Pellet Insert
For those who depend on a fireplace to supplement their home heating a pellet burning fireplace insert should be a serious consideration. Pellet burning fireplace inserts are much like pellet stoves in the way they work and in their heating performance, but they are built so that they can be installed right into the firebox area of an existing fireplace.
Pellet inserts burn wood pellets that are made from wood waste materials that are left over from other manufacturing processes using wood. These wood chips, saw dust, etc. are compressed to the point that they will stay in the pellet form.
Compressing the material into pellets makes for a very handy way to deal with this fuel source because they can be easily poured into the pellet insert and they are easy to package and transport. Pellets can be transported in bulk trucks or in bags that are convenient for home owners to purchase and transport. They can also be easily stacked for storage.
Pellet inserts are among the cleanest burning heating fixtures on the market. They are extremely efficient and very environmentally friendly. Regular wood burning inserts have to be designed to meet EPA standards to be certified but because pellet inserts create such minimal pollution they do not even require EPA certification. You may see EPA certifications on some model because the manufacturer voluntarily applied for it, but it is not required for pellet burning inserts.
Other differences between pellet burning inserts and regular wood inserts are that most pellet burning inserts require electrical power to run the pellet feeder mechanism and the fan(s). Another difference is the way they can be vented. Regular wood burning inserts usually need a chimney to vent smoke and gases whereas many pellet inserts can be vented right through a wall.
Another feature that is often included in a pellet insert is a thermostat control that monitors the heat coming from the insert and adjusts air flow and pellet feeding to raise and lower temperatures as needed to maintain the desired room temperature.
There are many models and designs of pellet inserts on the market to choose from so you may want to compare features as well as appearance when it comes to installing a pellet burning fireplace insert.
