As a homeowner, your options for sources to heat your home are endless. One homeowner might use a traditional fireplace, while their neighbor uses a pellet stove! What are the benefits of pellet stoves over traditional fireplaces? If you’re looking to install a new heating source for your home, consider the advantages of a pellet stove before making your decision.
You Can Install the Pellet Stove Anywhere
Did you know you could install a pellet stove anywhere in your home that has access to electricity? This means you can install your pellet stove along any walls, corners, or in the middle of a room—as long as an outlet is nearby!
The traditional fireplace is not as lenient as to where you can place the structure because it needs more clearance and a chimney so that smoke can exit the flue. Pellet stoves are a major benefit for homeowners because they can better integrate this heating source into their homes.
Pellet Stoves Take Up Less Space
One of the best things about pellet stoves is the minimal amount of space they take up inside your home. These appliances come in a range of sizes; the one you choose may depend on your preference or how large the home is. Whether you choose a big or small pellet stove (10,000 BTU to 90,000 BTU), it won’t take up as much space as the traditional fireplace will.
Because pellet stoves are much smaller, you can get away with less clearance. These stoves can be much closer to combustible walls because the appliance is engineered to concentrate the heat in the front of the stove. The sides of the appliance will not get as hot, so you can get away with placing the pellet stove closer to the walls.
Generally, you have a clearance of 7 inches from side walls, 2 inches from a rear wall, and 5 inches from the corners.
There Is No Need for a Traditional Chimney
Pellet stoves do not need a traditional chimney for the smoke to exit your home. This appliance still needs a ventilation system to carry away the smoke swiftly. Because pellets produce very little smoke, these appliances only need a tube lined with stainless steel.
You can install these tubes vertically or horizontally, but it does need an exit out of your home, so the smoke is carried outside. These tubes are much more straightforward to install and take up minimal room inside and outside your home. You could even install the tube inside an existing chimney if you plan on replacing your traditional fireplace with a pellet stove.
Pellet Stoves Are Cost-Effective
When you live in a state that experiences harsh winters, your central heating system can take a beating because it’s constantly running. A pellet stove can relieve your central heating by supplementing some of your home’s heat. In turn, this lowers your heating bill because pellet stoves won’t use as much energy, making this appliance cost-effective.
For example, the weather starts to get colder in the fall, but it might not be necessary to turn on the central heat yet. This is where your pellet stove comes in! This appliance can add a small amount of heat to your home, so your family is comfortable. This also gives your central heat a break, so you don’t spend as much money heating your home when it’s not frigid outside yet.
Pellet Stoves Are Efficient
The efficiency of a wood fireplace is much lower than that of a pellet stove because much of the heat is lost. However, pellet stoves certified through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have a 70-83% efficiency range. This means minimal heat is lost throughout the process of burning the pellets inside the chamber, making the appliance highly efficient in heating homes, apartments, and condominiums.
Pellet Stoves Are Easier To Use
While some individuals may like placing kindling inside a fireplace, adding paper, and lighting it with a match, this process can be tedious and time-consuming; lest you forget, you must monitor your fire and ensure it’s completely out before leaving the room.
On the other hand, pellet stoves are extremely simple to use. These appliances use an electric igniter to begin the combustion of pellets within the chamber; it’s as easy as flipping the on-switch and walking away to let the stove do the work. To top it all off, there is typically an automatic turn-off feature. That means if you forget to turn it off, the stove will do it automatically!
Pellet Stoves Have Temperature Control
Not only are pellet stoves easy to use, but you can also control the temperature. Could you do that with a traditional fireplace? The answer is no, because the heat your get from the firewood is the heat you get. Pellet stoves allow you to control the appliance’s temperature to make the room as hot or cold as you please.
Pellet Stoves Are Simple To Maintain
Who enjoys the hassle of cleaning a traditional fireplace? Pellet stoves are simple to clean and easier for the homeowner to maintain. Little byproduct is produced from the pellets, so cleaning the chamber, ash pot, and window glass is straightforward. However, no appliance is perfect, and you may need wood pellet stove repair services occasionally to ensure the stove is working correctly.
Pellets Are Carbon Neutral
Sustainability and environmentally friendly practices are the way to our future, and pellet stoves can help! Pellets—the fuel source for these appliances—are made from organic materials, like wood, sawdust, bark, and other byproducts from the lumber or wood manufacturing industries. This fuel source is carbon neutral because when the pellets release carbon during combustion, the levels are equivalent to that of what trees absorb during growth.
Pellets Give Off Low Emissions
Another benefit of pellet stoves over traditional fireplaces is that these appliances offer homeowners the cleanest solid fuel heating appliance because they give off minimal air pollution. These appliances emit very few particulates into the air, which lowers emissions. So, not only are the pellets sustainable, but so is the act of burning them!
If you’re debating between a traditional fireplace or a pellet stove, the decision is easy. These appliances are low-maintenance and easy to install, but they are also eco-friendly and highly efficient. Consider this alternative heating source next time you’re looking for a new fireplace.