Tips For Adding A Pellet Stove To Your Home

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If you're planning a home renovation and looking for an alternative heat source, you might find that a pellet stove is a great option. Pellet stoves can provide a significant amount of heat to your home without increasing your utility or fuel oil costs. If you've decided that a pellet stove might work for you, here are some things to know about them before you discuss it with your renovation team.

There Are Two Primary Styles

There are two primary styles of pellet stoves to choose from, and it's important to understand the difference.

• Freestanding Stoves - These are the best option if you are going to completely replace an existing wood stove or if you're buying one as a whole new installation with no stove to replace or fireplace to convert. It's a complete stove that installs directly in the place of the wood stove or on a separate pad where you want the unit to go.

• Pellet Stove Conversion - If you have a fireplace in the house that you want to replace, a conversion kit is the way to go. It's an insert that converts the fireplace to a pellet-burning system. You can even add an exhaust fan to the unit to draw the heated air out of the fireplace and push it into the room.

Pellet Hoppers Come in Different Sizes

The hopper holds pellets and feeds them into the stove as it burns. There are many different sizes to consider. Each hopper is rated for its capacity, and it's recorded as pounds of pellets. This tells you how many pounds of pellets the hopper will hold at any given time. Think about how long you're likely to burn the stove each day and what it's consumption rate is. Then, you can select the best hopper for your needs.

The Feed Direction Matters

There are two main feed directions to choose from. Top-feed pellet stoves have an angled auger that allows pellets to pour into the combustion area from above. The auger is designed in a way that prevents burn back from reaching the storage hopper, which could be dangerous. You can also choose a bottom-feed system. These use a horizontal auger that keeps ashes away from the firebox.

No matter which style, hopper and feed system you choose, you'll find that a pellet stove provides a consistent amount of heat. Work with a remodeling contractor to install the stove and ensure that everything is functioning properly.

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22 February 2016