What Are Wood Stoves?
Wood stoves burn logs, which are loaded into the stove. Wood stoves are more labor-involved than the pellet stoves. The owner has to go out and bring logs near the stoves and the logs need to be drawn into the stoker manually — which is physically demanding.
However, wood stoves are much more budget-friendly than pellet stoves. Wood can be sourced more frequently than pellet fuel and costs considerably less. But, compared to other types of stoves, wood stoves produce more smoke and ashes than pellet stoves. Also, the wood stoves require frequent emptying or cleaning out more than any other stove.
What Are Pellet Stoves?
A pellet stove uses small, compressed wood sawdust fuel called pellets. The pellets are usually stored in a storage hopper near the stoves. It then moves the pellets through the stove in an automatic manner.
Pellet stoves require electric power to work. This electricity powers the motors and fans installed on the stove. However, they are very energy efficient.
They generate minimum ash and emissions and produce a clean and efficient flame. They also require lower frequencies of washing and cleaning.
Comparing Between Pellets Vs Wood Stove
These are the various parameters that you can refer to while deciding on which stove to buy:
1. Cost, Storage and Labour:
Wood is cheaper than pellet fuel in terms of cost per ton. Yet, wood has higher emissions than ash. Wood may be hard to store. Wood has to be loaded by hand, but pellets have a great payload hopper capacity and can be refueled rapidly.
Pellets need a smaller storage space and are not loaded by hand. Because they contain less moisture, they are hotter and more efficient than wood. However, pellets cost more money than wood, and pellet stove motors can need repair if not handled correctly.
2. Emissions and Efficiency
New wood stoves are also clean instruments. Yet they emit as much as, if not more, smoke than even that of average pellet stoves. They also offer lower efficiency than pellet stoves.
There is significantly reduced smoke and emission from pellet stoves. EPA-approved pellet stoves are very clean burning and nearly as efficient as the best stoves. Pellet stoves usually offer an efficiency of up to 75 to 85%. That is slightly higher than the best wood stoves.
3. Heating Ability
Small and large versions of both pellet and wood stoves are available. And they can warm places as small as less than 1000 ft³ to as large as more than 3500 ft³.
In the cases of small rooms of below 1000 sq. ft, pellet stoves are preferred. This results in lower fuel requirements and their automated pellet feed lessens labor.
For large homes between 2,000 sq. ft and above, a large wood stove is relatively more budget-friendly to install.
4. Installation and Maintenance
Wood stoves for homes are priced between $700 and $3000 for installation. Wood stoves require specific chimneys and the construction of hearths.
Pellet stoves, generally, range in price from $1,000 to $3,000 installed. Pellet stoves are preferred for most places because they hardly require any additional floor space.
Both types of stoves require relatively simple maintenance. Pellet stoves generally need to be vacuum cleaned and their motors require annual oiling. Wood stoves require their chimneys to be cleaned and external surfaces painted where required.
Pellet or Wood Stove Stoves: Which One to Pick?
There is no clear-cut winner between the two types of stoves. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. While using wood is cheaper, it is also dirtier. While pellets are less messy and less labor-intensive, they can drive up costs. Take into account the following considerations while choosing your stove:
- Cost: If you have a tight budget, you can opt for a high-quality wood stove. It will offer you an excellent investment and be efficient. However, if cost isn’t a factor, you can opt for a pellet stove.
- Space: Pellet stoves are preferred if you install the stove in a small area. However, consider opting for a big wood pellet stove for larger areas.
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Labor: If labor isn’t a problem, wooden stoves are a good option. However, pellet stoves have automated refilling motors that ease the refilling process.
- Maintenance: Both stoves require occasional cleaning, but wooden stoves have a higher emission and leave more ash. Pellet stoves are cleaner, but their motors must be cleaned and greased annually.
- Heat: Pellet stoves are usually more efficient than wood stoves. They have average efficiencies ranging from 75% to 85%, whereas wood stoves often range below them.
You now know the considerations to make while purchasing your stove. Be sure to take the correct measurements and factors while buying your stove to ensure an efficient stove for a long time. A little preparation will go a long way to ensuring you get constant warmth from a good stove.