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 Infrared Saunas: Relax at Home from the Inside Out Saunas Author:Rich's For The Home Posted:September 1, 2023 Eight benefits of relaxing in an infrared sauna, plus our favorite saunas by Health Mate: the Enrich, Inspire, and Essential series. Read More Outdoor Lanterns Add Dramatic Elegance: Tempest Torch and Tempest Lantern Tempest Torch Author:Rich's For The Home Posted:August 1, 2023 Gas lamps dramatic elegance to outdoor spaces. Learn about Tempest Torches and Tempest Lanterns. Read More 5 Trends in Luxury Outdoor Furnishings for 2023 Outdoor Furniture Author:Rich's For The Home Posted:July 1, 2023 Create a stylish, comfortable, multi-functional outdoor oasis that you’ll love spending time in. Read More Complete Fire Pits by Fire Garden: Big, Bold, Beautiful Flames Fire Pits Author:Rich's For The Home Posted:June 1, 2023 Dreaming of a fully-assembled, weatherproof fire pit that provides cozy warmth year-round? Check out Complete Fire Pits, a new line of fire pits manufactured locally by our friends at Travis Industries. Read More Minimalist, Modern, Danish Patio Furniture by Houe Outdoor Furniture Author:Rich's For The Home Posted:May 1, 2023 Rich’s customers love the Danish modern, minimalistic style of Houe furnishings, so we continue to expand our line each year. Check out our selection of dining tables and chairs, cafe tables, chaise lounges, rocking chairs, tray tables, and benches. Read More Adirondack Chairs: Weatherproof and Environmentally Friendly Outdoor Furniture Author:Rich's For The Home Posted:April 3, 2023 MADirondack (by Seaside Casual), is a modern take on the Adirondack style. These sleek ergonomic chairs have a seat height of 14" and an arm height of 22". Read More