Heard about pellet heaters (maybe you’ve heard them called pellet fires or pellet stoves) and wondering are pellet heaters good? They are better than good, I’d say they are great. If it’s really cold I won’t heat my house with anything else. If you haven’t already go and read my post about how pellet heaters work but if you are sick and tired of messing around with firewood and want real, natural heat without the hassle, then a pellet heater is something you should consider. Here’s what make pellet heaters better than good and the best alternative to using a wood heater and why they are much better than a heat pump in terms of quality of heat.
How Pellet Heaters Work
Pellet heaters burn compressed wood pellets in a burn pot which heats a heat exchanger and then that heats air which is blown out heating the room. It might sound complicated but it’s not. They are a space heater which falls somewhere between a wood heater, there’s a fire that creates heat, and a heat pump, because they start and stop automatically and you can control the temperature of the room. It’s this cross over between a wood heater and heat pump which makes them excellent heaters. You get real heat from a fire but without the hassle of firewood. Read my post on what’s a pellet heater if you’d like to know in detail about how they operate.
Real Heat
There’s no denying wood heaters produce lovely heat, especially on a rainy day, but unless you like messing around with firewood they can be a real chore. Pellet heaters burn wood pellets and put out a lovely, natural heat which is very close to the heat you get from a wood heater. This is probably the main reason when I’m asked are pellet heaters good I say yes they are because you get real heat and real warmth. Heat pumps or split system air conditioners are definitely convenient but many people don’t like the stuffy “heat” they make.
Even though the fire in a pellet heater is much small than a wood heater, it still produces that lovely warmth you can feel in your bones. Besides a wood heater, nothing else comes close the level of comfort you get from a pellet heater. The heat you get from the fire in a pellet heater is light years ahead of a heat pump. Electric heaters often small and the heat again doesn’t feel natural. If real, natural heat is important to you, then a pellet heater is hard to beat and besides a wood heater I don’t think you’ll find anything else that comes close.
Less Hassle
One of the most significant benefits of using a pellet heater is wood pellets offer a hassle-free heating experience for just about anyone. Unlike firewood, which can be a a major headache to deal with (you need to stack, split, dry and move the stuff constantly), wood pellets come in convenient 15kg bags and the day you buy wood pellets they can be burnt, as they don’t need to be dried like firewood.This means that you don’t have to worry about drying the wood, dealing with any mess or critters that may come along with it, or any other issues that you get when messing around with firewood.
No need to stack firewood down the side of a fence or underneath your house. No need to go out in the rain and get wet to grab more firewood. No need to worry if the person you a buying firewood from is selling you wet wood or not. Wood pellets have none of the hassle you get with firewood but they still give you that lovely natural fire feeling when burnt.
Easy to Handle Bags
Because wood pellets come in bags, it makes handling pellets easy. The bags are lightweight and easy to move around, so you can easily transport them in just about any vehicle, don’t need a ute or any large car and the pellets are easy to store. When it comes to refill your pellet heater with wood pellets, simply empty a bag into the pellet heater’s hopper, and you’re good to go. Depending on the size of your hopper and the heating needs of your space, you may only need to do this once a day, or even less frequently. There’s no constant refilling of the hopper every few hours like you have to with a wood heater and firewood.
Of course, if lifting and emptying bags of pellets and emptying them into your pellet heater is still too much of a hassle for you, there are alternative solutions. One option is to store your pellets in a separate container, which can make the process of tipping them into the hopper easier, as you might use a small bucket or something similar. You can use a specially designed “pellet scoop” to transfer the pellets from the container to the hopper, minimizing the amount of lifting and handling required.
Convenience
Pellet heaters offer an unparalleled level of convenience and ease-of-use when it comes to home heating. With just the push of a button, these heaters can be quickly and easily turned on and off, eliminating the need to manually light a fire like a wood heater. In fact, modern pellet heaters are designed to start heating within just a few minutes of being switched on, so you won’t have for your house to warm up on super cold winter mornings if the fire went out, like you have to do with a wood heater.
