Common problems with pellet stoves

Fighting the cold weather in winter can be a challenge at home if you don’t have the right facilities, but for this there are options such as biomass stoves. This equipment is capable of generating heat on a large scale, to heat areas of considerable size, depending on its capacity.

Although pellet stoves are one of the most efficient alternatives for winter, they are not exempt from problems and breakdowns, so now we will review which are the most common, to help you solve them.

What faults can the pellet stove present?

One of the advantages of the modern systems with which these teams work is that they can display codes that help identify faults in pellet stoves, so that you can easily recognize the problem, to find the solution. Therefore, if you find yourself searching the internet for “my pellet stove goes out”, or some other problem related to this type of heating, we invite you to review the common faults below:

•  Fuel

The error due to lack of fuel is one of the most common and, as you can imagine, it occurs when the biomass stove tank is empty or does not have the minimum quantity recommended for the operation of the equipment.

Solving it is quite simple, since you will only have to open the tank compartment, fill it up to the point indicated and turn on the stove again.

• Electric connection

When you try to turn on your pellet heating and it does not respond, you should check that the electrical connection is intact. To do this, check that the cable is correctly plugged in and also that there is electricity in the room, since, although it may not seem like it, it is more common than you imagine.

If you notice that the wire looks burnt, it was probably installed too close to the heating compartment of the stove, so you will have to take a look at the fuse as well and replace it if necessary.

• pellet lock

In case your machine displays a crash error, you should turn your attention to the pellets. This problem is generated by using poor quality pellets , which may be of the wrong size or also disintegrate due to the operation of the equipment. This, in turn, creates sawdust that can block the ducts.

To solve this error both in pellet stoves without installation and in those that are mounted, you must remove the fuel tank from inside, to vacuum not only the equipment, but also the container and return it to its place, this time, with good quality pellets.

• smoke outlet

If you turn on your pellet heating and after a while the equipment shows an outlet temperature error on the screen, you will have to check the installation of the smoke outlet ducts.

For various reasons, these ducts for pellet stoves without electricity or installed, can be blocked and you will have to take care of removing any object, as well as properly position the connections to allow the smoke to escape. Otherwise, its buildup will raise the temperature inside the ducts and could be dangerous.

•  misfire

Another problem in pellet stoves is found in the resistance of the ignition system . This part is relatively sensitive, so it can burn without warning and not respond when combustion is activated in the equipment.

The solution is to simply replace, but you may need to contact a specialized technician who has experience with this type of pellet stove.

What is a pellet fireplace?

Pellet stoves without installation or with smoke outlets are equipment designed to generate heat through the burning of compressed fuel. They are very efficient at combating cold temperatures and consume very little electricity, compared to electric heating systems.

How does a pellet stove work?

The pellet stove takes advantage of combustion to generate heat. It has a tank that must be filled with pellets, to then pass to the combustion chamber. This action generates heat inside the chamber and starts the fan, to fan the flame of the fire.

Then the temperature sensors will be activated that will activate the other mechanisms, in order to start extracting air from the environment, make it pass through the hot chamber and expel it out . The action results in a constant rise in ambient temperature, to make it more pleasant.

This equipment must be cleaned with some regularity, but they stand out for consuming very little energy and the fuel used is renewable, avoiding negatively affecting the environment.

Types of pellet stoves

Next, we invite you to take a look at the different types of pellet stoves, so that you can be well informed when choosing which one to buy or what type of maintenance to do, to guarantee its good performance for a long time:

•  air stoves

The air models make use of a special fan that is responsible for expelling the hot air that accumulates inside the chamber. This generates high temperatures that can quickly heat up the room.

•  Ductable stoves

These types of stoves are installed in conjunction with ducts that can reach various areas of the house, so that the temperature rises in several rooms at the same time, even if they are far from these stoves without electricity.

• Thermo stoves

Thermo-stoves, in addition to generating ambient heat, are also capable of heating water that is then taken to a radiator installation or for underfloor heating, which will increase the temperature relatively quickly.

An additional tip that we give you so you can choose a good model is to find out how many meters a pellet stove heats, since, although they are not incredibly powerful equipment, they are very useful for domestic consumption, for example. In case you are looking for equipment to heat large rooms, boiler models may be enough for entire houses.