Pellet stoves have become a popular alternative heat source for home owners. Today’s pellet stoves can burn a variety of bio mass products such as, sawdust, wood shavings, corn and cherry pits.
One benefit is that these fuels produce less ash than traditional wood and are more efficient sources of heat. One downfall for home owners in rural areas is the most pellet stoves will not work without a power source.
Insurance companies require certain information from homeowners seeking to install wood or pellet stoves. Generally, insurers require an inspection of the stove to check for proper installation, as well as documentation showing a licensed professional did the work. If the wood or pellet stove is already in place during the time of the home purchase, the insurance company may require a formal inspection to make sure the stove is up to code and functioning properly.
Inspecting a typical Pellet Stove installation does not follow the typical wood stove format. Pellet stove installation varies per model and the Installation Instructions must be followed for safe installation. Some unique characteristics of Pellet Stove are:
- Pellet Stoves are designed so the heat is generated at the front of the stove. This allows Pellet Stoves to be located closer to walls and combustibles. Some models
may require as little as 1
inch clearance from rear walls.
- Pellet stoves can be placed almost anywhere, partly because of the flexibility with venting. The slender chimneys can be installed through a wall, a ceiling, or in an existing masonry chimney.
- There are three varieties of ignition systems that you can choose from when selecting a pellet stove: self-starting, in which a button is pushed to ignite the stove; fully automatic, in which a thermostat controls the stove’s operation; and standard, which requires the use of a match and starter gel.
- Depending on how much you use your wood pellet stove (how many bags of pellets per day/week/month), basic cleaning should usually be done two times each week (or every 3-4 days) and a more thorough clean out should be done after every ton of pellets burned.
First, the pellet stove installation should only be performed by a licensed and/or certified professional installer. Improper installation can possibly lead to fire, smoke damage, and/or carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Make sure your professional installer obtains a permit (if required) when installing a pellet stove. This will help ensure that the installation is done properly and will meet current building codes. Some insurance companies will require installation by a WETT Certified Technician or will require inspection of the installation by a WETT Certified Inspector.
Barrie WETT Inspections provides WETT Inspections to Barrie, Alliston, Orillia and all of Simcoe County.