Pellets

Pellet fuel is made of sawdust left over from lumber processing. The leftover material is taken to a mill where it is dried, compressed and formed into small, pellet-sized bits. Because the moisture has been extracted, pellets burn cleanly with little or no emissions and with very little visible smoke. Pellets are environmentally friendly, and as fuel, do not contribute to greenhouse gases. In fact, pellet heaters burn so clean they are EPA exempt from emission standards. In the last five years the tonnage of pellets produced has jumped from 600k tons to over 730k tons. It's no surprise that pellets are becoming a basic fuel source.

Premium quality wood pellets are a natural, golden woody color that is clean, pleasant smelling and smooth to touch. They give you a vibrant, yellow flame with little to no soot. Poor quality pellets will burn rich with black sooty smoke and ash will accumulate quickly.

Depending upon the quality of the pellets you burn, during the cold winter months, you can expect to burn about a bag of pellets each day. Because the quality of the pellets determines how well and how clean your heater will burn, you will want to test a bag or two at a time, before investing in a ton.

If you need to find sources of pellets near you, visit the Pellet Fuel Institute online at www.pelletheat.org