Pellet fireplaces are a way to heat your home in an environmentally friendly way and save on gas bills. Here is some important information.
Among the many ecological and efficient heating systems, it is worth talking about pellet fireplaces . By taking advantage of a sustainable and economical fuel, it is possible to heat your home with significant advantages for the environment, for your wallet and for daily comfort .
That’s what we’ll talk about in this article.
- What is a pellet fireplace and how does it work?
- What are the advantages of a pellet fireplace?
- How much does it cost to install a pellet fireplace?
- How much does a pellet fireplace consume?
- How hot does a pellet fireplace heat?
What is a pellet fireplace and how does it work?
A pellet fireplace has a structure very similar to that of a classic wood-burning fireplace . The difference is that it uses pellets, small compressed cylinders of sawdust and wood waste , as fuel. This entails considerable advantages, which we will discover in a few lines. First of all, however, let’s understand what the parts are and how the pellet fireplace works.
- Tank , where the pellets which will then be used as fuel are stored. The tank can be more or less large and some models have an automatic feeding system (for the most part, however, filling is still manual).
- Combustion chamber , where the pellet is burned by a flame and then begins to produce heat.
- Ventilation system , which allows the heat to be distributed evenly in the surrounding environment, effectively heating the room.
- Thermal glass , which separates the combustion chamber from the surrounding environment and which resists very high temperatures, even 800 degrees, without deforming or ruining.
- Control panel , through which you can manage the heating, adjust the desired temperature and even the intensity of the flame in some models.
- Ash drawer , where the residues generated by the combustion of the pellets are collected. The drawer must be emptied regularly and periodically cleaned with a vacuum cleaner.
What are inserts for pellet fireplaces?
A particular type are the so-called pellet fireplace inserts , which have become very popular in recent years. In fact, they can be installed inside an existing masonry fireplace to have a more functional, ecological and efficient heating system, but without losing the charm of traditional fireplaces and without making major structural interventions in the home. Another positive aspect is the fact that they have a lower cost than a pellet fireplace with its own structure.
What are the advantages of a pellet fireplace?
Whether you choose a fireplace or a pellet fireplace insert, the advantages you can benefit from are different.
- Environmental sustainability and reduced emissions . Pellets are an ecological and renewable material, obtained from wood waste, which when burned emits less carbon dioxide than fossil fuels. This helps maintain a cleaner environment and reduce the impact of warming on the planet.
- High energy efficiency . Pellet fireplaces are designed to burn fuel efficiently and with a very high thermal efficiency (some even exceed 90% efficiency). In this way heat production is maximized.
- Precise temperature control . Thanks to the new technological control panels, it is possible to regulate the desired temperature very punctually and precisely, thus avoiding waste and managing to maintain a constant level of heat in the room.
- Low management costs . A great advantage is precisely the economic one: pellets in fact have a rather low cost and certainly lower than that of gas at the moment or of any fuel of petroleum origin. Investing in a pellet fireplace will have very positive effects on your bills!
In short, with a pellet fireplace or fireplace insert you will obtain various advantages, however it is important to underline one aspect: it is still a heating source which is usually not sufficient to be exclusive but which integrates a system that is capable of producing domestic hot water and which, if the house is very large, can also provide heating.
How much does it cost to install a pellet fireplace?
The answer depends on multiple factors. The fundamental thing to know is that, in addition to the cost of the fireplace itself, you will also have to foresee considerable labor and intervention costs: in fact, remember that any pellet fireplace needs to be connected to a flue that leads towards the outside of the home the fumes. In addition to the technical difficulties of installation, it is important that the fireplace is assembled by qualified personnel for safety reasons .
As regards the prices of fireplaces, they are very variable but we are still talking in the order of thousands of euros . The smallest and cheapest models of fireplace inserts start from around 1,500 euros , such as the Eva Calor Prezzemolo insert. Fireplaces are also available with prices around 2,600 euros such as the La Nordica Inserto Comfort P70 Air equipped with a 15 kg pellet tank and capable of heating rooms of up to 287 m3.
The most powerful and structured fireplaces even exceed 6,000 euros , such as the Girolami TC Bio . The specialized technician’s estimate must be added to these costs.
How much does a pellet fireplace consume?
The pellet fireplace uses pellets as fuel, but not only. In fact, you must consider that the fireplace will also have to be connected to the electricity and will consume a certain amount of energy to function. The more powerful the fireplace, the more pellets and electricity it will consume so take this into account when purchasing it. Pellet consumption can vary from 0.5 to 1.5 kg per hour of use, while to get an estimate of energy consumption simply check the power in kW and kWh of the chosen model.
How hot does a pellet fireplace heat?
Again, the answer varies from one model to another based on power. First of all, as we have seen, the average thermal output of these devices is very high : approximately 80% to 90% of the fuel is transformed into heat, which is a very high value. Specifically, to find out how much the fireplace you have chosen can heat, just read the technical data sheet: usually the number of square meters or, more often, cubic meters that the fireplace can heat is indicated in detail.
This article aimed to present a general overview of pellet fireplaces: to discover all the trendiest models and the best offers, we refer you to the section of Trovaprezzi.it dedicated to pellet fireplaces and inserts .
