Woodburning or Pellet Burning Stove: Which Meets Your Needs Best?

Aesthetics

There’s nothing like viewing flames through a stove window and basking in their warmth as you curl up with a good book or go about your daily work. The question is whether logs are a critical part of your vision of an ideal heating stove.

With a wood stove that has a fire-viewing window, you’ll see flames wrapping around logs and smell their earthy fragrance. With a pellet stove, you’ll see a pile of flaming wood pellets, which is also a lovely sight, but definitely different from logs burning. With a pellet stove, you will typically not smell an earthy scent as they burn. Ask yourself whether these aesthetics are deal breakers for you. Windowless stove options are also available.

Location

Next let’s look at where you’re aiming to position your heating stove. If you’re planning it for your getaway stuga that isn’t wired, and you have no plans to wire it, then be sure to choose a pellet stove that requires no electricity. Most pellet stoves do require electricity to ignite, although the electricity bill for a pellet stove is typically less than $10 per month. On the other hand, a wood stove in that same stuga could meet your needs beautifully.

Fuel Cost

In terms of cost, there are also some significant differences between a wood and pellet stove. Typically, the cost of a new wood stove runs $3,000–$5,000, including installation, whereas the cost of a new pellet stove runs $3,500–$4,000, including installation.

If you already have a chimney and wood stove and are replacing the stove, you might save some money on installation. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), logs for an EPA certified wood stove costs an average of $1,508 per year, whereas pellets for a pellet stove cost an average of $1,987 per year.

Green Factor

Another major difference between a wood stove and a pellet stove is its eco-friendliness. In order for a wood stove to meet EPA certification as of May 15, 2020, it must produce no more than 2 grams of smoke per hour. (This new standard reduced, by more than half, the previous standard of 4.5 grams per hour.)

Pellet stoves typically produce less than 1 gram of smoke per hour and are by nature so eco-friendly that the EPA does not monitor them. Another important consideration is that wood pellets are considered wood waste, so burning them in a pellet stove is a great way to recycle them. If minimizing the environmental footprint of your heating system is a top priority for you, a pellet stove may be the right solution for you.

BTU Output

According to the Department of Energy (DOE), the output of a woodstove ranges anywhere from 30,000–120,000 BTUs, whereas the output of a pellet stove ranges anywhere from 10,000–90,000 BTUs. The EPA tells us that the output per hour needed to heat (or cool) a 100 sq. ft.–150 sq. ft. room is 5000 BTUs whereas the output needed for a 2000 sq. ft.–2500 sq. ft. space is 34,000 BTUs per hour. Be sure to calculate the square footage of the space you need to heat and check it against the BTU capacity of any stove you’re considering.

Day-to-Day Safety

As with the other points of comparison between wood- and pellet-burning stoves, there are some major differences in terms of operation and safety. Wood stoves not only produce more smoke than pellet stoves, but they can also produce sparks and airborne embers and accumulate creosote faster, which can lead to house fires unless carefully monitored and cleaned regularly.

Pellet stoves burn cleanly, with contained flames, so they do not create the risk of sparks and airborne embers. They produce creosote buildup, too, but less rapidly than a wood stove.

Both types of stoves require maintenance according to manufacturer’s instructions, and both types are hot to the touch, so protecting yourself, your kids and pets is important with either type.

As with any heating appliance you use, it’s critical to keep a carbon monoxide detector nearby. You want safety in addition to warmth and pleasant ambiance.