Wood stove vs pellet stove — which should I get?
In Arden's 1980s and '90s homes around Royal Pines and Skyland, the open masonry fireplaces are tired and drafty — pulling heat out of the room instead of adding it. Either a wood or pellet stove fixes that with a sealed, efficient burn. For backup heat, choose wood; for hands-off convenience on the gas main, pellet edges it.
From heat leak to real heater
The open masonry fireboxes in a lot of Arden's established neighborhoods do the opposite of their job — a fair share of the warm air goes straight up the flue, and an idle open hearth can even run a net heat loss. Dropping a sealed stove into that space changes everything. A wood stove, vented through a relined chimney, becomes an efficient radiant heater; a pellet stove, on a simple vent with a thermostat, holds a steady temperature on clean bagged fuel. Both turn a drafty relic into a room that actually stays warm.
Which sealed stove for you
The choice between them is really about power and effort. A pellet stove is the low-effort option — load bags, set a temperature, walk away — but it depends on electricity and quits in an outage. A wood stove asks for cordwood and tending, and rewards you with heat that keeps working when the grid doesn't. Arden sits on the natural-gas main, so a sealed gas insert is a strong third option for that same drafty fireplace — but if you're set on a stove, weigh outage-proofing against convenience.
Fifteen minutes from the showroom
Arden is 15 minutes south of 629 Emma Rd. Come see wood and pellet burning, and we'll pull the Buncombe County permit, reline or vent to code, and meet the inspector. Call (828) 545-0525 for a free assessment.
Fireplace help in Arden
We install and service fireplaces throughout Arden and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes south from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- Is a gas fireplace or a pellet stove better for heating a home?
- Gas insert vs pellet insert — which is better for my fireplace?
- Catalytic vs non-catalytic wood stove — which is better?
- Is a new EPA-certified wood stove really better than my old wood stove?
- Wood-burning insert vs wood stove — which is right for me?