Wood Pellet Stoves
Nothing beats stepping into a warm home heated by a comforting fireplace, especially on a cold day. While many people love the warmth and ambiance that a woodstove provides, not everyone loves the chore of cutting firewood, building fires, and cleaning up ashes. Wood pellet stoves are a great alternative for those who feel this way, as they provide all the warmth and atmosphere of a woodburning stove, without the mess. Wood pellets are tightly compacted sawdust pellets that are about an inch and a half long. When burned, wood pellets are very efficient and powerful, and provide plenty of heat for warming an entire home. You can't put wood pellets in a regular woodburning stove and expect them to work. They are specifically designed to work with wood pellet stoves, which come in a large variety of options. Available in freestanding models and as inserts, pellet stoves can be integrated into a home's current vent system so that one stove can heat every room the vent system reaches. Most pellet stoves also come with built in fans that blow heat into the room they are in. Pellet stoves range from $1,400 to $2,000, which is typical for a wood burning stove of any type. Additional installation costs might include professional installation by a contractor. After the initial costs, wood pellet stoves are very inexpensive to operate. You can plan on about $3 for 40 pounds of pellets, which will last about two days. You'll also want to plan on using about 100 KWH of electricity every month, as the internal components of pellet stoves operate on electricity. There are many name brand pellet stoves that offer quality products, including Lopi, Heilsa, Harman, Breckwelll and Whitfield and Avalon. You might also want to look at one of the European models. The best wood pellet stove for your needs is going to depend on two main factors: how much you want to spend, and how big your home is. Pellet stoves are available with different size hoppers, which is the device that releases pellets into the stove. Pellet stoves with bigger hoppers will heat more space, but will cost more too. However, if you go with a high quality brand, the price will be well worth it, and your pellet stove will pay itself off long before it needs replaced.
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