Around the house: Pellet stove easier to maintain than wood

Dear Ken: I am thinking about installing a wood stove. I live in an area without natural gas and so have to use expensive propane. What do you think of that as an extra energy source? - Cheryl

Answer: Wood stoves aren't as popular as they were in the 1970s after the first energy crisis. They are messy and tend to add a permanent, smoky smell to furniture and carpet. Plus, it's difficult to keep the space around the stove clean and debris-free.

Have you considered a pellet stove? It burns compressed sawdust chunks, is easier to maintain and is more user-friendly than its wood-burning cousin. Once the hopper is loaded with fuel, the stove feeds itself through an auger system. The mechanism even can be wired to a thermostat to respond to temperature changes. It also produces less ash than traditional wood stoves and is less odorous too. The main drawback is that if the power goes out, the feeder mechanism won't work and the stove shuts down.

Read more: http://gazette.com/around-the-house-pellet-stove-easier-to-maintain-than-wood/article/1578597