Wood pellets are an excellent, environmentally friendly alternative to wood. However, you may be wondering if you can burn them on a stove that is designed for logs or pieces of wood. The answer is yes! You may not be able to do it all the time (depending on your stove), but it can work.
Wood pellets are made of compressed sawdust and shavings. They have a similar look to log pieces but can be purchased in small bags at your local hardware store or home improvement center.
The best way to use the pellets is by purchasing a pellet stove. These are stoves that have been made specifically for burning wood pellets, so you can get maximum heat output and efficiency from them.
You should take special care when using your wood stove or chimney inserts with pellets. If possible, invest in an insert designed for this purpose if you want to burn the pellets on your own fireplace (not recommended). Your local home improvement store will be able to help you find one that works well for both types of fuel. It’s important not to overload these appliances; keep them at full capacity but don’t overfill them!
Can You Burn Pellets In A Wood Stove?
The short answer is yes, you can burn pellets in a wood stove. The pellet burner is actually one of the most efficient ways to heat your home from an environmental standpoint as well as economical. It’s definitely worth considering for those who want to turn their home heating bill into something more manageable and responsible. However, there are some things that you should keep in mind before making the decision whether or not burning pellets will be right for you:
- Avoid using pellet fuel in a stove that was not designed to use it. Pellets are made from sawdust and wood scraps, among other things. If you try burning pellets in a stove that wasn’t meant for them, there’s the potential of overheating your home or even starting a fire due to excess smoke accumulation.
- You can burn hardwood chips if needed but this is not recommended because they generate more ash than softwoods like pine do. Ash build-up over time will definitely have an impact on efficiency so stick with what works best for your needs at all times when possible!
What Should Be Burnt In Wood Stoves
Pellets are a combustible material that can be burnt in wood stoves, but there are many different things you should burn before a pellet.
Wood stoves are a great way to heat your home without spending too much money. They don’t cost nearly as much as oil, electric, or natural gas heating systems and they can provide you with an effective means of staying warm during the winter months. There is one big issue though, what should you burn in them? Wood pellets are an excellent choice but there are so many other things that work well also! Here are some ideas on what else would be good for burning if wood pellets aren’t available at the moment:
- Pine cones (get these from people who have pine trees; they may even give them away free)
- Sawdust (a few sawmills will allow you to take this stuff off their hands)
- Plywood scraps (get this from contractors who are working on big jobs)
- Newspaper clippings or tissues with glue on them (this is an excellent way to get rid of old newspapers and tissue boxes)
No matter what you burn in your wood stove, make sure it’s fully dry. Wet material isn’t going to give off the same amount of heat that dry material will which means that burning wet items can actually reduce the effectiveness of your heating system.
What are pellets made of and what do they look like
The wood pellets are made of sawdust, bark, and other pieces left over from the manufacturing process. Usually, these consist of oak or pine so they can be burned in a fireplace without huge amounts of smoke being produced. They also burn cleanly with little ash which is great for an appliance like a pellet stove where you don’t want to cover up all your pretty views with dust and debris!
The pieces that makeup pellets can vary depending on what was available at the factory when they were created but it’s typically between ½ inch and ¾ inches long by about ⅜ inches wide. Pellets come in bags just like any other form of fuel would- ranging anywhere from 20lbs to 50lbs per bag (though most stoves are designed to burn between 35-45lbs per load). The pellets will come with a moisture level of around 12% but that can vary depending on how long they’ve been in storage. Even so, it’s best to let them air out for an hour or two before using them on your stove just in case!
Pellets vs wood – how is their efficiency different
Pellets are cylindrical, pressed, and dried organic material. This means that the airflow in them is much more uniform than it is with wood so you can expect less ash – which also makes pellet stoves easy to clean! As well as this, pellets burn hotter (and therefore faster) because of their higher carbon dioxide content; they’re up twice as high which leads to double the heat production!
The only problem here comes when you need a lower burning temperature for certain rooms but there are solutions like having several different settings on your stove or installing an additional fan unit.
The benefits of using pellets in your stove
- 50% more heat energy than wood!* This is because of the unique shape and size, creating a longer burn time. Using pellets also allows you to use less fuel but still produce ample amounts of heat for your home heating needs.
- Heat up faster – Save money by using 20%-30% less pellet fuel per hour compared to cordwood. Pellets are easily stored in bags or bulk bins under an insulated roof with minimal loss compared to cut firewood that must be stacked outside exposed to the weather.
