Pellet stoves create heat by burning compressed wood or pellets. These highly efficient heat sources allow for clean burning and low emissions but require a bit of maintenance and care. If you've got a pellet stove, you know they use a bit of electricity to turn on or ignite, but what happens in a power outage? We gathered our research to answer if it is possible and if it is, how it can be done.
Your pellet stove requires electricity to run. You can run your pellet stove when your primary source of electricity goes out if you have a backup power source set up. If you do not have a backup power source in place, your stove will not run without electricity.
Now you know that you'll need a backup power source. Luckily, there are options for you to choose from. Read on as we discuss how you run a pellet stove without electricity and answer how long these stoves can run on battery.
How Do You Use A Pellet Stove Without Electricity?
Pellet stoves are an excellent option for keeping your space warm in the cold months. They are efficient as long as they have a bit of power to keep them going. Luckily, you can have a plan to keep them up and running in the face of a power outage or other instances when you are without electricity.
Experiencing a power outage with a pellet stove is inconvenient, but it can also be dangerous. A cut of the power supply in the middle of running your stove may result in smoke build-up that can damage your home and belongings.
To use a pellet stove without electricity, you will need a battery backup. To make your own backup battery, you will need a deep cycle 12-volt battery or better and an inverter to change volts DC to volts AC. When choosing a battery, pick one that can run your pellet stove for multiple hours.
Amazon offers a rechargeable 12V battery here.
The ideal inverter should produce the maximum load of your pellet stove. The inverter use peaks when you ignite your stove and flows at a steady rate during operation. Inverters keep your electronics and electric output safe.
Have a look at this power inverter here on Amazon.
You use this system by connecting your battery to your inverter with the correct polarity. Your pellet stove then gets plugged into your inverter. This is how you can use your pellet stove without electricity.
Read more on our blog post, "What Do Pellet Stoves Burn?"
How Long Will A Pellet Stove Run On A Battery?
With the appropriate battery and power inverter, your stove should operate at a regular rate for about six hours on a low-heat setting. After six hours, your battery will be 50% discharged. A rule of thumb when using a lead-acid battery is to never fully discharge them.
Recharging the battery at 50% or above will decrease the chances of damaging the battery and prolong its life.
Do you think six hours won't be long enough? There are ways to extend the working time of your battery. One way is by connecting multiple batteries in parallel to one another. You'll have more upkeep with more batteries but a far less chance of not having heat. Another option is to purchase a battery with a greater AH or amp hour rating.
Can You Use A Generator As A Back-Up Power Supply?
You can certainly use a generator as a backup power supply. The generator will kick in to power your home in the case of a power outage, including your pellet stove. If you are only using a generator, you need to consider what else is being powered by this source.
Backup batteries are typically only powering your pellet stove, allowing you to accurately calculate how long this power source will last.
You can find a portable generator here on Amazon.
How big of a generator you need and what kind of power it uses, gas versus battery depends on the individual size of your home and how much power you expect to be using. Keep in mind that generators do tend to cost far more than the battery and power inverter set-up as well.
How Much Electricity Does It Take To Run A Pellet Stove?
Different parts of a pellet stove require certain amounts of electricity. The igniter on these stoves requires the most electricity. The igniter will run for ten minutes or less as it lights the wood pellets. The amount of times a stove relights in a day is dependent on individual use. On average, the igniter will use 200-500 watts of electricity.
Outside the igniter, these stoves require electricity for the hopper auger, control unit, distribution, and combustion blower. During everyday use, not fire ignition, a pellet stove uses about 100 watts of energy. You most likely won't use your stove all hours a day; it is more common to use a pellet stove for about eight hours each day.
With these averages in mind, you can expect a pellet stove to use 1 kWh of electricity per day. This number is comparable to the amount of electricity a TV uses.
Pellet stoves have been considered highly energy efficient. This means there is a large amount of heat produced from each piece of fuel with little waste. These automated, cleaner-burning processes are possible because of the energy used to get the working parts of the stove moving but, the stove doesn't use electricity for the actual burning.
Learn more details on this topic in our blog post, "How Much Electricity Does A Pellet Stove Use?"
What Factors Affect Heat And Electricity Consumption For My Pellet Stove?
The costs and electricity needed to run a pellet stove can change based on individual needs and usage. One of the most significant factors to consider when buying and using these stoves is how big of an area you need to heat.
Basic pellet stoves heat the room where they are located, while more involved units can heat multiple rooms, including boilers. Which unit you require can significantly change the expected costs and energy usage.
The more heat you want, the more pellets you require. To keep your pellet stove going, you do need pellets. If your preference is a higher temperature for a longer time, you use more resources than the average use of an eight-hour cycle. Knowing your preferences can help you prepare your backup power source as well.
If you know you run your pellet stove on high heat the majority of the time, prepare with additional charged batteries in your backup power plan.
Are Pellet Stoves Cheaper Than Electric Heat?
Pellet stoves are more than an energy-efficient, alternative heating source. They do save you money when compared to other heat sources. Pellet stoves are cheaper than electric heat, as they require far less electricity. These stoves require pellets to operate, but pellets are much more affordable than electricity and more environmentally friendly.
You spend less than $10 on electricity with a pellet stove versus $100 or more for electric heat. What about these pellet costs? Exact costs depend on how often you use your stove, but the fuel pellets average is $25-$30 per month. The total cost of running a pellet stove comes to under $50 per month, beating the prices of electric heat by nearly half.
The most expensive costs of pellet stoves include purchasing and installing the unit. Once installed, you will find you are saving much more money in the long run, making the investment worth it.
Read more on our blog post, "Do Pellet Stoves Smell? [What You Need To Know]"
In Summary
Pellet stoves do require electricity to get the working parts moving. Energy gets used to ignite the fire, drop more pellets, and keep the air flowing.
There are, however, power backup plans you can have in place to keep your pellet stove running when the electricity goes out. Having a backup battery set up is one of these plans and can be done easily with just two components.
Pellet stoves, on average, require 1 kWh of electricity per day to run. Compared to electric heating units, this is minimal and cost-efficient. We hope you found this article insightful when it comes to running your pellet stove with no electricity and learned something new about the electricity your unit requires.
Are you looking for more information when it comes to your pellet stove? Have a look through our blog post, "Pellet Stove Keeps Going Out - What Could Be Wrong?"