Best Pellet Stoves

Pellet Stoves For Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Alec McEachern) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 20:46:00 +0000

Comprehensive Guide on How To Buy The Most Affordable and Best Pellet Stoves

The cost of electric and gas bills never seems to go down. And with that, many people are looking for less expensive ways to heat their home without a boatload of up front expenses. There's another group of people who are looking for ways to heat their homes in a more environmentally friendly way.

A pellet stove can be the answer to both of these problems. So, if you have decided to take a look into this kind of alternative heat, this article will give a good overview on the most affordable and best pellet stoves. Additionally, you'll find useful information on where to find wood and corn pellets in your local neighborhood.

While this article can't cover all aspects of pellet stove information, it will provide you with a good introduction to help you make a more informed decision on whether this kind of heating method is right for you.

Benefits of Pellet Stoves

The reason pellet stoves are popular is because they are efficient and eco-friendly. They don't emit black smoke, so a chimney isn't required, as with wood burning stoves. You can run a pipe from the stove in almost any room in your house.

Pellet stoves burn compressed pellets, which basically means all of the moisture has been squeezed out of them. So, they are very dry and, for that reason, burn extremely hot. Pellet stoves also don't create large amounts of ash and creosote, unlike wood stoves.

Creosote is a substance that many wood stoves emit, which can easily clog chimneys. If creosote is allowed to build up for a long enough time, it can actually lead to chimney fires.

The reason pellet stoves are so environmentally friendly is because they emit so few particle emissions.

Pellet stoves are also very easy to use. Most feature simple thermostats, while more sophisticated models operate much the same as electric heaters.

Pellet Stove Disadvantages

Electricity is needed to power pellet stoves, so this can drive up your electric bill.

Finding wood or corn pellets can also present a problem, depending on where you live. Just like purchasing any other commodity, it's cheaper to buy pellets in bulk. So, you may need a place to store large quantities if pellets are scarce in your area.

Pellets are also generally more expensive than wood, which you sometimes obtain for free.

All of these factors need to be considered before purchasing a pellet stove.

Where To Find Wood Pellets

Finding wood pellets can be a major stumbling block for those considering the purchase of a pellet stove. Check your local farm stores, hardware stores, and major retailers like Lowes and Home Depot for the availability of wood pellets before making your purchase.

You also need to find out roughly how much the pellets are likely to typically cost in order to calculate whether this source of heating will save you money when all of the variables are accounted for.

You should also check how easy it is to buy in bulk and which suppliers offer you this option.

You should also research trends in the supply of wood pellets. Some years they be easy to find and cheap to purchase, while other years they may be scarce and much more expensive. You should calculate an average cost of these pellet stove pellets to make a better long term decision.

Where To Find Corn Pellets

Finding corn pellets will involve checking with local agricultural coops and farm stores.

There are now stoves that have the ability to burn both wood and corn pellets, which are the most common fuels for pellet stoves. Stoves that have the ability to burn both wood and corn pellets are called multi-fuel pellet stoves.

The Dell-Point Europa 75 is one such pellet stove, although there are many of makes and models that do the same thing.

Other Types of Pellet Stove Fuel

Besides corn and wood pellets, pellet stoves can also burn dried cherry pits, hulled wheat, and waste paper pellets.

Not all pellet stove manufactures make stoves to burn these alternative fuels, so you'll need to do a little more homework on this.

Affordable Pellet Stoves

In general, pellet stoves hold their resale value well. Prices for new pellet stoves typically start at $1500, and go up from there. While they can get quite expensive, regardless of what you end up paying at the start, you'll be getting a stove that runs both cleanly and efficiently. This is money well spent

The best places to begin your search for new affordable pellet stoves include Overstock.com, Google Shopping, Ebay.com, and Nextag.com.

Used Pellet Stoves

Ebay.com and Craiglist.com are two excellent sites to begin your search for quality used pellet stoves. Google Shopping is another good option.

If you are in the market for pellet stove parts, you'll also find these sites very helpful.

Pellet Stove Dealers

You can easily find pellet stove dealers in your area by checking online or consulting the Yellow Pages. If you have no experience with pellet stoves, it's probably worth a trip to the store to check out some stoves anyway. While at the store, you can find out how to install and maintain a pellet stove.

The advantage of buying a pellet stove from a dealer is being able to actually see which stove you are buying and learning how to work it before it enters your home. Although buying from a dealer will usually cost more than buying a pellet stove online, this is one of the reasons you are doing so.

When buying from a dealer, you'll also eliminate shipping costs, which can add up very quickly considering the amount of bulk and weight that is being shipped.

Finally, should something go wrong with your pellet stove, you'll be able to go back to the dealer for help in having it repaired.

Your local hardware store, Lowes, and Home Depot are great places to begin your search. There also may be some dealers in your area that exclusively sell pellet stoves. Just get online or check your Yellow Pages to find out.

