Pellet Stove Accessories

Some pellet stove accessories are standard equipment when using a solid fuel heater. The most common would be a hearth companion set consisting of a hearth brush and ash scoop or shovel for stoves that don't automatically dump the ash into the ashpan. These can be found at your local hardware or antiques store. There's a nice set shown at the bottom of this page.

Although pellet stoves don't get as hot as traditional stoves, the glass and door area can reach quite high temperatures and if young children are around, a fire guard could be a useful precaution.

Moving The Heat Around

Depending on the layout of your home, and where you have your pellet stove situated, you may want to transfer the heat more evenly. If you have floor or wall heat ducts, a register booster fan can be added to your heat outlets as needed. Some have automatic thermostats.

If you don't have a ducted heating system, and want a permanent air transfer installation, through wall fans are available that can be either hard wired or plugged in. Typically an 8 inch hole will be required in the wall, but this will be hidden behind the fan shroud.

An easier route to take is to use door frame fans. These fit neatly into one of the upper corners of a door frame. The disadvantage is that they won't move heat around if the door is closed.

Pellet stoves produce a dry heat, and some stove users like to keep a kettle humidifier on top of their stove.

Ash from pellet stoves is a major cause of accidental fires. Ash should be emptied from the stove into a purpose made ash can with a tight fitting lid, and left until it's absolutely cold before disposal.

Battery Backup

Probably the most important of pellet stove accessories is battery backup. The Surefire Stove Sentry interfaces between a pellet stove and the AC electrical supply.

When electricity is present the Surefire Stove Sentry charges a battery and surveys the power line. At the instant that a power failure occurs, the Surefire Stove Sentry converts the energy stored in the battery to AC power. This assures operation of the pellet stove without interruption during the absence of electricity.

When AC utility power is restored, the Surefire Stove Sentry reinstates AC utility power as the prime energy source to operate the pellet stove. Simultaneously and automatically the Surefire Stove Sentry commences the recharging of the battery, to return it to full capacity in preparation for the next power failure.

The Surefire Stove Sentry produces a sine wave output which mimics normal AC power and will be compatible with your stove's control board.

If you would like to know more about running your pellet stove from batteries in an emergency please go to pellet stove battery backup

Pellet Hods And Hoppers

The hopper is designed to hold enough fuel so that it will only need to be filled once a day, if that. If you want to keep a supply of pellets handy, or as a feature, there are many different types of decorative container available as pellet stove accessories.

If there is a chance that your pellets may become damp in the storage area, a good idea is to keep the next fill handy by the stove in an open weave wicker, cane or rush basket so that while the previous fill is burning, the next can dry out. (Not too close - remember the clearance from the stove to combustibles).

Do Pellet Stoves Have To Be Black?

Not these days, although black is the easiest colour to maintain. Many manufacturers produce stoves in a variety of colours, usually in a powder coated enamel finish. If you have a black stove and fancy a change of colour, modern high temperature paints are available. Don't underestimate the work though. The stove will have to be stripped down and prepared for painting properly to do a good job.

Decorative Logsets

One of the most popular accessories is the decorative logset which is often available as an option when buying the stove. These are made of beaten stainless steel sheet or ceramic material to resemble burnt logs, and will glow with the heat from the stove. A good way to make your fire look more like a traditional woodburner.

Quick Cleaning

For giving the stove a quick dusting inside and out, a rechargeable hand vacuum cleaner can be handy. Be sure that the stove is absolutely cold before using it. For thorough cleaning, you might want to look at a warm ash vacuum

Ecofan

Caframo make a special model of heat powered Ecofan for pellet, corn and gas stoves. This fan sits on top of the stove and uses the stove's heat to run. Useful for spreading the heat in directions the stove's blower doesn't. The stove top temperature must be between 150 to 300 degrees F.