# Wood vs Pellet stoves



## TJN66 (Aug 29, 2004)

Hello Everyone,

Hubby and I are looking at both types of stoves. But... we are not sure which would be the right one for us. We have two rooms downstairs that we want to have more heat during the winter without giving the E&G company more of our money.

The living room in 12x22 and the connecting dining room is 12x12 with a double opening connecting them. We are remodeling the living room now and have just put up the drywall so we thougth now would be the time to get one put in.

Any pro's or con's that you all notice with either. Hubby is leaning towards pellet and Im leaning towards wood.

Thanks so much!
Tammy


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## seedspreader (Oct 18, 2004)

What are you hoping to accomplish? Let's start there.

I know that the price of pellets has increased dramatically, and along with availability you have to factor in that they still take electric to run.

If you have any hopes of using it sustainably and during power outages, without depending on pellet manufacturers, avoid pellet stoves like the plague.

If you are more into a fill the hopper and forget it for a few days... avoid the woodburner.

I personally wouldn't own a wood pellet stove, but that's because I tend to be pretty utilitarian.


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## naturewoman (Nov 12, 2002)

Check with your insurance company too...it may raise your rates to install a wood stove, or they may even drop you.

I have a pellet stove, and love not having to stoke it all the time, but I don't think it puts out a hot enough fire when I'm really cold...takes a while to get going and take the chill off the house. Mine is also old and noisy...I mean really noisy. 

I wish I could utilize the wood outside, and save on heat and have a heat source during a power outage, but my allergies and asthma preclude me from a wood burning stove. Pellet stoves put out much less smoke and you barely smell it outside. If you have anyone in the family with respiratory problems that may be a consideration.

I am not sure which is more costly to run, but my electric bill does go way up in the winter, so I know my stove uses a lot of energy. 

You can also get a back-up generator to power your pellet stove during a power outage, but you can't heat water or cook on it like you can a wood stove.

If I could have done it, I probably would have put in propane...much easier, no cleaning, no filling, thermostat regulated...but the prices of gas may soon make that very undesirable too.


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## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

I would advoid the pellet stove at all costs. First you have to buy pellets. Then as posted above if you loose commerical power, then the pellet stove is D.O.A. and no heat.

My opinion is to go with a woodstove! As you put it, you want to utilize the best heating potential that you have. I have heated with firewood for over 18 years now, with great satisfaction. Just set up a fan or two to circulate the heated air around the house. I now live in a house under 1000 sq. ft. (my old house was 2000+ sq. ft./ 2 story 13 room victorian), and the woodstove gets it too hot in here in the winter. Too hot to the point, that I have to open a window. Plus, I just take the chainsaw and go buck up some downed trees each year - firewood for the winter is here on the property.... I may have to buy some gasoline, 2 cycle mix, and bar oil for my chainsaw to fulfill my household heating needs over the winter!!


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## TJN66 (Aug 29, 2004)

Primarily we want to not have the cycle of the on/off heat in the winter where you are either cold or hot. We want a steady heat. We dont have any access to wood so that is a factor for us. I have been thinking about getting a generator just in case the power goes out in the winter. (live in NY)

Hubby doesnt want a wood stove due to the fact that you have to start the fire if it goes out. He would like to turn it on and forget it. Also storage of wood is an issue...as well as pellets but we can put those in the basement which is dry.

All good info. Do you find that the wood stove heats better? Or does the pellet do the job just as well? 

Thanks,
Tammy


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

We have radiant floor heating, that is heated with a wood/peat/coal stove and propane as a back-up.

Our circulator pump is 12vdc and fed by a battery which is no a charger. So that we can go for a few days without commercial power being available.

You can heat water using a wide variety of fuels.

But a pellet-burning stove does require even more power. You might consider how many batteries would be needed to keep it going during a power loss.

I like our stove as it does burn anything. We harvest wood and peat locally for free.


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## lewbest (Sep 25, 2005)

I have a pellet stove & love it. Wood around here is expensive & I have no wood lot available. Cut my heating bill in bout half I'd say compared to propane only; I don't like getting up in the cold nor leaving the pellets burning overnite. I set the propane furnace on its lowest setting (bout 55 deg F IIRC) except from 6 am to 9am (programmable; goes up at 6 to 75 deg F) & by the time the furnace shuts off I have a fire going in the pellet stove. Mine does not have automatic ignition but lights easily with a propane torch.

Lew in TX


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## longshot38 (Dec 19, 2006)

for me id avoid the pellet stove as they need special fuel, the pellets, in a long term situation, or a short term emergency when you are out or just about out of pellets and no way to get to the stores, or the stores are sold out because of the emergency in that case you are out of luck. with a wood stove there is usually a source of fuel around from downed trees or even furniture if it comes to that.

just my .02

dean


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## TJN66 (Aug 29, 2004)

Thanks Everyone..this has so many componants to it. I guess I am going to have to look at some more info as hubby really wants a pellet stove. I have some work cut out for me I do believe!

And I probably will be asking many more questions about these so please bear with me. 

Thanks again,
Tammy


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## lewbest (Sep 25, 2005)

TJN66 said:


> Thanks Everyone..this has so many componants to it. I guess I am going to have to look at some more info as hubby really wants a pellet stove. I have some work cut out for me I do believe!
> 
> And I probably will be asking many more questions about these so please bear with me.
> 
> ...


