Present on the market for only around twenty years, the pellet stove is already fitted to many homes.
It owes its success to its many qualities, including its ease of daily use.
To discover
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Why invest in a pellet stove?
There are many advantages to installing a pellet stove in your home instead of your current heating system.
If you heat with gas or electric, you will save on your bill and gain heating comfort.
If the pellet stove replaces a fireplace or a log stove, it is the simplicity of everyday life that will seduce you.
To save fuel
Pellets are a much more economical fuel than fuel oil, gas or electricity.
In addition, the pellet stove is a wood heating device that offers one of the best outputs.
To obtain gentle warmth
The heat from wood heating is gentle and even, unlike that of electric heating which tends to dry out the air.
For easier use
The stove has a tank that must be supplied with pellets.
This supply is done every 24 or 48 hours, unlike a log stove which must be restocked several times a day.
In addition, the packaging of pellets in bags of a few kilos facilitates transport and storage.
It is also easier for physically weak people to handle pellets rather than logs.
For a preserved environment
The pellet stove emits fewer fine particles into the air than the log stove or fireplace.
Good to know
Granules or pellets, it is always the same fuel.
What are the disadvantages of the pellet stove?
The disadvantages associated with pellet hair are quite limited, but it is still good to know them:
Although wood is the most economical fuel on the market, pellets still remain more expensive than logs, both for the installation of the device and for consumption.
According to an ADEME report, it takes
€89 to €110/MWh to equip, use and maintain a wood stove, insert or
boiler
and €125 to €144/MWh for a pellet system.
The pellet stove requires connection to the mains, both for the endless screw mechanism and for models equipped with a fan.
In fact, the stove no longer heats the house in the event of a power outage.
In forced convection, the noise of the fan can be disturbing.
The pellet stove does not offer the majestic flames of the log stove or the fireplace.
What are the installation standards for a pellet stove?
Several standards regulate the installation of a pellet stove.
Here are the main ones.
The conduit casing
The pellet stove smoke evacuation duct must be tubed over its entire length.
Smoke evacuation
For the duct outlet, and therefore the evacuation of smoke, 3 zones are defined.
Zone 1 consists of a conduit which exits 40 cm above the roof ridge (for a slope of 15° or more) and 8 m away from any obstacle.
If the roof is inclined less than 15°, the exit must be 1.20 m above the ridge.
It is the solution that is suitable for all types of stoves.
However, sealed pellet stoves with a concentric flue can choose a zone 2 or zone 3 flue outlet:
Zone 2: exit to the roof but without going beyond the ridge.
Zone 3: facade exit, which limits work but can lead to clogging of the facade.
The gap to the fire
The outlet duct must maintain a minimum distance from any flammable material, including walls:
If the conduit is not insulated: at a distance of three times the diameter of the conduit with a minimum of 37.5 cm.
If the conduit is insulated: at a distance of 8 cm.
To avoid wasting too much space in the room, choose a pellet stove with an outlet on the top and not from behind.
Soil protection
If the floor is made of a flammable material, such as parquet, it must be protected by insulation or a plate.
To note
To be able to benefit from renovation aid for the installation of your pellet stove, the chosen model must have the Flamme Verte label and the installer must be an RGE professional.
Is it obligatory to sweep pellet stoves?
As with any wood heating appliance, annual chimney sweeping is mandatory for pellet stoves.
Decree No. 2023-641 of July 20, 2023 now extends the obligation to the entire territory, whereas previously each municipality had the decision-making power:
Article R1331-66 of the Public Health Code:
“When they are combustion-powered, fireplaces, heating appliances, kitchen appliances powered by solid fuel and hot water production appliances are subject to periodic maintenance, under the conditions provided for in this section.
»
Article R1331-68 of the same code:
“Maintenance is carried out at least every twelve months.
»
On the other hand, the municipality can decide to go further by imposing 2 annual sweeps, or even more, as specified in article L2213-26 of the General Code of Local Authorities:
"The mayor prescribes that the sweeping of ovens, furnaces and chimneys of houses, factories, etc., must be carried out at least once each year.
»
Chimney sweeping must be mechanical, not just chemical, and be carried out by a professional authorized to issue you with a chimney sweep certificate.
This certificate will be essential for your home insurance in the event of a disaster.
Good to know
It is the resident of the accommodation who is responsible for sweeping their smoke evacuation duct, even if they are only a tenant.
With the exception of collective installations in co-ownerships where it is the trustee who manages this maintenance.
Pellet stoves, what to remember
Pellets are more economical than fuel oil, gas or electricity, but less than logs.
Pellets emit fewer fine particles than logs.
Using a pellet stove is less restrictive than using a log stove.
The pellet stove requires a power supply to operate.
Strict standards govern the installation of the pellet stove and its duct.
Chimney sweeping of the pellet stove must be carried out at least once a year by a professional, at the expense of the resident of the home.