If you are in the market for your first pellet heater or just looking to upgrade, you’ve probably come across the Palazzetti brand and wondering are Palazzetti pellet heaters worth the price tag. There are heaps of pellet heater brands available today ranging from budget focused made in China heaters to top of the line, luxury European heaters. There’s a significant difference in price between Palazzetti and Chinese brands, and to best understand if this luxury European heater is really worth it or not let’s take a look at the Palazzetti company, their achievements around pellet heaters and what makes their pellet heaters stand out.
Here’s a quick look at what makes Palazzetti pellet heaters so great. Continue reading to know more detail about each aspect of what makes Palazzetti pellet heaters worth considering for your next pellet heater:
- High quality European design
- Advanced pellet heating technology
- Reliability due to quality parts
The History of Palazzetti
Palazzetti has been a Italian family-owned business for three generations. Over the last 60 years the company has become a well known producer of innovative and high-quality pellet heaters that can be bought just about anywhere in the world and are on par with other luxury European brands like Piazzetta pellet heaters. Originally they started out manufacturing wood heaters but moved into manufacturing pellet heaters about 30 years ago. They sell a wide range of pellet heater models (almost too many models), which include pellet heaters that heat air, water (hydronic) and both air and water.
Palazzetti Pellet Heaters
Palazzetti began making pellet heaters with the Ecofire model and since then have made some innovative advances and brought to market some very interesting and unique models that you can’t find anywhere else. Their Ecofire pellet heater was introduced in 1994 and due to it’s low emissions, helped Palazzetti to become a leader in the manufacturer of low emission pellet heaters. Their next advancement in pellet heaters came in 2004 when they designed and produced the Multifire firebox, combining traditional firewood heating with the practicality of pellets. It’s the desire to always improve and enhance their designs which has made Palazzetti pellet heaters so famous today.
Smart Pellet Heater Features
While some made in the USA pellet heaters still don’t have WiFi capability, Palazzetti has always been at the forefront of seeing what they can do with their heaters and technology. In 2015, the company launched the “Internet of Things” project, enabling their pellet heaters to be controlled from a smartphone. The technology also provided a new level of customer service by offering predictive maintenance, allowing engineers to check the heaters without needing to visit the customers’ homes. If you look at their pellet heater models today you’ll see they come with patented features and designs you won’t find anywhere else.
Some of these patented designs include: Sealed Design, Upper Smoke Technology, Balanced Door Design, Speedy Clean, Quick Start System, Star Valve and the Digital Pressure System. Below you’ll find a very quick short breakdown of what each of these features mean and do. Essentially they improve efficiency which will reduce what it costs to run the pellet heater and save you money. Regardless of the model you look at, you’ll find that all of their heaters include at least a few of these unique features.
Sealed Design
Palazzetti has a special technology called “sealed technology” in some of their pellet heaters. This technology reduces emissions and saves you money. The heater is completely sealed, which means it takes in all the air it needs from outside, making the combustion process better and keeping indoor air from being used up. Most other pellet heaters will vent air from inside your house out the exhaust. This creates negative pressure where cold air from outside your house is then sucked in. The sealed technology is also supported by a sealed hatch for the hopper and safety switches. This technology improves the heater’s performance and makes it more comfortable to use, especially in homes that use less energy.
Upper Smoke Technology
Upper Smoke Technology is a feature found in some Palazzetti pellet heaters. It has the exhaust pipe that vents out emissions located at the top center of the heater, like a wood heater. This makes it easier to install the heater and saves space because the heater can be installed closer to walls unlike other pellet heaters which typically vent out the back of the heater and require more space to any wall behind it. It also saves money because the exhaust pipe is shorter as it doesn’t run all the way to the bottom of the heater. The top pipe also lets air in to help the heater burn more efficiently because the air gets heated before it reaches the combustion chamber.
