Selecting a Pellet Stove Insert
Posted by Suzanne Turner on Mon, Feb 15, 2010 @ 09:58 AM
When you get tired of paying high heating bills you might decide to look into alternative sources of heat. Your choices are extensive, but thats a subject for another post. For now, we are going to focus on those who already have a fireplace, and look at some ways to close up that drafty and rarely used fireplace.
Needless to say, we are talking about a fireplace insert, and they basically come in two flavors; wood burning and pellet. Wood stoves have several advantages, not the least of which is the mystical draw of a wood fire, which has its own personality. They light slowly and steadily, building to engulf the wood logs. The fire can remain powerful throughout the burn, or it can be slowed to a mystical flame as the wood is turned to coal and the smoke is burned.
Some may have a large stack of wood already, and in that case a wood stove instert is a logical choice, but others may decide on a pellet appliance.
There is a wide array of beautiful wood pellet stove inserts available at Survival Products.
Pellet stove inserts come in many different sizes and the correct size pellet stove insert is going to depend on the square footage you want to heat. There are many different manufacturers of pellet stove inserts to choose from, and Survival products is definitely an expert in both he selection and installation process.
A pellet stove insert is definitely going to be an asset for a home. Andirons and logsets are available to make the fire look like a log fire. But don't decide on a pellet stove insert by looks alone. The square footage you want to heat, the construction of your home and the quality and quantity of insulation in your home is going to play a big role in your choice. Also, the placement of the pellet stove insert will play a big role in how efficiently it will heat.
Pellet stoves require a minimal amount of maintenance to assure carefree operation. Once the hopper is filled with wood pellets and the programmable automatic thermostat is set, they control themselves.
Most all have quiet blowers, automatic lighting and programmable thermostat controls as well as remote controls. (If window blinds have a remote control, you can bet a pellet stove does!) Survival Products will guide you through the BTU output of each pellet stove and their overall efficiency ratings. BTU's range from 14,000 to 60,000. Overall efficiency ratings were not easily available for every pellet stove insert, but many range between 80% and 84%.
Come back after you've finished your first winter season with a new pellet stove insert. We'll bet you couldn't be happier with your choice.