Does anyone use a wood pellet stove? If so how much would you say you use every year to heat your house and how much is the average bag of pellets cost?
August 22, 2011 at 1:07 am
#1273528
Wood Pellet Stoves?
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August 22, 2011 at 6:06 am #989927
Going on 7 years as our primary heat source, pellets or corn back when it was cheap. We go thru around 3 to 3 1/2 tons per winter, split level 1800 up and 700 down, well insulated (start there if you have not done so already!). I’ve never paid more than $200 ton, 50 40lb bags. Menards just had them for $175 a ton. It is NOT plug and play, there is some maint involved, daily in some cases, at least weekly.
August 22, 2011 at 2:24 pm #989961If your planing on buying a wood pellet stove to save money. There are probably better ways depending on you situation.
August 22, 2011 at 6:56 pm #990018Good info in the forums here, well mostly good info that is:
http://www.hearth.comAugust 22, 2011 at 7:01 pm #990020Quote:
Going on 7 years as our primary heat source, pellets or corn back when it was cheap. We go thru around 3 to 3 1/2 tons per winter, split level 1800 up and 700 down, well insulated (start there if you have not done so already!). I’ve never paid more than $200 ton, 50 40lb bags. Menards just had them for $175 a ton. It is NOT plug and play, there is some maint involved, daily in some cases, at least weekly.
Czech:
Well said, especially on the maintenance!!! If you like to maintain, they can be great heat sources. If not, you may be better served to use another fuel. Without proper maintenance, warranty issues arise, usually putting you at odds with the dealer and company.
The other issue as Bob alluded to is pellet pricing and perhaps to a lesser degree storage… You will get your best pricing by buying the most pellets. I know folks up here who co-oped to buy an 18 wheeler full, but you have to have storage and a method to move a pallet/ton of pellets around. Otherwise you are moving 50 40# bags around by hand. Under $4.00/bag is a great price to stay under if you can… it can be tough though and you have to have a market that won’t run out of pellets…
Mark
August 22, 2011 at 7:09 pm #990027Quote:
If your planing on buying a wood pellet stove to save money. There are probably better ways depending on you situation.
In my opinion, and I sell both types of product, if you can get natural gas, it can be the best of all worlds… You will be competitive with all fuel types, especially with propane. In fact, IMHO, depending on the type of fuel, you may find a return of investment for installing NG, but you have study that to find out for yourself, but depending on your location, maintenance and ease of use NG can be real winner.
Mark
August 22, 2011 at 7:30 pm #990034If you currently have Natural Gas a wood pellet stove is going to cost you money. Only thing better then NG is geothermal. If you are on propane and have duct work I would check with your electric company and see if you get electric rate discount on a air to air heat pump. If your like some people I now that have baseboard electric heat or something like that and have access to cheap pellets then pellets are the way to go.
August 22, 2011 at 11:23 pm #990077I heat my house with wood. I have access to firewood every year at a free price except for chainsaw and splitter gas. Natural gas is the most cost effective if you don’t have firewood close to you.
August 23, 2011 at 1:15 am #990106I need to replace a propane stove in a garage/workshop and I was going to just go to wood as the price of propane keeps going up! I was thinking about going to pellets instead but I am just feeling things out to see what way to go!
August 23, 2011 at 11:40 am #990174In that case I think a pellet stove would work perfect. I would probably get one that can burn corn also.
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