RV Pellet Stoves: A complete guide
Over the years I’ve considered many options for heating my RV, it seems that no matter what I try, keeping my RV warm in an affordable way just never works too well and finding the best RV heating source is nowhere to be found.
I’ve noticed that most of my heat escapes through the RV windows as well as my microwave vent and most electrical and oil appliances are just too darn expensive.
Up until now I’ve relied on a portable propane heater but really despise lugging those little propane bottles around, I’ve just never been a fan.
Fast forward to today, I can tell you my favorite way to heat my RV is a pellet stove. For those of you who don’t know what these are, it acts like a modern furnace that burns little compacted pellets from different biofuel sources mainly from waists from wood waste such as corn stalk, and sawmill wood.
The neat thing about these wood pellets is they burn cleaner than wood and give off less obnoxious smoke and are better for the environment.The cost efficiency of burning wood pellets is WAY better than oil or propane.
Pellet stoves are very efficient and I’ve found they are the best at heating RV’s cheaply. Here is a great article explaining how they work for houses which will be similar to the ones that work in RVs.
Theres a reason this is Amazons top seller in pellet stoves. This unit provides 55,000 BTU’s and will heat up to 2,800 square feet!
This stove is extremely quiet for having such a powerful blower that runs off 110 volts.
We also love that it comes with a 1 year parts warranty and great technical assistance which comes in handy when installing.
Some other great features of this stove include the large window bay for viewing which is always the norm for pellet stoves.
This stove also comes with a an awesome remote that will allow you to fully control the stove from across the room.
This powerful pellet stove will get you through the coldest of nights in your RV. It holds up to 120 pounds of pellets and will heat non stop for 70 hours if needed.
It has an automatic comfort control system that will allow you to turn one know to control the heat level that will automatically control the stove to keep that temperature.
This stove also contains an integrated diagnostic system to help you troubleshoot any problems.
One thing we really like about this stove is the automatic built in blower that won’t be loud and distract you from a movie or reading.
Overall I think this stove is hard to beat, its a beautiful classy looking stove and you can set your temp and forget about it.
The comfortbilt HP50 is a great option for smaller RVs and lower budgets.
Its super attractive, yet still has the functions of the higher end pellet stoves. It contains a 47 pound hopper and will put out 42,000 BTUs and heat up to 2200 square feet which is impressive at this price point.
This stove also has a 1 year parts warranty and is built in North Carolina. The instructions that come with this unit is also great along with a fantastic support team.
Pellet stove accessories
When installing your pellet stove its a great idea to pick up a good vent installation kit. This kit is designed for horizontal installations only.
This is a cheaper, more flexible aluminium vent kit for your pellet stove. Includes a face plate, moisture barrier and two clamps.
Just keep in mind this is a 2″ kit vs the above which is a 3 inch kit. You can order either size just check with your stove dimensions to see what you need.
What look for in a pellet stove
BTU rating
The main thing I advise when shopping for is consider the BTU’s the heater will put out. I suggest using this calculator to determine what size you’ll need.
Size and placement of the stove
While most pellet stoves are smaller than other types of stoves you’ll still need to consider the size of the stove and where to place it. Keep in mind you’ll have to install a vent for the stove and the placement of the stove will depend on where you can do this.
Hopper and ash tray capacity
This will depend on how much usage your stove will be getting by I suggest at least finding a hopper that holds 25lbs of pellets. If you’ll be using the stove quite frequently I suggest find an even larger hopper that holds up to 50lbs so you won’t have to fill it as often.
Manual ignition vs Automatic ignition
This is not a deal breaker for myself but some people like having the ability to start the stove automatically and not dealing with manual ignition.
FAQ’s
How to start a pellet stove?
- First off fill your hopper with the proper pellets and then turn on your stove auger allowing pellets to fall into the “pot” where they can burn..
Make sure to turn the auger off to prevent more pellets dropping while starting.
- Next you’ll need to open your pot door and add fuel to ignite the pellets ( gel or a physical starter). Next light the stove like you would a grill, using a long butane lighter. Once the pellets are ignited close your pot burn door.
- Wait for all the pellets to be fully ignited; they turn red around the edges when burning. It may take a few minutes for all the pellets to catch on fire.
- Lastly turn on your blower and auger allowing more pellets to fall and push the hot air into your RV to keep you nice and cosy.
How to clean a pellet stove?
Luckily pellet stoves are easy to clean, first remove the ash from your burn pot using a vacuum then use the tool that comes with the stove to get the surface more clean. If your model doesn’t come with a brush a simple wire brush from a hardware store will be fine.
How to clean a pellet stove pipe?
For this I recommend vacuum any loose debri or carbon build up. From here I would also clean using a pipe cleaner solution designed for stoves.
How to clean pellet stove glass?
Cleaning glass of pellet stoves is super simple. It is completely safe to use a windex or eco friendly alternative.
Are pellet stoves safe for rvs?
Yes absolutely, as long as you make sure exhaust is being pulled properly and you have a carbon dioxide smoke detector installed.
Conclusions
We hope this article has been helpful with choosing a pellet stove. I wholeheartedly believe that pellet stove are the way to go for heating RVs.
At first they might seem confusing but once you have one installed properly you’ll always have a warm and cozy RV on those cold nights and sleep knowing you aren’t wasting the bank on poor heating appliances.
Happy Camping 🙂