How Efficient Are Pellet Stoves
A wood stove was the traditional heating method in most American homes until the mid-20th century. After the development of central heating, the use of wood for heat dropped to as low as 1 percent by 1970. In the 1970s, the energy crisis increased the interest in burning wood, and this brought on the innovation of burning wood pellets, which are even more efficient to burn and cheaper to buy. Does this Spark an idea?
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How They Work
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A wood pellet stove heats up a space through the combustion of small, one-inch-long pellets made up of compressed sawdust and other wood waste. A "hopper" in the top of the stove holds the pellets and then an auger periodically feeds them into the firebox. Fans help increase the burn in the firebox and a thermostat dictates the rate at which the pellets are fed into the fire.
Energy Efficiency
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A pellet stove is a very energy-efficient way to heat a home. A few scoops of pellets in the hopper can keep a stove going for quite a while. The fuel burns clean, and they can be used in many areas where wood stoves are banned because of strict clean air standards. In addition, wood pellets make use of the waste from wood products. Pellets made of other materials, like peanut shells and corn, can also be used, preventing them from being dumped in landfills. Pellets do not contain any chemicals or other material, making them non-toxic, and because they are small, they have a higher burning efficiency than wood. A pellet stove has a 75 to 90 percent overall efficiency and produces four to five times more BTUs compared to cord wood.
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Cost Efficiency
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Pellet stoves can cost a few thousand dollars to purchase, but are simple to install, requiring minimal modification, especially if there is a chimney that can be used already in the home. For those without a chimney, a small hole in the wall can be used for venting. Pellets are very inexpensive compared to natural gas, electricity, propane and heating oil. One other benefit is that when money is tight, pellets can be purchased one or two bags at a time, rather than having a large, overwhelming bill. However, if a store is out of pellets, a pellet stove user may have to travel or wait for more. A bag of pellets usually weighs about 40 pounds and costs around $3 each (as of March 2011). An estimate of how much fuel will be needed for the heating season can be done by looking at your home's square footage and comparing it to the BTU output of your pellet stove. It is not out of the ordinary to use about three tons of pellets per heating season.
Labor and Storage Efficiency
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A pellet stove is very efficient when it comes to labor and storage issues. Because you don't have to buy a lot all at one time, a few bags of pellets can be stored in a garage or pantry. To save money, many pellet stove users purchase several tons in the summer or fall and stack them under a deck or in a shed. However, this is not necessary, and if a pellet stove user doesn't have the space, not recommended. The most labor required for a pellet stove is carrying the bag and bringing it close to your stove. If the bag is too heavy, it can be opened where it is stored, and a bucket can be filled with pellets and then emptied into the hopper. A pellet stove does produce some ash, but it is minimal compared to a wood stove.
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