Gas, Wood, or Pellet: Choosing the Best Heating Stove for Your Home

Heating stoves are the most economical way to heat a home. They can be used to warm a room or heat an entire home. And whether you are planning to buy a new heating stove for your home or replace an older unit, there are many choices available. Understanding the different types of heating stoves will help you select the best one for your home heating needs.

Wood burning stoves

Wood stoves have been a primary source of heat in millions of homes for centuries. And it’s still a popular heating appliance for many homeowners today. Wood is a sustainable, readily available, and inexpensive fuel source. And unlike those soot-covered heating stoves of the past, today’s modern EPA-Certified wood stoves burn more efficiently and with less pollution than ever before.  They are also much easier to operate and maintain and are safer to use.

Wood-burning stoves feature all-metal construction, such as steel or cast iron. When wood is burned in the chamber, the heat in the firebox radiates throughout the living space.

Pellet heating stoves

Pellet stoves are like wood-burning stoves, except they use wood pellets instead of logs as a fuel source. Pellets are small pieces of compressed wood particles. They are poured into a hopper system making it more convenient than loading wood into a firebox. A 40-pound bag of pellet fuel provides approximately 3 to 4 hours of continuous heat for a 1,500-square-foot home.

Pellet stoves are easy to use, have high heating efficiencies, and are more eco-friendly. Due to the additional processing, pellet fuel is more expensive than wood fuel.

Gas heating stoves

Gas heating stoves are another popular type of stove that uses clean-burning propane or natural gas as its source of fuel. They are also the most convenient option since there is no need to load fuel when connected to a gas line. Gas stoves are available in vented or ventless models, which means they can be installed virtually anywhere in the home.

Single Space Vs. Whole-Home Heating

Heating stoves are also available in many different sizes. You can choose a small freestanding heating stove for a single room, or you can select a large model to heat multiple rooms or the entire house. When using a heating stove for whole-home heating, it should be installed on the lowest level (heat rises to the top), which for many homes is the basement.

The heat can also be channeled through heating vents to provide heat throughout the house. The exhaust is vented through a stove pipe connected to the chimney or external vent. More advanced models feature an adjustable thermostat to provide the desired level of comfort. The stove will automatically stop and start to maintain the desired temperature.

Heating Stove Installation

When selecting a heating stove for your home, consider your heating needs, budget, and living space. Also, consider the availability and cost of the different fuel options.

Also, consult with the friendly and knowledgeable professionals at Magic Mountain Chimney or your local hearth retailer to help you make the best decision for your home. They will also be able to arrange for home delivery and professional installation.

How to Use a Wood Burning Stove

The easiest and traditional method to use a wood stove is to warm up the flue using any heat source. Now light the fire in the wood stove using newspapers and bits of softwood kindling. Keep burning the fire and bring the wood temperature to the required temperature by adding different-sized logs. 

How to Use Pellet Heating Stoves

If you are new to using a pellet heating stove then don’t worry much. All you need to do is to start by pouring the pellets into the stove’s hopper. It generally holds 40 to 55 pounds at a single time. These pellets are then added into a burn chamber where they combine with other burning material that forces combustion air into the stove or chamber. You can use this to heat your house as well in winter. 

How to Use Gas Heating Stoves

They are super easy to use and are usually equipped with a dial that could light the burner. You can use the burner to adjust the heat you want for your stove. Sometimes, the fire may not light right away instantly.