Pellet Stove Maintenance

Not unlike any other major appliance, pellet stoves require regular maintenance to keep them working most efficiently.

The major components that will require occasional maintenance or cleaning include the ash drawer, ash traps, burn pot, glass, heat exchanger, venting systems (stove pipes), and the hopper and auger.

Depending on how handy you are, some of these jobs can be done yourself by consulting your pellet stove owner's manual. But other jobs will require the skill of a professional.

I don't think you want to take on a job like cleaning the pellet stove pipe unless you really know what you are doing because this can be a messy bear of a job. Professionals have all the right tools to do the job right. I would definitely advise letting them do the annual cleaning of your venting system.

Used Pellet Stoves

noreply@blogger.com (Alec McEachern) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:10:00 +0000

Things To Know Before Buying Used Pellet Stoves

If you looking to save money off winter fuel cost, purchasing a quality used pellet stove can be a very good decision. If you do your homework, you can save up to half the cost off the prices of new pellet stoves. With the money saved from purchasing a new one, you should have more than enough money left over to purchase an entire season's worth of pellet fuel.

Once you start looking, you'll find that it takes no more time to find good used pellet stoves than it does to one of the best pellet stoves brand new. Although your choices may be a bit more limited, this may actually make the decision easier. Fewer choices doesn't necessarily mean less quality.

Any owner looking to sell his or her stove is likely to say the pellet stove they are selling was the best on the market at the time. So, if you are just beginning your search for new or used pellet stoves, the following suggestions should help you to make better informed decision that you can be comfortable with.

Consult The Building Department in Your Home

A permit is usually required to install a wood or pellet stove. So, check with your local building department before making your purchase. If a permit is required, you should also ask if any addition documentation will be required, as may be the case when installing a pellet stove in a modular or mobile home.

Some building departments may want to see the brochure for your particular stove to look over venting and clearing information. This kind of information is easily obtained by visiting the website of your stove manufacturer. From there, you can download the owner's manual and print it out.

Select Stove Size and Type of Fuel

The first thing you need to do is select the type of pellet fuel you want to use. Now, if you live in an area where corn is easily and inexpensively available, you'll probably want to choose a corn pellet stove.

Likewise, if you live in the Northeast part of the country, wood pellets will be most common choice. More and more home improvement stores are also starting to carry wood pellet fuel as the the popularity of wood pellet stoves increases.

A big stove isn't required to save a lot of money. Most used wood and corn pellets stoves produce 35-45,000 btu. This is enough to heat roughly 1,200square feet or the main lower living area of a two story house.

That doesn't mean you can't also find good deals on larger stoves that produce 50-60,000 btu. These models usually feature 5 or more heat output settings.

Features To Look For In a Good Used Pellet Stoves

Electric Ignition

An electric ignition is almost a complete necessity.

Large Hopper

A large hopper capacity is something you'll come to appreciate more the longer you own your stove. The less you have to refill the hopper, the better.

A normal size hopper maxes out at 40 pounds of pellet fuel. This amount of fuel is enough to heat your house or room for 20-30 hours.

So, the larger the capacity of the hopper, the longer it will heat your house or room and the less you'll have to refill the hopper.

Heat Output Controls

There are times when don't need or want your pellet stove to be running at full heating capacity. Early Fall and early Spring are such times. If you have a heat output control, you'll be able to provide a comfortable room temperature while efficiently using the fuel.

Type of heat output controls for pellet stoves include a hi/lo blower, thermostat, or variable speed auger that controls how quickly pellets are fed into the burn pot.

Air Washing System

This is a very important factor to consider because the primary complaint of pellet stove owners is viewing glass that becomes dirty. To rectify this, air washing systems have become standard features on many new pellet stoves. This gets rid of the need for frequent cleaning by removing ash from the viewing window.

Pellet Stove Accessories

A heart pad, pellet stove pipe, log set, and left over pellet fuel are just a few of the extras many used pellet stove stove owners will include in the sale.

Having these pellet stove accessories included in the purchase price can save quite a bit of additional money from having to buy these accessories new with the purchase of a new pellet stove.

Where to Buy Used Pellet Stoves

A great place to start looking for your used stove is on Craigslist. Searching Craiglist allows you to find a local seller, which is the most convenient way to buy your stove because most sellers won't deliver. This will save you plenty of time and money.

You can also check Ebay, but there probably won't be as many local sellers on this site. But, if you enter your local address, Ebay can notify you when a stove becomes available for sale in your area. If you use an Ebay credit card, you can choose also to delay payment for 3 months.

If you are not used to searching for products online, try these tips. When you search on either Ebay or Craigslist, search using the term "pellet stove" instead of "used pellet stove" because that term will more than likely produce more results for used pellet stoves. You can also try searching by brand name such as "Harman", or just enter generic terms like "pellet" or "corn pellet".

