© 2024 South Carolina Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Wood Pellet Stove

Earthsense

Heating your home in the winter accounts for a large portion of your power bill; that’s why many people are looking for thriftier ways to stay warm.  Freestanding wood pellet stoves, or models that fir into an existing fire place, are becoming more popular.

These stoves look like traditional wood stoves, but burn pellets made of compacted sawdust.  A mechanical auger deposits the pellets into a burn pot, where they are incinerated at such a high temperature that they create no vent-clogging creosote and very little ash or emissions.  Depending on the size of your home, a pellet stove could supplement your current heating system or become the sole source.  Installation can be tricky as they do require some venting, so unless you’re comfortable cutting holes in your home, hire a professional for installation.  Wood pellets are small pills made of wood waste, mostly sawdust, but corn kernels can be used in lieu of pellets.