- Nov 27, 2012
- 0
Question:
A friend recommended your webpage and suggested you may be able to help, since I have a unique question about pellet stoves. I read with great interest your Q/A page, but did not note any questions directed to my wife's concern about pellet stoves. I am considering the purchace of a wood pellet stove to heat our home. My wife who is forever cautious, is concerned that the wood pellets in the storage hopper may start on fire since the hopper is located just above the fire box. Dealers have said not to worry, but this has not satsified my wife. Can you offer any advise? Thank you for your time.
Answer:
This is an issue that has popped up in the past - in fact, it has a name....burnback!
In the earlier days of pellet stoves, there were certain design problems and circumstances that could cause this to happen. However, even in these cases I know of no house fires or similar problems that resulted.
To my knowledge, even these rare instances have ceased to occur. There is no easy way for the fire to get from the Pellet pot back to the hopper. For instance, the auger itself presents one barrier, the fact that pellets normally drop from above the firepot another. The air flow through the system is also designed so as to retard this possibility. Lastly, there are overheat sensors and other devices which shut down the machine in the case of burn back.
I'd say that a $10. smoke detector in the same room should take care of the very remote possibility of such an occurrence. While I'm as paranoid as the next guy, I'd rest assured that your Pellet stove is probably a lot LESS likely to cause fire in your house than your other appliances.
A friend recommended your webpage and suggested you may be able to help, since I have a unique question about pellet stoves. I read with great interest your Q/A page, but did not note any questions directed to my wife's concern about pellet stoves. I am considering the purchace of a wood pellet stove to heat our home. My wife who is forever cautious, is concerned that the wood pellets in the storage hopper may start on fire since the hopper is located just above the fire box. Dealers have said not to worry, but this has not satsified my wife. Can you offer any advise? Thank you for your time.
Answer:
This is an issue that has popped up in the past - in fact, it has a name....burnback!
In the earlier days of pellet stoves, there were certain design problems and circumstances that could cause this to happen. However, even in these cases I know of no house fires or similar problems that resulted.
To my knowledge, even these rare instances have ceased to occur. There is no easy way for the fire to get from the Pellet pot back to the hopper. For instance, the auger itself presents one barrier, the fact that pellets normally drop from above the firepot another. The air flow through the system is also designed so as to retard this possibility. Lastly, there are overheat sensors and other devices which shut down the machine in the case of burn back.
I'd say that a $10. smoke detector in the same room should take care of the very remote possibility of such an occurrence. While I'm as paranoid as the next guy, I'd rest assured that your Pellet stove is probably a lot LESS likely to cause fire in your house than your other appliances.
