Can You Vent a Pellet Stove Through Basement Walls?

Pellet Stove

• Pellet stoves can be installed in fireplaces or as free standing units. They burn small pellets made from compressed sawdust, waste paper and wood chips. Pellet stoves are extremely energy efficient compared to other solid-fuel burning systems. A well-maintained system can reach combustion efficiencies of 85 percent. They are also cool to the touch, which reduces the danger to children and pets.

Venting

• You can vent a pellet stove through an existing fireplace chimney. Exhaust waste gases can go through a small flue pipe. Because pellet stoves use fans to blow away gases, the flue pipe can run horizontally through a wall to reach the exterior of your home. As long as your basement has a portion above grade, you can vent the stove through the wall.

Drawbacks

• Pellet and wood burning stoves work a lot like space heaters: they warm the area around them, but on their own cannot heat an entire house. If you intend to use the pellet stove to heat your basement only, you can. If you wish to use it to heat your entire home, you will need to install fans to pull heat away from the unit and possibly use ductwork to move the heat through your home.

Considerations

• Installing and venting a pellet stove in your basement will allow you to store the pellet fuel in the same area as the stove. Pellet stoves usually need to be filled once a day, so this will cut down on the need to carry bags of pellets into your home. Pellet stoves require electricity to work; when the power goes out, the fans that vent the pellet stove stop running. This can lead to the stove filling your basement with smoke.