- Pellet wood stoves are electricity operated and are plugged to normal outlets just like any appliance. The electricity is needed by the motorized pellet fuel feeder to ensure even and regular feeding of wood pellets from the hopper or pellet container to the steel burn-pot. The normal electrical consumption of a pellet wood stove per month is about 100KWH. There are models that come with battery packs.
- Not all houses can be fitted with a pellet wood stove insert for the house’s vent system. US housing laws prohibit their installations in manufactured or pre-fabricated houses.
- For houses with installed pellet wood stoves in their vent systems, a professional will be required to perform an annual chimney sweep before winter or at the end of each fall. The professional will issue a certification regarding the results of the chimney sweep which includes an affirmation that the components of the pellet wood stoves as well as the chimney are in good working condition.
- All types of pellet wood stoves require a thorough combustor inspection at least three times during the winter season. This is to check if the combustor needs to be replaced; the cost of a combustor replacement is around $200 or less. At the end of the winter season, the ash residues and wood pellet leftovers should be removed with a wire brush.
click to enlarge
Other Considerations when Buying a Pellet Wood Stove
The prices of pellet wood stoves range from $1700 to $3,000, and they are widely available throughout the US. In fact, you can buy one from online stores like Amazon. However, it is best if you also look into the pellet stove's capacity for ash content. This is important for the stove's efficiency, since some pellet fuels have high ash contents, which makes it necessary for the user to use only the type of pellets recommended by the manufacturer.
The disadvantages of a pellet wood stove may influence your decision to buy this type of stove and settle for the conventional EPA certified wood stove instead. Nevertheless, standards of fuel emissions have been put in place, and the Pellet Fuels Institute (PFI) oversees the production of pellet manufacturers, by maintaining the National Residential Pellet Fuel Standards. This is pursuant to the government's push for higher emission restrictions by lowering the present PM2.5 by at least half.
In addition, several US communities ban wood burning in their localities, while a number of petitions in some areas are being signed for the nationwide banning of wood burning, In line with this, you may have to reconsider your options when buying a conventional wood stove, albeit EPA certified. A pellet wood stove may still end up as the better choice.
