Wood pellet stoves have become more popular for homeowners. Their sizes are generally small and the pellets can be stored in a sack. Operating these stoves is also very easy. You only need to load pellets into the stove and ignite them. One benefit that homeowners enjoy the most is that these stoves produce a minimum amount of smoke which lessens odors in their home.
Pellets also create less ash than firewood, making cleaning easier. With the increasing popularity of these stoves, they are now available in many different models. Some products need pellets made of compressed wood whereas others burn pellets made of wood and paper. With the various models available, your shopping can end up causing you a great deal of confusion.
Which pellet stove should I buy? To answer this question, let me help you compare different features in a stove:
1. Check the hoppers. The hopper is a compartment where you put the pellets; it feeds the pellets into the fire. If you want the fire to burn longer, then you should get a stove with a bigger hopper. A small hopper will force you load pellets into the stove more often.
2. Check the optional features. Some optional features that you can find in the stove include glass-front doors and fans to blow the warm air into your room.
3. Check the packaging. Read the packaging to see if the stove comes with installation instructions. If it does you should be able to assemble the parts of the stove with no hassle.
4. Compare the available designs. If you want to match the stove with your existing interior design, you need to search a bit to find the right stove design. Cast-iron stoves are available but there are not that many designs of this type. If you want to buy stove having a certain color, you need to check specific manufacturers to see what is available.
5. Consider other features such as ignition. Some products are able to ignite the fire automatically whereas others require you to light it. It is also essential to check stove material. Cast-iron is considered as an upscale material but unfortunately, it can get very hot if it is not insulated. If your children are going to be around the stove, try to choose an item made of safer material.
6. Look at the venting and flue damper designs. A safe product will generally have venting to release the gasses out of your home. Other products use a fan to release the gas but it is not as efficient as venting. Your stove also must have a flue damper that a child can not access easily. If the damper has a handle that is located in low position, a child may accidentally close it.
7. Choose the types of pellets that you want to use. If you buy a high quality stove, it may need premium wood pellets, which can be more difficult to find.