Thinking about a pellet stove this winter? You may want to consider it, they burn cleanly, produce tons of heat and do not require much maintenance. Most people that already own a pellet stove say they love it.

Pellet stove are similar to wood stoves but burn pellets rather than cord wood. Pellets are compressed hardwood that are approx. 1/4 inch diameter and 3/4 inch long. Pellets are commonly available in 40# bags and made from compressed sawdust and waste wood, thereby making them very eco friendly. The byproducts would otherwise be dumped into landfills or left somewhere to rot. Another great point, the CO2 level exhausted by a pellet stove is similar to the carbon released when wood decomposes naturally.

The Pellet Fuel Institute grades pellets and it is important to buy high-quality hardwood pellets from a manufacturer that is a member of the Pellet Fuels Institute. Pellets are typically sold by the ton with the average home consumption being 2-3 tons per heating season. A ton of pellets is 50 of the 40# bags and costs from $200 to $300.

Pellet Stoves

How does a pellet stove work? Pellets are poured into the storage hopper located on the top of the stove. The pellets are transferred from the hopper to the burn chamber by means of an auger (similar system to that which the old coal fired units used). Electronic sensors activate the auger when additional fuel is needed in the firepot. Generally a small handful of pellets is all that is ever in the pot at any given time.

Air for combustion is pulled from the outside via a blower which also causes the exhaust gases to be expelled through a stainless steel exhaust system. A separate blower, called a convection blower, draws air from the room into and around the stove and the heated air is then transferred into the room through a series of heat exchange tubes. A thermostat will automatically drive the stove to deliver a preset amount of heat into the room.

Similar to wood stoves, pellets stoves come in different configurations - freestanding models and inserts for existing fireplaces. Pellets stoves have a lot of heating power and while they generally provide only supplemental heat, some models are capable of heating entire homes.

Pellet stoves can produce up to 50,000 BTU or more, enough to heat up to 2000 sq ft of living area in your home. Smaller units are available for smaller areas and prices will vary from $1000 to $5000.

Given the extreme hot temperature that the pellet stoves operate, there is very little ash left behind, nothing like wood stoves. Pellets stove ash dumps generally require only weekly maintenance with daily use of the stove. Also the clean hot burn eliminates any build up of dangerous creosote (main cause of chimney fire) in the chimney vent.

If you are considering purchasing a pellet stove, a few things should be considered. The weight - up to 400 pounds) of the stove is important considering where you might want to place the stove. If you are installation yourself, you will need plenty of help moving the stove into your home. Also you should consider the structure of your home making sure that there is ample support in the location you choose for the stove. Also you must set the stove on a non-combustible surface such as a hearth pad.

The pellet stove venting must be done precisely according to the manufacturer's installation instructions. Each pellet stove manufacturer will have different requirements regarding how the stove is vented and where you can locate the stove with regard to windows, doors, and other combustible materials. Many online suppliers, such as woodstoves-fireplaces.com offer free technical assistance for the purchase and installation of the pellet stove.

Pellet stove thermostats come in various models, some wireless and others are hardwired. Wireless is generally used more due to the simplicity of installation - no wires to run in walls.

As with a wood stove in a room, having a ceiling fan with your pellet stove will help move the heated air off the ceiling and into the area the is occupied.

One advantage a direct vent fireplace, like the ones available at Copperfield Chimney Supply , has over other types of fireplaces which require chimneys is that it can be placed just about anywhere in the home. The only requirement you have to consider is that the direct vent unit has to be placed along an exterior wall of the home and can include a corner as long as one section is part of the exterior wall.

The hearth room is a home's hot spot. Centrally located, often adjoining the kitchen, it becomes a place for families to chill out around to the fireplace. Historically, a home's hearth was an integral and utilitarian part of the kitchen, used for cooking and for heating the house, says Stephen Melman, National Association of Home Builders spokesman in Washington, D.C. Today's hearth room still brings people together," Melman says, "Families congregate in areas of a home where there's warmth and comfort. With a fire going, that is often the hearth room." More

By Bill Sendelback

Dealing with any government agency can be challenging, but the recent, and questionable, actions of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) have been extremely frustrating for the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA) in its struggle to save decorative gas fireplaces - and now gas logs.

In the latest maneuver by the DOE - a new proposed rule signed July 14, 2011 and published July 22 - the 9,000 Btu maximum input for decorative vented gas fireplaces was dropped, but those fireplaces must now be listed to Z21.50, advertising and rating plates must state "not for heating," thermostats are not allowed and standing continuous pilots are prohibited.

But the big "kicker" in the new proposal is that gas logs are subject to a similar set of requirements, something that was "completely out of the blue," according to HPBA president Jack Goldman. "There has never been any discussion about that," he said. "Despite what they did a little more than a year ago when they issued the final rule, saying in a very clear statement that gas logs were not included in the regulation, they are now doing a complete 180 and proposing to regulate them. There has been a series of surprises throughout this whole process, and this is just one of them."

"The major problem with the recent proposed rule is that the DOE is again trying to include decorative gas products - fireplaces and gas logs - in its definition of direct-heating equipment (DHE)," claims Allan Cagnoli, HPBA's director of Government Affairs. "If we accept the language of this new proposed rule, the DOE would then have complete authority to come back at any time and further regulate decorative gas products. Accepting this proposed rule would box the HPBA and our industry into something the DOE has no legal right to do."

