PELLE TSTOVE: WHAT’S THIS
The pellet stove has recently been gaining greater interest from consumers as design is also creating elegant and functional solutions. This type of stove uses pellets for combustion.
The latter is a fuel obtained from dried and pressed wood biomass in small cylinders with high energy density capable of making it an excellent alternative to traditional fuels used for heating and hot water production.
The pellet stove is similar to a normal wood stove, made with stainless steel or cast iron conductors, covered with various materials and with a design that over the years has become increasingly similar to contemporary style.
Combustion creates carbon dioxide and fumes that they are expelled thanks to a fan for the draft which expels them through the chimney or connection with the outside (which can also match with a perimeter wall because being a mechanical movement it does not require the vertical draft).
The best online pellet stoves are from different brands including Laminox, Kalor and Qlima. In this article we will try to shed some light on the various types of pellet stoves and how they work.
PELLET STOVE: VARIOUS TYPES
Let’s see how and which pellet stove to choose according to the different existing types:
STUFE A PELLET AD ARIA
Air pellet stoves, in addition to being the most common, are also the simplest in operation. They are certainly the most suitable for heating small rooms because they simply supply hot air to the place where they are positioned by means of a fan.
About a third of the heat remains in the room where it was produced while the rest spreads to other rooms with less power. For this reason it is good to be very careful in choosing the right power of the stove at the time of purchase to avoid finding yourself in a room that is too hot and others very cold.
DUCTED PELLET STOVES
Ducted pellet stoves are mainly suitable for medium / large sized rooms. The operation remains similar to that of a simple air pellet stove, i.e. based on a fan that helps the movement of hot air. Unlike this, there is a system of pipes that diffuses the heat even in the rooms adjacent to the one in which the stove was installed.
The pipes can be on the floor or hidden in walls and columns to combine design and functionality of the system.
Ducted pellet stoves have a higher cost than simple air stoves. On the other hand they guarantee a higher heating capacity throughout the apartment and therefore an optimization of consumption.
HYDRO PELLET THERMO-STOVES
The hydro thermo stove is a heat generator that connects directly to the hydraulic system. So instead of producing hot air, they heat the water that circulates in the radiators or in the floor system. It can work as a single heat generator or be integrated into the existing system.
Hydro pellet thermo stoves are an excellent solution for those who need to heat a large room and to integrate or completely replace an old gas boiler. They can also be installed recessed and the system works thanks to a system of radiators or fan coils, or through an ad hoc floor system.
Finally, with regard to hydro pellet stoves, it should be remembered that they become a truly efficient system by connecting them to solar heating systems. This opportunity, added to the possibility of integrating the boiler system which allows to have domestic hot water, makes hydro pellet stoves the best integrated system for heating, especially from an economic point of view.
PELLET BOILERS
Another type of solution for domestic heating are pellet boilers that can replace the old gas or diesel boiler without having to revolutionize the existing thermo-hydraulic system.
Therefore, they take on exactly the same function as the autonomous heating present in many of our homes by heating the water circulating in the heating system and the water for sanitary uses.
The only problem related to pellet boilers is that they must be connected to a dedicated tank, silo or warehouse from which to automatically take the pellet.
PELLET STOVE: HOW TO CHOOSE IT
As said, the pellet stoves use ecological fuel which is obtained by assembling shavings and sawdust which, after a mechanical pressing process, are reduced to a cylindrical shape the size of about 5-6 millimeters.
The pellet is not mixed with chemical additives or dyes and it is for this reason that it is more environmentally friendly than other types of fuels.
The main specifications to consider when choosing a pellet stove are:
- the square footage of the rooms to be heated
- the layout of the rooms in the apartment
- the exposure of the building
- thermal insulation
- the quantity and quality of the fixtures present
- the quality of the pellet used
The pellet is also crucial for the correct functioning of the stove: a poor quality pellet will produce greater exhaust fumes that could be harmful to the environment and to the stove itself as well as burning faster than you have expected and not providing heat necessary.
In addition to reducing polluting emissions, the pellet is more easily stackable – especially when compared to wood – and has a higher thermal efficiency because it contains very little humidity.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR A CORRECT INSTALLATION
For correct installation, two elements are indispensable: a power socket, which is used for the stove mechanism for ignition and to operate the fan, and a chimney for the evacuation of the fumes.
‘Flue-less‘ or wall-mounted stoves do not actually exist and cannot be installed. The burning pellet produces harmful fumes that must be brought outside; a legal regulation requires that the combustion products are discharged on the roof of buildings, so that the wall discharge is not only dangerous, but also prohibited by law.
UNI10683
Until the legislation on the discharge of combustion fumes allowed this evacuation system, the installation of these stoves was done almost everywhere, in single houses as in condominiums.
The new rules on the installation of flues and ducts and precisely the UNI10683, currently strictly prohibits the installation of wall flues, eliminating one of the most interesting aspects related to the simplified installation of these stoves.
In the new current legislation, in fact, it is explicitly clarified that for stoves equipped with flue, so for all, the exhaust of the fumes through the flues must take place roof only, taking care to extend for at least two meters beyond the roof slab, the end section of the chimney adequately equipped with chimney.
