How to Rate Wood Pellets for Pellet Stoves

A pellet stove can heat up areas of your home.

If you have a pellet stove in your home, you will need to take the time to choose your stove's wood pellets. The wood pellets are used as fuel in a pellet stove. While pellets are generally much more efficient than unprocessed wood or other types of fuel, you can increase your pellet stove's efficiency even more by taking the time to rate the various wood pellets you're considering. There are several important factors to consider when rating wood pellets.

Instructions

1. Find out how large of a bag you can purchase. If you plan to use wood pellets over the course of an entire cool season, buying in bulk will generally be more economical. A common size of pellet bulk bag is about 40 lbs.

2. Check the prices for the bags of pellets you find. The price can make a big difference in how you rate the pellets. A 40-lb. bag should be somewhere between $3 and $4.

3. Pay close attention to the moisture content of the wood pellets. This can be more important than the price, because pellets that are too moist will not burn efficiently. They should have a 5 percent to 10 percent moisture content or less.

4. Look for the National Residential Pellet Fuel Standards for the pellets you're considering. The pellets can be either standard or premium. Standard pellets have a higher ash content, which mean they do not burn as cleanly as premium pellets.

References

• U.S. Department of Energy: Wood and Pellet Heating