For an excellent resource join yahoo group pelletstove 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pelletstove/

Excellent place to ask questions & get answers. There's even a service rep on there for one of the major stove manufacturers that answers questions to the best of his ability about ANY brand!

Lew in TX


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## georgec (Jul 9, 2007)

Wood is great if you have a ready supply and the time to cut, chop, and split. If you have to buy the wood, then I don't know that you are gaining a whole lot over pellets. Wood puts out a very nice heat, and heats a room pretty fast. You can heat a pot of water on a wood stove. You can heat with no electricity. Wood is also very dirty, every time you open the stove soot comes out; you also have dirty logs that you must haul into your house. With a wood stove you should clean your chimney once a year.

A pellet stove is very clean to operate, once a week you dump the ash bin. There have been at times supply problems leaving shortages of pellets. You must haul 40# bags to the stove. You can not operate without electricity. The new stoves have thermostats that keep the temperature pretty steady, the stove will shut itself off, and relite according to the thermostat.

My 70 year old Mom has a pellet stove, and she loves it. The only problem is she can't lift the 40# bags, fortunately she has people that can load her up every couple of days.

George


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## stanb999 (Jan 30, 2005)

If he has his heart set on a automatic stove I say go with coal. A coal stove will use less fuel for the same BTU and be cheaper to run. They both are about the same in operation.....Self feeding, clean burning, hopper fed, thermostat controled, ect. But the price for fuel is very different.

If you avoid the bagged coal and get it by the ton it will cost around 140.00 v/s 200.00 for the pellets. Now the coal has about twice the BTU's per pound. So you will use half as much for the same heat. Plus the coal can be stored outside in a bin or pile on the ground if need be. 

The stove costs are about the same so that really won't be a factor. But the fuel costs can be hugely different.
Say you use 3 tons of wood pellets that would be like 600 bucks
for the same BTU's in rice coal it would be 210.00 So it's less than half as much.

For those that say coal isn't clean...... Hard coal is cleaner than Natural gas due to it's high temp burning and it's consentration of fuel.
But coal is a fossil fuel if that is a big factor.


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## CGUARDSMAN (Dec 28, 2006)

TJN66 said:


> Primarily we want to not have the cycle of the on/off heat in the winter where you are either cold or hot. We want a steady heat. We dont have any access to wood so that is a factor for us. I have been thinking about getting a generator just in case the power goes out in the winter. (live in NY)
> 
> Hubby doesnt want a wood stove due to the fact that you have to start the fire if it goes out. He would like to turn it on and forget it. Also storage of wood is an issue...as well as pellets but we can put those in the basement which is dry.
> 
> ...


they do make battery back ups for pellet stoves just make sure to buy the store out of d size batteries


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## busybee870 (Mar 2, 2006)

as far as insurance, my insurance company is only going to go up 50.00 for the year to put in a wood stove, so it may not be too bad for you, but you have to check and set that up first, and it has to be installed by a certified person, w/proof, otherwise your insurance wont cover you if a fire is caused by the stove


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## donsgal (May 2, 2005)

TJN66 said:


> Hello Everyone,
> 
> Hubby and I are looking at both types of stoves. But... we are not sure which would be the right one for us. We have two rooms downstairs that we want to have more heat during the winter without giving the E&G company more of our money.
> 
> ...


My philosophy is that it is better to not be dependent on the price or availability of pellets. If you have a regular wood stove, most probably you will always be able to find fuel for it (except maybe if you live in a deforested area). With a pellet stove you are totally at someone elses mercy. Doesn't sit well with me. YMMV.

donsgal


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

Well I do live in a forest. So I do have endless wood available to me.

I harvest peat locally for free too. A woodlot that I manage includes a corner of a local peat bog.

I buy coal and pellets to burn when I am to lazy to haul in wood.

Between these various fuels, I do not see ever running out.

Since putting in this stove, our insurance has not changed yet.


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## donsgal (May 2, 2005)

ET1 SS said:


> Well I do live in a forest. So I do have endless wood available to me.
> 
> I harvest peat locally for free too. A woodlot that I manage includes a corner of a local peat bog.
> 
> ...


I am assuming that you have notified your agent about the stove. If you have not done so, you need to because if you have a claim and the insurance company finds out that you did not notify them in a timely manner they can deny your claim. Just a word to the wise. I work with insurance companies a lot and they look for any reason to deny a claim. I believe, if you read your policy, it is your responsibility to notify the company if there is any changes made to the home.

donsgal


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

If we ever decide to get an insurance policy then no doubt we may discuss such things at that time.


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## bluetick (May 11, 2002)

I have a woodstove, and have never had a pellet stove so can't comment on them. 

It seems the price of firewood continues to go up. I use the stove to supplement my oil boiler in winter, and use it every evening when I am inactive and need the extra warmth. It gets very cozy! Also, my house is quite old and I am afraid of a fire burning it the ground before the volunteer fire company could get here, so I want to be in the house when there is a fire in the stove. I get the chimney cleaned and inspected annually to be on the safe side.

I go through less than 2 cords of wood per season, and this year am paying $210 for a cord, delivered. Besides the fact I physically can't cut down trees, split logs, etc., most of the trees on my small property are pine, or other wood not suitable for burning. 

During a 48 hour power outage last winter, with the temperature getting down to zero the second night, I was able to keep the house relatively comfortable and had no frozen pipes. As others have stated, wood can be "dirty", so if you are a neatnik it may bother you. I have a gizmo similar to an ecofan that uses the heat of the stovetop to generate power to operate the fan and spread the heated air around.


