What is a pellet heater?

Pellet heater

The invention of pellet heaters was inspired by oil barrel stoves, which were widely used during the Great Depression, and Pres-to-Logs, which were used in the 1930s. During the oil crisis of the 1970s, Americans were forced to find more cost-effective ways to heat their homes, so pellet heaters were invented.

What is a pellet heater?

A pellet heater is a heater that burns compressed wood or biomass pellets to create a heat source for residential and industrial spaces. By steadily feeding the fuel from the storage vessel (hopper) into the combustion can area, it produces a constant flame requiring little physical adjustment. Today's central heating systems using wood pellets as a renewable energy source can achieve efficiency factors of over 90%.

How are wood pellets made?

After collection, a hammer mill grinds the organic by-products and compacts them into uniformly sized pieces. The high pressure applied by the mill raises the temperature and melts the block into a semi-solid state. The mill is then stopped, the pressure is released and the biomass is allowed to cool. The result is small pellets that can be used on the stove.

Background and History of Pellet Heaters

Scrap wood and marine burners have been around since at least the early 20th century, and the use of barrel stoves, braziers, and barrel fires is readily seen in Depression-era Hooverville historical media. Early 20th century using professionally built wood-burning heaters with sawdust hoppers. All these units use waste wood or sawdust. In 1930, the Presto-Log was invented to reuse waste wood chips from the Potlatch Pine Mill in Lewiston, Idaho, for home heating. Small pellet heaters appeared in Washington state in the 1980s.

Over the years, the appearance of pellet heaters has transformed from a simple boxy workhorse design to a modern heating appliance. Pellet heaters can be freestanding units or fireplace inserts that vent into an existing chimney. Most pellet heaters are constructed using large thermally conductive steel or cast iron castings, with stainless steel wrapping the circuit and exhaust area.

The heating industry has shifted significantly to biomass stoves and heating equipment based on highly efficient combustible and renewable resources. It's a trend that started with the oil crisis of 1973, leading to the first pellet heaters. Even so, in the past decade alone, pellet heaters have become a viable, economical, and popular option for home heating systems. Between 1998 and 2010, 824,410 pellet heaters and fireplace inserts were manufactured in the United States.

While some heaters are UL listed for use with fuels other than pellets, such as wheat, corn, sunflower seeds, and cherry pits, many pellet stove manufacturers recommend corn and pellet blends.

Advantages of pellet heaters

Easy to use and maintain

Using a pellet heater does not require much expertise. Thanks to the automatic ignition and built-in thermostat, you can set the desired temperature level.

In addition, the technology used for pellet heaters is also improving. Newer models are compatible with smartphones, for example, allowing you to control operations using apps and voice commands.

Unlike wood-fired heaters, pellet heaters do not produce soot and creosote. Therefore, it is easy to clean the device after use.

Energy efficiency

Pellet heaters are more efficient than wood-burning heaters and open fireplaces. They are also better than electric heaters. This means that the stove uses very little fuel to heat large spaces.

In addition, high efficiency means pellet heaters emit less carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. That's why some environmentalists consider it carbon neutral.

Promote recycling

Particles come from food waste, industrial waste and other materials that can pollute the environment. Instead of polluting your surroundings, you can properly dispose of this waste or sell it to pellet manufacturers for a profit.

Recycling makes the environment cleaner and reduces disease risk. It also makes life more comfortable. Over time, it reduces your carbon footprint, which helps mitigate the effects of global warming and climate change.

Insect resistance

Stored wood is a pest magnet. When you collect and store logs, they can attract insects and rodents that can cause damage and potentially bring disease to your home.

Also, the chimneys of traditional fireplaces can hold bugs when they are idle.

Instead, the pellets come in airtight boxes. So you don't have to worry about pests. Also, pellet stoves do not require a chimney.

Disadvantages of pellet heaters

Noise

Pellet heaters have several moving parts that make a lot of noise during operation. Although the newer models are quieter, they can still be annoying if you like a quiet environment.

Energy consumption

Pellet heaters have built-in thermostats and other electronic components. However, they require an electrical connection to function, and consume a fair amount of power during use. This makes this heater useless in a home without electricity.

Calorie deficit

Pellet heaters can heat smaller spaces than traditional wood-burning heaters. They are not suitable for heating large areas such as living rooms. Instead, they work best on decks and small patios.

Expensive

The cost of purchasing a pellet heater is higher than other heating solutions. So you need thousands of dollars to use this device.

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