Wood, Pellet, Gas Comparison
According to energy management experts, heating a single area of the home to a comfortable temperature and keeping the rest of the home cooler may reduce heating costs. The main methods of alternative heating are wood-burning, electric and gas.
Gas and wood stoves appeal to different customers for various reasons. Those who prefer gas like the instant heat, the fact that their is no mess and the ability to control the temperature. Those who prefer burning wood like the ambiance of a real fireplace and typically have access to firewood, a way to haul it and time to gather it. Some customers will opt for both.
If you want a wood burning insert but are concerned about wood sources, consider getting a pellet stove.
Pellet stoves burn a wood pellets (a renewable fuel made of saw dust and wood chips that are pressed into pellets). Pellet fireplaces are some of the cleanest-burning appliances available and are extremely efficient. Most pellet stoves require a power source to operate the fan and pellet feeder.
Pellets burn longer than wood. You can load the pellets in the morning and the stove will automatically feed itself throughout the day maintaining a set temperature.
Pellet stoves can be vented straight out of a wall the same way as a gas fireplace.
Like wood burning stoves, pellet stoves require a buildup of heat before the temperature will change in the room. But the pellet stove works better for maintaining a consistent temperature then a wood burning stove because the combustion process is controlled by a thermostat.
If you want instant heat at the flip of a switch you should probably go with a gas fireplace.
Pellet stoves do create ash, which will need to be removed, sometimes daily depending on the size and usage level of the stove.
If you have a source for fuel, wood burning stoves or fireplaces can provide the least expensive alternative heat source.