One of the most exciting features of modern pellet heaters is that many of them come equipped with advanced technology like WiFi connectivity and timers. This means that you can turn your heater on or off, adjust the temperature, or even set a heating schedule even if you’re not at home. This is a major advantage over wood heaters, which require constant attention and must be kept burning 24/7 to keep your room and house warm. With a pellet heater, you can easily turn it off when you leave for work or down to the shops, and then turn it back on when you return home, all with the touch of a button.
Automatic lighting of a pellet heater and WiFi and timers not only saves you time but also money. By using a pellet heater, you don’t have to worry about the fire going out during the night. There’s also no need to get up early to light the fire to warm your house up. Set the timer to switch the pellet heater on an hour before you wake up and by switching it off when you leave you aren’t wasting money burning pellets to warm a house when you aren’t home. This is pretty much why I think if you are comparing a pellet heater vs wood heater that the pellet heater wins.
Pellet heaters are super easy to use and start heating your room and house quickly. You switch them on and off by pushing a button, so there’s no need to worry about lighting a fire by hand, and they usually start heating within 5 minutes. Unlike a wood heater you won’t be waiting an hour or more for your house to warm up. Modern pellet heaters also come with WiFi or a timer which means you can switch them on and off even if you aren’t at home.
Easy to Install
One of the key advantages of pellet heaters is that they can be installed quickly and easily, typically with minimal disruption to your home and daily routine. Pellet heaters do need a flue but the easiest and most common installation methods for pellet heaters is to vent them directly through an exterior wall. This eliminates the need for a complicated flue system and allows for quicker and easier installation, saving you time and money. In fact, many homeowners are surprised by just how easy it is to install a pellet heater using this method.
In addition to being easy to install, pellet heaters can also be installed in a variety of locations throughout your home. Because they can be vented directly through a wall, pellet heaters can be placed in areas where a wood heater may not be able to go, such as in a corner or another small, under-utilized space. This makes it easier to heat up multiple rooms or areas of your home with just one heater, saving you even more money on heating costs.
Of course, if you prefer to install your pellet heater through the roof, this is also an option. This method is similar to the installation process for a wood heater, and can be an ideal choice if venting through a wall is not possible or practical. Regardless of how you install your pellet heater, through the wall or ceiling, the easy installation process is similar and anyone qualified to install a wood heater can install a pellet heater.
Natural Heat
It’s worth repeating. One of the most appealing aspects of using a pellet heater is the natural, cozy heat that it provides. Unlike other heating systems that create a heat which is dirty or just doesn’t feel natural and warm, pellet heaters use wood pellets as their primary fuel source. This means that they generate a warm, natural heat that is not only more comfortable, but it’s also environmentally friendly and a clean way to heat.
This lovely heat is why I recommend pellet heaters to anyone who is sick and tired of a wood heater and looking for an alternative heater to stay warm. Pellet heaters offer all of the benefits of a wood heater – including that natural, comforting heat – but with none of the drawbacks. Pellet heaters are easier to use than wood heaters, and they don’t produce the same level of mess or require the constant attention of a wood heater. Firewood and the “fun” you can have with it does get boring for some people after a while.
Summary
Pellet heaters are a great alternative to wood heaters or heat pumps. They provide a natural, cozy heat that’s similar to wood heaters, but with less hassle and more convenience. Wood pellets come in bags that are ready to burn as soon as you purchase them, eliminating the need to split, stack, dry, or move firewood constantly. Pellet heaters can be turned on and off with the push of a button and start heating within just a few minutes of being switched on. Some pellet heaters even come with advanced features like WiFi connectivity and timers.
They are easy to install, can be placed in a variety of locations, and provide an environmentally-friendly heating solution. If you’re looking for a reliable, efficient, and comfortable heating solution for your home, pellet heaters are definitely worth considering.
