Pellet stoves offer a firebox with visible flame. This freestanding model is manufacturerd by ENVIROFIRE.
	An AUGER MOTOR transfers unburned pellets from the hopper's fuel storage area to the firebox where the pellets are burned. The feed rate of the auger determines the amount of fuel being burned per hour. By changing the auger feed rate, the heat output of the stove can be modulated. A separate combustion fan blows air through the pellet fuel to keep the fire burning consistently. A convection fan extracts the heat produced in the stove and transfers this heat to the living space of the home.

Pellet stoves are stoves that burn specially made pellet fuel that looks similar to rabbit food. Pellets have traditionally been made from wood sawdust and wood waste products, though biomass pellets made from other agricultural products (such as corn, nuts, seeds and others) are now in production.

A freestanding pellet stove is a self-contained stove that sits entirely freestanding inside the room; venting may be directly through your exterior wall similar to a dryer vent, vertically through the roof or connected to an existing chimney such as a wood stove flue. A pellet burning insert is a specially made stove that inserts into an existing fireplace and vents, most commonly, through the fireplace chimney.

The vast majority of pellet stoves and pellet inserts are designed with common components:

• A hopper is an integral part of the appliance, storing unburned fuel
• An auger system for transferring the unburned fuel, at a controlled feeding rate, from the hopper to the burn chamber, or firebox
• A burn chamber where fuel is burned, usually providing a visible fire for aesthetic enjoyment
• A combustion fan to keep air moving through the fuel so that the fuel burns properly
• A convection fan to transfer the heat produced by the stove into your living space
• An ash pan or ash collection area

Pellet and biomass stoves burn pelletized fuel (which is a renewable energy resource) in a clean, convenient, relatively easy to manage package. Wood pellets are most commonly packaged and sold in 40 lb. bags and tend to be less expensive by the ton, which is 50 - 40 lb. bags. Fuel hoppers on most stoves will hold a bag or more of fuel.

A big advantage of pellets is their consistency - the fuel in one bag should be identical to the fuel found in another bag from the same manufacturer. Generally, higher grade pellets will more than pay back the added cost by offering a cleaner burn and more heat output from every bag. Cleaner burning pellet fuel results in less down time to dislodge irregularly sized pellets from the auger and less clinkers due to dirt and dust mixed into your bag of pellets.

Wood pellet fuel offers a lower moisture content than firewood, so every pound of fuel offers more heat. At an average 8,000 btu's per pound per hour, control of heat output is generally based upon changing the fuel consumption rate. An average home with a relatively open floor plan can often be heated nicely at a 3 pound-per-hour burn rate. 3 pounds x 8,000 btu = 24,000 btu hourly. This also helps you to figure fuel consumption; at 3 pounds per hour and 40 pounds of pellets in a bag, your stove will burn for 13.3 hours on one bag of fuel. Multiply number of bags you use in your home by the cost per bag, and you'll have an estimated heating cost for heating with wood pellets.

Though heating with pellets can be less work than heating with traditional firewood, the stoves do require regular maintenance and cleaning. Most homeowners will need to shut the stove down once a week to clean out residues from the firebox, empty ashes and clean the glass. For approximately every ton of pellets burned, a more thorough cleaning of burn chambers behind the firebox wil be required on most models. All pellet stove manufacturers offer an owners manual or maintenance guide detailing the procedures needed for cleaning and maintaining each model. By keeping the stove or insert cleaned and well maintained, you'll experience a prettier flame and relatively trouble-free performance with nicer brands of stoves. Once again, a higher quality pellet fuel will result in a cleaner burning stove with better flames and optimum performance.

Pellet stoves are designed in a wide variety of sizes, styles and colors. Manufacturers are racing to bring more appliances to market to reach the growing demand for this category of hearth appliance, made more popular due to rising costs of traditional heating fuels. Check to see what type of pellet fuel is available in your area, and purchase a stove that is suitable for the grade of pellet you can purchase, or make arrangements to bring in fuel that's suitable for the stove you're considering if there's a special model you've got your heart set on buying.

*This article copyrighted by THE FIREPLACE CHANNEL 

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