There is no right answer to this question. Each stove has its pros and cons which may or may not be important to you. We have put together a little list to kind of sum up the overall traits of this choice and hopefully will help you in deciding which is the right purchase for you!
First, lets start with the pros of the wood burning stove:
Pros:
- Large BTU/heat output relative to wood burning stoves.
- The amazing look of wood burning inside the stoves.
- The fuel source, wood, can be obtain for free depending on your location.
- The wood burning stove can still operate if the electricity goes out.
- Catalytic stoves can help to prolong burn times within the wood stove.
Cons:
- Wood may need to be seasoned for quite some time before use.
- Wood piles can attract bugs and other critters depending on your location.
- Wood storage can utilize more space.
- Depending on the stove, it may require more babysitting to ensure the flame does not go out.
So as you can see the wood stoves are great in regards to their output but the negatives tend to be more oriented towards storing the wood. So if you have the capabilities to make these cons not so bad then a wood stove might just be right for you! Now on to the pellet stove:
Pros:
- Units can range to as high as 75,000 BTUs which is close to the output of a wood stove.
- Most pellet stoves have the ability to regulate the amount of heat output, either by changing the feed rate, air combustion, or other basic heat settings. This also helps to reduce the amount of babysitting relative to a wood burning stove.
- Due to their construction they can be left on typically even if the house unoccupied.
- The fuel source, pellets, can be stacked neatly in bags in various locations within the house. This makes storage much more convienant.
- Depending on what time of the year the pellets are bought you can find some very good deals, typically late spring or early summer.
Cons:
- Relative to the wood burning stove, the heat output may not be as high.
- There tend to be more moving parts to a pellet stove and with anything these could malfunction over time.
- Compared to a natural wood burning flame, the scenic view of a pellet stove may be less appealing to some.
Overall, both fuel types and stoves are amazing products. Each has its own pros and cons which makes the decision depend specific to the individual buying the stove. It is important to always consider your options before any purchase and this is for surely one of those situations. Here at Sweep-A-Chim we want to help you make the best decision that fits your needs!