Pellet stoves are relatively complicated machines, with electronic control boards, multiple blowers, safety switches and sensors. As a result there is much more to go wrong than with a simple wood stove or fireplace. Pellet stoves require regular attention, service and maintenance. Your first order of business when shopping for a Pellet stove is to ask yourself who will be taking care of your stove. If you are very handy with tools, draft gauges and chimney brushes, then it may be possible for you to troubleshoot and repair your unit. If you are a bit less handy, you should strongly consider purchasing from a local and reputable dealer with a service department. Ask questions about their future service policies BEFORE you put your $$$ down.
A pellet stove is simpler to operate than a classic wood-burning stove, but it’s certainly not as hands-off as a conventional furnace. “Our whole culture is built around giving the consumer products that you can plug in and forget,” says Dan Freihofer, vice president of operations for PelletSales.com, a pellet provider. “But the pellet stove takes a little more involvement. You’ve got to fill it every day, and clean the ash out every few days. The archetypal owner is someone who isn’t daunted by a little technology–an engineer or someone who likes to tinker.” There are two basic stove types: inserts that fit into a fireplace and freestanding models, like the Lopi Leyden that Goodrow and Willis bought. This stove produces 45,100 Btu per hour, roughly matching the output of a small residential boiler or furnace–enough to heat 2250 square feet of living space.
When installing a Pellet Stove the termination of a sidewall vent serving a pellet-burning appliance shall be located to avoid personal burn injury, fire hazard, and interference with or damage to adjacent properties. A vent shall not terminate less than 2.1 m above any public sidewalk, lane or street or right of way. It shall not be within 1.8 m of a mechanical air supply inlet to a building. The vent shall not be within 1 m of a building opening or air inlet or another appliance or within 1 meter of the center line of an exterior gas meter. The vent shall not be within 1.8 m of any gas service regulator vent outlet or within 1 m of an oil tank vent or an oil tank inlet. The vent must also be located not less than 0.3 m above grade level or any surface that may support snow, ice, or debris or be located under a veranda, porch or deck.
Every automatic fuel-feeding device servicing a steam boiler using solid fuel shall be equipped with the following controls; a clearly labelled device, located near each entrance to the automatic feeding device floor space and capable of manual operation, for the stopping the supply of fuel to the fire grate; and an automatic device for stopping the automatic feeder if there is a low water level, press exceeds the maximum, shutdown or failure of the combustion air fan; shutdown or failure of the mechanical flue-gas exhauster; a device for maintaining minimum fire and at least one automatic control to regulate or control the normal operation of automatic fuel-feeding device.
The location of the appliance (and chimney) will influence how well heat is distributed and conserved in your home. Most wood- and pellet-burning appliances are essentially space heaters, and should be put in the room where you spend most of your time. Ideally, there should be a way for heat to circulate to the rest of the house.
WETT inspectors are available in Barrie, ON at www.wett-inspection.com and are able to provide new homeowners or new appliance installations with a Certified WETT Inspection. Most insurance companies in the Barrie area will not insure your home without having a WETT Inspection performed by a Certified member.
Learn more about WETT Inspections in Barrie by Certified Professional. Stop by Barrie Wett Inspections site where you can find out all aboutBarrie’s Certified WETT Inspections Company and for all your WETT and Insurance requirements.