Heating a home is one of the biggest expenses that Americans have to account for in their budget. One of the best ways to heat your home is by using a pellet stove. These stoves are efficient, clean, and use affordable fuel.
If you are looking to add a pellet stove to your home, you may be wondering what qualities to look for in the design you choose. Our guide will take you through the features the best pellet stoves have so you can pick one that you’ll love.
What to Look for in a Pellet Stove
Highly rated best pellet stoves offer exceptional heating efficiency and quality construction. Here are three features to look for before choosing your pellet stove.
1. Freestanding Pellet Stove vs. Pellet Stove Insert
You can choose between a freestanding pellet stove or a pellet stove insert. Freestanding pellet stoves are pellet stoves that you can place anywhere that has a ventilation source and an outlet.
A pellet stove insert fits in an existing fireplace. A pellet fireplace system is an efficient way to heat your home without changing the look of your house much.
2. Top vs. Bottom Fed
The way you feed a pellet stove is how you put the pellets into the machine. You can find pellet stoves in top and bottom-fed varieties. If you choose a top-fed pellet stove, the pellets drop into an angled auger. This auger moves the pellets into the combustion chamber, which allows the pellets to burn.
A bottom-fed pellet stove moves pellets into the combustion chamber horizontally. You need low-ash pellets for this type of pellet stove to work.
3. Fuel Type
Both wood and pellet stoves use wood as fuel but in different forms. A pellet stove burns wood pellets, which are small pieces of sawdust and scrap wood that get compressed into pellets. This fuel is clean, lasts a long time, and is made from organic material.
Most pellets come in 40-pound bags that you’ll need to store in your home. You’ll go through two to three tons of pellets in an average winter, depending on how cold your weather is and how warm you keep your home.
You’ll find pellets in either hardwood or softwood varieties. Hardwood pellets are more dense and burn for a longer amount of time.
Softwood pellets use wood with more lignin in it. This means it burns hotter than hardwood pellets. You’ll also want to take a look at the BTUs and ash content of the wood pellets you choose. The higher the BTU of the pellet, the hotter your pellet stove will burn.
Find the Best Pellet Stoves for Your Needs
The best pellet stoves for your family are ones that are both safe and efficient. Make sure you choose a stove that fits the size of your home and has enough power to heat your house. By considering these factors, you’re sure to find a pellet stove that will keep you warm all winter long.
Buying and installing a pellet stove is an investment. Our finance articles offer great financial guides. Check them out today.
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