You may or may not be surprised to learn that there are many different makes and models of wood pellet stoves. Like other appliances, wood pellet stoves are produced by a verity of manufactures; Ashley, Breckwell, Bixby and Harman to name a few. However no matter which manufactures model you choose, you will probably be helped out with a little general information on how they work and how they will improve the comfort levels in your home.

Fueling the wood pellet stove.

The wood pellet stove has a “wood pellet chamber” that needs to be filled. This chamber holds the pellets until they are released for burning. It is normal to see storage chambers that hold between 30 to 120 pounds of wood pellets, depending of course on the model you are using . The wood pellet chamber will need to be filled at least once a day – more or less frequently depending on your use.

How to light a wood pellet stove

Lighting your wood pellet stove for the first time can be a bit tricky until you get the hang of it. With these few simple tips we promise to make it a whole lot easier.

1. Fill the chamber with wood pellets
2. Place a handful of wood pellets in the center of the burner pot
3. Turn the wood pellet stove feeder NO – let it run until you see wood pellets dropping from the delivery chute – Turn the wood pellet stove feeder OFF
4. Pour a very small amount of accelerant onto the wood pellets in the center of the burner pot
5. With a match light the wood pellets in the center of the burner pot
6. Allow the wood pellets to burn for a few minutes and then turn the wood pellet stove feeder and blower NO
7. Watch that the wood pellets dropping from the delivery chute are catching fire and burning and that they are not smothering the flame.

Advantages of wood pellet stoves

• The fuel for wood pellet stoves is bagged making them easy to store
• Most wood pellet stoves remain cool to the touch on the outside with the exception of the glass doors
• Wood Pellets burn almost completely and create very little creosote for a safer cleaner burn

Disadvantages of wood pellet stoves

• Because it have more complex parts than a standard wood stove they can be a bit pricey on parts when things go wrong.
• The big draw back is that pellet stoves need electricity to control fans and pellet feeders -loss of power equals no heat. You might want to consider a battery backup device for just that reason.

When you’re ready to buy your wood pellet stove?

Make sure you shop around before you purchase, see what’s best for your needs. Some decisions to make may include whether you purchase a freestanding unit or a wood pellet stove insert. Another may be if there is a close and reliable source of wood pellets nearby. What every you choice a wood pellet stove is sure to bring you and your family years of comfort and warmth.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, September 28th, 2008 at 12:11 pm and is filed under Wood for Fuel and Heat. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.