How Much Money Can You Save By Buying Used Pellet Stoves?

The higher the original cost of the pellet stove, the more you should expect to save percentage wise on a used stove. So, if a stove originally retailed for $3200, you should expect to save anywhere from 50-70% off that cost.

Less expensive stoves don't depreciate as much.

Delivery

If you have to have your stove delivered to you, makes sure to use a professional courier service.

If you arrange to purchase your stove from a seller off Ebay that has also agreed to ship your stove, your sales page will include a freight shipping calculator.

Keep in mind that most pellet stoves weigh in excess of 300 pounds. So, however your stove is shipped, make sure the truck your stove is delivered in has a lift gate.

Uses Pellet Stove Installation

Many towns and cities require that a licensed technician take care of pellet stove installation. Fortunately, finding such a pro is pretty easy to find. Just look in your local yellow pages for local contractors that are pre-screened.

Stay in Touch With The Seller

If you have a question after the purchase of your stove, don't be reluctant to get them on the phone or shoot them an email. The seller may be able to provide useful information about the warranty or details on how your particular used pellet stove works.

Pellet Stove Inserts

noreply@blogger.com (Alec McEachern) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:34:00 +0000

What To Look For In Pellet Stove Inserts

Pellet stoves are becoming more and more popular as a reliable, effective, and less expensive way of staying warm in the colder months. A pellet stove insert is a fireplace insert that burns compressed wood or biomass fuel - most commonly corn. A constant flame is created that requires almost no physical adjustments by the pellets being slowly fed from a storage container, known as a hopper, into a burn-pot area.

Although pellet stove inserts don't give off the same radiating heat as a wood-burning fireplace, it is much more fuel-efficient and also doesn’t allow heat to escape through the chimney. The glass door of the pellet insert prevents this type of heat loss.

A chimney is not required for a stove insert. You can make use of what is known of as a “zero clearance” option. The insert can be installed into a renovation situation, which basically means building a false fireplace in a room, or new construction on the outside of the house, also known as a “chase”. In essence, what is being created is a sort of cupboard built specifically to encase the insert.

Just make sure the chase has enough clearance to allow access for maintenance and vent cleaning.

Once this is done, the normal process of venting can go ahead for the pellet stove.

You have a choice between the typical freestanding stove or a stove insert. Once you have decided on an insert, you can then move on to which manufacturer and model is going to best suit you needs.

If you get online and read some of the written reviews from places like Epinions.com and HomeDepot.com, you'll notice the names of Harman and Quadra Fire coming up over and over on most recommended lists of best pellet stoves. Both of these brands have a solid reputation for the quality and durability of their inserts.

How much total area you plan to heat is a primary consideration when considering which pellet stove insert to purchase. You should be aware that these types of stoves are better suited to heat open floor plans. Even then, you need to make sure the stove is centrally located.

Pellet Stove Pellets

noreply@blogger.com (Alec McEachern) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:32:00 +0000

The best time to buy pellet stove pellets is to buy them in the spring or summer months when deals are more readily available and supply is at its peak. Not unlike any other commodity, the price will depend on supply and demand.

Also, if the stove you own is particular to a certain kind of ash, it's best to go with a trusted recommendation or purchase a few bags to test the pellets before buying in bulk. Pellets not your suited to your stove can lead to more than usual cleaning of the burn pot. You may find yourself cleaning it a few times a day, if this happens. And if you bought your pellets in bulk, this can lead to quite a bit of needless work.

Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart, Agway, Ace Hardware, and Sam's Club are a few United States hardware retailers that typically keep a supply of pellet stove pellets available, but stocking policies will vary by store and the region the store is located. Grain suppliers and local feed merchants are other places you may find pellets.

But, if you are looking for the best deals available, the best route is to deal directly with a pellet manufacturer, thereby cutting out the middleman.

Pellet Stove Pellets - Locating Them

If you live in North America, you can find a comprehensive list of pellet manufactures by visiting the Pellet Fuels Institute website. In Europe, you can get on the European Pellet Centre website.

Possibly the most comprehensive source available is by visiting PelletBase.com. This site caters to everything pertaining to biomass heating and pellet stoves. The best part about this site is that you can narrow your search down from country to state and the particular product you are searching for.

It will provide the closest location of suppliers near you with a guided map. There is no cost or registration for this service, and you can bid for your pellet needs online. When a deal is struck, the buyer pays $3 and the supplier pays 3% of the total value of the deal.

The site also has a forum.

Pellet Stove Pellets - Storage

The most preferred method of storage for pellets is in a covered storehouse. But if the pellets have to be stored outside, it's best to add extra covering over them to keep water from accumulating between the bags. Whether stored inside or outside, the pellet bags should be stored above ground and with good circulation of air available.

