Wood Pellet Heating | WoodPellets.com Blog

How to Prepare Your Pellet Stove for the Summer

June 1st, 2017 Pellet Stoves, Wood Pellet Heating, WoodPellets.com

Woodpellets.com Pellet Stove Best Practices When the little stretches of warm days transition into consistent summer weather – you’re ready to let your pellet stove go on vacation. But, there are extra steps you should consider taking to protect your precious heating investment.

Turn off your stove and unplug it from the surge protector, or unplug the entire thing. Why do you need a surge protector? Most modern pellet stoves have a circuit board that can be damaged without protection from even small electrical surges caused by power outages. Be sure to check your manual for information on electrical recommendations.) Once you’re fully disconnected, make sure it’s completely cooled off before moving forward.

How Heavy Snow Can Affect Your Wood Pellet Stove

February 6th, 2017 Pellet Stoves, Quality Guarantee, Wood Pellet Heating, WoodPellets.com

Pellet Stove Vent Blockage The venting on your wood pellet stove can be installed horizontally, vertically or both. The exterior vent allows for proper air flow within the stove, and for the escape of exhaust. If it’s blocked by dense snow – your stove’s ability to ignite and/or stay burning efficiently could be hindered.

A common exhaust setup is horizontal – straight through the exterior wall (See Fig. A). If your wood pellets aren’t burning through fully – this blockage could be the reason…because the exiting air is an important part of your stove’s operation. (See Figure B).

A similar kind of venting is through the wall with a vertical rise (See Figure C). Vertical piping raises the exhaust further up the exterior wall. This kind of setup creates less risk of snow blockage. However, there’s a possibility of some blockage by strong snow drifts, or a very large snow accumulation.

Pellet stoves can also have exhaust vents exiting through the roof – with some variations (See Figure D). If your roof has heavy snow piled up that hasn’t slid off or been pushed off, the vent could be blocked.

Proper air flow is key for efficient pellet stove operation. Make sure to check for blockage – no matter how your stove is vented.

Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns about your pellet burning experience.

Woodpellets.com Quality Certified fuels are backed by a Quality Guarantee, which is valid for a full 30 days after your delivery date.

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An Informed Wood Pellet Burner is a Successful Wood Pellet Burner

January 16th, 2017 About Wood Pellets, Pellet Stove Cleaning, Pellet Stoves, Quality Guarantee, Wood Pellet Heating, WoodPellets.com

Wood Pellet Colors
If you purchased the pellet stove in your home, you probably did a lot of research by reading reviews, comparing prices, learning about available features, and so on. How much do you look into pellets before you make a purchase? It’s a good idea to check out the brand’s heat and ash specifications before you buy. The higher the ash percentage, the more leftover ash you’ll experience – which correlates to how frequent your cleanings will be. Higher quality pellets have lower ash percentages, which means less maintenance for you. As for the heat output, the higher the BTU/lb number, the hotter the burn of course.

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United States Mid-Century Strategy for Deep Decarbonization Published

November 16th, 2016 About Wood Pellets, Renewable Energy Public Policy, The Green Team

The White House has just released the United States Mid-Century Strategy for Deep Decarbonization, a national U.S. strategy to decarbonize the economy over the next 34 years.

This report spans over 100 pages, and details the 2050 vision of economy-wide net greenhouse gas emissions reductions of 80 percent or more below 2005 levels. The White House explains:

“The MCS demonstrates how the United States can meet the growing demands on its energy system and lands while achieving a low-emissions pathway, maintaining a thriving economy, and ensuring a just transition for Americans whose livelihoods are connected to fossil fuel production and use,”

$300 Biomass Federal Tax Credit Expiring

October 7th, 2016 Cost Savings, Wood Pellet Heating

Biomass Tax Credit Are you eligible for the $300 Biomass Federal Tax Credit? It’s a $300 dollar-for-dollar tax credit for purchasing a qualifying biomass-burning stove between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2016. To make sure yours meets the 75% efficiency rating requirement, just check with your retailer.

You’re able to claim this credit as long as the stove was installed in your principal residence. This is the home you live in most of the time. It must be in the United States, and it can include a house, houseboat, mobile home, cooperative apartment, condominium, and a manufactured home. New construction and rentals do not apply.

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Why Your Pellet Stove Won’t Ignite, Stay Lit, Feed Pellets, Etc.

