Pellets or Wood - Another Source of Heat

Although we have a perfectly good furnace in our home, we prefer the heat of fireplaces.  The configuration of our home makes it difficult to heat every area evenly with the furnace.  The supplemental stoves we have chosen are environmentally sound and have low impact emissions.  We actually have three.  One is a stone fireplace which has a wood burning insert.  The insert makes burning the wood more efficient and keeps the critters out.  It provides so much heat that we can only burn it when the weather is quite cold or we will be too warm.

Woodpile dried and ready to burn

If it's above 20 degrees outside

we won't burn this fireplace.

It gets way too warm in the house.

 Our second stove is a pellet burning free standing stove.  Pellets are compressed from the sawdust which is a byproduct of saw mills.  This process keeps the sawdust from going into landfills.  Fuel pellets come in bags and are put into a hopper.  Then they burn a little at a time providing constant heat.

 These are the pellets.  They look like rabbit food.

Pellets are sold in bulk or in these 40 pound bags. For us

the bags are easier to store.

We have the bags delivered in the spring and then recycle

the bags after we empty them.

Our third stove is a brick fireplace with an insert that also burns pellets.  This is in our lower level and keeps it nice and cozy downstairs.