Pellet stoves look like traditional wood stoves but operate more like a modern furnace. Operation is as simple as filling the stove's hopper with pellets made from compacted sawdust, setting its thermostat, and curling up on the couch. A mechanical auger deposits the pellets into a burn pot, where they are incinerated at such a high temperature that they create no vent-clogging creosote and very little ash or emissions, which keeps both indoor and outdoor air cleaner.
These stoves can be used to heat a cold room or provide the bulk of the heating for your home. They have many benefits, including:
- They provide a real wood burning fire but are much more automatic than a wood burning stove. You simply load the hooper with pellets and get hours of heat.
- Pellet stoves are a great way to reduce your heating costs when compared to heating with electric baseboards or propane furnaces, depending on the cost of propane.
- They are available in a range of sizes and styles and are a simpler, less expensive installation than a wood stove. The flue can route through the roof or a side wall.
Pellet stoves do have a few limitations to be aware of:
- They will not work during a power outage like a wood or gas stove will. Battery packs are available to address this limitation.
- They require regular cleaning to work properly. We recommend an Ash Vac to help with this.
Pellet stoves can produce between 30,000 and 70,000 Btu per hour and can heat an average size home for the cost of only two to three tons of pellets per season (approximately $450-$700) making the cost of purchasing and installing a pellet stove worth the investment.
We can help you choose the right option for your home, including:
- Inserts that slide into an existing brick fireplace
- Freestanding pellet stoves
Alpine carries pellet stoves from
Lopi
and
Enviro
. Come browse our selection and find out how affordable a pellet stove can be!
