PELLET STOVE INFORMATION
You may have ended up here after paying hundreds of dollars each month on your gas or electric heating bills. With the rise in gas prices and other utilities, people are looking for ways to save money wherever possible. You may also be looking for environmentally friendly ways to heat your home that won't cost a fortune in upfront costs. Both are excellent reasons to consider buying a pellet stove.
There are many different options for heating your home - propane furnace, gas furnace, wood stove, electric heat, oil heat, and of course pellet stoves - to name some of the most common methods of home heating. All have their pros and cons. You'll have to decide for yourself which will best suit your needs.
I've decided to devote this site solely to AFFORDABLE PELLET STOVES
I've also included links to pellet stove forums if you're wanting to talk to others about pellet stoves, how to maintain pellet stoves etc.
ADVANTAGES OF PELLET STOVES
Pellet stoves are getting very popular for how efficient and environmentally friendly they are. They don't create black smoke, making it possible to run a pipe out of virtually any room in your house or office vs having to use a chimney as with wood burning stoves.
The pellets used in pellet stoves are compressed, essentially squeezing the moisture out of them - because of this, the pellets are very dry and ,therefore, burn very hot.
Also - Pellet stoves do not create large amounts of creosote or ash as wood stoves often do. Creosote is a substance commonly found in wood stoves, and can clog up chimneys. Creosote build up can lead to chimney fires if not dealt with.
Pellet stoves have very low particle emissions as well, which make them much more environmentally friendly.
Another advantage pellet stoves offer is their ease of use - many have simple thermostats for adjusting temperature and some models operate rather similar to electric heaters.
DISADVANTAGES OF PELLET STOVES
Pellet stoves require electricity to use so, depending on your electric rates, this can add up.
Also, depending on your geographic location, it can be difficult to find corn or wood pellets. As always, it's cheaper to buy in bulk so you may be able to have a large load brought to your house if pellets are hard to come by.
Also - the price of pellets can add up as compared to wood which you can (if you're lucky) get for free from your own property or elsewhere. More on wood and corn pellets later. You'll have to consider all of these factors before you decide to buy a pellet stove.
FINDING WOOD PELLETS
This can potentially pose a problem for those people considering buying a pellet stove. It is essential that you check around to your local hardware stores, farm stores, or box stores (Home Depot, Lowes etc.) to find out if they have a good supply of wood pellets coming in. You'll also want to get a ballpark estimate of the price of the pellets to see if it will actually save you money in the end. Also see if they carry bulk wood pellets or if they know of a supplier you could get in touch with. During some years, finding an ample supply of wood pellets will not be a problem - but it's best to research it just in case so you don't buy a nice pellet stove only to find out later you can't afford the fuel to make it work!
FINDING CORN PELLETS
If you are burning corn pellets, you may consider calling your local farm store or checking with an agricultural coop in your area. There are stoves available now which can burn both corn and wood pellets, which are the most common types of pellet stove fuels. Stoves that burn different types of pellet fuels are called Multi-fuel Pellet stoves. An example of this type of stove is the "Dell-Point Europa75." There are many others listed in the links I've provided on the left side of the page.
OTHER PELLET STOVE FUEL OPTIONS
Wood and Corn pellets are the most commonly used, but there are others that will also work. Hulled Wheat has been known to work, as have cherry pits (dried) and waste paper pellets. You'll have to check with the pellet stove manufacturers to see if they make a stove designed to burn these materials and, if so, how available they are in your geographic area.
AFFORDABLE PELLET STOVES
Pellet stoves hold their value very well. They start at around $1500 (although you can find them cheaper if you look hard enough) and go up in price steadily from there. They can get quite pricey but, no matter what you pay up front, you'll get a stove that is efficient and clean - well worth the cost! I did some research on affordable stoves you can buy online. Here's the link to AFFORDABLE PELLET STOVES
PelPro model HHPP2BD wood pellet stove - This stove has a 120 lb hopper capacity and can generate enough heat 800 - 2000 sq.ft. It retails at around $1800 online, which includes shipping. You may be able to buy it cheaper if you can find one at a store in your area, which would eliminate the shipping costs.
