How to choose the right pellet cooker for your home
Pellet cookersWhether for comfort, environmental friendliness, high efficiency, being very economical, safe, easy to use, clean and easy to maintain, the number of users opting for this heating system is increasing every day. Its numerous advantages have brought a real revolution in the system of heating.
In a world that seeks eco-friendly and efficient solutionspellet cookers are presented as a safe value. But choosing one of the existing types or models is not simple, it will depend on certain characteristics of the environment where it will be located and the needs to be covered.
These are the considerations to keep in mind when choosing a pellet cooker.
How to choose the right pellet cooker for your home
The room where it will be located
This will be the first and most important decision to take into account, both because of the size of the room to be heated and the fact that it will have to be installed. a smoke vent or, if it does not have one. This gas outlet must be directed to the roof of the dwelling, i.e. to the highest part, as it is strictly forbidden to place it as a direct outlet to the façade.
Another consideration should be the location of the room to be occupied, as it should be sufficiently ventilated and away from any material that could burn and cause a fire, such as curtains, carpets or other flammable objects.
In any case, the pellet cooker must have a completely free and unobstructed surrounding space of at least two metres from the hot air outlet so that the hot air can circulate unhindered and heat the room.
The power required
This is another obvious factor: depending on the surface area to be covered, the power of the cooker should be the same. For heating a living room or large, spacious rooms, the most advisable is an air pellet cooker. If adjoining rooms need to be heated, a ductable cooker is best, and if the room is small, a cooker with a small base will suffice.
In any case, a very simple formula can be applied to calculate the required power, which is valid for any space.
As a guideline model, it should be noted that with 1 kilowatt will be able to keep around 10 square metres warm. Therefore, the operation to find out what power is required is a simple rule of three.
To cover a space of 50 metres square, it should have an output of 5 kilowatts.
Other important elements should also be taken into consideration in order to calculate the power of the cooker more accurately, such as the quality of the building materials, the type of insulation, the climate of the place where the house is located, as well as the type and quantity of furniture in the room to be heated.
How to choose the right pellet cooker for your home
The number of adjoining rooms to be heated
The model of pellet cookers The ductable pellet stove can heat several rooms by distributing its heat to several rooms. A pellet thermo-stove can also perform this function by supplying hot water to the various radiators installed in the rooms or through underfloor heating.
To calculate the power required, the above formula must be carried out by adding the number of rooms to be heated.
As can be imagined, the expense and price increase of the installation will be considerable.
It is important to make the right calculations and to know for sure which system is the most suitable to have a balanced and comfortable temperature in the winter months before making the choice.
How to choose the right pellet cooker for your home
Some extra considerations
It has already been briefly discussed that there are three types of pellet cookersEach one is useful for a different type of room or need. Whichever one is finally chosen, it is important that it has thermostats to adjust and control the temperature.
Like a traditional cooker, these accessories optimise the use of the cooker's heat. energy savingsThey will switch off the heat output when it reaches the desired level.
In addition, it will significantly increase the convenience of its use as it can be programmed, some remotely via wi-fi and even from the mobile phone.
If possible, it is also advisable for the pellet cooker you purchase to have an alarm that warns you when the pellets are about to be completely used up, so that you can replace them without losing heat.
In relation to brands
The pellet cooker market is growing at a rapid pace, with an increasing number of brands offering this type of heater. Leading brands such as Fuoco-Vivo, Ipercalor, Bronpi, Haverland or Ferroli do not usually disappoint. Before deciding on one or the other, it is important to make sure that the chosen brand has a technical service in the same town or province, in any case, close to where it is installed. This type of heater requires professional maintenance every two years.
In addition, it is interesting to make sure, by looking in specialised forums or on the website itself, by reading the comments, whether the technical service is good enough, attentive and economical.
How to choose the right pellet cooker for your home
Storage of pellets
A final tip for optimal use of these cookers concerns the storage of the pellet bags that will be used for their operation.
It is advisable to provide a space near the cooker with sufficient capacity for one or two bags, so that it will not be necessary to leave the warmth of the room to look for food from the cooker. It should be remembered that the estimated average consumption is one kilo of pellets per hour.
On the other hand, a dry place must be found, without any possible contact with water, where the rest of the bags purchased can be stored. It is usual to buy them on pallets, so that they are more cost-effective, but logically, they require more space for storage.
It is necessary that the room for this purpose is kept airy and at a stable temperature of approximately 20ºC.
If there is not much storage space, it is recommended to buy a smaller quantity to avoid dampness.
The bags should not be stacked too high, so that the pressure does not break the seal of the bags and they are left open, and also so that they can be removed effortlessly. A fairly common place is in garages or sheds, where the loading and unloading of this material is facilitated.
How to choose the right pellet cooker for your home
Are you interested in buying a pellet cooker? Take a look at our models.