What is a pellet stove and furnace?
Burning wood pellets can replace electric furnaces and provide as much heat as you want.
While it may be less efficient than electric furnaces, it is as or more efficient than other commonly used heat sources such as natural gas, oil, propane, and coal.
A pellet stove and furnace is a stove that burns biomass pellets or compressed wood to generate heat for residential or sometimes commercial spaces. A pellet stove steadily feeds fuel from a storage container, known as a hopper, into a burn pot area to produce a constant flame that needs minimal physical adjustments. Wood pellets are made from recycled materials which are heavily compressed, reducing the moisture content. Dry fuel generates more heat, causing the wood pellets to burn hotter and cleaner than their wood counterparts. Pellet stoves and furnaces are generally small, with bags of pellet the size of a mulch bag. They only require loading pellets and igniting the flame. Depending on the size of your hopper, your pellet stove may need to be loaded only once per day. The fire is contained in a heat box within your unit. Thus, minimal smoke reduces the smell in your home and prevents the exterior parts of your unit from heating up. Pellets produce considerably less ash than firewood, releasing less creosote, which is a flammable byproduct of combustion that can accumulate and cause a chimney fire. Wood pellets also emit fewer amounts of pollutants than traditional fireplaces. But even with its multiple advantages, it still has some disadvantages that have made it less popular over the years.