Pellet Primer: The Difference Between Burning with Pellets and CordwoodBy JHCadmin, December 20, 2010Welcome to Part 2 in our series on pellet stoves. Click here to read Part 1, which features the Heritage Pellet Stove from Hearthstone.Let’s talk pellets! …After all, they’re the essential ingredient in pellet stoves.Think of a pellet as a condensed version of wood. Pellets are made out of sawdust, bark, and chips from milling operations. In their raw form, these materials are inconsistent in size and moisture content. But the “pelletizing” process – which dries the sawdust and compresses it into a pellet – ensures a consistent, reliable product.Green heatBecause pellets are made from recycled wood products, you can feel good about doing your part to heat your home using a biomass (renewable) energy source.If you’re wavering between purchasing a wood-burning stove or a pellet stove, you need to know that wood does not produce an even heat. Unlike pellets, which burn steadily, a handful at a time, wood-burning stoves have high highs and low lows.StorageBurning cordwood is labor intensive, as anyone who has ever split, chopped, and stacked wood knows. Wood is big. It’s bulky. It’s dirty. And it needs to be seasoned for close to a year before you can burn it.Pellets, on the other hand, come in 40-pound plastic bags. You store them off the ground in a cool, dry place such as a shed or garage.A ton of pellets will fit in a 5’ high x 5’ wide x 5’ long area. A cord of firewood measures 4’ high x 4’ wide x 8’ long.CleanupPellets are less messy than wood from start to finish. You periodically load them into the stove’s fuel hopper and the pellet stove does the rest of the work.Ash produced by a pellet stove is much finer than ash from a wood-burning stove. To maintain your pellet stove, empty the ashes according to the manufacturer’s recommendations and check to make sure no debris clogs the air inlets.Pellet GradesPellets come in different grades and some brands may result in greater creosote buildup and less efficient heating.Be sure to ask a sales associate at Rich’s which pellets they recommend – you’ll want to buy pellets that light easily, leave a minimal amount of ash, and heat as efficiently as possible.Stop by any of Rich’s five Puget Sound showrooms in Lynnwood, Bellevue, Southcenter, Tacoma, or Silverdale to browse our full line of pellet stoves and accessories. Be sure to check out our limited-time offer: purchase any Lopi gas stove, insert, or fireplace and get your choice of a free blower or a Tempest Table Top Torch – up to a $299 value! Other articles on our blog that may interest you:How convection heating works in wood stovesHow to choose the correct wood stove size for your homeHow to correctly start a fire in your wood stoveMorsø European-Style Wood Stoves: Where Green is a Way of Life Like Rich's Facebook Page Recent Articles See All 7 Must-Have Hot Tub and Swim Spa Features Hot Tubs and Swim Spas Author:Rich's For The Home Posted:March 1, 2023 An effective and enjoyable way to get pain relief is in a hydrotherapy spa or swim spa. Powerful jets alleviate body aches, while the buoyancy from the water takes pressure off joints. Read More Rich's New Tigard, Oregon Store: A Chat with Manager Rick Campbell General Articles Author:Rich's For The Home Posted:February 1, 2023 Meet Tigard, Oregon store manager, Rick Campbell, who has been in the hot tub/patio/BBQ business more than 25 years in the Portland metro area. Read More Grill Islands - Easily Create an Outdoor Kitchen in Your Backyard Grills Author:Rich's For The Home Posted:January 2, 2023 Grill islands: Modular outdoor kitchens with grill(s), workspace, fridge, storage, and more. Read More Tartan and Sparkle Holiday Mantel - DIY Tutorial Mantel Decor Author:Rich's For The Home Posted:December 3, 2022 Step-by-step tutorial for your holiday mantel: How to create a classic tartan design. Read More DIY Winter Mantel Décor Tutorials: Golden Magnolia Wreath and Cinnamon Stick Votive Holder Mantel Decor Author:Rich's For The Home Posted:December 2, 2022 DIY Holiday Mantel Decor tutorial: Golden Magnolia wreath and cinnamon stick votive holder. Read More How to Transform Your Mantel to a Winter Wonderland Design Mantel Decor Author:Rich's For The Home Posted:December 1, 2022 We show you how to transform your fall mantel decor to a winter wonderland design easily and quickly! Check out our 15-sec time-lapse photo that shows us making the switcheroo. Read More