Pellet Stoves Pros & Cons
The pot bellied stove is a lasting symbol of Americana and has kept families warm since the early days of Colonial settlers. Though some modern day stoves may appear mostly unchanged on the outside, even Ben Franklin himself would likely be surprised and more than curious about the kind of high-tech mechanisms that now power the internal combustion of the stoves today. Does this Spark an idea?
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Types of Stoves
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Three types of heating stoves are popular today, each having their own distinct characteristics. The log burning stove has been around for nearly 300 years and produces heat by burning logs or scrap lumber. The wood pellet stove became popular in the 1970s when America faced oil shortages, but sales grew after the U.S. Congress passed the Clean Air Act in 1990. Fuel for pellet stoves comes from sawmill waste, saw dust that is compacted into high density, low moisture pellets. The corn burning stove uses corn pellets and operates much in the same way as a wood pellet stove.
How They Work
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Although pellet stoves can look like a regular log burning stove, they have internal mechanics that are the driving force behind the heat. Every pellet stove has a hopper in which the pellets are poured in, then fed to the combustion chamber by an auger. The larger the hopper, the longer the fire will burn before having to reload. A fan draws room air into the combustion chamber to help fuel the fire, and the resulting heat is then blown back into the room.
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Pros of a Pellet Stove
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Proponents of the pellet stove cite many reasons for paying a hefty price for this high tech appliance. Pellets burn more efficiently than logs and produce much less ash. Heat output can be easily regulated by simply adjusting the thermostat. The high density, low moisture pellets burn cleanly and do not violate the Clean Air Act. Pellet storage and handling are made easy as the pellets are typically packaged in 40-lb bags.
Cons of a Pellet Stove
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Even staunch supporters and manufacturers of wood pellet stoves admit to the shortcomings of the stoves. The stove's auger and fans operate on electricity; if your home loses power, you lose your source of heat. The electric operation adds to the cost of producing heat. Moving parts require routine maintenance. Pellets can be expensive and sometimes are in short supply. Pellet stove are somewhat noisy due to the auger and fans.
Cost
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A good pellet stove will cost anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000. For many, the manner in which your home is currently being heated, and that cost may be the determining factor as to whether to invest in a pellet stove.
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