Comments on: Wood Burning Stoves VS Pellet Burning Stoves http://www.livingoffgrid.org/wood-burning-stoves-vs-pellet-burning-stoves/ Info for Off Grid Homes Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:08:26 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: irene.bialas@rexnord.com http://www.livingoffgrid.org/wood-burning-stoves-vs-pellet-burning-stoves/comment-page-1/#comment-11732 irene.bialas@rexnord.com Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:08:26 +0000 http://www.livingoffgrid.org/?p=214#comment-11732 I have a plelet stove and have had it for 3 years now. For me, a pellet stove is preferable to a wood burner for a number of reasons: 1. You can control the heat better. 2. It's move efficient 3. I can handle pellets easier than wood and it's infinitely more compact storage. I love my stove. It started out as a back-up to my propane furnace. (BTW for those of you who think propane is "green" you're wrong--propane is made from oil not natural gas). I now use my propane as a back up to my pellet (I set the thermostat so the furnace will kick in if something happens to the pellet stove). I live in the country in Wisconsin. In January I pay over $300 per month for propane. When I switched to the pellet I found I was going through 1 40lb bag per 24 hours. $4 a bag--$120 for the month. Less than half the cost. Pellet stoves will also burn feed corn. I've had the electricity go out. The pellet stove works. The feeder and fan doesn't so you have to hand feed the pellets in much as you would have to in a wood stove. Also, you would have to hand light the pellets rather than rely on the electronic ignition. Would I buy a pellet again? You betcha. I have a plelet stove and have had it for 3 years now. For me, a pellet stove is preferable to a wood burner for a number of reasons:

1. You can control the heat better.
2. It’s move efficient
3. I can handle pellets easier than wood and it’s infinitely more compact storage.

I love my stove. It started out as a back-up to my propane furnace. (BTW for those of you who think propane is “green” you’re wrong–propane is made from oil not natural gas). I now use my propane as a back up to my pellet (I set the thermostat so the furnace will kick in if something happens to the pellet stove). I live in the country in Wisconsin. In January I pay over $300 per month for propane. When I switched to the pellet I found I was going through 1 40lb bag per 24 hours. $4 a bag–$120 for the month. Less than half the cost.

Pellet stoves will also burn feed corn.

I’ve had the electricity go out. The pellet stove works. The feeder and fan doesn’t so you have to hand feed the pellets in much as you would have to in a wood stove. Also, you would have to hand light the pellets rather than rely on the electronic ignition. Would I buy a pellet again? You betcha.

]]> By: Lee http://www.livingoffgrid.org/wood-burning-stoves-vs-pellet-burning-stoves/comment-page-1/#comment-2151 Lee Sun, 15 Mar 2009 21:55:03 +0000 http://www.livingoffgrid.org/?p=214#comment-2151 As an owner of both a wood and now a pellet stove, they both have their good points. That being said, pellet stoves can run on a battery backup if there is a power outage, and their higher cost vs. wood is offset by the less expensive vent sections and the ability to direct vent a pellet stove. This actually can make a pellet stove cheaper to purchase. As to the cost per cord vs a ton of pellets, the price quoted of $200-350 a cord is about equal to the $285-300 a ton that pellets go for here in NY. They should be cheaper if you live closer to a timber producing area. As to the final argument: "We ran out of pellets and can't get more", I have run low on firewood also, and being in a suburban area, we don't have folks selling cords on every corner. If you are producing all your own firewood, you can't just run and cut more if you run out, any decent wood burner will season all their wood one season before use, so a reserve must be kept. Couple that with all the time spent cutting/stacking/feeding and tending the stove, and that wood takes up more space than pellets, and I think pellet stoves more than hold their own. As an owner of both a wood and now a pellet stove, they both have their good points. That being said, pellet stoves can run on a battery backup if there is a power outage, and their higher cost vs. wood is offset by the less expensive vent sections and the ability to direct vent a pellet stove. This actually can make a pellet stove cheaper to purchase. As to the cost per cord vs a ton of pellets, the price quoted of $200-350 a cord is about equal to the $285-300 a ton that pellets go for here in NY. They should be cheaper if you live closer to a timber producing area. As to the final argument: “We ran out of pellets and can’t get more”, I have run low on firewood also, and being in a suburban area, we don’t have folks selling cords on every corner. If you are producing all your own firewood, you can’t just run and cut more if you run out, any decent wood burner will season all their wood one season before use, so a reserve must be kept. Couple that with all the time spent cutting/stacking/feeding and tending the stove, and that wood takes up more space than pellets, and I think pellet stoves more than hold their own.