Another cheap pellet stove is the United States Stove model #6039 multifuel stove. Of course the advantage of the multifuel stove is that you can burn either corn or wood pellets, whichever fuel you prefer (or whichever is available in your geographic area). This stove retails at around $2300 online but, again, you may find it cheaper by checking around at some of your local pellet stove stores.
Another affordable pellet stove is the Breckwell Big-E Utility pellet stove. This stove can heat up to 2,000 sq. ft. and comes with automatic ignition and a large 140 lb. hopper - something only the higher end stoves generally have. It retails for about $1550.
I encourage you to do a more exhaustive search online by checking google shopping, overstock.com, nextag.com, and Ebay.com for starters.
USED PELLET STOVES
In doing my own research, I found some used pellet stoves on www.Craigslist.com and www.Ebay.com. I also found a few on google shopping. I've posted these links on the left side of the page for your convenience. All of these options are a great way to search for pellet stove parts as well.
PELLET STOVE DEALERS
Your local phone book or online directory should provide a list of pellet stove dealers in your area. If you're new to pellet stoves - it may be helpful to see a pellet stove at the store anyway. You can write down a list of all your questions to bring to the dealer i.e. how to install a pellet stove, how difficult it is to maintain etc.
Although you may pay more for a pellet stove from a dealer, you'll actually get to see the stove you're buying and learn how to operate it right at the store, which cannot be accomplished when buying a pellet stove online. You'll also eliminate the shipping costs, which could add up to a large amount of savings considering how large an item it is to ship.
Lastly - dealers may also be able to help repair your pellet stove in the event something should go wrong. If you're like me - you'll consult your manual and try to fix it yourself before getting squeezed financially by the dealer...the choice is yours, of course.
Home Depot, Lowes, or your local hardware stores are good places to start looking. Or - you may be able to find dealers who only sell pellet stoves, which is ideal. Again - consult your local online directory or yellow pages to see what is available in your area.
PELLET STOVE MAINTENANCE
As with any stove, major appliance, vehicle etc., regular maintenance is key for keeping your stove in good working order. The components of a pellet stove that need cleaning and/or occasional maintenance are the burn pot, ash drawer, heat exchanger, ash traps, glass, the hopper and auger, venting systems (stove pipes). Many of these items just need regular cleaning but you'll need to consult with the pellet stove manual for which areas to monitor and how to do it.
For some jobs, it may be best to hire a professional. Cleaning the pellet stove pipe/ventilation system can be messy and difficult to do. Professionals have all the right equipment to handle these jobs and I let them clean my venting system out once each year.
PELLET STOVE FORUMS
Pellet stove forums are excellent places to go to learn more about pellet stoves. Perhaps you're trying to find out how to fix your pellet stove, or thinking of buying a new one - the forums can be a great place to post a question and get feedback from others who have the information you're seeking. I own a VW diesel car and do almost all the maintenance myself. I tap into forums all the time when I run into a problem I can't figure out by myself. It's a great way to get information for free! I've included some threads on Pellet stove forums and have included on the the side of the page.
PELLET STOVE REVIEWS
While researching pellet stoves for our home, I found a few sites which offered excellent information on the subject - detailed reviews which included the pros and cons of all the major brands. Reviews are great - you can check to see what others are saying about a particular pellet stove so you (hopefully) don't end up buying a lemon! I've included the review links to the left.
OTHER PELLET STOVE RESOURCES
Before buying a pellet stove, it can be helpful to check consumer reports (www.consumerreports.org) to get reviews of the best pellet stoves available. Other helpful online sites are www.motherearthnews.com, www.treehugger.com (link in the margin), and http://www.alternative-heating-info.com/Pellet_and_Corn_Stoves.html - or, www.alternative-heating-info.com. I'll keep updating the site with new links, pellet stoves ideas etc. as time allows. I hope you find all you need here to at least get started...best of luck!