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## JBinKC (Feb 28, 2006)

I'd go with wood. If you are going to bother with the hassle of a heating system that requires consistent attendance you might as well have the option of being able to pay next to nothing for the source of your heat. Getting free wood isn't as hard as you think. If you don't have a woodlot (besides word of mouth for other potential woodlots) scrounging for firewood isn't a difficult task. You have craigslist, freecycle, tree service places who need to dispose of it, dumps, and very low cost cutting permits on state and U.S. government lands are also other potential sources.


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

If I had it to do over, I'd install an outside woodburner that uses central ductwork so it would heat like central heat. The downside is that you have to go outside to feed the stove, but the up side is that you keep the mess out of the house and only have to feed it once every 12 hours. I had a friend who had a setup like that and it was wonderful.


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

I had a friend who put a pellet stove in the basement and let it heat that. The warmth worked up through the floors and he was able to lower the thermostat on his LP furnace quite a bit.


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## Windy in Kansas (Jun 16, 2002)

The thing I would check into is the electrical requirements for a pellet stove.
No, not that they have to have electricity, but the consumption, wattage, or amps.

I came across pellet stoves that would burn wood pellets, corn, and cereal grains. I loved the idea of growing cereal grains to burn as they almost always yield a crop whereas dryland corn is iffy.

What I found out about the stoves was that the electrical requirements in dollars would cost more per month than my current propane needs. The concept was great, but without solar or wind not practical for my small house.


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## Tirzah (May 19, 2006)

We love our woodstove!

We found ours in the paper used, it is a Woodstock Soapstone. We paid $800.00 and it has been well worth it! hey retail new for close to $2000.00 or more

It is amazing how much heat it throws off. We have propane here and our propane bill in the winter has cost us about $2000.00 (appliances uncluded as well as heating).

Since the woodstove, we have cut our propane costs down to about $600-800. a year.

We are able to get pickup truck loads of Aspen for about $5.00 a load and there is a hardwood flooring company that sells scraps (most of the time large pieces) for $15.00 a pickup truck load. We end up with alot of great hardwoods like oak, cherry, walnut, etc.

I am so glad that we invested in it. As for insurance ours went up $75.00 a year but it is still cheaper for us than propane.

The only reason I would advice against a woodstove is if someone in your family had serious allergies or if resources (wood) weren't readily available. 

Good Luck!


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## lewbest (Sep 25, 2005)

Windy in Kansas said:


> What I found out about the stoves was that the electrical requirements in dollars would cost more per month than my current propane needs. The concept was great, but without solar or wind not practical for my small house.


Are you sure you figured correctly? Most stoves that I know of just have a small blower motor (maybe 2) and the auger motor to feed the pellets. These being small should draw very little current.

Lew in TX


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## Windy in Kansas (Jun 16, 2002)

lewbest said:


> Are you sure you figured correctly? Most stoves that I know of just have a small blower motor (maybe 2) and the auger motor to feed the pellets. These being small should draw very little current.
> 
> Lew in TX


Yes I am sure as I used the blower motor amp rating (V x A = W and 1000 W per KWH @ 8Â¢)for the calculation based on 24 hours of operation and a 30 day month. The blower for the combination stove which also burns cereal grains takes a larger blower or one with more pressure hence more wattage. For me I think it would also be too loud to be comfortable with. For small grains the blower port was wide open but for wood pellets or corn a plate was partially closed while the blower still ran a full speed. There has to be a better way such as speed control.


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## jcbettyb (Sep 11, 2007)

Our only heat source is a woodburning stove and it works great. We put wood in it in the morning, again at around 6 PM and then prior to going to sleep. We burn mostly hedge wood which is a long, hot burning wood. It is really great to not have to pay the electric/gas company for warmth during the winter months.

jcbetty


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

jcbettyb said:


> Our only heat source is a woodburning stove and it works great. We put wood in it in the morning, again at around 6 PM and then prior to going to sleep. We burn mostly hedge wood which is a long, hot burning wood. It is really great to not have to pay the electric/gas company for warmth during the winter months.
> 
> jcbetty


And what area do you live in?


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## jcbettyb (Sep 11, 2007)

ET1 SS said:


> And what area do you live in?



We live in KS. And yes it can get cold  

jcbettyb


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

I am sure it does.


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## georgec (Jul 9, 2007)

Windy in Kansas said:


> Yes I am sure as I used the blower motor amp rating (V x A = W and 1000 W per KWH @ 8Â¢)for the calculation based on 24 hours of operation and a 30 day month. The blower for the combination stove which also burns cereal grains takes a larger blower or one with more pressure hence more wattage. For me I think it would also be too loud to be comfortable with. For small grains the blower port was wide open but for wood pellets or corn a plate was partially closed while the blower still ran a full speed. There has to be a better way such as speed control.


A 1000W blower? 1 horsepower = 745W. I doubt very seriously that the blower motor is over 1 horsepower.


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

TJN66 said:


> We want a steady heat. We dont have any access to wood so that is a factor for us. I have been thinking about getting a generator just in case the power goes out in the winter. (live in NY)
> 
> Hubby doesnt want a wood stove due to the fact that you have to start the fire if it goes out. He would like to turn it on and forget it. Also storage of wood is an issue...as well as pellets but we can put those in the basement which is dry.
> 
> ...


sounds like you're really wanting a pellet stove...

