What are the advantages and disadvantages of pellets compared to a wood burning logs in?

Archimedean screw for automatic feeding of a pellet boiler

Advantages of wood pellets on

- feed automation for boilers,
- semi automation for the stoves (loading every 24 hours),
- little or no fuel preparation work (the wood heats 3 times, the pellets only heat once!),
- smaller storage volume but need to be inside (humidity),
- deliverable without much work (for you) in very large quantities (12 tonnes at one time),
- standardized fuel: no bad surprises (at least in theory) on the quality of the wood,
- generally cleaner combustion: sweeping less frequent than with wood.

Disadvantages of wood pellets on

- need for an electric power supply for the stoves (therefore consumption and no heating so in the event of a power failure, fortunately rare but still must be specified)
- equipment expensive to install but could be subject tofinancial assistance or tax credit
- Impossibility of burning anything other than pellets in a pellet stove, the conversion of a boiler is certainly possible but complex and expensive.
- fuel 30 to 50% more expensive than wood in logs with equivalent energy but compensated, in part or in whole by the output of generally higher devices,
- lifespan of pellet stoves less important than a wood stove (a modern quality wood stove with logs can last 50 years, life hardly conceivable for a pellet stove with a turbine and electronic regulation without regular maintenance and change of parts)
- slightly noisy stoves during operation due to the blower and the automation. If present in or near a room this can be problematic.
- uncertainties about price stability pellet

Read more: Questions to ask before switching to pellets?

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