Wood Burning for Heating is the Number One Alternative Energy Resource in the USA. It far outweighs any other fuel source with over 60% of the market. Solar, wind, geothermal are all less then 5% of the alternative energy market so when you look at fireplaces and wood burning you should remember they are green resources of renewable energy.
Today you can still purchase wood burning stoves that look very similar to antique models our great grandparents may have had however many more safety options have been added to reduce much of the dangers and increase the efficiency of the burn process.
Even so it is important enough that all fireplaces or wood burning stoves must be installed by a professional. Although it is not the most difficult thing to do the cost is usually very nominal or even free. You should also review your home owners insurance and notify them of any changes that need to be made. Installing a heating system may void your fire insurance protection if they do not know about the install.
With all of that said lets take a look at wood pellet and corn buring stoves.
Most people have been in a house with a regular fireplace.
Fireplaces are designed to heat by burning hardwood logs which can be full round, half or quarters. The length of the log used is set by the width of the fireplace. Fireplaces are vented through a stone chimney that exits from an exterior wall or roof of the building. Often fireplaces are centered in the center of the home to provide good heat transfer.
Wood burning stoves work pretty much the same way but because they are independent units they can be placed in many open room such as a kitchen, living room, den or bedroom. The stove is vented through a double walled stainless steel pipe which exits through a sidewall or the roof of the building. Being made of cast iron they give off heat in all directions so they need to have proper fire rated materials on the floor and walls that they are near. Although they are free standing you can not position furniture or other items near them which could catch fire.
Fuel for wood buring stoves is the same hardwood that is used in common fireplaces. You will need to cut the wood to match the depth of the firebox.
Corn and Pellet Stoves
Ok so we know fireplaces and wood burning stoves use the same logs for fuel and this is where Corn and Wood Pellet stoves differ.
Instead of placing a whole log into the fire box as you would do for a fireplace. Pellet stoves store a hopper of compressed hardwood pellets above the stove and feed them into the furnace box continuously as needed. Many stoves will have different methods to get the pellets into the combustion area but normally this is a mechanical method that requires electricity.
There are two main benefits from using compressed pellets as a fuel. The first is you do not need to deal with chopping down trees, cutting, drying and storing wood. The second is the combustion is efficent and rather clean so the ash product will be less and maintance should be lower over the time it is in use.
You will still need to clean your vent pipe and your firebox. The firebox will need to be cleaned once a day with a brush and ash will be removed from a tray that sits below the stove. If you use the stove less then you will need to clean it after every use.
This is a relatively simple and clean process and does not require as much brushing and vacuuming needed by a conventional fireplace or wood burning stove.
The main drawback of this type of stove is the cost and availability of the wood pellets. Pellets are about 35% more then standard wood. Using a corn mixture can reduce your costs but availability of good corn could also be a problem.
Most stoves can burn a 50% mixture of corn and hardwood pellets.
The second drawback is storage of the 50 pound bags of pellets or corn. you will probably need about 50 bags to last an average winter but you should check with your local stove dealer to better understand your specific needs.
Storing that much product in your garage will take an area about the size of a standard car.
Stove Sizes
There are a range of sizes of stoves and they can produce from about 10k btu to 100k btu’s or enough for a single room or a full house. Some stoves have add-ons that can also heat your homes hot water. This is great for remote locations.
Saving Money
Because many people cut their own wood for free the cost of buying any fuel is prohibitive. Overall though if you were to purchase wood in log form vs pellet and corn you would spend about the same price.
Conclusion
Pellet stoves are just another option for heating your house. They will never be as convienent as gas or oil heat but because they use a renewable resource they may be the future for many homes.
Their use should never be uattended especially around children. For this reason they should not be your single source of heat unless you are in a remote location.
If you could get a hopper full of bulk pellets or corn delivered where you can grab a bucket full for a days use then it may be less aggravation however 50 pound bags are rather heavy and that has to be a consideration vs just grabbing a log or two off of the wood pile.
The YouRepair Store sells Wood Buring Pellet and Standard Stoves and products.