Space heating stoves are not a thing of the past, but reliable space heating solutions for any home with or without reliable electricity. With four types of space heating stoves, each type has its own strengths, installation requirements, safety considerations, and operating costs, which means the wrong choice could lead to higher bills, poor heating, or even safety risks.
Whether you’re looking to create a cozy living area, heat a workshop, or simply want a safe and efficient upgrade, this wood, electric, and pellet stove buying guide will give you clear answers and practical advice for every step. You’ll understand the key differences between stove types, important features, safe installation practices, and maintenance essentials, so you can make a confident decision for your home.
- What Stove Types are There?
- Sizing and Heating Performance
- Installation and Safety Essentials
- Operation and Maintenance Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions to Help You Pick the Right Stove
- Which Stove is Right For your Space?
What Stove Types are There?
There are four main types of space heating stoves, each offering distinct benefits and features to fit a variety of needs and installation scenarios. Understanding these types will help you make the right heating choice for your space.
Eco-Friendly Wood Stoves (EPA Certified)
Wood stoves burn seasoned logs for a classic flame experience to provide radiant warmth. Modern eco-friendly wood stove models use advanced combustion technology and properly seasoned wood to achieve higher efficiency and heat output with lower emissions than older stoves. They often require more hands-on management to operate, requiring stacking, tending, and chimney maintenance to remove ash buildup. However, the ambiance they create with the radiant heat, woodsy smell, and soothing crackle-pop is certainly unbeatable.
Ideal for larger spaces, electricity-free supplemental heating, and for those seeking a more traditional look and experience. Get year-round targeted warmth with wood stoves for greenhouse heating, off-grid housing, or emergency heat during power outages.
For additional help with choosing the best stove, check out our 5 Things To Consider When Buying A Wood Burning Stove Guide and visit the Environmental Protection Agency's EPA-Certified Wood Stove Database to ensure you get an eco-friendly wood stove (EPA certified).
Electric Stoves
An electric stove with remote thermostat control is an easy-to-install option to provide instant heat for apartments, supplemental, single-zone heating, or spaces where venting is impossible. These stoves connect to a standard household outlet, offer precise temperature control, and often include features like custom flame effects and programmable settings. Since they don’t produce real flames, there’s no risk of emissions or ash, and maintenance is minimal.
Pellet Stoves
Pellet stoves burn compressed wood pellets, fed automatically from a hopper for steady and cleaner thermostatically controlled heat. While only slightly more expensive to run than a wood stove, they’re more consistent, often featuring efficiency ratings over 70 percent, making them suitable for small to mid-sized spaces to provide clean and consistent warmth.
While pellet stoves require electricity to run their feed system and controls, some non-electric pellet stoves, for power outages, use a backup battery or have manual controls and a gravity hopper for backup heating in emergencies. Pellet stoves require regular cleaning and access to pellet fuel storage, but are often more convenient to use than wood stoves.
They are ideal for heating large single or ducted whole homes with ease when professionally installed and maintained.
For further guidance on pellet stoves, the EPA’s pellet stove guide has some helpful tips.
Gas and Propane Stoves
Gas and propane stoves provide instant heat with high efficiency, reliable temperature control, and the greatest convenience using existing utility lines or propane tanks. They generally cost less to operate than electric stoves and require minimal cleaning. Installation can be more complicated, nearly always requiring professional installation and inspections to comply with proper venting standards and building codes.
Gas stoves are ideal for people seeking low-maintenance operation and powerful zone heating without the hands-on work associated with wood or pellet fuel. You’ll find both vented and vent-free options, making them suitable for diverse room setups.
Sizing and Heating Performance
Sizing your stove to fit your room or home is essential for both comfort and efficiency. Whether you want a wood stove for traditional wood fire heating or a natural gas stove for whole-home comfort, calculating the BTUs (British Thermal Units) needed based on the room size is your first step toward an effective heating setup. Oversized stoves waste fuel and cause overheating, while undersized units struggle to keep spaces warm while running through fuel.
To avoid oversizing your stove, which wastes fuel, or undersizing your stove, which struggles to keep spaces warm while running through fuel, dial in the exact BTU capacity and features your unique space needs. Start by measuring the square footage of the area you want to heat.
According to the U.S Department of Energy, a good rule of thumb for stove sizing is as follows:
- Use a 60,000 BTU stove for about 2,000 square feet
- Use a 42,000 BTU stove for about 1,300 square feet
Other factors can affect the BTU output your space requires, like insulation quality, ceiling height, and climate, which all have a direct effect on how much heat you’ll need. For best results, ask an air treatment specialist to review your exact conditions for the best fit stove.
Installation and Safety Essentials
Required Ventilation and Electrical Considerations
Proper installation starts with understanding each stove’s ventilation and safety needs:
- Wood Stoves and Pellet Stoves: Both require a flue or chimney to safely vent combustion gases and other contaminants like ash. It is also important to schedule annual chimney inspections to clear any creosote buildup, which is a severe fire risk, and ash buildup for unobstructed ventilation. These stoves should typically be installed by a professional.
