| With gas prices continuing to rise, many people | | | | burn. Wood pellets actually have most of the |
| are looking for other ways to heat their homes. If | | | | moisture compressed out of it. Most people don't |
| you are looking for a great alternative heat | | | | enjoy carrying and stacking wood. Pellets come in |
| source this winter, check out wood pellet stoves | | | | 40 LB. sacks that take up a third of the space of |
| or pellet stove inserts. Pellet stoves and pellet | | | | a cord of wood. |
| inserts are very simple to operate and very | | | | Wood pellet stoves and pellet inserts have a bin |
| efficient. They burn small compressed pellets of | | | | which is called a "hopper". The hopper is located at |
| wood, which burn more efficient and cleaner than | | | | the top or the bottom of the stove, and can hold |
| most wood burners. Wood pellet stoves are a | | | | anywhere from 35 to 130 pounds of pellets. A |
| freestanding stove, while pellet inserts are ones | | | | single load of pellets can last you up to 2 days, |
| that fit into an existing fireplace. | | | | depending on the size of the hopper. There is an |
| The wood pellets are generally made up of | | | | auger the turns, and forces the pellets into the |
| excess sawdust or wood waste from companies | | | | firebox, where they burn. Most stoves have 2 |
| such as furniture manufacturers. Did you know | | | | settings, others have a thermostat to control the |
| that there are millions of tons of wood waste | | | | flame and amount of heat. Once the pellets are lit, |
| available in the U.S. and Canada alone? Imagine | | | | a blower sends air through and around them. This |
| taking some of that and turning it into wood | | | | air keeps the fire going, burning steadily and |
| pellets. By doing so, we are creating an | | | | efficiently. Dangerous combustible gases are |
| environmentally friendly source of heat that would | | | | drawn outside through a vent by way of the |
| otherwise just go to waste. Pellets can also be | | | | blower, which creates a vacuum. |
| made out of corn, or walnut and peanut shells. | | | | Wood pellet stoves and pellet inserts come in a |
| Since the pellets are compressed, they have a | | | | variety of styles and sizes. Depending on what |
| high density, and burn much more efficient and | | | | type you'd like, you can start at about $1500, up |
| longer than just wood. Heating your home with | | | | to $6000, with installation generally running around |
| pellets instead of wood can seem more | | | | $500. They are definitely a great, environmentally |
| expensive, because pellets can cost $130 to $200 | | | | friendly heating alternative. As of 2009, |
| per ton, compared with $100 to $175 per cord of | | | | approximately 1,000,000 households in the U.S. |
| wood. However, you might end up going through | | | | use pellet stoves for heat. As long as gas and |
| about 3-4 cords of wood a year, while a wood | | | | electricity prices continue to rise, those numbers |
| pellet stove may go through 1-3 tons of pellets. | | | | will also rise. |
| Plus, the wood contains moisture that doesn't | | | | |