Pellet Stove Venting & Maintenance FAQs

How can I tell what size vent pipe I need for my pellet stove?

What kind of chimney vent pipe should I use with my pellet stove?

How do I start a fire in my pellet stove?

How should I clean my pellet stove?

What kind of brush should I use to clean my pellet stove vent pipe?

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Basic Pellet Stove FAQ Answers

Question: What are pellet stoves?

• Answer: Pellet stoves are efficient, clean burning home heating appliances that use sophisticated parts and components to burn compressed wood or biomass pellets. Pellet stoves require the use of a standard household 110 volt electrical outlet to operate and rely heavily on blower fans to achieve clean, economical performance and circulate warm air throughout the area to be heated.

Question: How do pellet stoves work?

• Answer: Pellet stoves work by automatically dispensing wood pellets from a hopper into a firepot or burn box. Wood pellets are carried from the hopper into the firepot on an auger system that is driven by an electric motor. The auger system slowly turns around carrying the pellets from the hopper and depositing them at a steady rate onto the hot fire. A jet of hot air blown across the fire by a fan allows the pellet stove to maintain high temperatures and enables the pellets to burn evenly and efficiently. A second fan on the pellet stove blows hot air, warmed by passage through heat exchanger pipes that run through the interior of the stove, long lasting, low-maintenance heat.

Question: Do pellet stove require EPA certification?

• Answer: No. Pellet stoves naturally burn so clean and efficiently and pollute so little that they do not require EPA certification to operate. However, some manufacturers still voluntarily seek EPA certification to ease customer's minds and eliminate any doubt that they may have.

Question: Do pellet stoves require floor protection?

• Answer: Yes. Pellet stoves require a non-combustible floor surface for safe, proper installation and operation. Your manufacturer should be able to give you a list of materials safe to use under your wood pellet stove. Each pellet stove model is unique and could have varied results so consult your owner's manual or pellet stove manufacturer before purchasing your floor protection.

Question: Where should I place my pellet stove?

• Answer: You'll want to make sure that you place your pellet stove in an area where it will provide the most coverage and can evenly disperse heat throughout your home. Your pellet stove should be placed in an area where it has plenty of ventilation around it and nothing should be blocking the vents or fans. You will also need to make sure that your pellet stove is installed next to a good working electrical outlet.

Question: Should I get a bottom feed or top feed pellet stove?

• Answer: When choosing between a bottom feed or a top feed pellet stove, consider the following benefits and drawbacks of each style.

  Top feed benefit - Top feed pellet stoves present a lesser chance of fire burning back into the hopper because of its pellet delivery system

  Top feed drawback - The combustion chamber on a pellet stove that utilizes a top feed is more likely to become impeded with ash and the deposits caused by reheating ash. For this reason, many manufacturers of top feed pellet stoves recommend using premium high burn grade, low-ash pellets.

  Bottom feed benefit - Bottom feed pellet stoves don't require premium fuel because the ash and clinkers are pushed into the ash pan.

  Bottom feed drawback - With steady use, you will have to remove the ashes from the pellet stove about once a week.

Question: Are all pelet stoves noisy?

• Answer: Pellet stoves are mechanical devices and use three motors for operation so you will be able to hear the combustion fan, convection fan and the auger as well as some airflow and occasional pellet dropping. New pellet stoves noise levels are tolerable and most people can tune them out. As your pellet stoves ages, new noises could possibly emerge. Try to find out what's vibrating by pressing on the panels of the pellet stove to see if the noise lessens in one particular place, and when you've found the culprit, tighten it up if you can.

Pellet Stove Troubleshooting FAQ Answers

Question: Why won't my pellet stove start?

• Answer: First and foremost, check the fundamentals. Make sure there is power to the pellet stove and there are pellets in the hopper. The power to the pellet stove can be checked by plugging in another appliance to the outlet such as a lamp to make sure that it works.