The pallets the pellets were shipped on are adequate for air circulation beneath the pellets, but you need to make sure the pallets are not placed flush up against a wall.

If pellets do become exposed to water, a worst case scenario is that the pellets will expand and disintegrate, rendering them unusable.

Corn Pellets

Corn is permitted by some pellet stove manufacturers to be added into pellet stove pellets. Other manufacturers will void a stove's warranty if corned is used.

The advantage of corn is that it burns a bit hotter than wood pellets. But the ashes emitted by corn are more corrosive and can develop clinkers inside the burn pot.

Corn stoves have a more heavy duty burn pot than pellets stoves and more corrosion resistant venting. In addition, many corn stoves also have an automatic burn pot agitator.

A pellet stove needs to be specially designed for the pellet stove igniter to light 100% of the corn. If you are looking to stretch out your supply of wood pellets, you may consider mixing in up to 50% corn with your wood pellets, depending on your particular stove. Just make certain you don't use seed corn because they contain additives. You want to use untreated corn kernels.

Pellet Stove Prices

noreply@blogger.com (Alec McEachern) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:41:00 +0000

Pellet stoves are becoming more and more popular as the desire to save money and become more environmentally conscious become primary goals when heating a home. But the question is, will the benefits of owning one of these stoves outweigh pellet stove prices?

Pellet stoves are a replacement for or supplement to traditional wood stoves. Although wood burning stoves are aesthetically pleasing, the costs of maintaining them have always made them an unpopular main source for heat.

And with the prices of all energy sources rising every year, increasingly more people are examining the possibility of using a pellet stove not just as an alternative to a wood stove, but electric heat, and natural gas as well.

Examining Pellet Stove Prices – 2 Major Costs

When considering the purchase of a pellet stove, you have two major costs to consider. The cost of the stove itself is the first major cost. Cheap or discount pellet stoves will cost anywhere from $1800 - $2100. On the high end of the spectrum, you should expect to pay $3000 and above for the best pellet stoves. You should also expect there to be a direct correlation between the price of the stove you decide to purchase and the quality, reliability, and durability of the unit. But I think you'll find even the least expensive pellet stove will last for years to come.

Before factoring in cost into your calculations, though, you first need to figure out how much of an area you are looking to heat and what corresponding BTU output will be necessary to accomplish this.

The second major cost is the installation of the pellet stove you are considering purchasing. Unless you are a very good handyman, you will need to have the stove professionally installed.

The cost for pellet stove installation can be on the low end of $150-$200, to a high end of $400+. This will vary based on the actual stove you buy, heating requirements, and how easily you can find someone to install it for you.

Comparing Wood Stoves and Pellet Stoves

There are many different kinds of stoves, but most people are familiar with wood stoves, so this gives us the best reference point with which to measure pellet stoves. Pellet stoves naturally run on pellets, and these are sold by the ton. You should expect to pay anywhere from $130 to $200 for one ton.

A cord is the unit that firewood is measured by for a woods stove, and you can expect to pay anywhere from $100 to $175 for a single cord, depending on where you live and the supply available. So, to make a solid judgment as to which mode of heating is going to be more economical, you first need to figure out how much of each is going to be needed to adequately heat your home or space.

One ton of pellets is approximately equal to 1.5 cords of firewood, based on usage. So, with everything else being equal, you should expect to burn about three to four cords of wood per year, while a pellet stove would annually burn about two to three tons of pellets.

So, based on the amount of usage, it is more efficient to burn pellets than firewood. Another factor to consider is the quality of the fuel pellet. This can also effect the amount of savings over firewood. Types of pellet fuel include wood, coal, grass, corn, and nutshell pellets.

The higher the quality of the pellet, the less ash your pellet stove will emit, thus making it a cleaner burning, more environmentally friendly stove.

You should be aware, however, that the price of pellets will rise and fall based on supply, demand, and how far they actually be shipped. So, when considering pellets stove prices with wood stove prices, the winner is the pellet stove as long there is a good supply within a reasonable distance from where you will using the stove.

Quadrafire Pellet Stoves

noreply@blogger.com (Alec McEachern) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:01:00 +0000

Quadrafire Pellet Stoves was founded by Dan Henry and Alan Trusler. In 1990, they developed the first self igniting, fully automatic pellet stove that featured a heat exchanger and its own patented delivery system. Hearth & Home Technologies owns the Quadrafire brand. Hearth & Home Technologies also own the Harman, Heat & Glo, and Heatilator brands. With all these brands combined, Hearth & Home Technologies offers pellet, wood, corn, electric, and gas fireplaces.

They design products that incorporate the latest technologies and materials and strive for quality, reliability, and product innovation. Each corn, gas, wood, or pellet stove is built with efficiency and beauty in mind. Each easy to use and environmentally friendly stove is constructed of thick steel. Meticulous attention to detail ensures the stove will work for many years to come.

