As summer draws to a close and we say goodbye to scorching sunny days, we start to prepare to say hello to the colder days of fall and winter. With this transition, people become more concerned about their heating and start to evaluate their options for the colder season approaching.
While you can always heat your home with gas, a lot of people prefer a good old-fashioned fire to keep their home warm and cozy.
As such, people invest in wood and pellet stoves to help heat their living space. While both pellet and traditional stoves look very similar and serve the same function, that is where the similarities end.
Pellet stoves are a different breed altogether and provide more benefits than traditional stoves. Here’s an in-depth breakdown of why you should go with a pellet stove instead of a traditional stove.
1. Non-Pollutant Burning Agent
Pellet stoves are more eco-friendly since they use wood pellets made from sawmill byproducts like wood shavings and sawdust as burning agents. These wood pellets look similar to rabbit food and are very easy to produce, which means they are also quite affordable.
The pellets can also be made from corn and grass, but these kinds of pellets cannot be used in stoves only meant for wood pellets.
2. Pellet Stoves Are More Economical
The costs of buying wood and pellet stove units are virtually similar. You should expect to pay a minimum of about $2,500. However, installing a pellet stove is much cheaper than a traditional stove.
The cost of installing a pellet stove shouldn’t exceed $1,000, while the cost of installing a traditional stove can fall anywhere between $1,500 and $2,000, leading to an overall cost of over $4,000.
Nevertheless, the total cost of installation of both units depends on the amount of chimney work needed. You’ll find that most pellet stoves only need a small chimney and a direct vent to function, while traditional stoves often need a large chimney system to work.
3. Pellet Stoves Are Easier to Maintain
As highlighted above, you can see stoves are big money investments. As such, you need to factor in the effort required in maintenance when buying a pellet or wood stove.
You’ll find that traditional stoves are much harder to maintain since they produce more smoke and ash. You need to inspect and clean the chimney regularly to remove soot accumulated around the stove.
While you will also have to clean ash and soot from your pellet stove, you won’t have to do much maintenance compared to a traditional stove.
The Bottom Line
When pellet stoves first came into the market, their designs were not very attractive. They looked boxy and had a very unappealing, industrial look, and it was very easy to differentiate between pellet and wood stoves.
However, that’s no longer the case as modern pellet stoves come in different shapes, sizes, and styles. They are also safer and more eco-friendly since they burn cleaner fuel. Overall, pellet stoves are a great option for greener, healthier living.