Decorative vented gas fireplaces were included in the original DOE final rule published in April, 2010, which the HPBA has been challenging. That final rule was completely different than what the DOE had proposed in December, 2009, according to the HPBA. By not giving any advanced indication of its plan to include these decorative appliances, the DOE did not allow a public comment period, nor did the DOE publish its data supporting the regulation. That was illegal, according to the HPBA, and the association has challenged the DOE's action in court.

Since the end of May, 2010, the HPBA has been in discussions with the DOE, finally agreeing on "a lot of the substance but not on the implementation of the rule, a gap we could not bridge," says Goldman. "At the end of the process, this was not a negotiation. It was basically the DOE saying, This is it. Accept our terms or we'll see you in court. So we said, We cannot accept these terms. We'll see you in court."

The HPBA has now filed a schedule to present its arguments to the court. In response, the DOE filed an opposition and issued its latest proposed rule, stating that because of this new rule, the HPBA's case will be made "moot," (i.e., rendered pointless) in court. "This is an attempt by the DOE to terminate our right to present our arguments to the court," adds Cagnoli.

In its negotiations with the DOE, the HPBA had agreed to the Z21.50 listing, the "not for heating" designation and the elimination of thermostats and standing continuous pilots in return for the

DOE removing decorative gas products from being defined as DHE. But in the new proposed rule, the DOE reneged and is continuing to attempt to regulate decorative gas products by still listing them as DHE. "It is not that we're just trying to protect decorative gas products from all regulations, but rather that these are not heating products and don't belong in the DHE category," Cagnoli emphasizes. "The DOE has no statutory authority to regulate decorative gas products."

"If you turn the clock back to April, 2010, the DOE put provisions in the regulations on which they never gave the industry a chance to comment. That is illegal," emphasizes Goldman. "The DOE abridged our rights in the regulatory process. Our recourse was to go to court, which we have done. Now, at the 11th hour, they issue this new proposal and tell the court it doesn't have to issue a ruling on the wrong that was done to our industry in the first place. Again the DOE is denying us due process - this time in court - that we are entitled to. We are outraged."

As an example of the faulty data issued by the DOE in the new, proposed rule, it estimates that 90 percent of gas log sets already have intermittent pilot lights. The HPBA, after polling many of its members, estimates the actual number to be less than 10 percent.

Concerning the impact the rule will have on the hearth industry regarding lost employment and economic losses to HPBA members, "The DOE has never asked us. They really don't care," says Allan Cagnoli. "It's all about the gas. It is not about the jobs."

A hearing on the proposed rule is scheduled for September 1 in Washington, D.C., with the HPBA slated to testify on behalf of the industry. Comments on the new proposed rule can be submitted through September 20. The DOE has said it plans to have its new rule out by this November, "which in the regulatory world is 'warp speed,' in order to prevent the industry from having its day in court," says Goldman.

"The DOE is telling the court to put our initial case on hold pending the issuing of the final regulation, supposedly in November," Goldman explains. "We're telling the court we can't wait that long because the industry needs plenty of time to plan for whatever changes it may have to make. Clearly we are not going to get relief from the DOE. They have made that very plain. And we're not sure if we'll get relief from the courts either because, while we think we have a good case, you never know how the court will rule."

The HPBA is taking its campaign to congressional offices, particularly those serving on energy committees. "The offices on the Hill have had a very positive response to our presentation," says Cagnoli.

"This entire effort is very costly," he adds. HPBA is paying one-half of the total costs while the remaining one-half is being paid by HPBA member companies involved in the gas appliance industry, including component suppliers.

The results of HPBA's extensive and intensive efforts are still to be determined. The effective dates of the final version of the new proposed rule have not been finalized, however, it would make intermittent pilot lights required as of July 1, 2014. Other effective dates will be in the final version of the new proposed rule, according to Goldman.

"We believe in our case, both on the litigation side and on the legislative side," says Cagnoli, "but we can never be sure the courts will back us up," adds Goldman. "This 'Great Deal' offered by the DOE in the proposed rule is laced with poison," emphasizes Cagnoli. "If the DOE is successful, the new regulation may not affect decorative gas products this year, but it most certainly will down the road. It's not a question of 'if' but 'when.'"

The gas fireplace and gas log industries are hoping the HPBA triumphs in this effort against a government agency that apparently could not care less about what happens in the real world or how it plays the game.

A wood burning stove can be added to just about any room of the home. You can place one in your family room which will allow you to have a nice toasty family room on cold winter mornings. You can install one in your den and not worry about turning down the thermostat at night to save on energy costs while you remain warm. You can find a variety of different styles and models, including cast iron wood stoves from Copperfield Chimney Supply .

There are different types of chimney pipe available for venting your gas and wood burning fireplaces and stoves. Wood burning units require piping which are made from stainless steel in order to prevent deterioration when burning wood. Gas fireplaces do not necessary need a chimney, but do require some sort of vent. At a minimum gas units require a direct vent to the outside along an exterior wall of the home.

Chimney Pipe is Different for Wood Stoves and Wood Fireplaces

The types of chimney pipe, available on our website, here at Copperfield Chimney Supply, you use for a wood stove may be different from what you would use for a wood fireplace. Stainless steel all fuel chimney products can be used on all types of wood stoves and certain fireplaces. Black stove pipe is designed for use as a connector pipe for wood burning stoves, but not fireplaces and black stove pipe cannot be used for a chimney. Always check with the manufacturer of your wood burning unit to make sure you get the right type of venting.