Every Quadrafire pellet stove features an easy to clean firepot that eliminates ash while the stove is operating. Ash is dropped in the ash pan by a quick scrape and pull of a lever. A blockage proof pellet delivery mechanism and thermostat also both come as standard features with every Quadrafire pellet stove and fireplace insert.

The fact that Quadrafire pellet stoves use renewable materials to produce heat is one of the best reasons to go with this type of heat source. The pellet fuel is carbon neutral, which means it doesn't disperse carbon dioxide into the area its heating.

Another advantage owners will love is that all their stoves are completely automatic. The stove will heat the areas you wanted heated until it reaches the desired temperature and then shuts off automatically. When the area needs to reheated, the stove will then automatically turns itself on again.

One of Quadrafire's best pellet stoves is sure satisfy your needs. They makes stoves in a variety of model sizes, styles, and settings. You can also choose a wall thermostat or even a remote control thermostat.

The Quadrafire pellet stove insert transforms an otherwise drafty fireplace into a space where heat comes into the room - not out the chimney. Pellet insert models include the Classic Bay 1200 Insert, Castille Insert, Sante Fe Pellet Insert, and Mt. Vernon AE Insert.

They also have four different pellet stoves to choose from: Classic Bay 1200, Castille, Santa Fe, and the Mt. Vernon AE.

Pellet stove accessories are also available to keep your stove or insert looking great and working properly.

Pellet Stove Accessories

noreply@blogger.com (Alec McEachern) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 15:57:00 +0000

Five Essential Pellet Stoves Accessories

Whether you have bought one of the best pellet stoves on the market or one of the less expensive discount pellet stoves, you want to make sure you keep the unit working properly and looking as good as new.

Here's a list of accessories that every owner should have:

1) Ash Vacuum

While one the main advantages a pellet stove has over a traditional wood-burning stove is that it emits much less ash, having an ash vacuum is something that will definitely be useful. This vacuum is designed to safely remove either cold or warm ashes. It also traps and contains fine dust so it doesn't disperse throughout the room.

The machine requires no bags to empty or fill. And because it is constructed of fire-resistant materials, it poses no fire hazard.

2) Fireplace Tool Kits

If you choose not to by an ash vacuum, a fireplace tool kit would be you next best option to clear away ash. While these kits may include some tools you may not get much use out of, like a poker, other tools will probably be in heavy rotation, like the shovel and brush.

Tool kits look terrific next to your stove and come in a wide range of finishes and styles.

3) Pellet Stove Cleaning Systems

Pellet stoves need to be cleaned once a year.

If you would like to save yourself the cost of contracting a professional, you should consider purchasing a cleaning system of your own. A rotary cleaner is the most effective type and comes equipped with a sturdy, plastic brush that connects to an electric drill. Extensions are available that make it possible to go all through the piping and also other more flexible brushes that allow you to work through bends in the piping.

A long-handled brush is necessary to reach up and scrape ash and soot.

4) Pellet Hopper Extensions

Pellet stoves take a long a time to go through all the pellets in a full hopper, which is one of the reasons why they are so efficient. But if you want to make the time between refilling go even longer, you have the option of buying a pellet hopper extension.

This pellet stove accessory can almost double the amount of pellets your stove can hold. Just make sure you buy a hopper that is made specifically for your brand of stove.

5) Warmers and Steamers

These are some of the most popular pellet stove accessories. There's a wide variety of scent warmers and potpourri that can be set on the top of your pellet stove to fill the room with aromatic smells. You can find warmers in many styles and colors and they usually are capable of using a wide selection of liquid scents or potpourri.

Steamers are decorative coated enamel or cast iron pots. The pots are filled with water and humidity is released into the air through open lids when the stove heats the water. This makes the house more comfortable during cold and dry weather.

Pellet Stove Parts

noreply@blogger.com (Alec McEachern) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 18:47:00 +0000

How Pellet Stove Parts Work Together

Pellet stove parts work together to convert compressed wood and other wood waste into fuel for heat for residential spaces.

Unlike conventional wood burning stoves, pellet stoves throw out minimal pollution and creates no creosite, which makes them a much cleaner and healthier alternative.

Freestanding Pellet Stove

Freestanding pellet stoves contain a shell that is insulated with a heat resistant shield. T his shield is called a fireback, which protects the stove's outer surface from becoming too hot from the heat being generated within.

The pellets are held within a hopper inside the stove until they are ready to be fed as part of a ceaseless motion by an augur into a waiting burn pan where they are consumed.

The auger can be fed two ways:

Top - pellets are dropped from the top, where ashes are then accumulated.
Bottom - pellets are horizontally fed. Ash is collected in a pan and then removed.

