One of the most efficient alternatives to the fireplace, in terms of the ratio between heat produced and energy consumption, is, without a doubt, the pellet stove.
Furthermore, in the absence of a traditional wood-burning fireplace, the pellet stove also allows you to recreate, at least in part, the scenario of a burning flame around which you can sit, perhaps in good company.
Finally, using what is, to all intents and purposes, a waste product from the wood industry, it has a much lower environmental impact than gas, methane, or other fossil fuel stoves.
But how does a pellet stove work? What are pellets? What are the advantages of installing one, and how is it used? Here's a quick guide to answer your questions.
What is a pellet stove?
A pellet stove is a heating device similar to a wood-burning stove, but instead of burning wood, it uses compressed hardwood pellets.
The latter is made from compressed wood chips and pure wood waste produced by sawmills, carpenters, and other wood-processing businesses. and wood processing.
For this reason, pellets are considered carbon neutral, as the level of CO2 expelled from the stove is similar to the carbon released when wood decomposes naturally in the soil.
Another advantage of pellets, compared to wood, is the almost total absence of humidity.
When burning wood that is not perfectly dried, in fact, a lot of smoke is generated in the fireplace, which is harmful both to the environment and to the air in the home, but it also lowers the calorific value of the fireplace.
Pellets, on the other hand, have a very minimal amount of water inside them, which makes them much more thermally efficient, ensuring a data-mce-fragment="1"> very high heat output.
How a pellet stove is made
To understand how a pellet stove works, it is essential to know how it is made.
A pellet stove is therefore composed of the following elements:
- Hopper, the chamber that holds the pellets;
- Auger, a sort of motorized spiral that transports the pellets from the hopper to the brazier. The thermostat primarily controls the speed of the auger, which in turn delivers a certain quantity of pellets per unit of time to the brazier.
- Brazier or combustion chamber, made of cast iron. Here, the pellets are ignited and burn at a controlled rate, generating the desired heat;
- Ashtray, located under the brazier, where all the ash is collected. This ashtray needs to be cleaned periodically, even though pellets create a tiny amount of ash, especially compared to a fireplace or wood-burning stove. Typically, cleaning it at least once a week is sufficient;
- Convection fan and heat exchangers. The fan draws in air from the cooler room; it passes over the hot brazier, where it heats up. The now heated air is circulated over heat exchangers. These are cast iron or steel pipes that transfer the heat generated to heat your home;
- Exhaust fan, which pushes the gases produced by burning pellets out of the combustion chamber. The gases are expelled outside through a flue (in the case of insert pellet stoves) or a small hole in the wall(in the case of free-standing pellet stoves);
- Thermostat, used to set the temperature of the room/house and to control the speed of the auger; If you increase the thermostat temperature, the auger will increase the transport of pellets from the hopper to the brazier, and the stove will generate more heat.
Remember that the pellet stove requires installation by a specialized technician, because it requires a dedicated system and (almost always) a flue to expel excess fumes.
How the pellet stove works
Even though its composition may seem very elaborate, don't be afraid, because Using a pellet stove is really easy, and we don't really need to know how it works to operate it.
Basically, all you have to do is pour the pellets into the storage hopper, usually located at the top. Here, a spiral will transport the pellets to the combustion chamber.
Pellet stoves have an electric ignition. Simply press a button on the thermostat and the electric current will create a spark that will ignite the pellets in the grate. Every modern pellet stove has a sensor that measures the amount of pellets needed to reach or maintain the required temperature (we set the temperature on the thermostat). When the combustion chamber sensor detects a lack of pellets, it sends a signal to the data-mce-fragment="1"> auger, which rotates to deliver the right amount of pellets from the mechanized tray into the combustion chamber.
This means that, unlike a fireplace or wood-burning stove, which requires more active intervention from the user, You can enjoy the warmth generated by a pellet stove without having to worry about keeping the flame lit, the coals burning, and the surface clean.
Just use the thermostat to set the temperature, and you're good to go.
How much does a pellet stove cost?
Purchasing a pellet stove should be considered a real investment, because despite the not insignificant initial outlay - but not exorbitant either - excellent energy efficiency is achieved, resulting in lower heating bills.
There are hundreds of models to choose from on the market, but the average price ranges between €700 and €2,500, depending on size and power.
For a more complete overview, we invite you to consult the Section dedicated to pellet stoves in our online store.
The cost of the product must then be added to the cost of installation. In both cases, however, we're talking about a one-time expense, to be paid once and that's it.
How much do pellets cost?
The main energy savings in using a pellet stove compared to a traditional wood-burning stove comes from the different calorific value.
We can also add that pellets are cheaper than normal petroleum-based fuels, as the cost in euros per kW of pellets is lower than that of natural gas and diesel.
Higher efficiency therefore translates into significant economic savings.
Usually, data-mce-fragment="1"> Pellets are sold in 15 kg bags, and their average price is around €15 per bag, but it can vary significantly depending on their composition/quality, calorific value, and the quantity of bags purchased.
Our instinct as serial savers might push us to buy the cheapest bags available, but be careful, because often data-mce-fragment="1"> Low cost indicates poorer product quality, resulting in lower stove performance. Generally, we recommend checking the following information, shown on the packaging, before purchasing bags of pellets: When you're looking for the perfect pellet stove for your needs, you should always consider the dimensions of the house or room you intend to heat, a bit like what happens with air conditioners and the BTU rating. In this case, you should consider the kW, which indicate the power of the stove. To calculate the product you're looking for, you need to perform a simple mathematical operation, multiplying the dimensions of the room (in square meters) by its height. Now, take the result and multiply it by the thermal coefficient, which consists of the average calories needed to heat 1 cubic meter at 20-22°C. This value ranges between 30 and 40, indicating a well-insulated and a poorly insulated environment, respectively. Our advice is to go in the middle, at least to get a more or less precise idea.
So, let's take an example: your apartment is 80 square meters, with 3-meter-high ceilings. 80 (m2) x 3 (h) x 35 (thermal coefficient) = 8400. Now, to find out how many kW you need to heat your house, you need to divide 8400 by 862, getting 9.74. There, a 9-10 kW pellet stove might be right for you. In any case, before purchasing it, visit our online store and discover the pellet stoves for sale and on offer.What should you check before buying pellets?
Which pellet stove based on square meters?