If you have zero heat in upstate NY, I think you'll find the time to start a fire... it may be inconvenient, but a couple of days without grid power, and stoking the stove will be the smallest of your problems... Woodstoves are foolproof... have dry wood, some tinder, and a match, and you have fire.

Access to wood? If you live in the country, finding firewood isn't really a problem... I've got lots of hardwood on my place, but never consider cutting any, as there's always a forest being thinned, neighbors trees in the yards needing felling, and blowdown from storms. Seek and ye shall find, when it comes to wood. In an emergency, in the past, freezing people have burned their furniture and books.... pellet stove won't burn nuthin but pellets.

You might think about compromising? one of each..... that way you know you won't freeze to death in a blizzard.


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## greenboy (Sep 5, 2005)

One of my neigbors use wood, and is very happy with it. But he spends a lot of time picking up wood here and there. He told me when the electric company shows up in the hight way or in the country roads in our area. And cut down trees, (and they leave the tree on the floor) is legal to go and to cut and carry the tree. I don't know about that. i asked the police once, (but he was very young probably around 25) and he told me he didnt have an answer "I am going to research that he stated that was 6 month ago. Well what do you think?


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

greenboy said:


> One of my neigbors use wood, and is very happy with it. But he spends a lot of time picking up wood here and there. He told me when the electric company shows up in the hight way or in the country roads in our area. And cut down trees, (and they leave the tree on the floor) is legal to go and to cut and carry the tree. I don't know about that. i asked the police once, (but he was very young probably around 25) and he told me he didnt have an answer "I am going to research that he stated that was 6 month ago. Well what do you think?


If the electric company is cutting the trees, they are cutting on the ROW that they own. They have the right to give the cuttings to anyone they want. To be safe, I'd get a letter from the company giving permission. That way if anyone questions your right to take the wood, you'll have it in writing on company letterhead to defend yourself.

Around here they have a truck with a chipper with the cutting crews. They chip the wood as they cut it instead of leaving the trees on the ground.


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## greenboy (Sep 5, 2005)

We are not that civilized up here in the mountains of Pennsylvania. They cut the wood and they leave the wood for the people to pick up. But the letter idea sound very good. That is something a pennsylvanian will do. thank you.



Spinner said:


> If the electric company is cutting the trees, they are cutting on the ROW that they own. They have the right to give the cuttings to anyone they want. To be safe, I'd get a letter from the company giving permission. That way if anyone questions your right to take the wood, you'll have it in writing on company letterhead to defend yourself.
> 
> Around here they have a truck with a chipper with the cutting crews. They chip the wood as they cut it instead of leaving the trees on the ground.


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## Durandal (Aug 19, 2007)

I have a wood boiler for my farm house, the farm shop, woodshop, and the heating element to the grain bin (drier fan).

Its a larger boiler but there is one three sizes smaller and super efficient...and it goes outside the house. It is used in the existing heating system and also pumps hot water through the house and heats the water heater.

Never used a fuel pellet stove. You do burn less but it costs more...well at least for me it would.

Our monthly utility bills run right around 65.00 during the winter.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

I've heated with wood for decades. I like it because I like the feel of the heat, I can produce all my own fuel, it involves no shipping in from foreign sources, etc. I would suggest adding thermal mass to the wood stove. It can be as simple as piling bricks around it. This makes the stove much more effective.

Pellet stoves on the other hand seem like the most expensive way possible to heat with wood. Pellets are highly processed, expensive, you can't produce them yourself, they involve a lot of shipping, etc.

I would recommend going with a wood stove, not a pellet stove.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in the mountains of Vermont
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/blog/
http://HollyGraphicArt.com/
http://NoNAIS.org


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

We have a Pellet stove & we love it. We also have a propane furnace which has become very costly to heat your home. Our home is alittle over 2300 square feet and our propane furnace has not kicked on since we got the pellet stove. The cost for our electric using the pellet stove verses the propane furnace is less also. We have it hooked up to a thermostat so it kicks on & off according to the temp. we have it set on. The blower is pretty quiet, it is self lighting, self cleaning to a point( You do have to dump the ash pan, etc-very easy) The wood pellets are made here in Michigan so I feel we our supporting the state, We buy them in large quantities(of 40 pound bags) and We think they are very reasonable price for heating the whole house. Also this stove will burn sunflowers, wheat or corn besides the pellets and can later be programed to take different types of fuel (grass pellets, grains,etc). We have a Quadra-Fire, MT Vernon AE is the model. There website for anyone wanting to check them out is quadrafire.com
Also 1 drawback to using wood is when you get to be a certain age you don't want to have to cut, split & stack it plus keep it outside & dry, plus it gives off alot of smoke so therefore your walls in the house get dirty quicker.