A control panel is found on the outside of the stove. It activates an igniter which lights the fire, powers the components, and manages the heat. Burning embers and sparks are prevented from landing outside the stove by glass doors. The entire stove is safely sealed together by gaskets specially made to endure extreme temperatures.

Some pellets stoves are equipped with a blower fan which disperses heat into the air. (This category of stoves needs a vent a kit and a pellet stove pipe to set up proper venting). Other pellet stoves can be directly hooked up to an existing vent system of a house.

It's advised to clean a freestanding stove every week.

Pellet Stove Insert

What separates a freestanding stove from an insert is the method of ventilation. A pellet stove insert can use a chimney for venting because it can be installed directly into an existing wood stove. Other than that, an insert is very similar in construction to a freestanding stove and operates using the same basic principles.

It's recommended to clean an insert once a year as well as having the chimney swept.

Pellet Stove Accessories

Should you desire to add to the look and feel of your pellet stove, there are many pellet stove accessories available. Log sets can be inserted into the stove to give the appearance of a more traditional fire. You can change the leg style and door handles, original glass doors can be replaced with etched glass, and a rustic feel can be added with stove screens.

Pellet Stove Installation

noreply@blogger.com (Alec McEachern) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:01:00 +0000

Pellet Stove Installation Tips

The biggest decision you need to make after purchasing a pellet stove is whether to install it yourself or have it professionally installed. If you are pretty handy, you may want to save yourself a few hundred dollars and do it yourself.

But if you are unsure about your abilities, I'd highly recommend allowing the company you purchased the stove from to install it for you. This may set you back anywhere from $200 -$400, but you will have the peace of mind of knowing that your pellet stove was installed correctly and is working properly.

If you bought the stove online, you can do a quick check of the stores in your hometown that sell pellet stoves, and I'm sure you won't have a problem finding someone that will install it for you. Or you can always try locating a professional handyman that is experienced with installing pellet stoves.

But if you decide to go it alone, the first and most important rule of pellet stove installation is to meticulously follow the manufacturers instructions.

If you purchased a freestanding pellet stove, you'll need to make sure the stove is centrally located to ensure the heat is more evenly distributed throughout the spaces you want heated. Pay close attention to the manufacturers guidelines regarding the placement of the unit.

The stove may need to be set a certain distance away from the walls for the stove to work with maximum efficiency.

If the pellet stove is being installed in an older house, you'll need to make sure the floor is able to withstand the weight of the stove and the hopper when it is completely full with pellets. The largest hoppers hold up to 85 pounds of pellets.

Another important guideline is that pellets stoves should never be direct vented. In almost all cases, direct venting will result in exterior area damage in the areas where the stove is vented. Venting a pellet stove straight up through to the roof is always the safest bet.

Providing ventilation for a pellet stove is fortunately a relatively simple process. Pellet stoves are vented with Class L chimneys, which have galvanized aluminum exteriors and stainless steel interiors.

It is also possible to use existing masonry to install the ventilation for a new pellet stove provided a PL vent or approved chimney liner is used.

The installation guidelines will also guide you on using the right size diameter vent to use with your new pellet stove.

Double check to make sure the vent is not placed near windows, doors, or walkways where people can potentially or accidentally contact.

The floor where the pellet stove is going to be placed is also going to need protection. The manufacturer will again guide you in this part of the installation. They will guide on what flooring types are necessary and let you know the minimum floor size that needs to be protected. The flooring will also need protection against damage from hot embers and burning.

You need to make certain there is a volt outlet for electrical power. Also, closely read the manufacturers guidelines in regard to ground, voltage, and polarity requirements.

Pellet stove installation can turn into a thorny process, so if your run into problem it’s best to contact a service professional.

Pellet Stove Pipe

noreply@blogger.com (Alec McEachern) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Installation Tips For Your Pellet Stove Pipe

Installing a pellet stove pipe is a crucial part of the pellet stove installation. The pipe channels the fire's heat to create what is known as the stake effect. As hot air in the stove rises, cooler air charges into the unit through a pellet stove vent. This supplies the oxygen needed for the fire to burn.

Starting the fire with a good hot burn in the stove will facilitate a vigorous draft to flow. A neutral zone lies between the lower and higher-pressure zones of the house. This zone has a tendency to move towards the space with the largest air leakage. When the outlet, or top of the stove pipe, is situated above the ceiling of the home, the pipe's neutral pressure zone will be above that of the neutral pressure zone of the home. This is the way things ought to ideally be.

Proper pipe placement creates a gradual and easy flow of air into the unit and out of the pipe even when there is no fire burning.

Placement of the Pellet Stove Pipe

If you are building or designing a new home, it’s strongly advised to install the stove pipe inside of the home. If a more traditional outside pipe is used that is constructed along the outside of the home, valuable heat will be lost from the cold air outside.

