How To Install A Pellet Stove In A Basement

How To Install A Pellet Stove In A Basement

A Quick and Easy Guide

A pellet stove can be used to heat your entire home, but it is more commonly used as a supplemental heating source in the home or the basement. Pellet stoves are also easy to clean, and they are very easy to use. The pellets, which are made of wood waste, are an eco-friendly alternative to using oil, gas or coal as heating fuel. Installing a pellet stove in a basement can be challenging, but it can be done if you follow the manufacturer’s guidelines on how to do it. Here is how to install a pellet stove in a basement:

1. Put it in a central location so the heat will be distributed evenly throughout the basement. Be sure to read the manufacturer’s guidelines on how far to place it from the other objects. You will need to make sure that there are no obstacles that will keep the heat from spreading throughout the space. Also, you need to make sure that there is enough space around the pellet stove to use and maintain it.

2. Place the pellet stove in the basement near an electrical outlet that has the proper voltage and is a GFCI rated circuit breaker.

3. Make sure that your basement floor can support the weight of the pellet stove and the pellet hopper, which is the container that holds the pellets. Many hoppers can hold over 80 pounds worth of pellets.

4. Protect the floor underneath the pellet stove from hot embers. The manufacturer will provide you with guidelines about specific flooring materials you will need for the basement floor. A concrete basement floor is the best flooring material.

5. Vent a pellet stove straight up through the roof or existing chimney. If you vent it through the chimney, be sure to read the manufacturer’s guidelines on the proper vent size and placement. Have the chimney inspected before you vent the pellet stove through it.

6. Install it yourself or you can hire a contractor to do it for you. It is crucial that you follow the manufacturer’s guidelines when installing a pellet stove. If you are thinking about doing it yourself, you need to contact the manufacturer first. They will provide you with specific directions on how to install a pellet stove in your house.

The installation of a pellet stove in the basement of your home can be done with ease if you are willing enough to follow the installation instructions for the stove to the letter. Even small pellet stove basement installation requires many specifics to be met to install the stove properly and to ensure that it can be operated by the homeowner safely. The specifications that are listed in the manufacturer’s instructions can be complex, but if further clarification is needed, the homeowner can always call the manufacturer for assistance in deciphering the instructions.

Placing the pellet stove

Many people opt for a great barbecue party on a bright sunny day outdoors. Using a side smoker gives the opportunity to cook larger quantities of food thus expanding the options. While you need skills in cooking meat inside the smoker, you will also need to learn how to use the side smoker properly.

Venting the pellet store

Every pellet stove basement installation that is not a part of an existing structure will need to be vented properly to keep the stove working. The venting can be attached to other venting in the home or vented directly outdoors if the vent can be placed in a safe area. Before installing the pellet stove, be sure that there will be no obstructions to venting the stove from the area that you have chosen or you will find yourself moving the stove and redoing the installation in an area that is better for venting the stove. Proper venting of the stove is important to the health and the safety of the people in the house. Improper venting could cause smoke and ash to remain in the home, which can aggravate asthma or other breathing disorders, or could cause the build up of carbon monoxide in the home, which could be very deadly to people and pets inside the house. There are certain materials that should never be used for venting a pellet stove, including PVC pipes, dryper vent hoses and gas appliances vent hoses. The air within the pellet stove is generally moved through the stove and out of the vent by a small exhaust fan located within the stove. This fan is generally powered by electricity so the stove must be located near an electrical outlet in the home so that the stove can be plugged in. There are very few pellet stoves available that do not use a fan and instead use a natural draft to keep the air moving within the stove and if the homeowner decides to install one of these types of pellet stoves, they must ensure that the draft captured is strong enough to keep the air within the stove moving correctly.

The benefits of pellet stove

Pellet stoves are small and the bags of pellets are about the size of a bag of mulch, making them easy to store. They are also easy to operate and run plus it only requires loading pellets then igniting the flame. Depending on what size hopper your stove has, it may only need to be filled once a day which makes for a convenient way of heating your home. The fire burns in a heat box that is inside the unit, with a very small amount of smoke, which lessens the smell in your home and will prevent the outside of the unit from heating up. With a pellet stove, there is virtually no external exhaust heat over 400 degrees Fareheit while it is operating. You can place a pellet stove as close as two inches away from the wall and it will pose no fire hazard to the area. It is the ideal heating choice for homes with pets and with children.

Cost to operate a pellet stove

Pellets create much less ash than firewood, giving off less creosote which is a flammable product of combustion that can build up and cause chimney fires. Wood pellets are made from recycled materials and they are heavily compressed to ensure that the moisture content is greatly reduced. Dry fuel creates more heat, causing the pellets to burn hotter and cleaner, emitting fewer pollutants than traditional fireplaces. The pellets are also cheap, and it can be purchased in small quantities as needed, versus the upfront cost of purchasing bundles of wood. One of the advantages of pellet stoves is the fuel cost. You may buy 40 pounds of wood pellets for around $5, which provides enough heat for about two days on a low setting. As the typical monthly home heating bill for fuel-heating homes is around $250 or more for the winter months, you will be spending $75-$100 a month to heat your home with pelletized wood fuel in the winter. Pellet stoves, just as any other household appliance, do not require some maintenance to ensure the overall lifespan of the unit.

Pellet stove maintenance

To get the most out of your pellet stove you must properly maintain it. We will briefly tell you how to execute pellet stove maintenance and operation in this short blog post. Before each heating season, you have a qualified chimney professional inspect and clean your pellet stove’s flue. Burning quality pellets that are clean and dry is recommended as wet pellets will start to clog the auger and can cause your stove to eventually stop working. You should clean and vacuum out the main burn chamber areas where all the fly ash lands and collects. You should do that about every two weeks and empty the ash drawer. The venting system keeps the proper airflow so that your pellet stove burns fuel efficiently. Servicing your pellet stove every year to have the pipes, venting system and ash traps cleaned and inspected by a professional is very important. Burning pellets will still create soot build up in the pipes over time, and if not cleaned, the soot could very well create a chimney fires. It is highly recommended that you do annual cleaning of all your fireplaces, chimneys and vents. Pellet stoves require annual maintenance as well after every two tons of pellets are burned. Annually, you can do the following pellet stove maintenance and operation list:

1. Inspect the hopper and auger plate
2. Check pressure and latch switches
3. Clean ash from exhaust pipes
4. Lubricate and clean convection and combustion motors
5. Inspect electrical wiring, heat switches and vacuum sensors
6. Clean fire chamber including the burn pot, ignition assembly, fire walls, draft chambers, exhaust ports and heat exchangers
7. Test electrical sensors and ignitor
8. Clean glass doors and start up stove to make sure all is working correctly

Pellet Stove Emissions

Another benefit to having a pellet stove is that they are exempt from No Burn days. No Burn days or Action days in the state of Colorado are voluntary pollution prevention measures, which may vary by season, and public health recommendations. During the winter season, high pollution day season which is October 31st to March 31st, this triggers mandatory restrictions that limit burning inside the home to only approved devices such as EPA Phase II certified fireplace inserts or stoves.