- Gas and Propane Stoves: Require a professionally installed dedicated vent or approved direct-vent system, and a professionally installed gas hookup with a properly maintained carbon dioxide detector for safety.
- Electric Stoves: Don’t require venting at all, making them simple to install in almost any room. However, they need access to a grounded outlet and should be installed according to local electrical codes.
Regardless of the stove type, always install smoke, carbon monoxide, and air quality detectors in the same room and test them monthly. Keep a fire extinguisher readily available. Regularly check door seals, vent pipes, and gaskets to ensure safe operation. If unsure, consult a certified professional.
Install in the Safest Place
It’s extremely important to keep your stove's clearance requirements in mind prior to and during installation. All stoves have a specific distance they need to be installed from walls, furniture, and curtains, typically 12 to 36 inches, based on the stove model and local codes. This includes ensuring that your stove, especially any of the real fire burning stoves, is installed on non-combustible flooring, like tile or hearth pads that extend at least 18 inches beyond the stove’s footprint to prevent heat damage or fire risks.
It is important to review the manufacturer’s installation manual for model-specific instructions before starting any project.
Operation and Maintenance Tips
Efficient and safe operation of your stove heater starts with routine attention to detail. Whether you have an electric stove with a remote thermostat or a ducted pellet stove hybrid, following the right procedures keeps your appliance running smoothly and your space comfortable.
Start-up and Fuel Storage
For wood stoves, use dry, well-seasoned firewood with a moisture content below 20 percent to ensure cleaner burns and better efficiency. Start with a small amount of kindling and work up to larger logs. Firewood should be stored covered, off the ground, and away from your home to allow air circulation and prevent moisture issues.
Pellet stoves require a hopper loaded with high-quality, low-moisture pellets. Pellet bags should be stored in a dry environment and completely sealed.
Schedule Routine Maintenance
Consistent maintenance is crucial for all stove types, so it’s important to create a schedule for both professional and owner-led maintenance. Maintenance that can be done by you is as follows:
- Pellet Stoves: Clean the pot and glass, and sweep ash weekly and empty the ash tray monthly
- Wood Stoves: Sweep ash weekly and empty the ash tray monthly
Once per year, schedule a professional cleaning and inspection, especially for units vented outdoors to prevent chimney buildup and fire risk. Always dispose of cooled ashes in a metal container away from structures.
Electric and pellet stoves with moving parts need regular cleaning of fans, augers, or motors to minimize excess noise and maintain performance.
Frequently Asked Questions to Help You Pick the Right Stove
Do electric stoves have thermostats or controllers?
For the most part, yes. Most modern electric stoves include built-in thermostats for fully customized heat control. Certain models of electric stoves with remote thermostat let you adjust heat settings from across the room for additional convenience. This is especially useful if you want steady, automatic comfort but don’t want to get up to change settings.
What are some of the drawbacks of an electric flame stove?
While electric stoves are easy to use and install, they can’t provide heat during a power outage, so they are not a good emergency heat source. They also do not use real flames for heating, which is how their exteriors stay cooler to the touch for added safety. Instead, they display a flame effect, which some people find less realistic than a real fire, but in newer models, they have become more customizable to fit your aesthetic.
What kinds of stoves are good for power outages?
Wood-burning and pellet stoves are ideal for emergency heating during a power outage or for heating off-grid and remote cabins or greenhouses. A non-electric pellet stove for power outages is designed with a gravity-fed pellets hopper system, making it a reliable backup heat source in winter for homes that lose power because of weather conditions.
Which stove types need a flue or chimney?
Wood stoves, pellet stoves, and gas or propane stoves almost always need a vent or chimney for safe removal of smoke and carbon monoxide exhausted from their fire. Electric stoves do not need a flue or chimney because they do not use a real flame, and, therefore, do not exhaust any harmful chemicals or smoke into the room.
Do pellet stove fans make too much noise?
Like all fans, pellet stove fans produce a distinct whirring noise when on, but most users find it comparable to a household fan. The noise level will often vary depending on the fan model, so if noise is a top concern, check your fans' decibel ratings before you buy to determine if it’s too loud for you.
What fuel savings can I expect from pellet vs. electric heat?
Pellet stoves often deliver lower fuel costs compared to electric heat, especially in off-grid or low-grid areas where electricity rates are expensive. Because the pellets used for fuel are made from compressed wood waste, they are an eco-friendly and clean-burning fuel source to provide efficient warmth.
Which Stove is Right For your Space?
Choosing between wood, electric, pellet, and gas stoves starts with understanding your space, your heating needs, and your installation options. Each stove type offers its own blend of efficiency, convenience, and aesthetic. By understanding the expectations of each fuel type, safety features, routine maintenance, and room size, you’ll be ready to confidently choose the right stove for your home. Remember, the right choice offers dependable warmth, lower emissions, and peace of mind for years to come.
If you still have questions or want tailored advice, our product specialists at Sylvane are ready to help. Call 1-800-934-9194 or email experts@sylvane.com to make your next heating solution a confident investment.
