As the cost of heating fuel continues to skyrocket, many people are looking for alternative fuel sources. Wood has served this purpose for thousands of years. That said, wood pellet stoves offer some distinct advantages over more traditional wood burning stoves.
To begin, wood pellet stoves are environmentally friendly. The wood pellets that they use are referred to as “carbon neutral” because they do not emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. In addition, today there are wood pellet stoves that can burn other types of pellets. As an example, some can burn vegetable based pellets such as corn and and black oil sunflower seeds. Others are capable of burning grass pellets, as well as those made from rye and wheat.
Anyone that has lived with a coal stove or wood stove knows that it must be constantly monitored. If there is not enough material to burn, the fire will go out. While wood pellet stoves cannot feed themselves, they do have hoppers that you can load the wood pellets into. As pellets inside the stove burn up, more are drawn in from the hopper. Therefore, you can go for hours on end without ever having to add more fuel.
With a traditional wood stove, even if you feel too warm, it is not likely that you will want to douse out the fire, only to have to start a new one later on. Perhaps this highlights one of the most unique advantages of wood pellet stoves. They actually have an ignition switch that will automatically start a fire whenever it is needed. This is ignition switch is paired up with a regular thermostat. As the temperature moves out of the ideal range, wood pellet stoves will start up or stop burning wood as needed.
Wood pellet stoves also have a clear advantage over oil burners. You have only to take a look at the cost of home heating fuel, plus the egregious cost of delivery charges to realize it is time to find another heating method. Even though wood pellet stoves require specialized pellets, these are cheaper than purchasing fossil fuel. In addition, when you choose wood pellet stoves over oil burners, you are sending the oil industry a message that you can do without their products.
Because wood pellet stoves can be controlled by a thermostat, they use less fuel than a conventional wood stove. Considering the prices of the necessities of life, this can amount to more savings than you might at first think. In addition, wood pellet stoves offer all of the modern conveniences associated with oil burners. Along with not having to start a fire, you can even find wood pellet stoves that have central heating units and attached boilers.
If you are serious about finding an alternative to oil burners, wood pellet stoves are a good option to try. Along with reducing your carbon footprint, you will also be able to save some money. In a sense, vogelzang wood stove review easily combine the best features of wood stoves with the convenience of oil based heating systems.
Pellet Stove Installation Recommendations
Once you have purchased a pellet stove, the next step is to have it installed. Unfortunately, pellet stove installation may not be something that you can do on you own. Considering that you will be dealing with an appliance that has an enormous potential to cause a dangerous fire, it may be in your best interest to call someone that will install the equipment properly.
Aside from the stove, you may also need to purchase some other items in order to complete pellet stove installation. Among other things, you might need stove pipe, wire, and various mounting hardware. If you selected a wood pellet stove that includes a central heating unit, you may also need to install vents, clamps, and other mechanisms to transfer the heat around your house.
In particular, if you decided to purchase a pellet stove insert, you may need additional assistance with preparing the area where the stove will be installed. This may include everything from making sure that the chimney pipe size is compatible to actually creating a recess of a suitable size. While pellet stove installation in a pre-existing fireplace may be a little bit easier, if you want to install in an archway, a lot more work may be involved.
On the other hand, if you decided on a stand alone pellet stove, you may be able to do some of the installation yourself. If there is an existing chimney, you may be able to hook up your new stove to it in the same way that the old one was. That said, it is still important to make sure that your stove pipe constructions are safe. Unfortunately, that may not be something that you will be able to recognize without adequate experience or training.
Because pellet stove installation includes a hookup to your thermostat, you may also need to purchase some special adapters. On the other hand, it may be just as easy to purchase a new thermostat that is compatible with your wood pellet stove. Irregardless of which method you choose, it is important to realize that a faulty thermostat or one that is not hooked up correctly can wreak havoc.
If you already know that pellet stove installation is beyond your aptitudes, the next thing to do is look for someone that is capable. Depending on where you bought the stove, the seller may or may not offer this service to you. If they do not offer this service, they may be able to recommend someone that can be of some help. On the other hand, you might want to see if a local building contractor or rennovator can complete pellet stove installation for a cheaper price.
Even though pellet stove installation may be difficult or costly, it is not much different from installing similar types of stoves. Once it is achieved, you will be well on your way to enjoying your new purchase. As time goes on, your ability to save money on fuel will make pellet stove installation worth whatever its cost was.