Wood-pellet stove won’t stay lighted

Q: I installed a wood-pellet stove last fall. It has worked brilliantly and saved me a lot of money, but this fall when I tested it, the pellets would not stay lit. What is wrong? — Will T., Lawrence, Mass.

A: Pellet-burning stoves are an increasingly popular way to heat homes, providing an affordable alternative to today’s sky-high oil and natural gas prices. These appliances use compressed wood pellets that burn very efficiently. The heat generated by burning the pellets is distributed through the house via a forced-air system; automated circuitry controls the number of pellets fed into the burn chamber and regulates the temperature.

The homeowner’s job with a pellet stove is to refill the hopper (frequency depends on the stove’s size and the amount of heat needed) and to clean out the ashes regularly. Off-season cleaning and maintenance of the stove components is also necessary to keep everything working at peak efficiency.

My first thought about your pellet-burning problem is that not enough oxygen is reaching the pellets. An electric vent system controls air flow into the burn chamber and out through the vent pipe. If the system isn’t working right, not enough air is getting to the pellets. The issue could simply be a buildup of ash or creosote deposits in the burn chamber. In any case, I would recommend contacting the dealer that installed your stove for specific instructions on cleaning your stove model, or to schedule a repair.

Alternative heating appliances, like pellet-burning stoves, traditional wood-burning fireplaces and even coal-burning stoves are getting plenty of attention. Homeowners should look into them as good supplemental heat sources, and do a price comparison. The purchase price and the cost of professional installation (recommended if not required by your local government) should be factored into the cost of the appliance.

CORRECTION: Thanks to Pete W., who wrote about a recent column on maintaining furnaces that suggested using 10W30 oil to lubricate the motor: “(Automotive) motor oil has detergents that can score the bearings of the motor. The proper oil for electric motors of the sizes found in furnaces is SAE30 non-detergent.”