For those who run wood and pellets...

[Light in the Dark]

what would you say the biggest difference in the heat is? Anything? Is pellet heat more like forced hot air (due to blower)? Is there any negligible difference?

 

[Michael6268]

I found wood is a much more intense heat.
Also quicker warm ups.

 

[Andy S.]

I use pellets in one house and wood in another. Since the wood stove is a flush insert with blower and both stoves are in the 50K BTU range I find the max heating to be equal. The advantage to the pellets is better control when max heat is not desired, much cleaner and less time tending it. The only advantage to wood for me is that it is free (if I don't put a dollar value on my time and I don't since I still enjoy the time I put into it).

If I had to buy my wood I'd go pellet in a heartbeat.

 

[drewmo]

We run both, and our wood stove is an insert, so both have blowers. While they heat akin to forced hot air, there is still some radiant heat that gives them the free standing wood stove feel. Way more intense from the wood insert. I like that. We ask each unit to heat in different ways. The pellet stove keeps our living, dining and kitchen areas warm. What I like about the pellet is that we can keep the temperature steady for the morning and evening hours, and when it's time for bed, either shut her down or run her on auto to keep the flame going and a bit of heat in this area for morning time. Likewise, we can shut it down if we are away from home for whatever length of time. There is no burn cycle to contend with, so we're never getting more heat than we need. And it heats up the space pretty quickly. The wood insert, although located on the first floor, primarily heats the sleeping areas upstairs, which we like to be a little cooler. It's a big unit, so the room it's located in can easily get into the 80s, with natural convection circulating comfortably through the upstairs.

 

[Light in the Dark]

Are the fans on pellet stoves annoying? One of the nice aspects of wood heat... silence.

I assume the actual pellet stove is much cooler, as it is more of the internal parts heating up and having air pass over them?

 

[Michael6268]

I only have personal experience with two brands of pellet stove. One was in Englander, the other Lopi. Both made enough noise ( i didn't own them at the same time) you had to turn the tv up because it was in the same room. The Englander was much louder than the Lopi. You got used to it after a while. When I got rid of them the silence was nice. I burn coal now. It has a room blower that is very quiet, but I only use it on the coldest of days. Otherwise just radiant heat.

 

[sportbikerider78]

I heated with pellets for 2 years. I found the fan noise to be annoying. I got used to it, but I never liked it.

Switching to wood this year to get more BTU's and save a little more scratch.