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How To Choose Between A Wood And Pellet Stove For Your Home
By WILL FORD
Whether you prefer the rustic charm of a wood stove or the convenience of a pellet stove, consider their distinct characteristics when choosing a heating solution for your home.
Wood stoves generate heat by burning chopped firewood or logs in a combustion chamber that draws in air from the room to heat the space before releasing it through a chimney.
You’ll need to manually stock the chamber with wood, clean out the ash periodically, and service the chimney annually to prevent creosote buildup, potentially causing a fire.
A wood stove is a better option if you have a rural home with access to your own wood and the space to store it, and it’s especially practical if you have unreliable electricity.
Pellet stoves burn compressed pellets made from sawdust or agricultural waste, which you load into the combustion chamber using a rotating auger. They need electricity to run.
If you’re in an urban setting where storing firewood isn’t feasible, a pellet stove is more practical, as pellet bags don't take much space and are cleaner to handle than wood.
Unlike wood stoves, pellet stoves have automatic fuel feeding, and some have electronic controls that let you adjust the temperature for a more precise heat output.
Lastly, pellet stoves are more eco-friendly since pellets are made from renewable biomass materials like sawdust that produce less ash and require less cleaning and servicing.