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Pellet stoves have been a popular way of heating homes for several years now. They are a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way of heating our homes, which is why many people choose them over other methods such as natural gas or oil heating, electric radiators or butane stoves.

To heat your home, you can choose to either install a biomass boiler or a pellet stove. A biomass boiler can also be used to provide domestic hot water. However, if you are only looking for heating, this article is for you. We discuss how much it costs to install a pellet stove.

Features of a pellet stove

Before making a decision, find out how a pellet stove works. These stoves use a type of biomass for combustion, in the form of pellets, measuring between 1 and 3 centimetres, made from compressed wood scraps and sawdust. Pellets are a renewable, clean, cost-effective and environmentally friendly source of fuel, which is why pellet stoves have become an increasingly popular heating option.

The high density of pellets lends them excellent heating power. The fact that pellets are small means they provide a large surface area for flames, so they burn very well, making them a very efficient source of fuel. You only need a small number of pellets to keep a stove burning for a long time.

Pellet stoves generate a lot of heat through the combustion of solid biomass, which is previously ignited with an electrical resistor. Pellets are gradually fed into the combustion chamber, and their energy is transmitted in the form of heat through a high-efficiency heat exchanger. Therefore, the heat generated by burning pellets rises to the heat exchanger and automatically turns on a fan that extracts the cold air and expels hot air, heating the room the stove is in.

Components

Pellet stoves are made up of different parts, including:

  • An internal pellet silo.

  • A worm screw, which drags the necessary amount of pellets and deposits them in the firebox.

  • A resistor to light the first wick that starts burning the pellets.

  • A gas extraction duct.

  • An air-driven turbine.

  • A hot air outlet grille.            

What is required for installation?

To install a pellet stove at home, bear in mind that you will need a smoke outlet leading to the outside (normally 80 or 100 mm in diameter), with stainless steel pipework, and with at least two metres of vertical piping. This way, a natural draught will be created in the event of a power outage.

In addition, it is possible to install a pellet stove if you live in a flat, as long as it is approved by the housing association and the installation regulations established by the Regulations for Thermal Installations in Buildings (RITE) are respected.

Finally, bear in mind that stoves require a minimum level of maintenance by the owner (clearing away ashes from the burner, emptying the ash pan, cleaning the door glass, etc.). In addition, once a year or for every 500 kilos of fuel burnt, they need to undergo a maintenance check by a qualified technician.

How much a pellet stove costs

To get an idea of how much a pellet stove costs, we looked on the website of a leading DIY company, which stocks models ranging between €1,000 and €3,000. The final price will depend on the brand and model of the stove, the power, the surface area you need to heat and any other functions it has.

With regard to the cost of installing the stove, some companies provide the service of taking prior measurements, dismantling the old stove and installing the pellet stove including connection to the existing smoke outlet and connection to the electrical outlet, at no extra cost to the customer. Other services, such as the installation of additional lengths of pipe for the smoke outlet, masonry work, painting or finishing touches will be quoted for separately.

How much you could save with a pellet stove

When deciding whether to opt for a pellet stove to heat your home, you should not just consider the initial investment, but also the long-term savings you could make.

Biomass is cheaper than other energy sources, such as gas or electricity. For the same amount of heat produced, pellets cost less than fossil fuels (25% less than natural gas and 2 times less than oil). In addition, the price of pellets has been much more stable over the years than oil or electricity.

How much will I save? We can do a rough calculation:

  • a 15-kg bag of pellets costs 4 euros on average, i.e., 0.26 euros per kilo.
  • a small stove is capable of heating a room of 70 square metres, consuming an average of one kilo of pellets per hour.
  • If it is on for about 8 hours a day, it would cost just over 2 euros per day, so in the colder months, the cost would total around 62 euros per month.

Compare this with the price of your current heating bill (whether electric, gas or oil) and you will see that pellet stoves could save you a lot of money.

Another thing to take into account when deciding whether to opt for a pellet stove is the fact that public energy efficiency grants may be available, which usually include subsidies for the installation of boilers or biofuel stoves. Check on the website of your Autonomous Community to see whether there are any grants available or check the portal of the IDAE, the Institute for Diversification and Saving of Energy.

If you are looking for a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to heat your home, a pellet stove is certainly one option to consider.

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