Of course is immediately clear that in the light of the new legislation cited, the installation of such stoves in an apartment building, it becomes somewhat problematic, given respect of the standards they impose in addition to the roof drain, also the rules of verification and installation of the thermal characteristics in phase of exercise.
Insertions of the pellet stove in compositions in which there are non-safety remotely highly flammable materials must also be avoided. The pellet stove needs to be installed with a power outlet with which to energize the suction of the fumes.
In order to avoid that in the event of a power outage, the fumes produced by combustion, due to the lack of forced aspiration, can flow into the heated rooms. Where possible, it would be advisable to create a duct with increased draft, perhaps helped by a battery powered aspirator.
DIY INSTALLATION? BETTER A SPECIALIST
The installation of a pellet stove is not difficult for those who have a little practice with do it yourself, but it is also the main aspect on which you must not save money to have a safe, efficient and economic system. In fact, it must be carried out by a specialist qualified by the Chamber of Commerce pursuant to a ministerial decree (37/2008) and who has followed the updating or qualification courses to install the systems powered by renewable energy sources.
At the time of installation, the installer issues two documents that the owner of the stove must keep: the declaration of conformity and the installation booklet. As for the installation, maintenance must also be carried out by a specialist also qualified by the CoC and pursuant to the same decree. The verification is done once a year.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
Installing a pellet stove has several advantages, but at the same time also several disadvantages. Let’s see specifically what they are, starting from the positive sides:
ADVANTAGES
- Comfort of use. In fact, it works with automatic and controlled ignition, just fill the pellet tank and press a button;
- the pellet acquires greater density and contains a very low percentage of humidity. This increases its calorific value, in fact, for the same weight it burns for a longer time than ordinary firewood, producing more heat and optimizing consumption;
- Pellet combustion produces less ash and dust; consequently cleaning and maintenance are facilitated;
- The pellet is sold in sealed 15 kg bags. The sealed packages are a guarantee of greater cleanliness in the home compared to wood;
- Pellet stoves allow you to program the stages of ignition, shutdown and regulation of temperature and ventilation. Some models allow you to manage these functions even remotely via smartphone;
- With a hot air ducting system it is possible to heat all the rooms optimizing the system’s performance;
- Not just technology and functionality. Stoves are real furnishing elements whose design is constantly evolving to meet every need;
- The simplicity of installation, the small size, the great thermal yield of the combustible material represented by the pellet, the absence of practical drawbacks, such as for example the storage of wood and its transportation to the foot of the hearth;
- Generates immediate heat, unlike radiators that heat the house very slowly;
- Finally, a pellet stove also allows access to 50% Tax Deductions – in the case of a building renovation – or 65% – in the case of an energy requalification to replace an old biomass-fueled heat generator.
DISADVANTAGES
- The bags of pellets need space to be stored, and weigh 15 kg each. To solve the weight problem, when you open a new sack you can divide the contents, pouring a quantity into a basket or container jar with a scoop to be kept available near the stove;
- The brazier of the pellet stove needs to be periodically cleaned of ash, at least every 2 days, according to the use;
- The pellet stove costs on average more than a classic wood stove, and the pellet is a material that must be purchased – and in this case too, the cost is not low. It works like an appliance, or through electricity, and is therefore subject to consumption as well as dependent on the system. Its fuel is addictive, that is, it is the only fuel that can be used and must necessarily be purchased;
- In addition, the pellet stoves produce a slight noise, a constant hum, and if installed in a room of limited dimensions they dry out the air a lot: it is important to equip them with a small tank for water or simply put a container with water on them .
CONCLUSIONS
The pellet stove is an appliance similar to the wood stove, used for heating any type of environment, which uses pellets as solid fuel. It is considered an ecological product since wood processing waste is normally used to obtain the pellets. In other words, it would therefore not be necessary to cut down new trees for the production of pellets if the consumption does not exceed the quantity of wood processing waste.
To calculate the power and therefore the right kW for the pellet stove, just make a simple calculation. In fact, if a house is well insulated, the cubic meter is multiplied by 40 watts. So if a house is 100 square meters x 3 meters high, this operation must be done 100x3x40 = 12000. The result divided by a thousand will give the number of kW needed for your stove. The global power is that of the brazier, while the nominal one is how much it is possible to heat in the environment.
The advice is always to contact an expert on the subject who can advise you on the purchase methods and on the installation methods. It is wrong to underestimate the incidence of installing a pellet stove in your home and, therefore, it is essential to have clear ideas about it rather than having regrets.
In any case, it remains an innovative product with guaranteed yield. In fact, more and more families are innovating their heating systems, towards more eco-friendly solutions, even if at least more expensive than traditional systems.
LEAVE A COMMENT
This article is intended to inform and guide individuals in the purchase of the pellet stove, or of the heating system in general, capable of efficiently heating their home.
If you have doubts about it or would like to be advised for the purchase of a pellet stove, leave a comment at the end of the article and we will be happy to answer you as soon as possible!