Balanced Door Design
The Balanced Door system is a patented technology that makes sure the door closes perfectly and lasts a long time. It has special parts called dampers that make the seal around the door stronger and adjust to any changes in the door materials caused by use over time. This helps to keep the door sealed tightly at all times. This is useful because wear and tear on pellet heaters usually shows in the door seal. It’s not uncommon that at some point the gasket rope that seals normal pellet heater doors will need to be replaced.
Speedy Clean
Speedy Clean is a system that makes cleaning your heating device easy and affordable. It uses advanced technology in the firebox to make cleaning simple, so you don’t have to take apart any parts or use special tools. This makes cleaning faster and more convenient, and also helps to save money on maintenance. As I’ve touched on elsewhere, pellet heaters must be cleaned and some models are designed in a way that makes cleaning them easier, just like this. While cleaning isn’t hard and doesn’t take long, if you want a pellet heater that is as easy as can be to clean and look after, then this is something to keep in mind.
Quick Start System
The Quick Start System helps you turn on your pellet heater quickly. It uses a special component called a ceramic igniter to light a fire in the heater. This component is better than the traditional metal encased igniter because it starts the fire faster and in turn uses less electricity. Also, it lasts longer because it does not rust easily and can withstand different conditions without getting damaged. This is an interesting feature because igniters in pellet heaters do need to be replaced every few years or so. However, be aware these ceramic igniters do typically cost more than standard igniters.
Star Valve
The “Star” Valve is a special system that helps to control the amount of fuel that is burned in a heater. It is designed to make sure that the right amount of fuel is fed into the combustion chamber, without leaving any leftover material. The design of the valve and a special component helps to control the fuel accurately. Additionally, the combustion chamber is separated from the fuel storage area to prevent air from affecting the burning process and to improve the combustion process overall.
Differential Pressure System
The Differential Pressure Sensor helps to ensure perfect combustion all the time. It is a unique system that measures the amount of air flowing into the combustion chamber and tells the electronic control unit about it. This information allows the heater to adjust its operation quickly so that it is using the right amount of air for combustion. The goal of this system is to maintain optimal combustion conditions at all times. The end result is a more efficient and consistent burn and heat output.
Other Pellet Heater Brands to Consider
Palazzetti is a premium quality brand and their pellet heaters, while still priced more competitively than Piazzetta, are expensive. If you’d like to see what other brands and models are available in Australia and at what prices, please check out the list of pellet heater reviews I have. There’s an article for those who live in Tasmania, my top 5 pellet heaters in Tasmania, which lists the five best heaters. If you live in another state in Australia, then my best pellet heater in Australia covers a range of heaters and I am sure one there will be to your liking. You don’t have to buy a European pellet heater to have a great heating experience with a pellet heater.
Should You Buy a Palazzetti Pellet Heater?
As you can see, Palazzetti is extremely customer, feature and quality focused. Most of the features improve efficiency and pellet consumption. However, will they really reduce how much money you spend on buying wood pellets considering how much more these heaters cost compared to cheaper models? I’m sure they will improve efficiency but you need to keep in mind Palazzetti pellet heaters are expensive, at least compared to cheaper Chinese models. You are going to spend at least $2000 more on a Palazzetti heater compared to a similar Chinese model. Price ranges from about $5,500 to $10,000 for standard convection air pellet heaters. Also, remember expensive pellet heaters are not always better.
Also, it doesn’t matter how much you spend on a pellet heater because at some point parts in it will need to be replaced and parts for European pellet heaters usually cost a lot more than Chinese heaters. So should you buy a Palazzetti? Buy one if quality is important to you and you are happy to pay for it. They truly are an amazing heater, as you can see by the features listed above, and they look beautiful. However, you will pay a premium for these features but for some people the better design and added features are worth the extra cost.
Any pellet heater can heat your house and they essentially all work the same. So for me it just comes down to are you happy to pay extra for a unique design and European quality? It really depends on your budget.
Resources
Palazzetti Air Pellet Stoves website
