivery system. But the combustion chamber is more likely to become impeded with ash and clinkers (the deposits that are caused by reheating ash).

As a result, many manufacturers of top-fed models recommend burning high-grade, low-ash pellets. Bottom-fed models don't require premium fuel because the ash and clinkers are pushed into the ash pan. Keep in mind that you have to remove the ashes about once a week with steady use. An easy-to-use, large-capacity ash access drawer makes cleanup easier.

The motors, of course, require electricity (some have battery backup units). A stove will need a nearby 110-volt outlet. If you live where power outages are frequent, you may want to have a gas-powered generator on hand so that you can use the stove if the power goes out.

Pellet stoves are measured in heat output range, also called heating capacity. Most have a rating of 8,000 to 90,000 BTUs per hour. To choose the right size of pellet stove to buy, work with a knowledgeable dealer who can take into account the many variables and factors that will determine the best choice.

A variety of styles are available in both freestanding stoves and fireplace inserts. Some manufacturers also make pellet-fueled furnaces and boilers that are designed to take the place of--or supplement--conventional forced-air heating systems.

Prices range from about $1700 to $3000 or more for the stove and from $150 to $400 for installation. When comparing prices of pellet stoves with wood stoves, remember that pellet stoves offer a substantial savings--they don't require installation of a full-height conventional chimney or flue, the most costly part of some fireplace and wood stove installations.

 

[glynndah]

Lehman's Non-Electric is the place.

Lehman's

A great way to spend an afternoon, too.

 

[Maeve_redux]

Pellet stoves are wonderful IF you can get the pellets locally.

Another option is a russian stove (you can find info online if you do a search) if you can get the permit to have one.

 

[Weird Harold]

I'm trying to look into an alternate form or heating, fuel is too damn expensive this year. If anyone knows anything about Pellet Stoves, or has any insight good or bad, your help in my research would be greatly appreciated...

The guy who invented Pellet Stoves played linebacker behind me on our highschool football team.

One thing to look into -- ask the dealer about -- is whether your locale tends to have bad air days and wood-burning bans in the Winter. Unless they're specifically expempted, pellet stoves are wood burners and subject to wood-burning bans.

I've never owned one, but my brother's relatively small "Franklin Stove" type put a LOT of heat into the corner where it was located, but the rest of the house was drafty or just cold. You need better air circulation than just convection if you're going to use that type for primary heating.

 

[Chantilyvamp]

Another alternative is oil filled radiators. We use a few in our house in rooms that didnt have radiators in them. I run them as needed. Oil inside gets hot. I turn it off (or have it on a timer to turn off) and the oil stay hot for awhile heating the room.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002PCXEE

Another example

I've found then in the states at other places as well. Not to expensive to buy and cheaper to run then some other options.

 

[shereads]

Dwell magazine and www.dwell.com are good resources for the latest news in 'off-grid' energy. The ads at the back of the magazine always include a selection of sexy stoves.

Someday, I hope to own one. And have an occasional use for it.

 

[Roxanne Appleby]

They're much cleaner tan wood stoves, but as someone implied you make yourself a "hostage" to the pellet provider.

More fundamentally, heating sources are "fungible," so if the price of biggies like natural gas go up, other things are likely to rise by a similar amount. Unless you own a woodlot and a woodstove you can't escape it (and then you have to accept the labor, inconvenience and dirt).

 

[shereads]

They're much cleaner tan wood stoves, but as someone implied you make yourself a "hostage" to the pellet provider.

I did notice a stove advertised in Dwell mag. that can use pellets or wood, as needed.

(You know you weren't meant to live in a tropical climate when you find yourself fantasizing about owning a house that needs to be heated.)