Alternative Heating - Ohioans Turn to Wood and Pellet Stoves

Alternative Heating catches on in Ohio. As the cost of natural gas and oil continues to rise and the season of short days and cold nights have arrived many Ohioans are turning to alternative heating such as wood burning and pellet stoves, for comfort and ambiance in their homes.

It is almost ironic in this information and technological age that so many people are using alternative heating and turning back to the basic wood stove.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources says that cutting firewood from home woodlots can ease heating bills and at the same time further good forest management practices. It is important to know though which trees to cut for the overall health of the woodlot and which carry the highest heat value.

Pellet burning stoves are a choice some make because they are clean burning, dust free and have no smell at all. They are also easy to operate. All you do is pour the pellets in and light it. As the name implies pellet stoves burn pellets. These pellets are actually recycled sawdust, wood shavings, walnut and peanut shells and similar waste that are ground up, compressed and extruded. They look like rabbit feed and are sold in 40 lb bags. Pellets run $140 to $200 per ton which is about 50 bags. An average pellets stove will burn 1-3 tons of pellets a season.

You can control the amount of heat by adjusting the feed rate of the pellets, something you can not do with a wood stove, turning wood stoves down creates more creosote which can build up on the chimney which is why the chimney needs cleaned frequently. However pellet stoves do have a downside, they need a bit of electricity to operate which is a problem if the power goes out. That is why most are sticking to the traditional wood stove. Even if the electric goes out you still have heat and you can also cook on a wood stove. I actually cooked a Christmas dinner on a wood stove one year when the power went out for a couple days. The dinner consisted of ham, mashed potatoes and baked beans all cooked on top of my stove. It took a long while but tasted delicious.