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## naturewoman (Nov 12, 2002)

I just found out pellets have gone up 75 cents a bag since last year (and I use a min of a bag a day when it's really cold...the cheapest pellets I can find now are $4.36/bag). It will now cost me $130/month for pellets just to run my stove non-stop on low in cold months, and that is just barely keeping the chill off during really cold weather...it keeps my house at about 50Â° for 900 sq feet. And my electric bill still jumps from thirty something in the summer to over $100 in the winter to run supplemental electric blankets and other heaters to warm certain spots in the house. So I'm looking at over $200 a month to heat in the winter with a pellet stove. I don't know how that relates to natural gas, but I think I'd choose the latter. I can't do wood stoves for insurance reasons and allergies. Plus pellets stoves don't last that long...my stove needs some fans replaced now and the company who made it is out of business, so I may not even be able to get parts. To find out if it's even fixable will be an $80 service charge, and they may tell me they can't get a fan that will work. And a new pellet stove starts at 1K for a cheap one, or 2k for a better one. So it's looking like it will be a cold winter this year, because of my choice of heat. I wish I'd invested in natural gas.

And yes...last year there was a period of a couple of months when we could not get pellets.


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## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

Spinner said:


> *If the electric company is cutting the trees, they are cutting on the ROW that they own. They have the right to give the cuttings to anyone they want.* To be safe, I'd get a letter from the company giving permission. That way if anyone questions your right to take the wood, you'll have it in writing on company letterhead to defend yourself.
> 
> Around here they have a truck with a chipper with the cutting crews. They chip the wood as they cut it instead of leaving the trees on the ground.



i don't think this is so. they may have a right of way...that is not ownership. that means they have the right to use it for the purpose stated in the ROW agreement. the property remains in the possession of the owner, including the trees.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

naturewoman said:


> (and I use a min of a bag a day when it's really cold...the cheapest pellets I can find now are $4.36/bag). It will now cost me $130/month for pellets just to run my stove non-stop on low in cold months, and that is just barely keeping the chill off during really cold weather...it keeps my house at about 50Â° for 900 sq feet. And my electric bill still jumps from thirty something in the summer to over $100 in the winter to run supplemental electric blankets and other heaters to warm certain spots in the house. So I'm looking at over $200 a month to heat in the winter with a pellet stove.
> 
> Tractor supply is selling there pellets for 179.00 a ton(50 bags). Thats 107.00 a month at 1 bag a day. It does make a difference the kind of pellet stove you buy. A furnace is an investment I think and there are cheap models & exspensive too! Our stove takes 1 bag about every 24-36 hrs in the coldest part of winter. Our propane was costing us between 375.00 to 415.00 a month plus the electric was higher for us with propane. I guess everyone should do their research on what's best for them, the costs for different types of heat, fuel, etc. for your area! We love ours & am so glad I don't have to pay those high propane costs! Natural Gas is not an option where we live.


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## naturewoman (Nov 12, 2002)

The cheapest price I can get on pellets here is $230/ton...and my house is not very well insulated, so I lose a lot of heat in winter...regardless of the heat source. I'm just saying that pellets are not necessarily the cheapest way to go, and maintenance and replacement costs are higher than electric, gas, or wood. So, yes...checking out the costs in your area are essential in making a good decision.


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## paperboy-7 (Feb 15, 2005)

hi all alot of good info for me i vote reg wood burner. i have out side hotwater wood fired heater, inside stove in basement. the good thing about stove in house you can burn ANYTHING when your cold and elect is out. i burn newspaper to get a quick hot fire and most people will give them for free. as your warming you feet you can read the paper you missed.i have all the timber i could use in a lifetime but dont want to waste good wood to burn just to stay warm. if it gets really bad you can burn that chair your wife bought before your devorce that youved always hated. and i love to watch the fire and think of the cavemen that had a real fight to just stay alive, arent we lucky, just my 2cents hohoho butch


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## foxfiredidit (Apr 15, 2003)

What do the pellets cost for a pellet stove? I have never seen a pellet stove, but they're building a pellet factory just north of here and they plan on using 1.2 million tons of wood per year to make the pellets which will be marketed nation wide. I assume from all the posts from folks who know of them that they might be around for awhile.


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## airotciv (Mar 6, 2005)

TJN66 said:


> Primarily we want to not have the cycle of the on/off heat in the winter where you are either cold or hot. We want a steady heat. We dont have any access to wood so that is a factor for us. I have been thinking about getting a generator just in case the power goes out in the winter. (live in NY)
> 
> Hubby doesnt want a wood stove due to the fact that you have to start the fire if it goes out. He would like to turn it on and forget it. Also storage of wood is an issue...as well as pellets but we can put those in the basement which is dry.
> 
> ...



I have heated with both wood and pellets. We now have a pellet stove. I love my pellet stove, it heats the house better than wood, at least for us. Wood runs about $150.00 a cord and when heating with wood we needed about 5 cords per year, with pellets we use about 3 tons per year at $240.00 per ton. So the cost is pretty equal. Now the differences, wood stove, always having to keep the fire going and adding wood. Pellet stove, once lit, as long as there is pellets, no work to keep it going. Bad side, No Power No Stove. We have a generator, but with the cost of gas, we can only run the genterator about 3-5 hours a day. Now, most of the time we are only with out power for a few days a year. But there has been times we have been out of power for a week or more. We are lucky that we have a fire place, but it does not heat the house very well. Mostly used for cooking, when we have no power, not heat. Now wood verses pellets supply. We buy our pellets in the spring (3 tons) when the supply is good. Wood can always be a problem, both quallity and supply. At least around here. As for setting the temp in the house, the pellet stove is the easiest. Turn it down or turn it up.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

The biggest problem beyond the electric requirement is the fact that with pellets you have to buy them. With wood I cut my own from our land. The cost is almost zero since I'm cutting wood anyways and it is good exercise so as the old saying goes, we get heated twice.