October 1st, 2016 Pellet Stoves, Wood Pellet Heating

Why Your Pellet Stove Won’t Ignite, Stay Lit, Feed Pellets, Etc. There are many different brands and styles of wood pellet stoves – so the best way to start learning about your particular stove is to read the entire manual. If you’re a new pellet stove owner, or have switched to a different model – it could take some trial and error to learn the right process for your home.

You might be surprised to learn that many common issues pellet burners face with their stoves can be solved with making some adjustments. Again – start to troubleshoot and learn by reading your manual! It has the best stove-specific advice on operation, maintenance, recommendations and best practices.

Take a look at our quick cheat sheet below to review the pellet stove problems we hear about the most.

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Labs Test for Actual Efficiency of Wood and Pellet Stoves

September 14th, 2016 Wood Pellet Heating

In May of 2015, the Environmental Protection Agency began to require efficiency testing for stoves. Those tested and certified before then do not have to disclose their efficiency until they are required to conduct new tests – while will be at least a couple of years.

Many stove manufacturers post efficiency numbers based on non-standardized calculations. This means the information posted on the company website might not be entirely accurate.

The wood and pellet stoves found in the chart below have been tested by accredited laboratories for efficiency in order to find honest data for consumers. Keep in mind that the efficiency of wood stoves is partly based on the operator, while lab-tested pellet stove efficiency results should be considered reliable.

Welcoming South Shore Wood Pellets Customers

August 24th, 2016 Convenient Delivery, Quality Guarantee, Wood Bricks, Wood Pellet Heating, WoodPellets.com

Woodpellets.com Partners with South Shore Wood Pellets to Help Cover Former Customers with Quality Wood Pellets, Expert Customer Service and Convenient Delivery Options. Although the Massachusetts-based South Shore Wood Pellets permanently closed this year, the owner of SSWP felt it was important to redirect his customers to a reliable vendor that would provide the high level of premium products and service they are used to. That’s where we come in.

The team at Woodpellets.com has been working together with South Shore Wood Pellets to make sure former patrons are covered. We are a local New Hampshire company celebrating our 10th anniversary in business. We have withstood all the challenges over the years by focusing on one thing; our valued customers.

We proudly offer the highest quality wood pellets and bricks, convenient home delivery to your driveway or garage, and a team of experts to answer your questions – including troubleshooting and service needs. We have grown to become one of the most reliable and largest pellet retailers in the Northeast.

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Farmers’ Almanac 2016-17 Weather Predictions Are In

August 15th, 2016 Wood Pellet Heating

Woodpellets.com
Shoveling snow wasn’t much of a bother last year, heating bills were much lower, and December was the warmest on record for the lower 48 states. The year ended pretty wet too – with 86 percent of the U.S experiencing above-normal precipitation. However according to the 2016-17 Farmers’ Almanac, the nice reprieve we enjoyed last year is over…and winter is making a big comeback.

2017FarmerAlmanac Predictions for this year include warnings of exceptionally cold, frigid weather which will predominate over parts of the Northern Plains, Great Lakes, Midwest, Ohio Valley, the Middle Atlantic, Northeast, and New England this winter.

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Residential Biomass Federal Tax Credit Information

April 4th, 2016 Renewable Energy Public Policy

2015 2016 Did you purchase a biomass-burning heating system for your home that meets the 75% efficiency rating between January 1, 2015 and now? If you did, you’re likely eligible for the $300 Biomass Federal Tax Credit!

Unfortunately, there’s no master list of eligible stoves. To make sure yours meets the 75% efficiency rating requirement, just check with your retailer.

You’re able to claim this credit as long as the stove was installed in your principal residence. This is the home you live in most of the time. It must be in the United States, and it can include a house, houseboat, mobile home, cooperative apartment, condominium, and a manufactured home. New construction and rentals do not apply.

You’ll need the Individual Income Tax Return Form 1040 and the Residential Energy Credits Form 5695 to include the Biomass Federal Tax Credit on your filing. If you bought your eligible stove this year, or are planning to this year, prepare for your 2016 tax filing by keeping your sales receipt and the manufacturer’s certification. These are just for your records, not to be attached.

If your stove meets all the requirements, and you purchased it in 2015, did you include it on your tax return? If you missed out on the Biomass Federal Tax Credit, use form Form 1040X – Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. You have up to three years after the filing or due date, or two years after paying your taxes to amend. Full information on how to amend your return can be found here.

For More Information, See HPBA’s Tax Credit Guide, Here