Types of Solid Fuel Heaters
Solid fuel heating systems can be divided into two general categories: open fires and closed fires. That said, a homeowner’s options extend beyond fireplaces and traditional wood stoves. Additional options include:
Fireplace Inserts
Solid fuel fireplace inserts can burn either wood or pellets. The newer models that are EPA-certified burn cleaner than open fireplaces, making them both more efficient and more environmentally friendly. Wood-burning inserts work much like traditional wood stoves, while pellet-fired inserts use a small amount of electricity to supply pellets at a steady rate over an extended period.
Pellet Stoves
Pellet stoves look like wood stoves but they’re designed to burn wood pellets made of sawdust and wood waste. These types of solid fuel heaters are much more efficient than wood stoves, though, and many of the more advanced models come equipped with thermostats to reduce the feed rates when heat demand is low.
Solid Fuel Boilers
Solid fuel boilers use wood, coal, pellets, or peat as fuel sources, although it’s worth mentioning that each of them can only use one type of fuel. While the boilers of old were known for being inefficient and dangerous, today’s solid fuel boilers use a process called pyrolysis to work at optimal efficiency and create a safer burn.