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## Drizler (Jun 16, 2002)

http://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/
iburncorn.com

I have used a multifuel stove called Countryside now called magnum by American Energy Systems. It saves me a bundle on oil . Good thing for you is that the y are all available currently on a timely basis this year unlike the last few years. Prices are down a lot too. Corn has gone up a lot though I think in your area its not so bad as here. Pellets are a lot too so its better to stock up in April for next year and you can save about 1buck a bag. No real bargains in NY for fuel I am afraid. Those comments on the coal I read earlier are true for PA but I think you will find coal expensive in your area as its all in the shipping. Corn is dirt cheap in the midwest but here its the same deal. Not enough grown for sale and the Ethanol plants are gobbling it up so you can get crap mileage to save the world as they line their pockets. I wanted a wood stove myself since I live in the north woods but the wife has asthma and it just doesn't agree with wood stove heating. Lots of folks will say the contrary but the studies old and new worldwide all find a definite increase in asthma in folks who heated with and especially grew up as kids in wood stove heated homes. I have a 12 year old tight house so it gives me pause. One thing coming down the pike and possibly locally inspired is heating with grass pellets. Not long ago I read an article about it. Seems the Cooperative Extension at Cornell has been working on a tractor trailer sized portable grass pellet mill suitable for rental use and the like. Not going to be there soon but maby not so far down the road. Nice thing about the pellet stove is installation. Rather than run it up a fireplace chimney its easier , cheaper and better to just put it on an outside wall and run a 5 foot section up with a cap. Thats it. Pretty easy installation if you have any carpentry skills at all. One thing with the pellet stoves I see, there isn't a lot of difference between the cheap and expensive ones isn't all that much. The auto start and bells and whistles aren't all they are made up to be. Besides once you start it you tend to let it run continuously so shut down isn't all its cracked up to be. I light mine with a propane torch, nothin to it, no special fire starter necessary. Do try to get one with a decent sized hopper, you will appreciate it greatly in the long run. Mine I thing was said to run 350 watts running full tilt so it costs me a couple bucks a week in electric. Still thats way down from the slam bang startup of the oil burner that really sucks the juce so we actually save money. You will need at least a small fan if you have a hallway pointing towards the stove to get heat to other parts of the house. Its not the same as central heating so it gets a bit nippy in the back bedrooms. We dont' mind though we just toss an electric blanket on the bed under the mattress pad and set it on dead low. Helps a lot. Check out the forums I pointed out and you will get a good education on pellet corn and wood heating......... Good luck


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## TJN66 (Aug 29, 2004)

Thanks everyone. I actually want a wood stove. Hubby wants pellets. He would be doing all the chopping and such so..that has to be taken into consideration. I also need to call my insurance company and see if I can actually get a wood stove.

Thanks again!


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## Drizler (Jun 16, 2002)

And you too will want a pellet stove. :nono: My wife and daughter would rather freeze to death then bother with either one :shrug: Even a pellet stove needs some hands on every day pretty much.


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## slu (Dec 30, 2004)

We have heated with wood for nearly 40 years, used it as a primary heat source for the most part of that time. Went to propane gas logs after the kids left. Building a fire twice a day was too much trouble and personal responsibilites kept me from harvesting wood off the place.

Negatives - We had two kids who were subject to wood heat from birth. One has asthma the other doesn't. So you will have to weigh that. You will need the time to maintain wood fires and harvest your wood. Wood heat is dusty, but not as 'dirty' (in my opinion) as ventless propane logs. 

Positives- In our climate, central TN, we have had maybe two serious power outages in those 40 years, but with a wood (soapstone) stove for heat and a wood cookstove in the kitchen, life goes on when that happens - almost without interuption. That is a mighty good feeling, and there is no warmer heat than wood heat (again, my opinion). 

Depending upon your goal in regard to wood heat will determine in what direction you should go. Personally, the less dependent I am on the power grid, energy grid, etc. the better I feel. Having sufficient timber on the place allows me, when I have the time, to harvest an energy source that only costs me an initial start-up cost of a chainsaw, axe, sledge hammers, wedges, a maul or two, and some files. After that we're talking the incidental costs of gasolene, 2-cycle oil, chain oil, (a chain every couple years) per year and my time....cheap heat that doesn't depend on anyone but me.


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

From what I've heard, some pellet stoves require a full sine wave which could be a problem if you are running them using electricity from an inverter or generator. Our inverter runs a modified sine wave and the company noted that some things such as pellet stoves would not run on their inverter.


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

The closer that your power output is to a square-wave, then it will cause extra heat build-up in any motor coils, which will lead to early failure. Whereas the closer that your output is to a smooth sine-wave, then less heat build-up and longer operation.

'modified' or 'stepped-wave' is rather middle of the road, the more steps then obviously the better. However each step still has it's sharp edged corners and thus will lead to early failure.

A simple 'trick' is to use an isolation transformer. The two inductors will add enough smoothing to the wave form, as to effectively make it into a true sine-wave. Without damaging anything. All for less then 5% power loss.



Oops did anyone ask for the opinion of an ET?


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

Well, an EE can tell us what looks good on paper but an ET can tell us what works. I'll go google "isolation transformer" and see how far that will expand my database. It sounds if it were that simple it would already be in the inverter, but many times folks do things to make money instead of doing whatever it is well.

