Opinions on a pellet stove for my yurt

[Stea]

I've started pre building the platform for my

Shelter Designs

20' yurt and I will be picking the yurt up the end of july.

I keep going back and forth whether I want a wood stove or a pellet stove.

Yurt will be at 9500 ' here in Utah and we will be using it on the weekends all 4 seasons.

Realistically will a pellet stove work at 20 degree Temps and how long would it take to heat up a 20 footer with the standard

insulation

package.

I like the idea of less piping to the outside and being able to fill the hopper and not have to tend it.

Anybody have any real world experiance with pellet stoves in a yurt?

[Jafo]

I have a wood stove in my yurt and a pellet stove in my home.

As someone who has both, I would think that a wood stove would work better. A pellet stove is a forced air type heater (most of them anyway). A wood stove is a radiant type heater. Most yurts come with a reflective type

insulation

as part of their package. This is perfect for radiant heat.

Forced air

heating

works great in situations where you have rather air tight insulation. Generally this is not the case in most yurts, nor is it desirable (search for mold issues on this site for example).

Pellet stoves require electricity to run and are also higher maintenance than some might imagine. Depending on your model, you will be cleaning your stove every 5-10 bags of pellets. You also have to deep clean the stove after every ton of pellets or so (50 bags). Pellet stoves can go out, just like wood stoves can, especially during shoulder seasons when you have it set for a low temp.

Wood stoves require some work too, mostly in getting the fuel and keeping it dry, however you can usually use fuel locally, if not right from your own lot.

If you are getting a radiant type pellet stove, then it could be better than a wood stove, but I have only had experience and knowledge of the forced air type.

Hope that helps!

[Bob Rowlands]

I don't have a pellet stove. We have a friend that has one in her small tract house. The area the stove attempts to heat is equivalent to a very large yurt, I'd say a 27'er. It doesn't really heat that space in the winter. The furnace heats the house, the pellet stove adds very little heat. That's my sole experience with them fwiw.

[Stea]

Thanks guys that's what I was thinking. Didn't really think that a pellet would be right for the job.