Pellet stoves: the big picture

Q: What’s involved with installing a pellet stove? We’re planning to build in the country, and I’m sold on the cost savings of this heating system. Can you recommend specific models? Do pellet stoves need to be installed by a specialist? Does the flue pipe need to be encased as it goes up through a second floor?

A: A: We’ve heated with a pellet stove at our house for three years and I can recommend the technology to anyone. These stoves automatically feed compressed wood pellets into a combustion chamber where they’re burned along with a jet of fan-driven air. Except for a small puff of smoke that comes out of the flue pipe on start up, pellet stoves burn smokelessly. We use a KOZI stove at our place and it works fine. My only complaint is the fan noise. When you're selecting a stove, be sure to ask about fan noise. This can be annoying to some people, and top brands include design features that reduce the background whir of the internal fans in the stove. Enviro is one manufacturer that has made special effort to reduce fan noise considerably. Friends of ours have enjoyed excellent results with a Harman pellet stove, too. One of the best things about pellet stoves is that they don't need a chimney. Just extend the 3- or 4-inch, double-walled exhaust pipe outside through an exterior wall, and you're done. There are special technical restrictions depending on where you live (the pipe mustn't exhaust closer than 4-feet to a window, it mustn't come out underneath a porch, among others) so check these details out before you decide on a location for your stove. In use, the double-walled flue pipe gets slightly too hot to touch near the stove, but not nearly as hot as the pipe on a conventional woodstove. But since the flue pipe can be put through a wall, you rarely need to have a long run. Your pipes probably won't need to go you through a second-story living area, but it they do enclosing them would be best. You're not required to have a specialist install a pellet stove, but it is too complicated for your average DIYer. You should also contact your insurance company to talk about your plans. They may require an inspection after the stove is in place.