Our Company Blog

What is a Pellet Stove?

It’s not really new, but some might say it’s hot right now. Interest in wood pellet heat is growing once again as oil prices keep hovering above $3 per gallon. While pellet stoves require up front costs and cannot be used as a sole heating source, the savings are substantial and allow consumers to cut their overall energy usage and costs. We urge you to continue reading to see why adding a pellet stove or insert to your home could be a huge money saver in terms of your future heating costs.

Today you can choose from a new generation of wood- and pellet-burning appliances that are cleaner burning, more efficient, and powerful enough to heat many average-sized, modern homes.

Why Should I Choose a Pellet Stove?

In colder climates, heating costs account for approximately one-third of a homeowner’s annual utility bill, which is why many are seeking thriftier ways to stay warm and toasty. Freestanding pellet stoves and inserts that fit inside an existing fireplace are an increasingly popular solution for homeowners. Pellet stoves create a tiny fraction of the ash produced by an older wood-burning stove or fireplace, so cleaning s much less frequent. If used daily, you’d probably find yourself emptying the ashpan once a week.

How Does a Pellet Stove Work?

Pellet stoves and inserts look like traditional wood stoves but operate more like a modern furnace. You need only fill the stove’s hopper with pellets made from compacted sawdust, set its thermostat, sit back, and get cozy. A mechanical auger deposits the pellets into a burn pot, where they are incinerated at such a high temperature that they create no vent-clogging creosote and very little ash or emissions, which keeps both indoor and outdoor air cleaner. The best part is that they are about twice as efficient at warming your home as older wood stoves that have not been certified by the EPA and are vastly more efficient than fireplaces.

Is a Pellet Stove a Good Option for my Home?

Depending on your home’s size and layout, a pellet stove could supplement the current heating system or be used as the sole source. And, despite its workhorse reputation, pellet stoves come in a variety of designs to complement any interior style. Unless you’re comfortable with cutting holes in your house for the venting, however, it is best to leave the installation to a professional. Pipes can run horizontally out an exterior wall, vertically through the roof, or up the chimney if adding an insert.

Pellet stoves are a great way to heat your home. The beauty of a fire, with the added advantages of a pellet stove, mainly better efficiency. With the fluctuating costs of home heating oil, a new pellet stove or insert might very well pay for itself in one winter. Depending on the particular model or style of the unit you select, you could own a pellet stove and the pellet fuel to heat your home for the winter for less than half the price of heating oil.

Whether you prefer the convenience of shopping online or would rather get up close and personal with your potential new pellet stove or insert, Beach Stove & Fireplace has you covered. Want to know more about a product or see and feel it for yourself? Simply call us at (631) 998-0780 or stop in and see us today.

Thinking About an Insert?

We know you love a roaring fire on a chilly night. We also know you may be really tired of chopping, carrying and purchasing fire wood. You may also be worried about missing the sights and sounds of a fire.  The thing is, some of these inserts are strikingly realistic.  The professionals at Beach Stove and Fireplace can help you in choosing the perfect fit for you and your home.

Do inserts create heat?

Fuel options for an insert include wood, propane or pellet. Call us with questions…we are here to help!

To most people’s surprise, an insert can create a significant amount of heat – and the heat is consistent and evenly distributed.  There are many types of inserts that you can get, the first being a wood-burning insert, which is basically a wood stove without legs.  This can fit inside of the fireplace you already have and still burn real logs.  You can also get a pellet insert which is a type of prefabricated convection heater that you pour pellets into to create a fire instead of logs.  The best part is that these pellets are made of recycled materials.

The newer types of gas inserts are much different than old decorative fireplaces.  Today’s gas inserts use propane or natural gas, fake logs, and other decorative pieces.  They can be installed in any type of fireplace and vented thorough an existing chimney.  These are the easiest inset to use because they require very little maintenance.  They also run off a switch, so it is easier to control the fire.  To learn more about the installation process, click here.

Does it cost a lost to switch over?

When you buy the insert it may seem a little pricey but always remember you’ll be saving money each day in lower energy costs. Even though the initial cost of an insert may be high, it has been estimated that you could save hundreds of dollars a year on fuel prices.

Tax Credits: 2013

Who doesn’t like saving money?  We wanted to make sure that you were aware of a soon-to-be expiring tax credit relating to wood and pellet stoves as well as fireplace inserts.  It’s not too late to invest a little money to do some last minute improvements to your heating system before heating season really gets ramped up. Every dollar you save can go toward a summer trip to the beach.

On January 1, 2013, Congress passed a bill addressing parts of the now infamous fiscal cliff.  This bill included a reinstatement of the $300 tax credit for biomass heaters; the tax credit initially expired at the end of 2011.  The provision allows taxpayers to receive a tax credit for the full cost of the equipment and installation up to $300 for stoves bought in 2013 and is retroactive, which makes it possible for stoves purchased in 2012 to also get the credit.

The credit applies to energy efficiency improvements including but not limited to the purchase of high-efficiency heating, cooling and water-heating equipment.  The efficiency improvements or equipment must be for a home in the U.S. that is owned and used by the taxpayer as his/her primary residence.  The maximum tax credit for all improvements in 2011, 2012, and 2013 is $500.  The cap includes tax credits for any improvements made in any previous year.  If a taxpayer claimed $500 or more of these tax credits in any previous year, any purchases made in 2011, 2012, or 2013 will be ineligible for a tax credit.

The are a few conditions associated with the tax credit.  The equipment must be at least 75% efficient and have been purchased in 2012 or 2013.  The taxpayer cannot have claimed an aggregate of more than $500 in previous years for this same tax credit; this means that every new EPA-certified stove purchased is eligible for the full $300 tax credit, as they all meet the 75% efficiency threshold and cost more than $300.  However, a taxpayer could not collect the full $300 if they have already received tax credits under this provision in previous years and the total amount was over $500.

Numerous websites have reported that the credit is only for 10% of the purchase price, up to $300, but this is incorrect.  As long as you know that you haven’t claimed this tax credit in previous years, feel free to do your pellet stove and/or fireplace insert shopping knowing that, there’s going to be a $300 credit waiting for you at the end of the rainbow when tax season rolls around.