A five percent power loss would change the 1,500 watt inverter into a 1,425 watt inverter and my popcorn popper pulls 1,475 watts so I'd have to take the isolation transformer offline when making popcorn? 

Well, anyway, this is about pellet stoves and not popcorn so if someone has a square wave output inverter AND a pellet stove, then perhaps they could add in the isolation transformers to get their pellet stoves to work?


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## unioncreek (Jun 18, 2002)

Unless you have wood available to cut I would go with a pellet stove. Wood around here is costing $150/cord, I can buy pellets for that. We bought a new Quadrafire stove this fall and it works just like a furnace. There's not near as much work involved with a pellet stove. Now if I had would that I could harvest off my acreage I would use a wood stove, but since we lack enough trees to harvest every year and it's quite a ways to national forest I'll stick with pellets.

Bobg


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## zookeeper16 (May 10, 2002)

Consider a corn/pellet stove. That way you have more heating options (cost of pellets/corn & the fact that corn sugars burn hotter).


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

zookeeper16 said:


> Consider a corn/pellet stove. That way you have more heating options (cost of pellets/corn & the fact that corn sugars burn hotter).


Do you grow corn?

Do you make wood pellets?


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## zookeeper16 (May 10, 2002)

Wow. Thanks for the welcome.


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## pheasantplucker (Feb 20, 2007)

In laws have a corn burner. I wanted one till I realized they require electricity to run auger. If the choice is between corn burner and wood stove, I could see the dilema, but if it's between wood pellets and wood stove, I see no comparison. Wood burner (not pellets)all the way...pellets puts you at the mercy of those who manufacture them. I have my woodlot, and there's an Amish lumber mill about two miles from my place. The owner gives slabs away. I constantly find people who want their firewood gone...either they go with gas logs, or have a tree that's just been downed, and I haul it away, split it, stack it, and currently have about 5 cords that is seasoned for 1-2 years. All hardwood. I also like the aroma of wood smoke, when I go outside and a downdraft gives me a whiff. Good luck.


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

zookeeper16 said:


> Wow. Thanks for the welcome.


Your welcome 

I missed it, did you say that you grow both corn and pellets?


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## tamsam (May 12, 2006)

We use wood and coal with propane space heater just in case we have to be gone all day. Coal was 45 a ton at the yard and we get to pick what we want. We use 5 gal buckets and those plastic storage bins to haul it in. We pick out the pieces we want and fill our buckets and bins and usually get about 500 to 600 lbs at a time. That will last us up to 2 weeks if it doesn't get really cold. Our wood we get at different places and this summer was getting it for 10.00 a truck load but had to cut it ourselves. The trees were on the ground and limbed and stacked but it was mostly popular. WE just found out that several wood yards here give away the end pieces that have to be cut off to make the logs the right length. Most of these look to be 3 to 4 feet in length. As far as wood or coal being dirty we live in the country so it doesn't bother us. As far as allergecys I have severe copd and am ox 24 7 and have no problems. We have had people that claim they could not be around coal heat come visit and not know we were using coal unless we told them. We also bring the coal in in the buckets that it was hauled in and it isn't dirty at all. If you are getting smoke from your heater when you open the door you have a problem with your heater or chimney. If you have to buy wood all ready cut it will cost a lot to heat with it. Sam


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## Ozarka (Apr 15, 2007)

I have heated with wood for 30+ years and wouldn't consider a pellet stove for one minute. Anything that uses a commodity is subject to those that manipulate the price through artificial scarcity. I have a couple of Vermont Castings Vigilants, an old Ashley and several old cast iron stoves and can't imagine having to put up with a propane or pellet stove. They all wear out. The fewer parts the longer they last. A wood stove has a door, a thermostat (maybe) and a lid on top. The warmth given off by well seasoned wood beats any heat source out there and if the power fails for 5 days, all of those propane and natural gas and electric furnaces are dead in the water, unless you have barrells of fresh gasoline to fuel the generator. How much did it cost?
I treat my Vigilant like one of the family. Sitting by the stove on a cold day, listening to the quiet creaks she makes as she heats up or cools down is very comforting. Keep it simple. Forget these new stoves that look like tv sets, look around for an old one, like an ashley. Think cast iron. The getting in wood is my hardest physical activity of the year and it takes more each year to handle it, but I will cut my own wood as long as I have the physical strength to handle it. This year I have cut 4 12 inch walnuts and yesterday, a 22 inch white oak, all standing dead, hence very dry. Firewood warms you when you cut it, when you load it, when you stack it, when you burn it. Last winter we spent $1,000 on natural gas in Dec, Jan., Feb. to heat the house in town we are temporarily in, never again if I can help it.


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## silverbackMP (Dec 4, 2005)

ET1 SS said:


> We have radiant floor heating, that is heated with a wood/peat/coal stove and propane as a back-up.
> 
> Our circulator pump is 12vdc and fed by a battery which is no a charger. So that we can go for a few days without commercial power being available.
> 
> ...



Can you go into more detail about your heating setup? I am considering building an insulated barn (with shower and kitchen area included) near my parents. They have a solar/propane setup and grid electric would be expensive to run to this area. I will need to go solar as well. 

I am considering radient floor heat as my fiance is Korean and is used to it (Ondol heating) and I like it as well. This barn would serve as a place to stay during leave and base of operations to build my house a piece at a time over the next 13 years (until I retire from the army--a day after 20  ). 

