not sure if this qualifies as "green" or not..  We're starting to look at fireplaces & I'm giving some consideration to a pellet stove fireplace.  In our old house we had a wood burning fireplace.  I really liked it while I had a fire going, but pretty much disliked everything else.  Hauling wood in from outside always left a mess, getting the fire started got the house smelling a bit smoky, and when it was not going, you could really feel a draft around it, even with the flue closed.

If we got one, it would be to use as a fireplace (e.g. using occasionally, not as a primary heat source).  Has anyone done this?  On paper they seem pretty decent - closed combustion, clean burning, basically maintenance free (dump one 50-70 lb bag of pellets in, & we'd be set for quite a while). 

The only things I've seen that I'm not sure about are cosmetic - that very vertical "torchy" flame, and I'm not sure if it would really look like a fireplace if we built a mantel around it...

Anyone using a pellet stove in this fashion?

I went through the same agonizing process when designing our house.  Since the primary purpose was ambiance, my wife talked me into a propane burning fireplace.  Flip the wall switch and you have a fire in a few seconds.  When the house gets too warm (and it does), flip the switch and the fire goes out.  I do miss the smell of a wood burning fire, but I never buy or haul wood or have to deal with ash.  It is so simple to operate that my wife and kids have no trouble "starting a fire." 

Convenience = 10
Ambiance vs. Wood Fire = 6
Efficiency = ~85%
Heat output during power failure = 10
Smell = 0
Purchase Cost = Similar to High Efficiency Wood Burner without chimney
Operating Cost = relatively high (not the best way to heat the house)

Hope this helps some.  Good luck,
Ed

Here's what mine looks like finished....

 

 
  

sounds to me like we're sharing a brain...  haha!

"heat output during power failure" is one thing that concerned me about the pellet stove idea.  I guess many of them have a 12 volt power adaptor or something.  I guess if the power goes out you can bring in a car battery to run your stove?  Better than nothing, I suppose. 

We are trying to build a early 1900's/craftsman style home, so a free standing pellet stove in the corner may actually look fitting for the style.  My wife said she wanted "unique", so maybe I can pitch that one to her..

I have talked with people who have pellet stoves and this is what I have learned. 1) The chimney must go up through the roof or you will have soot and sparks on the side of your house. 2) They must be regularly maintained and parts break and must be replaced. 3) Even pellets can be messy and you must remove the ash.
I saw a free standing gas 'fireplace' (looked a lot like a pellet stove) at the home builder's show last year, that was thermostatically controlled. You set the temperature that you want in the location that you want (wireless remote) and the flame would adjust up and down to achieve what you set it at. I don't remember the name, and I do remember that it wasn't cheap, but it certainly looked like the best of both worlds to me.

Good luck to you and report your solution!

Empire comfort sysems makes the stove you are describing, and yes soot is on the siding if you go out the side of your home

Our house came with a pellet stove (Whitfield Advantage II) as the primary winter heat source for a big sunroom addition. It's free-standing against a wall on which the owners put bricks and a mantel. It looks very lovely, somewhat "country". The stove vents directly out the back and through the wall and the chimney pipe sticks out of the side of the wall about 18 inches. It doesn't go up at all. No soot observed anyway on nearby bushes, siding, etc.

Pros: very easy to light (this one does use lighter gel, but it's no harder than a grill, basically, takes a few seconds)
dump the bag of pellets in, and we can light it every evening for ambiance for a week
we like the flame look a lot and it warms up the room very quickly

Cons: no 12 v system or battery backup yet....during power failures, no heat from it
ash - you do have to clean out the ash pan...not often, maybe once every couple weeks, but the amount of ash is minimal (about 2 cups worth). I spread it around under trees in the garden.

Posted By stuart.wyss on 03 Mar 2010 05:55 AM
Our house came with a pellet stove (Whitfield Advantage II) as the primary winter heat source for a big sunroom addition. It's free-standing against a wall on which the owners put bricks and a mantel. It looks very lovely, somewhat "country". The stove vents directly out the back and through the wall and the chimney pipe sticks out of the side of the wall about 18 inches. It doesn't go up at all. No soot observed anyway on nearby bushes, siding, etc.

Pros: very easy to light (this one does use lighter gel, but it's no harder than a grill, basically, takes a few seconds)
dump the bag of pellets in, and we can light it every evening for ambiance for a week
we like the flame look a lot and it warms up the room very quickly

Cons: no 12 v system or battery backup yet....during power failures, no heat from it
ash - you do have to clean out the ash pan...not often, maybe once every couple weeks, but the amount of ash is minimal (about 2 cups worth). I spread it around under trees in the garden.

Thanks for the response!  We have ruled out the pellet stove for the main floor since my original post.  We went through a craftsman style house & really fell in love with a fireplace mantle, so that made our decision. 


We're not finishing our basement right away, but when we do I'm still considering the pellet stove to heat that area.  In that case, the power failure issue concerns me less - downstairs is going to be rec room/bar/etc.  Probably not something we're going to be using when the power is out anyway...

Here's the fireplace we're doing, if anyone is interested (tile is going to be different - I think we're going to do 6x6 slate)