If you’re interested in installing an appliance that can provide more heat and warmth to your home, you have a number of options. One of your top choices is installing a pellet stove, which allows you to heat your home with the help of compressed wood or biomass pellets. Pellet stoves are also commonly used in industrial spaces. 

But why are pellet stoves becoming so popular, and are they worth the investment? 

Benefits of a Pellet Stove 

These are some of the top benefits of having a pellet stove: 

• Radiant warmth from the fire. Pellet stoves generate radiant warmth like a fireplace. If you have a room of the house that’s perpetually cold, or if you like the coziness of radiant heat in winter, this could be ideal for you. 
• Auxiliary heating potential. Pellet stoves aren’t always ideal for heating an entire home, but they work well as a form of auxiliary heating. If your central heater isn’t providing enough heat to the rest of your home, a pellet stove can supplement its potential. 
• Up to 90 percent efficiency. EPA certified wood burning pellet stoves can burn at an efficiency level of at least 70 percent, losing little to no energy in the process. Some models can even achieve upwards of 90 percent efficiency. 
• No need for a chimney. Pellet stoves make use of an active smoke extraction system. This means you won’t need to install a traditional chimney. 
• Control options. Depending on the model you get, you may be able to adjust the temperature emitted by the pellet stove with the help of a room thermostat, or even a remote control. 
• Minimal upkeep. While you’ll need to manually load your pellet stove at least occasionally, it’s designed to run autonomously for the most part. Depending on the type of pellet stove you have, you can likely leave it running for at least 12 hours at a time, and possibly up to 36 hours or longer. 
• Carbon neutrality. If you’re concerned about greenhouse gas emissions, don’t worry; pellet stoves are practically carbon neutral. The pellets for your pellet stove are created from sawdust, which is a byproduct of the wood processing industry that would otherwise go to waste. Assuming the wood processing plants are using sustainable business practices, the carbon footprint of your burning is essentially zero; whatever you introduce to the atmosphere will be canceled out by what the tree absorbed during its lifetime. 

Downsides of a Pellet Stove

Of course, there are some downsides to consider as well: 

• Noisy operation. While most people don’t find the noise generated by a pellet stove to be disruptive or annoying, it does generate some noise. You’ll hear the fan running on startup, and the roar of the fire as well. However, you should be able to find a relatively quiet model that can run in the background without disturbing you. 
• Cleaning and service. If you want to keep your pellet stove operating efficiently and reduce the risk of a fire, you’ll have to have it cleaned and serviced on a regular basis. Much of this can be done yourself; for example, you can simply vacuum out the ignition chamber on a weekly basis. You should also have a yearly inspection performed by a professional. 
• Lack of flames. With a traditional fireplace, you can enjoy the flicker and natural ambiance created by conventional flames, but a pellet stove won’t generate these. This may or may not be an issue for you, depending on your motivation for getting the pellet stove. 
• Pellet storage. No matter what, you’ll need to find someplace to store your pellets. These take up less space than logs for a traditional fireplace, but this can still be an issue for some people. 

Types of Pellet Stove to Consider 

It’s also worth noting that there are actually multiple types of pellet stove on the market. For example: 

• Traditional stove. The traditional wood pellet burning stove offers manual loading, and functions like a wood stove or fireplace. It’s ideal for auxiliary heating. 
• Boiler. A boiler model features automatic loading, so you don’t have to get your hands dirty. This type of model can be used as a main source of heating for the building. 
• Stove-boiler hybrid. The stove-boiler hybrid is primarily used to heat a single room, where the appliance rests. However, it can also provide hot water to heat multiple radiators in different rooms. 

On top of that, you’ll have a wide range of different brands and models to choose from. If you know where to look, you should be able to find something that fits your needs and style perfectly. Shop around and see what’s available before making a final decision.