If the air temperature of the chimney falls below that of the air inside the home, low pressure will occur in the chimney. The will cause the cold air from the chimney to be sucked into the home. This is known as the "stack effect". In this course of events, the home has now become a more effective chimney than the pipe.

So, when a fire a started, smoke will fill the entire room.

Proper Size of the Pellet Stove Pipe

The stove pipe should match the size of the pellet stove. In other words, the flue size needs to match the stove outlet.

If the pipe is larger than the stove outlet, exiting exhaust from the stove will begin to slow, which will increase buildup and decrease efficiency. The best performing chimneys are also insulated.

It is possible to reline older masonry chimneys to safely and efficiently connect to modern stoves. The liner of the stove chimney should be continuous from the stove outlet to the top of the pellet stove pipe.

Discount Pellet Stoves

noreply@blogger.com (Alec McEachern) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:27:00 +0000

Best Prices on Discount Pellet Stoves Require Comprises

Although you can find discount pellets stoves at places like Lowe's, Home Depot, and Northern Tool, most experts advise that you purchase a pellet stove from an independent dealer who can provide ongoing service and parts. You'll find prices are about half of what the best pellet stove brands sell for.

But you'll have to make some comprises. Lower efficiency, noise, and the potential for quality issues are among the compromises you'll have to consider. Also, these stoves require premium-grade pellets, which are not always easy to find.

You'll also need a portable generator instead of backup battery in the event of an electrical outage.

Yet, even with all these factors taken into consideration, many owners of discount pellet stoves claim they are still more convenient than using wood stoves and cost much less money when compared to more expensive fuels like oil.

Home Depot and Lowe's both sell discount pellet stoves made by England's Stove Works, a suggested manufacturer. They make Summers Heat Stoves for Lowe's and Englander pellet stoves for Home Depot.

It should be noted that owner-written reviews are lower for pellet stoves than for wood stoves at both Lowe's and Home Depot. But pellet stoves are more complicated to use than wood stoves and this creates the potential for more things to go wrong.

As long as the pellet stoves work, owners say that they do save money using them. But there are frequent complaints of the stove breaking down early.

Another major inconvenience is the lack of an ash pan.

The Englander 25-PDVC

This unit retails for approximately $1,650 and is rated up to 1,500 square feet. HomeDepot.com reports that it received slightly higher than average ratings than the larger and more expensive Englander 25-PDV, which retails for about $2,050, and is rated for up to 2,200 square feet.

Needed repairs to the auger and blower are common owner complaints, but this is offset by Englander's superb phone support, as reported by Epinions.com and HomeDepot.com.

The unit comes with a 5-year warranty that covers just the firebox. The rest of the parts are only covered for one year. (This type of warranty also extends to the more expensive pellet stoves. Motors and other moving parts are typically covered in a separate warrant for a shorter period of time.)

Pellet stoves written reviews from Lowe's are harder to come by because the company just recently switched from numeric ratings to publishing owner's comments.

Summers Heat 55-SHP10L

This unit sells for about $1,300 and was given reasonably high ratings by almost 90 owners. Problems with the augur was a common complaint, which is typical for discount models.

The unit is rated for up to 1,500 square feet. Owner's report that it is a bare bones model and it does not come with an ash pan - a common compromise necessary for a discount price. The stove also does not come with a connection kit for connecting to burn the air outside.

The through-the-wall kit that is required for the vent pipe will set you back another $200 extra.

Northern Tool sells pellet stoves made by US Stove Company and also it's own NorthStar brand.

US Stove #5500

This costs about $1300 is a 48,000 BTU stove that is rated up to 1,200 square feet. The few owners that have reviewed it give it fairly good ratings. All of these reviewers said they would recommend it. The pellet stove’s very generous hopper holds 120 pounds of pellets.

It doesn't come with a backup battery and one reviewer claims it sometimes has to be manually ignited. Overall, though, owners state it is more convenient that using a wood burning stove. The stove has 9 heat settings and carries the option of purchasing a wall thermostat.

This particular stove needs to be set back a few more inches from the wall than the best pellet stoves. It's a no frills stove that owners say works well, which makes it one of the better discount stoves.

Best Pellet Stoves

noreply@blogger.com (Alec McEachern) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:23:00 +0000

Best Pellet Stoves - Harman and Quadra-Fire Pellet Stoves Get Highest Marks From Consumers

A pellet stove is a free- standing stove that burns solid fuel. They can be found in three basic categories.

Pellet Stoves - burn pellets formed of compressed sawdust
Wood Stoves - burn logs
Multi-Fuel Stoves - burn pellets, both pellets and corn, or corn alone.

There are also other multi-fuel stoves that burn fuels made of corn bobs and cherry pits.