My idea is to build all buildings with radient floor heat that will be heated by propane or fuel oil but will be replaced (keeping the conventional furnace as backup) by an outdoor wood burner. 

My major concern is how much current the circulation pumps draw. I need to be able to install panels, inverter(s), battery system(s), propane genset (later) along with the circulation pumps, furnace, and plumbing and have them operate somewhat by themselves over winters (just to keep the interior from freezing). My parents could check on the system on occasion but I don't want to make it a daily chore for them.


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## silverbackMP (Dec 4, 2005)

Ozarka said:


> Keep it simple. Forget these new stoves that look like tv sets, look around for an old one, like an ashley. Think cast iron. .


I was involved in a similiar thread a year or so ago and my opinion was the same as yours. I voted cast iron round oak potbellies and all the airtight folks gave me some flack about it. We (my parents) have been using one for 20 years and you can't beat the heat or the appearance.


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## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

you won't catch any heat from this guy. i prefer cast iron and old stoves. i have seen a few cracks in cast iron, but they all looked like a large chunk of wood was dropped on the top of the stove or someone busted a mounted leg off while moving the stove. i have a pot belly stove in the garage that has a busted leg and a chipped lid edge, but i won't get rid of it because it still works great. the cast iron parlor stoves in my kitchen and cottage have been around for 25 years + and show only a bit of pitting as wear and tear. during the same time, i have to replace one kodiak insert when the boiler plate inside that diverts the air/flames from the flue buckled and split both sides of the firebox where it was welded. the timberline replacement insert i bought used is heavier gauge plate, but it is warping in the exact same place and i suspect it will do the same thing eventually. chances are my cast iron stoves will still look like they do today when that happens.


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

silverbackMP said:


> Can you go into more detail about your heating setup? I am considering building an insulated barn (with shower and kitchen area included) near my parents. They have a solar/propane setup and grid electric would be expensive to run to this area. I will need to go solar as well.
> 
> I am considering radiant floor heat as my fiance is Korean and is used to it (Ondol heating) and I like it as well. This barn would serve as a place to stay during leave and base of operations to build my house a piece at a time over the next 13 years (until I retire from the army--a day after 20  ).
> 
> ...


Sounds like a good plan to me.

My only hesitation would be with using an outdoor wood furnace. As there is a lot of law suits and arguing going on about them. When burning at full throttle they are great. When they damper themselves down, the burning goes to smoldering, awaiting the next call for heat. When they smolder they are not efficient, they produce lots of thick smoke, and during high-pressure barometric days that thick smoke stays low hugging the ground and will enter any home within a quarter mile. Thus the law suits, and zoning regulations.

I really see no problems with any of dozens of systems that use indoor wood stoves for heating water.


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## newturkey (May 4, 2007)

We have had a pellet stove for many years I love the simplicity of it. I do not have to bother with it. throw in a bag of pellets every couple of days. 
Quick question can you burn corn in a wood pellet stove or not? I have read that corn is warmer just wanted to know before I try a bag. Thanks


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## Drizler (Jun 16, 2002)

newturkey said:


> We have had a pellet stove for many years I love the simplicity of it. I do not have to bother with it. throw in a bag of pellets every couple of days.
> Quick question can you burn corn in a wood pellet stove or not? I have read that corn is warmer just wanted to know before I try a bag. Thanks


Corn is a tad hotter if its dry enough. I like the smell of it more than anything and it used to be cheaper. People worry too much about dryer, wetter, hardwood, softwood on and on. Just burn it if you like it and its economical. You should be able to burn a fair mix of corn without it making any issues for you. Unless you live in the Midwest corn just isn't viable for the average small consumer any more. It probably won't be until after the ethanol rage finally takes a dump, hopefully sooner rather than later.


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## MDGuy (Nov 21, 2007)

I have a wood stove and it gets the house warm fast. I use all the fallen branches in my yard as kittling. It will save you a lot of money on electricity


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## Drizler (Jun 16, 2002)

Don't get too distracted about the cost of a pellet stove in electricity. It doesn't amount to enough to say so. In fact ours went way down running the stove and fan. You have to consider all the juice the oil gun burns when it kicks on to run that oil gun. Its a lot more than you think. If you want to save money in electricity then shut off the yard lights at night and put in CFL's every place temperature allowing. Use them outside once it warms up again saves quite a bit. In the end its all convenience versus money. 
For a lot of you it sounds like the best investment would be in more and better insulation. Dont forget. Federal tax credit on insulation ends Dec 31 this year, at least as it stands for now. Getting 10 percent back on top of the heat bill saved is going to add up quicker than ever these days. Just get your insulation before Dec 31.


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## highlands (Jul 18, 2004)

Drizler said:


> Don't get too distracted about the cost of a pellet stove in electricity. It doesn't amount to enough to say so.


The problem is that it uses any electricity at all. I don't want my heat to be dependent on electricity. In the winter, when one wants heat, the electricity grid is the most unreliable. We total almost two weeks of electrical outages per year and most of that is in the winter and early spring storms. A wood stove is reliable. The minimal risk, burns & chimney fires, is controllable by the user.

Unlike gas, a wood pile doesn't explode destroying the home and killing everyone. I have read many stories in the paper of this, some of them in our state, some far away. I removed gas from our house because the gas company could never get the lines to stop leaking despite my paying them hourly for lots of labor. I'm not incline to be an accident statistic.


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