Pellet Stove Reviews: How to Compare Pellet Stoves

Pellet stove reviews is a large part of what Pelletstovefires.com is all about. It can be hard to dig out enough information about different pellet stoves from different manufacturers to make a meaningful comparison between them.

Each stove listed on this site in the stove manufacturer's section has a standardised page of criteria which makes it easy to compare pellet stoves.
If there is a problem or difficulty with a particular stove, this will be highlighted in the 'comments' section of that pellet stove review page.

Having said that, all the stoves listed on this site are reputable and reliable or I wouldn't have included them. Being mechanical, and differing in design and components, there are variations in maintenance requirements, style and performance.

This page is about the meaning of the various criteria, to help you understand the significance of each entry in the pellet stove reviews

Heating Area
This figure, in btu.s per square foot is an average. For more information about the requirements for your particular home and geographical area, go to theBest Pellet Stoves page.

Max. Heat Output
Technically, this figure is the maximum amount of heat the stove is capable of producing. How much of this gets into the room depends on the overall efficiency of the stove. (see efficiency below) Few manufacturers give figures for the actual heat output of their stoves.

Min. Heat Output
This is the amount of heat the stove produces on tick over. With automatic ignition and a thermostat, this can be zero as the thermostat will tell the stove to fire up when heat is needed

Automatic Ignition
Early pellet stoves often didn't have an electronic igniter and had to be lit using fire starter gel and a few pellets. Electronic ignition is pretty standard nowadays, but there are still a few stoves without it.

Manual Ignition
This option can be useful if the electronic igniter fails.

Hopper Capacity
Hopper capacity determines the frequency with which the stove has to be filled, and the length of time the stove can burn without re-filling

Burn time
The length of time a stove can burn without re-filling. This figure is calculated for the stove on low heat, higher settings will use more fuel and give a shorter burn time

Fuel Type
The type of fuel the stove is designed to use. Burning high ash fuel in a stove designed for premium fuel can lead to clogging in the burn pot and frequent ash removal

Glass Air Wash
A flow of air designed to keep flame away from the viewing window. Reduces the frequency the glass needs to be cleaned.

Built in Blower
All stoves on these pages have a built in convection blower. Some of the Ecoteck stoves were originally designed without one, and relied on thermal radiation to spread warmth. A convection blower was added to comply with E.P.A. requirements for the American market.

Convection Blower Capacity
The amount of air the convection blower can shift, measured in cubic feet per minute. The more powerful the blower, the better the heat transfer.

Thermostat Compatible
Whether or not the stove can be connected to a wall thermostat. Stoves without automatic ignition will cycle between high and low settings.

E.P.A. Approved
Approved by the Environmental Protection Agency and qualifying for tax credit. Many pellet stoves are exempt from specific approval because of their air to fuel ratio.

Emissions
The amount of particulate emissions exhausted through the venting system expressed in grams per hour.

Efficiency
The overall heating efficiency of the stove taking into account the efficiency of the heat exchanger. Actual combustion efficiency of pellet stoves is typically around 98%.

Dimensions
Will it fit? Allowance must also be made for clearances to combustibles.

Weight
Useful for deciding if the floor will take the weight of the stove. Also useful in comparing pellet stove reviews of stoves of the same construction type. Heavier stove usually have a better heat exchanger. It's important not to compare cast iron stoves with fabricated steel stoves in this way.

Window Size
An indication of how cozy the stove will make a room. Some very efficient stoves only have a tiny viewing window.

Rear Vent Height
Necessary for planning the installation. It should also be noted when planning installation that the vent on a particular stove is unlikely to be on the stove's centreline.

Battery Backup
Whether or not the stove is capable or running without mains electricity.

Surge Protector
Most pellet stoves have sensitive micro-electronic controls. In the pellet stove reviews, a power surge protector is usually recommended.

Exhaust Temperature Sensor Measures the stove vent temperature and shuts the stove down if it gets too hot.

Low Draft Shutdown Shuts the stove down in case the combustion blower malfunctions, the vent is blocked or a stove door is left open.

Construction Type Usually cast iron or fabricated steel. Ecoteck stoves use majolica ceramic panels.

Automatic Shutdown and Re-ignition The capability of the stove to switch off and re-light automatically.

Applying these definitions to the pellet stove reviews will help you make the best decisions about your requirements.