Intoduction to Wood Pellet Stoves

This article is the continuation of the first regarding a few factors that you must consider before you make a pellet stove purchase.

Venting

Pellet stoves are power vented so they can be placed almost anywhere in your homes, be through the wall, through the ceiling, or into a masonry chimney, if you have one. The only requirement is that the vertical chimney should be three feet at the least. This chimney is usually stainless steel-lined and three to four inches in diameter.

Installation

The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA) of the US suggests that people buy from specialty retailers and hire certified professionals to install pellet stoves in order to ensure safety. The professional installers will be the ones to obtain the building permits and to make sure that all of the safety requirements are met, such as the length of the chimney and placement of the stove on a non-combustible surface.

Ignition System

Three types of ignition systems are available: standard, self-starting, and fully automatic. The standard system requires the use of a match and starter gel. The self-starting system provides a button or a remote control which the person uses to start the stove. The fully automatic system is managed by a thermostat that turns on and off depending on the selected heat level. Choose a reliable startup system that would suit your frequency of usage (i.e. intermittent or continuous).

Feeding System

A top-fed stove, which feeds pellets from the hopper down to a tube, decreases the risk of fire burning right back into the holding area of the pellets, but is more likely to get clogged with ashes. This is why top-fed models are recommended to be fueled with high-grade, low-ash pellets. Bottom-fed stove models, on the other hand, deliver the pellets to the side or from behind the burn box. Since the ash is pushed right into the pan during delivery, bottom-fed models don’t require the more expensive premium fuel but they may not be as efficient.

Miscellaneous Features

Some models have optional features that enhance their ease of use, convenience, and reliability. Some of these miscellaneous features are self-cleaning burn pots, self-cleaning glass that utilizes an air wash system that channels warm air over it during burning, deep ash pans to accommodate more residue and backup power since stoves require electricity to be run. Check the features or each model before making your decision.

Style

There are many options to choose from in terms of the external design of pellet stoves. From modern to old world, from cast iron to porcelain, you’ll be sure to find one that suits your taste and the interiors of your home.

Cleaning and Maintenance

Pellet stoves contain motors, moving parts, electronic gadgetry, and electrical features. These are easy to maintain, but regular checking and servicing must be done in order to ensure that they perform their functions properly. The routing tasks that must be done include the following:

1.    Emptying the ash pan
2.    Cleaning the glass, hopper, burn pot, and ash pan
3.    Scheduling inspection services yearly as recommended by the HPBA

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Online shopping was introduced as a more convenient way of buying goods. You can purchase whatever you want at your own time and the transaction will be complete in just a few moments. When you access the World Wide Web, everything is only one mouse click away.

However, buying things online is not as easy as you might think it is. Because you are not in a physical store, there are many aspects that you must consider such as the lack of a salesperson to guide you in your choices as well as the difficulty in choosing from different items without being there in person to check them out and scrutinize them for their features and flaws.

When it comes to pellet stoves, you must do several things and take into account several considerations before you even click on that “Buy Now” or “Add To Shopping Cart” button.

The first thing that you must do is to conduct a thorough research regarding what a pellet stove is, what its features are, and what are the different types available. Take into consideration the following:

•    The size and layout of your house (use your floor plan since it contains the dimensions of the rooms of your house)
•    Features of your house that affect heating (i.e. materials used to build it, kinds of insulation in it, etcetera)
•    Intended purpose (primary heating for the whole house or just for a particular area)
•    Desired temperature (determine the temperature range you want for both day and night time)

If you go online and do a quick search, the search engine will release hundreds of thousands of results. Check for websites of companies that seem the most credible to you. In general, trustworthy online retailers have a decent website containing detailed information about their products, and contact details, among others. Once you have chosen an online stove retailer, go through their product list, read through the specifications of each model, and make your preliminary decision. After you’ve done this, there are a few more things to consider:

Sales Tax
In most states, shopping online will save you 5 percent or even more in terms of sales tax. Most of the time, the only online shops that collect sales tax are those that have a physical store in the state where you are in.

Discounts
Most online retailers give discounts of 10 percent or even more. They may also offer price slashes in the form of free shipping and credit options. If you’re lucky, you may chance upon a seller that offers no down payment and installment programs.

Delivery
You will be offered free shipping in some instances. Coordinate with the retailer regarding where and when you want your order to be delivered. Note that stove retailers usually don’t deliver to an APO or Post Office box address.

Installation
It would be better if you don’t order your elbows, vent pipes, and other parts from the online retailer where you bought your stove. Since there are local building codes in the US, just let the professional stove installer determine which parts are needed to be ordered. If you don’t know of a certified installer, you can ask companies like Service Magic to help you look for one in your area.

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