Tips on Installing a Pellet Stove

Placement

• Placing the stove in a central location in the home allows more even distribution of heat throughout the area. Place the stove in an area away from walls and furniture to reduce the risk of fire. Insurance, building regulations and manufacturers specifications also influence placement of the stove.

Venting

• Because wood pellet stoves burn more efficiently than traditional wood stoves, they do not require a standard chimney for exhaust. Instead, these stoves vent gases from combustion through a stainless steel double wall pipe called a PL vent pipe. Venting wood pellet stoves through an existing chimney requires lining the chimney with a metal liner or PL vent. Venting should extend either straight upward from the stove and through the roof or horizontally through the wall behind the stove and then upward to at least 3 feet above the roof, or as high as local building regulations require. Some manufacturers suggest venting a stove with only a horizontal pipe extending from behind and through the wall to the outside, but this type of ventilation causes problems such as poor air exchange, frequent back drafts and staining of the exterior wall from soot.

Floor Protection

• Place the wood pellet stove on a non-combustible surface such as an approved stove mat, cement board, slate or brick floor covering. The floor protector must extent the full length and depth of the stove, with at least 6 inches of the floor protection extending in front of the stove. If venting the stove through the wall the floor protection should extend all the way to the back wall.

Electrical Supply

• Pellet stoves use electric power to operate several internal fans to circulate heat and draw in air for combustion. Consult the manufacturer's user manual to determine the voltage requirement and install the appropriate ground fault circuit breaker in a location near the stove. Keep electrical supply outlets in a low traffic area but within easy reach, usually at or near the back of the stove.

Fresh Air Exchange

• Wood pellet stoves use fresh air to aid in combustion of the wood pellets. A small pipe at the lower rear section of the stove extends outward through the building wall or into an existing chimney. The pipe should not connect to the exhaust ventilation pipe. Place the exterior end of the fresh air exchange pipe in an area where snow or other debris will not block the airflow.