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Pellet Stoves
Heating your home with a pellet stove is
convenient, neat, and safe. These stoves
are simpler to operate than other wood burning
appliances because they burn wood scraps
that have been compressed into pellets that
resemble rabbit food. Some models burn pellets
made from shelled corn or hulled wheat. Pellet
stoves rely on sophisticated computers and
circuit boards to determine how much fuel
is needed. Most units have at least two heat
settings; some control the temperature with
thermostats. These stoves burn so efficiently
that they often do not need chimneys; the
fumes are exhausted outdoors through a small
hole in the wall.
If you are thinking of installing
a pellet
stove in your house, consider
the following:
- The stove will need to be refueled between
once a day and twice a week. The pellets
are simply poured into a hopper where an
auger transfers the pellets to the fire chamber.
These stoves produce virtually no smoke or
odor.
- The inexpensive bags of pellets are clean
and easy to store. The stoves hold between
35 and 130 pounds of pellets. These pellets
can still be difficult to find in some parts
of the country, so check on availability
before buying one of these stoves.
- Pellet stoves rely on several internal electric
fans in order to operate, so they will not
produce heat if the power goes out. If operation
without power is a requirement, look for
models that include a back up battery for
this reason.
- Unlike a traditional wood stove, pellet stoves
use a forced air system to distribute heat.
Because the stove exteriors are not used
for radiating heat, they stay fairly cool.
This makes them safer than other types of
wood burning stoves.
Pellet stoves cannot be installed in all
types of housing. Check your local building
codes and make sure to follow all directions
when using them. |
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