]]> By: Kate http://www.livingoffgrid.org/wood-burning-stoves-vs-pellet-burning-stoves/comment-page-1/#comment-1506 Kate Wed, 11 Feb 2009 03:12:05 +0000 http://www.livingoffgrid.org/?p=214#comment-1506 I have a friend in Humboldt County, Ca who has had a pellet stove for years, without hooking up to electricity....what is this about hooking up? She finally got rid of it because of the cost of pellets...got a wood stove and saved$$ even though cords of wood range from 200-350 around here. I have a friend in Humboldt County, Ca who has had a pellet stove for years, without hooking up to electricity….what is this about hooking up? She finally got rid of it because of the cost of pellets…got a wood stove and saved$$ even though cords of wood range from 200-350 around here.

]]> By: OldDuffer http://www.livingoffgrid.org/wood-burning-stoves-vs-pellet-burning-stoves/comment-page-1/#comment-1430 OldDuffer Sat, 07 Feb 2009 13:22:19 +0000 http://www.livingoffgrid.org/?p=214#comment-1430 We have our own wood lot, however I would not say that the wood is free. Far from it. Cost of land, taxes, chain saw, fuels and oil hardly make heating with wood free. I do look at it as a form of exercise, and am heated more than once by my home grown fuel. Pellet stove? Not for me, I want something that will heat my home without being connected to electricity. People in my neck of the woods buy their pellets by the ton, fill the former wood shed with bags of pellets, so they are set for the winter. Prior to the pellet stove fad the huge wood company's would sell the slash wood to frugal people for a few bucks a cord. You just had to have the gumption to cut it up and drag it home. Thanks to the pellet craze they no longer leave slash, it is all made into pellets. These company's are now cutting down everything it site for the sake of pellet making. They have a fancy word for these lots "biomass". What a joke. Clear cutting everything in site for pellets. Everything but the 4 trees the have to leave so they don't call this a clear cut. We have our own wood lot, however I would not say that the wood is free. Far from it. Cost of land, taxes, chain saw, fuels and oil hardly make heating with wood free. I do look at it as a form of exercise, and am heated more than once by my home grown fuel.

Pellet stove? Not for me, I want something that will heat my home without being connected to electricity.

People in my neck of the woods buy their pellets by the ton, fill the former wood shed with bags of pellets, so they are set for the winter.

Prior to the pellet stove fad the huge wood company’s would sell the slash wood to frugal people for a few bucks a cord. You just had to have the gumption to cut it up and drag it home. Thanks to the pellet craze they no longer leave slash, it is all made into pellets. These company’s are now cutting down everything it site for the sake of pellet making. They have a fancy word for these lots “biomass”. What a joke. Clear cutting everything in site for pellets. Everything but the 4 trees the have to leave so they don’t call this a clear cut.

]]> By: Flex http://www.livingoffgrid.org/wood-burning-stoves-vs-pellet-burning-stoves/comment-page-1/#comment-1386 Flex Tue, 03 Feb 2009 21:49:30 +0000 http://www.livingoffgrid.org/?p=214#comment-1386 I did some research when I installed a stove in my mobile home. One factor worth considering is that pellets for the stove are a man made product. That means reliance on others, hardly "off-the-grid". The price of pellets can fluctuate based on the manufacturers/retailers discretion, transportation costs, labor packaging, etc (increase is bad) and the stores can sell out if demand is high(which happened to a friend of mine). You can't cut down the magical pellet tree in the forest to put in your stove. You are 100% reliant on others, just not the utility company...unless your pellet stove uses electricity to feed it, which has been mentioned in other posts. Using regular wood gives you more freedom and control over your heating costs and in tough times it is better to not have to rely on others for your well being. I did some research when I installed a stove in my mobile home. One factor worth considering is that pellets for the stove are a man made product. That means reliance on others, hardly “off-the-grid”. The price of pellets can fluctuate based on the manufacturers/retailers discretion, transportation costs, labor packaging, etc (increase is bad) and the stores can sell out if demand is high(which happened to a friend of mine). You can’t cut down the magical pellet tree in the forest to put in your stove. You are 100% reliant on others, just not the utility company…unless your pellet stove uses electricity to feed it, which has been mentioned in other posts. Using regular wood gives you more freedom and control over your heating costs and in tough times it is better to not have to rely on others for your well being.

]]>