  Another problem that would prevent your pellet stove from starting is if the wood pellets bridge over the hopper and prevent themselves from dropping into the auger. This can be caused by over-sized wood pellets or friction with the hopper sides. To check your pellet stove for this problem, disconnect the power supply and empty the hopper gently until you get to the bottom. If you can't get the pellets to slide, lightly spray a silicone lubricant over the inside of the hopper. With the hopper empty, you should be able to see the auger. Plug your pellet stove back in and see whether or not the auger is turning. If only a slight movement can be seen, it might be jammed with pellet dust. Listen to your auger motor and make sure that it is working.

  Your pellet stove igniter could also be faulty if you are having trouble getting the stove to start. During normal operation, igniters will usually glow red on start up. If the igniter is faulty, you can start your pellet stove by throwing a handful of wood pellets into the burn pot and starting them with starter gel however, the thermostat on/off operation will not be possible until you get a new igniter.

  Look in your pellet stove owner's manual and find out where the pellet stove's internal fuses are. Take the fuses out and check them using a continuity checker to see if bad fuses are a the reason behind your pellet stove not starting.

Question: Why aren't my wood pellets getting to the burn pot?

• Answer: First, check the hopper and the auger. If the pellet stove has run out of fuel, it will take a few minutes for the pellets to be transferred from the hopper to the auger to fill and start delivering pellets to the burn pot. Make sure the auger is not jammed with ash. You may have to dismantle your auger to clear it in which case you should consult your owner's manual. If your pellet stove has a snap switch which turns the auger off if the stoves overheats, check and see if it needs resetting or is faulty.

Question: Why is my pellet stove producing a dark sooty flame?

• Answer: If your pellet stove is producing a dark sooty flame, this means that for one reason or another, not enough air is getting to the fire. The most common cause of dark sooty pellet stove fire is a clinkered up burn pot which can be the result of inadequate maintenance or poor pellet quality. Take the following steps to fix this problem.

  Take the bur pot out of the pellet stove and clean it thoroughly. Scrape off the clinkers and make sure that all air holes are clear of any debris.

  Look at both the inlet and outlet venting as well as the exhaust vents within the stove itself and make sure they are clear.

  If your pellet stove has an outdoor air intake, check it to make sure that it is clear of any debris.

  Consult your owner's manual and follow the instructions to clean out any fly ash that may exist in the exhaust channels within the pellet stove. The flue system can also have fly ash build-up, particularly at elbows. Sometimes the rain cap can become clogged too so check the flue system and rain cap to make sure it is clear of fly ash as well.

  Pellet stove combustion is powered by air blown from a combustion blower. If the pellet stove has a leak from the stove door or the ash pan seal, it will result in a shortage of air to the flame and a dark sooty fire.

  If the air intake on your pellet stove is adjustable, check and make sure that it is in the correct position and has not been accidentally moved.

  Finally, check the combustion blower itself on your pellet stove. If the combustion chamber fan needs to be cleaned or if it is faulty, this will also result in dark sooty fires.

Question: Why did the fire suddenly go out in my pellet stove?

• Answer: If there has been a power failure, this will cause your pellet stove to shut down.

  The vacuum switch on the pellet stove which detects whether or not the flue is blocked might not be working, or the plastic hose that it is connected to has cracked.

  The device that detects the presence of a flame within the pellet stove may not be working. This device tells the pellet stove to run automatically after a start-up temperature has been reached.

  The fire in the pellet stove will also go out if too much air is being allowed to enter the burn pot, consuming the pellets there and extinguishing the fire before the stove can feed more pellets. This problem can be identified by looking for partially burned pellets popping out of the burn pot.

Question: Why is my pellet stove not producing enough heat?

• Answer: If your pellet stove it not producing enough heat it may mean that the blower needs to be cleaned or the intake might be blocked. This could also mean that the heat exchangers are being insulated from the airflow by a covering of ash and need to be cleaned. Low heat does not mean that the blower is faulty because a faulty blower would allow the stove to get too hot, and shut down.