Intoduction to Wood Pellet Stoves

More and more people are looking for better ways to keep their homes warm and cozy during the cold season. Some are still using traditional wood stoves, while others have resorted to using pellet stoves. The pellets used as fuel for these stoves come with a cheap price tag because of the low cost of the raw materials used in making them and the low cost of the manufacturing process. Thus, it does not cost that much to operate pellet stoves. But cost-efficiency is only one feature of pellet stoves that many people have come to love. Pellet stoves are also environment-friendly hearth products.

Nowadays, caring for Mother Nature through using green product alternatives is among the big issues that are being advocated by environmentalists. As such, an increased awareness in how we could go about protecting the environment has prompted a lot of people to evaluate the commercial products that they are using and switch to those that are safer for the earth. Pellet stoves are one of those environment-friendly products. Here are some of their green features:

1.    The wood pellets used to fuel pellet stoves are produced from recycled sawdust. This sawdust would otherwise have been dumped in landfills, thus creating more waste that has no other use. It could also have been incinerated in the waste burners of sawmills. Wood is a natural renewable resource. By utilizing wood pellets as your fuel source, in a way you are helping recycling the waste or by-products of forestry activities.

2.    Pellet stoves are a clean-burning home heating product. As opposed to wood stoves that produce a substantial amount of soot and ash even just after a use, pellet stoves can burn for several days at a time and still not create as much residual ash as what wood stoves make in one day.

3.    Pellet stoves are very easy to clean. They have ash pans that need to be removed and cleaned every few weeks. Moreover, you don’t have to sweep huge piles of ash and bark scraps.

4.    Pellet stoves have an auger that delivers the pellets into the combustible chamber on a consistent and regular basis. This means that your source of heat is steady and consistent for up to three days before you must refill the hopper, which is the holding area of the pellets. Pellet stoves are not like wood stoves that you have to feed chopped wood every few hours with no guaranteed steadiness of the heat, having volatile hot and cold heating cycles.

5.    Pellet stoves are efficient home heating products. An average pellet stove has a burning efficiency rating higher than 85%. Because of a pellet stove’s state-of-the-art technology, the fuel-to-air ratio is controlled so a full combustion of its fuel source is guaranteed. It is designed to burn the wood pellets in such a way that it would squeeze all of the heat that it possibly can out of those pellets.

6.    Pellet stoves produce minimal wood smoke emissions. A lot of the pellet stoves out in the market nowadays have no problems in meeting strict air quality standards, both local and federal.

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If you are using a pellet stove as your home heating device, make sure that you clean it regularly to ensure its optimal performance as well as safe operation. Here are a few tips on how to maintain your pellet stove.

Burn Pot

To keep its air inlets open and unclogged, clean the burn pot regularly depending on the type and grade of the pellets that you are using. Consult your manual on how often to do this.

The burn pot is responsible for controlling the amount of the fuel and air to enable combustion. When your stove is working well, the flame should be bright yellow or white. On high burn, there may be a gray or white buildup of ash, while there may be a darker ash on low burn. However, if your stove is malfunctioning, the flame is usually orange and smoky. There would also be a build up of a brown gooey substance.

Also watch out for a buildup of clinkers, which are from ashes that have melted and re-hardened. If ash in the burn pot starts melting, it can clog the air holes and ruin the optimal fuel-to-air ratio. This can then cause clinkers to form. By using the rake or ash tool that comes with your stove, you can remove these clinkers even while the stove is on.

Ash Drawer

Before starting a new fire, you have to empty out the ash drawer of the pellet stove. You should also do this occasionally while the stove is in operation. In general, you should empty the ash drawer once or twice per week, depending on the model.

Heat Exchanger

The heat exchanger is located in the combustion chamber. It is the one that is responsible for cleaning the hot air produced in the burn pot and pushing it outside to heat your home. For the optimal release of heat, the heat exchanger’s surface should be cleaned on a regular basis. Again, the frequency of cleaning is based on the model of the design. It may be daily or monthly depending on what is indicated on the manual. In some pellet stoves, this is done simply by moving a rod that rubs against and cleans the tubes inside. In others, professional service is needed.

Ash Traps

These are found at the back of the fire chamber. They prevent the excess ash in the exhaust from escaping from the stove. In some models, they can be easily opened and accessed. Some models, on the other hand, need professional service.

Glass

When the glass has completely cooled, clean it using a glass cleaner.

Hopper and Auger

Make sure to check for accumulated sawdust materials, which are also known as fines. The pellets in the auger and hopper should also be run out in order to prevent fines from building up and blocking the tubes.

Venting System

Have the venting system of your stove cleaned and maintained by professionals. But you may do so yourself if you’re knowledgeable about it and if you have the right equipment.

Professional Services

Most owners of pellet stoves avail of professional servicing of their heating gadgets on an annual basis. Moreover, pellet stove dealers may offer service plans that are conveniently scheduled and not too costly.

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