Is anybody here using pellet heat for their homes?

[Virginia Dare]

positives/negatives?

[displacedtexan]

1. Our neighbors use that.

It smells like lumber on fire.

Freaks me out the first day they start heating season,
then I remember that it's the pellets and not a house
fire.

Neighbors love it and claim it's cheaper than anything else.

[Happyhippychick]

2. I was going to get one.

I had a pellet stove guy come in and talk to me about it. By the end he had talked me into getting a gas fireplace instead (the ones that they make now are very good for heating a room, not just making it "pretty"). The air gets dry when wood burns and there is a smoky smell which I don't care for en masse. Also I didn't want to have to deal with scooping ashes and buying/loading pellets.

I am very happy with my decision. It doesn't add significantly to the gas bill, the air in my home doesn't make me itch and there is no mess.

[Virginia Dare]

5. I was going to get a gas stove..

and the person I talked to was suggesting a pellet stove instead. Everything I've read about them so far seems pretty positive. I have gas heat in my home and it's very dry. Supposedly it's cheaper than running a gas stove overall, they don't have a smoke smell like a regular wood stove, especially if you get a good one.

Also, if you are solely heating your home with one (I'm just using it as a supplemental source) they say you would burn on average 3-4 tons of pellets a year. A ton only takes up a 4 x 4 space supposedly, and costs about $200.

I'm going to compare what it would cost to convert my current fireplace to gas as opposed to buying a pellet insert, but something tells me ultimately I will go with the pellet. I like the renewable/recycled fuel aspect of it.

[TexasProgresive]

3. My in-laws use one and it's great

The sister-in-law has asthma and has absolutely no problems with the pellet stove. There is no smell inside or outside the home of wood burning and no smoke. I don’t believe that a pellet stove can cause a smell of wood burning or smoke in the house unless something is radically wrong. It that case the home owners may be in danger of carbon monoxide poisoning as there is a leak. The same can happen with a gas or oil burner if the heat exchanger gets perforated.

Pellet stoves use a forced air combustion, which requires that the system be totally airtight to the home. The exhaust is nearly smokeless and there is very little ash. I would put one in but here in Texas the only pellets available are expensive and used for smoking meats. I was thinking of a corn stove which works like a pellet stove but the price of corn is so high now with ethanol production makes that an expensive option.

One thing a corn stove can burn pellets but a pellet stove cannot burn corn. The corn burns hotter and so the stoves have to be engineered to take the higher heat.

[fed-up]

4. two friends had flu fires w/pellet stoves-but sure to clean them yearly! nt

[jpak]

6. Three relatives have them and they love them (and save big $$$$)

Pellet stoves are highly efficient and emit very little (if any) smoke.

The models with thermostats turn on and off automatically and heat your home while you are away (just like a gas or oil furnace).

They have electric blowers and produce very little "noise" (not much more than a small electric fan). Some have windows and produce bright fire light as well as heat.

They require a short (< 5 minutes) clean-up every week or so remove a small amount of ash from the burn pot.

If you have frequent blackouts, ask about a battery back-up power system. It will run the stove until the hopper is empty.

Pellets (here in Maine at least) cost $275-299 per ton and most people use 2-4 tons per year. This compares to >$2400 per year for oil heat (800 gallons/yr @ $3 a gallon). They will pay for themselves the first year.

You can install them yourself but you might want to have it done professionally - and you don't need a conventional chimney either.

One brother bought one last summer and liked it so much he bought another last week. He only burns oil to heat his water and is looking into a solar system for hot water in the summer - (he HATES burning oil)...

A cousin has a fireplace insert pellet stove and heats his entire home with it.

Stove prices will be lowest in April and May - so wait for the end of season sales...

:thumbsup:

[Virginia Dare]

7. Great, thanks for the info...

this is pretty much what I've read about them, and I've heard there are two more companies who will be manufacturing the pellets soon in New Hampshire, so if the demand doesn't go up TOO much, perhaps the cost may come down a bit.

[madokie]

8. yes for 16 years now. love it

We live in north eastern oklahoma to give you an idea of what kind of winters we have. this winter it looks like we will be heating for a sum total of two tons of pellets at 210 bucks including tax a ton for the pellets. Our first stove paid for itself in two winters over propane or electric our other alternatives. We gave that first stove to our son and it just keeps on paying for itself over and over. The one we have now has an automatic lighter which is pretty nice.

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