If you use a woodstove, pellet stove, hydronic heater, boiler, or fireplace, the devices must be properly installed, vented, and serviced regularly to avoid potentially hazardous situations. A chemical reaction that produces carbon monoxide (CO) gas can occur when wood pellets are stored.

Are pellet stoves dangerous?

Other research has shown that the particles from pellet stoves, although fewer in number than from a log-burning stove, tend to be in the small fine particulate size range that are particularly damaging to health, since they penetrate into the deepest parts of the lungs and can enter the bloodstream.

Why do wood pellets give off carbon monoxide?

Wood type - pellets made from pine contain more unsaturated fatty acids than spruce so produce more carbon monoxide. Other factors - carbon monoxide levels will also increase with the amount of available oxygen present, exposed pellet surface area and amount of mechanical abrasion of the pellets that has taken place.

How long can a pellet stove run before cleaning?

Keep these other safety tips in mind for the best way to clean a pellet stove: Wait 24 hours after using your stove to clean it so it cools. Unplug the stove before cleaning it. Clean your stove on a calm day with no wind or risk of a downdraft.

Can pellet stoves make you sick?

Stored bulk wood pellets are another source of carbon monoxide so it is important to safely store pellets outside your home or business. Symptoms can be flu‐like: nausea, headache, dizziness, shortness of breath, sleepiness, weakness, chest tightness, and confusion.

Why does my pellet stove smoke so much?

If you notice soot or smoke If you notice that your pellet stove is producing soot or smoke, your stove likely has a problem with its burn pot. Clean the burn pot by removing any accumulated debris.

Do wood pellets give off carbon monoxide?

When heating with wood pellets, it is important that they be safely stored outside your home or business. A chemical reaction that produces carbon monoxide (CO) gas can occur when wood pellets are stored. CO is a poisonous gas that can cause death and other harmful health effects if the pellets are not safely stored.

How often should you clean out your pellet stove?

How Often Should You Clean Your Pellet Stove? On average, a deep clean once a week could be useful. However, every pellet stove is different, and its hard to say a specific time frame of how often you should clean your pellet stove. Check your stoves manual to see if there are any cleaning recommendations.

What happens if you dont clean your pellet stove?

Clean Your Stove Regularly A lack of maintenance is often the root cause of pellet stove fires. Fly ash can accumulate in the ash traps and the flue, resulting in blockage. At its most serious, this fire can spread to the hopper that holds the pellets.

Can a pellet stove run all day?

Many models of pellet stove allow for 24 hours continuous burning each and every day as long as the hopper has a sufficient supply of pellets. Many pellet stoves also allow users to input certain times of day in which to generate heat.

Will a pellet stove work without electricity?

In the event of a power outage your pellet stove will shut down and the fire within will continue to burn until it goes out on its own. Keep the appliance doors closed during this time so that any remaining smoke will remain in the stove and not inundate your home.

Do pellet stoves give off smoke?

Pellet stoves produce little or no visible smoke after startup, but exhaust gases, fine ash and water vapor must be moved safely from the appliance to the outdoors without leaking into the house. A few stoves operate without a combustion air fan and instead use natural draft both for exhaust and combustion air intake.