Pellets vs Wood

[soulasphil]

One of the main advantages of pellets is the ability to handle them mechanically much more easily than logs. I'm having a pellet stove installed for next winter. The setup includes a storage room with a screw taking the necessary amount of pellets to the stove at any time. Hopefully, the pellets will be delivered to my home by truck and blown into the storage room. I'm getting too old for splitting logs !

 

[charlz]

Probably one of the most overlooked things is airflow design in the pellet stove. You want the combustion air to be entirely ducted to a single point that can be directly connected to an outside vent.

Good point, this is something I keep meaning to do to mine. I have the old air inlet pipe there from the fireplace but need to pipe it into the stove. I also need to figure out how to seal the firepan door... otherwise it will still draw air from the house and when the stove is not on I would effectively have a 2" hole open to the outside. Not sure what or if they were thinking.

 

[charlz]

One of the main advantages of pellets is the ability to handle them mechanically much more easily than logs. I'm having a pellet stove installed for next winter. The setup includes a storage room with a screw taking the necessary amount of pellets to the stove at any time. Hopefully, the pellets will be delivered to my home by truck and blown into the storage room. I'm getting too old for splitting logs !

I don't think bulk delivery really ever caught on in the U.S. or at least not the Western U.S. I was looking at pellet boilers the other day and they showed the same setup... pretty slick, just fill up the pellet storage/silo and you are good to go for the season

 

[whistlepig]

I agree with all the statements here. Some very good reading for those interested in pellet stoves. For me the pellets are so much less hassle and the pellet stove is so much easier to maintain gives it the advantage over a wood stove. I have a Whitfield Advantage II.

 

[kenstrac]

I don't think bulk delivery really ever caught on in the U.S. or at least not the Western U.S. I was looking at pellet boilers the other day and they showed the same setup... pretty slick, just fill up the pellet storage/silo and you are good to go for the season

I would be be very skeptical about a metal silo outside with temp and humidity changes and condensation could turn that silo into a big bowl of porage.

 

[timswi]

I would be be very skeptical about a metal silo outside with temp and humidity changes and condensation could turn that silo into a big bowl of porage.

That would concern me as well...put one of thse pellets in a small amount of water and see what happens.

I have a free standing Qudrafire. Does a great job heating a 1500 sqft game/media room. It's expensive to purchase though, and don't get me started on the chimney cost...What a rip-off. The Quadrafires seem to be sold all over the place. So parts shouldn't be a problem. It has auto-ignite and a standard wallmount thermostat.

I usually pick up a ton or so of pellets in August/September, as the last few years have seen shortages that they say have been corrected.

As far as garbage pellets; what I have found is that if you stick with premium hardwood, the all seem to work fine. I have had burn rate differences between brands that I thought were garbage pellets(causing very sooty conditions). If you adjust the feed rate to the buring pot flame, they seem to do fine.

 

[kenstrac]

That would concern me as well...put one of thse pellets in a small amount of water and see what happens.

I have a free standing Qudrafire. Does a great job heating a 1500 sqft game/media room. It's expensive to purchase though, and don't get me started on the chimney cost...What a rip-off. The Quadrafires seem to be sold all over the place. So parts shouldn't be a problem. It has auto-ignite and a standard wallmount thermostat.

I usually pick up a ton or so of pellets in August/September, as the last few years have seen shortages that they say have been corrected.

As far as garbage pellets; what I have found is that if you stick with premium hardwood, the all seem to work fine. I have had burn rate differences between brands that I thought were garbage pellets(causing very sooty conditions). If you adjust the feed rate to the buring pot flame, they seem to do fine.

As far as garbage pellets I got some 2 tons, It seems to me that some MFG's are not putting the spec's of the pellets anymore so you can not hold them accountable for poor pellets

 

[dave1949]

All good points.

To me the drawbacks to pellets are - (1) needs electricity to run, (2) more dependence on supplier prices/market for pellet cost.

The bulk pellet systems I've seen online in Europe utilize the basement rooms that used to be dedicated to oil tanks. Usually two to four 2000 liter poly tanks. They typically buy oil once per year if possible.

The drawbacks to wood are (1) more labor, (2) more ash to take out.

I am assuming you don't have access to free firewood.

Dave.

 

[whistlepig]

I don't have access to free firewood. Free fuel would be a big advantage for burning wood.

 

[timswi]

I don't have access to free firewood. Free fuel would be a big advantage for burning wood.

I have access to all the free firewood I want..Just don't want to be bothered. Grew up spending all summer cutting and hauling firewood.

Even my dad gave up on it after many years given the truck damage and misc expenses. We came home with the step bumber in the bed at least once a month

Besides, my homeowners insurance would have gone up quite a bit when I built this place if I would have installed a woodburner.