*Based on average tests conducted by PFI members using Texas A&M test method #2317 **Source: PFI/AEP Conference 2002 Papers “Pellets Vs Wood Stove” & “Comparative Analysis
How to use pellets in a stove if you don’t have an automatic feeder
Most wood stoves come with an automatic feeder. But what if you don’t have one? It’s not impossible to use pellets in a stove without this accessory, just follow these steps:
- Fill the hopper to capacity and then fill a bit more. You can remove some pellets later if you need space for other things, but it’s easier just to be overfull than underfilled. Once your stove is warmed up and burning hot, see how long it takes before there are no unburnt pellets left in the bottom of the firebox or stoker trough. Add this time onto what you’ve already filled your hopper with (minus a little) and that’s how many hours’ worth of fuel your pellet stove will require between feedings. For example: If you have 80 pounds in your hopper right now and after 12 minutes there are still about 15 pounds remaining at the end of the last burn cycle, then you will need to fill your hopper with 105 pounds of pellets every 12 hours.
- Set up a reminder on your phone or computer, unless you’re lucky enough that the sound of an empty pellet stove is obvious and unmistakable to you when it’s time for another load. This way if there are other things going on in your life at one o’clock in the morning (for example) when the alarm goes off, it won’t matter because nobody else is sleeping anyway! You can even set alarms multiple times per day if necessary.
- If you want some advice about how much fuel should be left over after each burn cycle before refilling, look online for “pellet stove calculators.” There are plenty of them out there. My favorite is one that calculates how long your pellet stove will run based on what you put in it and the average temperature outside (just click here).
- If you don’t mind spending a few extra minutes at each feeding, make sure to fill up completely enough so there won’t be any unburnt pellets when the feed cycle kicks off again later.
- You can also keep an eye on how much fuel is left over instead of relying entirely on alarms or calculators by making yourself some sort of gauge with which to measure this amount more precisely; for example, use empty gallon milk jugs filled halfway with charcoal briquettes as indicators to show where you are in terms of pellet stove feedings.
- If you don’t want to worry about any of the above information, it’s still better to have too much fuel than not enough so if this is causing anxiety for some reason (or if you’re just forgetful) consider upgrading your pellet stove hopper size by one or two pounds but only after checking with a professional first; otherwise there may be problems!
Why you should consider using pellets for heating or cooking fuel
Burning pellets in a wood stove is an efficient way to heat your home and cook your food. It also adds a pleasant aroma to the room, giving it that warm feeling of being inside a log cabin on a cold winter’s day. If you are thinking of switching to pellets, here is some more information on how they work and why this may be a good choice for your home.
Pellets burn cleanly with no smoke or ash left over. This makes them great if you have young children at home because there will not be any residue that can harm them. If the room where your stove sits has windows, it’s easy to tell when they need cleaning as well—the glass won’t look nearly as bright after burning wood pellets compared to using regular firewood logs which contain soot and creosote deposits. It also means less mess around the house after cooking since all of the debris will remain within the stove instead of being spread throughout other rooms.
Pellets are made from compressed sawdust which is mainly composed of wood, but can also include bark and other materials. This makes it an excellent renewable fuel source since trees will not be cut down to create more pellets—they simply use the leftover chips that were produced when making lumber or furniture products. It is actually even possible for you to produce your own pellets at home if you have a fireplace insert that allows access!
Fan equipment
All you need is some type of fan equipment in order to get the air circulation working so they become compact enough before being used as heating fuel for stoves or fireplaces. When burned, these types of logs release less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than regular firewood does because they are able to pack more of the fuel into a smaller space. This is why it’s important to use them as often as possible for cooking or heating your home—it will help prevent further damage to nature, and ensure you are doing your part in making things better for future generations.
You can burn pellets inside any type of wood stove that has enough room left over after loading up with firewood logs or other types of burning material. You may also be able to find pellet fireplace inserts which make this an option if you only have one room where everyone needs warmth during the winter months. If using these at home isn’t something that interests you, consider visiting local businesses instead that might offer services like catering their own food on-site when shopping centers are closed.
Pellets help to provide a more pleasant aroma in the room when burning them, making it seem like you are sitting by an open wood stove or fireplace during wintertime. There will also be less mess around your home after cooking because all of the ash and debris remain within the stove instead of being spread throughout other rooms forming soot deposits on surfaces everywhere else.
Pellets burn cleanly with no residue which is why they’re great for homes where there are young children present who could otherwise inhale harmful toxins from regular firewood logs that contain creosote deposits. It means less cleaning up around the house too since all of these ashes stay inside of stoves after being burned instead of getting spread out into different areas leaving messy, dirty marks.
Pellets are made from compressed sawdust which is mainly composed of wood, but may also include bark and other materials depending on what they’re being used for. This makes this type of biomass a renewable fuel source since it doesn’t require trees to be cut down in order to create more pellets—they simply use leftover chips that were produced during the process of making lumber or furniture products. It’s even possible for you as an individual to produce your own pellets at home by using fireplace inserts if you have one installed!
