What Is The Average Pellet Stove Installation Cost?

Table of Contents

1. Pellet Stove Prices
2. Pellet Stove Cost Breakdown
3. Pellet Stove Types And Their Costs
4. Pellet Stove Basics
5. Pellet Stove Advantages
6. Pellet Stove Disadvantages
7. Best Pellet Stove Inserts
8. Find A Masonry Contractor

Pellet Stove Prices

While some homeowners choose freestanding pellet stoves, others opt for pellet stove inserts. Freestanding models come in two types: top-fed and bottom-fed. Freestanding or insert pellet stove prices range from roughly $1,500 to $4,000.

Freestanding Pellet Stoves vs. Pellet Stove Inserts

You can install a freestanding pellet stove in many areas of your home. Some require venting through an existing chimney or fireplace, while others are vent-free. A pellet stove insert fits inside the firebox of an existing fireplace and vents through the chimney. Some products come with installation and a chimney liner to prevent heavy chimney cleaning costs. Installation for a freestanding pellet stove averages from $250 to $600, and installation for a fireplace insert averages from $1,000 to $2,000.

Top-Fed vs. Bottom-Fed Pellet Stoves

Pellet stoves come with a top-fed system or a bottom-fed system for moving pellets into the combustion chamber. With a top-fed design, an angled augur feeds pellets from the hopper into the combustion chamber, and a bottom-fed system features a horizontal augur. Top-fed systems help lower chances for burn back into the hopper, but ash occasionally collects in the firebox grate and reduces airflow. Premium-grade low-ash pellets help prevent this from happening. With bottom-fed systems, ash falls into the ash pan and doesn't collect in the grate, and premium pellets aren't necessary. Generally, there's no difference in pricing between these two systems.

Pellet Stove Cost Breakdown

There are several cost considerations when you're thinking about getting a pellet stove. In addition to the stove and installation, you should budget for pellets and venting if required. Freestanding stoves benefit from a heat-resistant, non-combustible hearth pad, and an ash vacuum and vent brush help keep stoves safe and clean. Even though pellet stoves have a reliable safety record, a carbon monoxide detector offers double protection. A backup power supply ensures you can use your pellet stove, even during a power outage.

You might not require all of these items. The accessories you need depend on the type of pellet stove you purchase.

Pellet Stove Types And Their Costs

Pellet stoves come in a variety of design styles, from traditional to modern. With a vast supply of products on the market, it helps to evaluate a few popular brands and their prices. The table below offers a comparison of freestanding pellet stoves, with more information about fireplace inserts.

Knowing a little more about the inner workings of a pellet stove helps you make the best purchasing decision for your home.

Pellet Stove Basics

Instead of loading logs into a fireplace or wood stove, you fill a storage hopper with pellets. These are fed automatically into a combustion chamber (or burn pot) through the augur, creating a continual flame with no tending required. A convection fan circulates the warm air through heat exchange tubes to heat the room. A few additional parts help keep pellet stoves functioning:

• Grille: Allows outside air to reach the burn pot
• Intake vent: Pulls indoor air in
• Exhaust vent: Removes combustion gases
• Combustion fan: Pulls outdoor air and exhaust gases in
• Ash pan: Collects unburnt debris and ash

The heating capacity of a pellet stove ranges between 8,000 and 90,000 BTUs per hour. Short for British Thermal Units, BTUs measure heat energy. Determining the BTUs you need depends on the size of the space you're heating, the number of windows in the room, outdoor temperatures, your home's insulation rating and the desired indoor temperature. Generally, 5,000 BTUs will heat about 200/sf of space.

Pellet Stove Advantages

Pellet stoves offer a number of advantages over other heat sources. With direct venting, many don't require a chimney or flue, which makes them less expensive to install than wood stoves. Pellet stoves are quicker and easier to operate than fireplaces and woodstoves. Because heating is more efficient, pellet stoves produce limited air pollution, making them the cleanest solid-fuel appliances for residential heating. Their high efficiency also causes little buildup of creosote in the flue, which results in safer burning. Lastly, pellet stoves allow you direct control over a room's temperature.

Pellet Stove Disadvantages

Despite many benefits, pellet stoves also come with a few disadvantages. Generally, pellet stoves heat one room very well, but a fan is required to move warm air into other spaces. Pellet stoves have a more complex design than woodstoves and fireplaces, meaning more parts may require potential repair compared to needing fireplace repairs. Because pellet stoves run on electricity, they won't work during a power outage without a backup power supply, and they emit a low, mechanical hum. For safety purposes, pellet stoves require weekly cleaning and annual servicing by a professional. Lastly, fires built in a pellet stove with a viewable firebox aren't as appealing to look at as blazes lit from wood in a fireplace are.

Best Pellet Stove Inserts

A fire in an open hearth offers about 10% heat efficiency or 20% with glass doors. According to the Department of Energy, homeowners who install a pellet stove insert into a fireplace box increase heating efficiency to between 70 and 83%. The table below offers a comparison of popular pellet stove insert brands.

Once you've found the perfect fireplace insert or freestanding pellet stove for your home, it's time to locate a professional in your area for installation. If you don't like the look of a freestanding pellet stove, you might consider installing a fireplace with your desired aesthetic.

Find A Masonry Contractor

Among many other home appliances, pellet stoves help keep homes or apartments warm and cozy during periods of cold weather. ImproveNet can help you find local professionals to get your pellet stove installed and working in a jiffy.