How Many Pellets Does It Take to Heat Your Home?

How Many Pellets Does It Take to Heat Your Home?

Wood pellets are a popular option to heat homes during the cold winter season. They offer homeowners a more affordable fuel source compared to natural gas and propane, saving them money on their heating bills. And since wood pellets are made from a natural, renewable resource, you can feel good knowing your choice is better for the environment.

Whether you've switched to using high-quality pellets or you recently installed your first wood pellet stove, you're probably wondering how many wood pellets you need. We are here to help answer that question so you can stay warm and comfortable all winter long.

How Many Pellets Do I Need to Heat My Home?

It's beneficial to plan for the approaching cold months. Otherwise, you could risk running out of pellets before the season comes to a close. Heating your house with wood pellets is different than other fuel sources. You'll have to fill the stove hopper by hand, and if you run out, you'll be out of heat until you get more. Considering how many pellets you need to heat your home is the first step in preparing to get the right amount.

Pellets are sold in 40-pound bags. Depending on factors related to your home size and pellet stove usage, you should be able to get around 24 hours of heat from one bag of pellets. There are 50 40-pound bags in one ton, and we recommend 2 tons to 5 tons to last you the entire heating season. This equals 100 to 250 bags.

That number can change depending on some factors. Larger homes require more pellets, and perhaps even a second pellet stove, to heat adequately. Winters vary in their temperatures, so you may find that 2 tons of pellets might be adequate one year and not enough the next. Your personal preferences also matter, as people who like their homes to be warmer will go through more pellets. Using your pellet stove as your primary or secondary heating source also affects how many wood pellets you'll use in a year.

Why Use Heating Pellets?

Many homeowners are making the switch from other heat sources to wood pellet stoves. That's because they provide plenty of benefits that make them an attractive option. Here are a few of the benefits you can experience when you choose to heat your home with a wood pellet stove:

• Environmentally conscious: Wood pellets are the cleanest solid fuel available. Because of their high combustion temperature and heat efficiencies, they give off very little air pollution. For homeowners looking to go green, wood pellets are one of the best options on the market.
• Efficient and affordable: Pellet stoves have one of the highest efficiency ratings according to the Pellet Fuel Institute (PFI). With a 78% efficiency rating, you receive a great value per million British thermal units (BTU).
• Convenient: Wood pellet stoves are versatile. You can install them almost anywhere in your home, whether you have a single unit heating the whole house or multiple smaller ones throughout the home. Turn off the stove's circulating fans to experience silent, isolated heat.
• Customizable: You can choose between hard or softwood pellets. There are a few varieties within these two categories, so you have options when choosing what pellets you want for your home heating system. Pick the pellet type that gives off the heat you want at the price you can afford.
• Clean: Another benefit of the pellets' high combustion rate is a very low amount of ash. This saves time spent cleaning up and also keeps you, your house and your lungs free from excess ash in the air. Our brands closely monitor the wood we use in our pellets to guarantee low ash levels.

Is a Pellet Stove Your Primary Heat Source?

Your wood pellet stove can be your home's primary heat source. Since pellets are made with renewable resources, including lumber waste and sawdust, there will rarely be a shortage of fuel to heat your home. Pellet stoves need ductwork and proper air movement to heat an entire house. Often, a new wood pellet stove can connect to a house's existing pipes and ducts. Larger houses may need additional heat sources or a second wood stove, but average-sized houses can heat an entire home with one wood stove.

The wood pellet stove makes heating your home easy. All you have to do is fill your stove's hopper with pellets, and the stove will do the rest. An augur carries pellets from the hopper to the firebox, giving you a constant supply of heat. Many hoppers can hold one bag's worth of pellets at a time, but larger ones can hold enough to last an entire week without refilling.

How Many Tons of Pellets Do You Need?

The size of your house and your intended usage affect the number of pellets you'll need. As mentioned, we find that most households use 2 tons to 5 tons of wood pellets every year to stay warm and comfortable. This number varies depending on your preferences for heat. If you like to wear summer clothes inside your house during the winter, you may lean toward 5 tons of usage. If you're wearing warmer clothing indoors, you may get through the winter comfortably with 2 tons or 3 tons of pellets. For reference, a standard 40-pound bag means 50 bags add up to one ton of wood pellets.

The size of your home also affects your pellet usage. Larger homes will require more pellets to heat, while smaller ones can get by with fewer. Consider the size of your house to determine if you should get extra pellets just to be safe. You may also want to consider installing a second wood stove to heat a larger house adequately.

Some homeowners choose to use their wood pellet stove as a secondary heat source or supplement the stove with other heating methods. No matter what type of fuel you use to heat your home, installing a small wood stove as a secondary heat source in your living room or bedroom can enhance your comfort and may lower your heating bills. Using a wood pellet stove as a secondary heat source will require fewer pellets to operate throughout the winter.

Trust the Experts for Your Wood Pellet Needs

We care about the quality of the pellets we sell. We provide only the highest-quality pellets and make sure to monitor the wood we receive to ensure it passes our strict standards. Quality pellets can result in better heat and a healthier wood pellet stove. Contact us today to learn more about our pellets and services.

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