You just need some fan equipment in order to get air circulation going so these logs become compacted enough before burning them inside stoves or fireplaces where there’s room left over after loading up with firewood logs or other types of burning material. You may also be able to find pellet fireplace inserts which make this an option if you only have one room where everyone needs warmth during the winter months.
If using these at home isn’t something that interests you, consider visiting local businesses instead that might offer services like catering their own food on-site when shopping centers are closed for the night. Pellets help to provide a more pleasant aroma in the room when they’re burned, making it seem like you’re sitting by an open wood stove or fireplace during wintertime. There will also be less mess around your home after cooking because all of these ashes stay inside stoves after being burned instead of getting spread out into different leaving messy, dirty marks behind everywhere else.
Common safety precautions
When burning pellets indoors is to ensure you have proper ventilation in the room, and place them on a non-combustible surface where they won’t be able to fall over after being lit. It’s also important that there is enough room between pellets so they can heat up fully before becoming too hot for children or pets who may try to play with these during wintertime if left unattended.
Pellets are made from compressed sawdust which is mainly composed of wood but can include bark as well making this an excellent renewable fuel source since trees will not need cutting down more—they simply use leftover chips produced when making furniture products. You even produce your own at home using fireplace inserts allowing air circulation! You just need fan equipment in order to get the pellets to take fire.
Pellets are ready-to-use fuel for wood stoves which can easily be purchased in bulk or collected at home yourself using a fireplace insert if you have one set up behind it. If not, pellets will need to be stored in an outdoor location where they won’t get wet due to rain and snowfall over time that could cause them to go bad before being used again since these are made of sawdust after all! Just keep the lid tightly closed when storing them inside any type of container so no bugs come crawling in overnight while everything is shut down for winter break.
This form of renewable energy may seem expensive but considering how much money is saved on maintenance costs plus other factors such as its convenience and how it can burn hotter than other types of fuel sources, this is definitely a worthwhile investment to make in the long run.
There are several different brands that you can choose from when purchasing pellets such as:
Eco-Blaze Pellets
100% natural wood pellet made from sawdust with no additives or binders added for superior quality control. Can be used indoors or outdoors on any stove since these don’t produce smoke like liquid fuels do which makes them safe around children and pets!
Also emits less carbon monoxide compared to regular firewood making it more efficient overall while requiring little maintenance over time plus they’re easy to transport using zipper bags for storage purposes. These ones will eventually break down after being outside so you’ll have to buy more of them eventually or use another type if you don’t want to collect your own.
Pine Mountain Pellets
100% renewable fuel source which is made from recycled sawdust plus other organic materials so it can be used in any stove without needing special equipment installed behind the fireplace first unlike with hardwood pellets. It also provides heat faster than standard firewood since these are pressed together tightly during the manufacturing process making them easy to light up right away while still producing plenty of warmth for the entire house throughout wintertime!
These ones last longer but may need replacing every few months depending on how much they’re being burned through each day, and should not be left outside overnight because rain could ruin this pellet brand over time due to its composition.
Coal Creek Pellets
These are made from the sawdust that’s leftover when making furniture products such as cabinets and cupboards, plus they can be used indoors or outdoors on any stove without needing extra ventilation present to avoid carbon monoxide production which is what happens with liquid fuels! It provides instant warmth once lit up since these pellets have been pressed tightly together during the manufacturing process to make them dense enough for the fire to take hold instantly, but they’re a bit pricier than others available in stores today so not everyone will want to invest in this type of pellet fuel source due to high cost alone.
You’ll need an outdoor storage area away from rain and snowfall if you plan on collecting your own pellets at home using a fireplace insert to make them yourself and take the time to check for cracks in any plastic bags containing these pellets since water could seep inside over time which would ruin this type of fuel source if not caught immediately before completely ruining it.
Pellet Baskets
Pellet Baskets are available from the top or bottom of your stove. Pellets should be a good fit for a pellet basket. The pan must have an area at least two inches larger than the opening of the feed tube to allow pellets to flow freely without clumping in the feeding system and jamming up while being fed into it.
You can place either wood or coal on top of one another just as you would if they were sitting on a firebrick, but keep them separated by about half an inch so that air can get around each piece equally well when burned together in equal amounts over time. If there is too much ash on top then very little fuel will burn through before all there is left underneath it is ash. It is a good idea to have one or two firebricks over the grate before you put down your coal so that it doesn’t burn through and fall onto the floor of your stove too quickly, which makes it difficult to handle when adding more fuel.
Conclusion
Pellets can be burned in a wood stove as long as you have the appropriate pellet baskets and follow safety guidelines.