Because pellet stoves require two fans, they are the noisiest class of heating stove. But they are offer the advantages of being the most convenient and don't create nearly the amount of mess, depending on how large the hopper is. They also may not need to be filled everyday. They are extremely convenient when equipped with a thermostat and automatic start. Remote-control and wall thermostats are now also available.

Pellet stoves work by convection. For that reason, they lack the brilliant heat that is so soothing in most wood stoves. But because they work by convection, they can be placed just inches away from the wall and are safer for pets and children.

Pellet stoves are more expensive than wood stoves and professional installation is highly recommended. The upfront costs are offset by the fact that pellet stoves don't require an insulated chimney. Rather, they only require a 3-inch pipe.

You can find pellets in 40-pound bags. Unlike logs, pellets must be kept dry and therefore should not be stored outside exposed to elements. This is one the major drawbacks of pellet stoves.

A pallet contains one ton - or 50 bags of pellets. Rodents and insects may be attracted to this in your storage shed.

Pellet stoves also require electricity to keep the fire burning. This will require an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) or portable generator as backup unless you purchase a model that includes a backup battery.

The drawback that may cause the biggest concern is the availability of the pellets themselves. The supply of which depends on the state of the housing market. This will determine the price. Because pellets are a secondary product derived from the lumber industry, when demand for lumber decreases - as with the state of the current new housing construction market - less pellets are available for consumption. The situation may get worse before it gets better as more people purchase pellet stoves.

Customer Reviews

In customer reviews, 20 plus different brands of pellet stoves earned a minimum of one recommendation. Each of these brands makes a variety of pellet stoves. However, two brands stood out above the rest and earned the most recommendations for best pellet stoves. These two brands are Harman and Quadra-Fire.

Each of the brands makes a full range of stoves. Some burn only wood pellets, some only corn, and then added to these are multi-fuel stoves that burn a variety of biomass fuels.

Quadra-Fire Sante Fe

The estimated cost of this stove is $2300. It provides up to 34,400 BTU per hour and is rated up to 1,500 square feet. It is fully automatic and ideal for a mobile home. It displays an overall modern design.

It is self-igniting and comes with a thermostat that allows the user to choose one of three settings to keep the temperature constant. The heat is adjusted by how frequentlty the internal auger feeds pellets from the 40-pound hopper.

An extra option is a programmable wall thermostat. This allows the user to program different settings of heat for various time periods. This can be done for up to a week in advance.

A remote-control thermostat and optional log kit is also available. The log kit gives the fire a more inviting and appealing look through the glass window. This window is "air washed" to maintain a clear view.

A kit is also available that enable the stove to burn outside air only. Experts highly recommend this option.

There are a few drawbacks. Like almost all pellet stoves, the unit is loud. You can expect to hear the sound of the fans and every pellet as they drop. The automatic start-up occasionally refuses to work and has to be reset. And the auger feed can become jammed.

But the unit carries a lifetime warranty, which is a huge advantage.

Harman XXV

The Harman pellet stove is designed for a larger space. This 50,000 BTU unit is rated for up to 1,700 square feet and costs about $3,000. Harman claims it is the quietest pellet stove they make. The design is more traditional and classic than that of the Quadra-Fire Santa Fe. It will burn any grade of pellet and has a larger 65-pound hopper.

This Old House and Kiplingers Personal Finance have both recommended this as one of the best pellet stoves available.

Best Pellet Stoves - Other Recommendations

Thelin, Lennox Hearth, Jamestown, and Whitfield are other brands of pellet stoves that received more than one recommendation from reviewers.

The Jamestown J2000

The stove costs about $3,250 and is rated for up to 45,500 BTU. A drawback is that it only has a 58-pound hopper. However, a hopper extension is available to provide more time before refueling.

A backup battery is also not included. But because its fans require no more than 3.5 amps, it is easily powered by a portable generator in case of an electrical outage.

The Lenox Hearth Whitfield Profile 30 FS-2

This unit retails for $3,040 and includes a programmable thermostat. It also comes with an extra-large ash pan that the manufacturer claims only needs to be emptied 2 to 3 times per year. This feature goes a long way toward satisfying complaints from owners of budget pellet stoves about ash trays that proved much too small to be considered practical.

The unit comes with a 55-pound hopper is rated for up to 38,000 BTU.

It also has a 20 year warranty.

Thelin Little Gnome

This unit is one of the best pellet stoves designed to heat one room, or up to 750 square feet. It sells for $2,700 and features the old fashioned pot belly shape, but with decorative trim.

In case of an electrical outage, the backup battery will keep the unit running for up to 15 hours. And a 26-pound hopper makes it possible to go 20 hours without having to refuel.

It carries a 5-year warranty, but moving and electrical parts are only covered for one year.

Privacy Policy

noreply@blogger.com (Alec McEachern) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:28:00 +0000

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