Question 1

What options of Wood Pellet Stoves and boilers are there?

Accepted Answer

Wood Pellet Boiler – This is installed in an outhouse/shed or a utility/plant room providing heat to the radiators in the house and heat to the shed if desired. These options often come with a larger hopper, giving the advantage that they do not have to be refilled so often.

Wood Pellet Stove with Back Boiler – This is installed in the house and has a back boiler built-in. It will heat the room that it is in and the radiators.

Wood Pellet Stove Room heater – As the name suggested this will heat the room that it is in only.

Wood Pellet Stove Room heater with duct – A room heater stove can heat two/three rooms in a house. It will heat the room it is in and other room(s) via a fan and duct.

Dalton Pellet Stove Services have a wide variety of styles and heat outputs to suit the needs of the customer, their home and their budget.

Question 2

What Wood Pellet Stove should I buy?

Accepted Answer

This really depends on many different factors:

1. What do you require from the stove? Heat 1 room, 2 room or all radiators?

2. What style do you like aesthetically? There is a very wide variety now available for customer.

3. How big are the rooms or your home? How many radiators? How well insulated is it?

4. What is your budget?

5. If your home is not a new build, what is the current heating set-up and what is required to move to a wood pellet system?

Dalton Pellet Stove Services can advise on all these factors and provide technical guidance on the most suitable options.

Question 3

What brand of Wood Pellet Stoves is the best?

Accepted Answer

Some brands may claim to be the best wood pellet stove or boiler available on the market, however, no one brand can claim to definitively be the ‘best’. There are many brands available to suit the varying needs of customer.

Dalton Pellet Stove Services stock some of the most reputable brands available on the market and have an excellent technical knowledge of the products that they sell in order to provide their customers with a maintenance and back-up service that is second to none.

Question 4

Are Wood Pellet Stoves and Boilers very loud?

Accepted Answer

Some of the older Wood Pellet Stoves and Boilers may have had significant running noise from fans etc. The newer machines have much less noise. However, that being said, you can still hear them running. We have a pellet stove in our own home which you will hear starting in the morning, personally the sound is not annoying and does not bother me and most others would have the same view.
However, if you feel this may be an issue for you, there are brands which are quieter when running and some which use brushless technology offering an almost silence heating system.

Question 5

Do wood pellets need to be stored in a sealed air-tight shed?

Accepted Answer

Wood Pellets can be stored in most sheds. The pellets should be sheltered from the rain and any significant levels of moisture. However, the area does not need to be air-tight or moisture controlled.

Question 6

Are Wood pellets sourced from abroad?

Accepted Answer

Irish Wood Pellets are readily available from most heating fuel merchants and even at most local petrol stations around the country. The main Irish brand is Green Wood Pellets which uses processing by-products at Loais Sawmills. These products are capable of producing a significant proportion of Ireland’s renewable energy. The energy used for harvesting, processing and transport of wood energy is just 10% of the total energy output.

We would recommend M.J Dunne Fuels in Tullamore as a local fuel merchant. Particularly if you want to buy in bulk for cost effectiveness and convenience.

Question 7

What are the advantages and disadvantages of wood pellet stoves?

Accepted Answer

Advantages:

1. Carbon Neutral, Renewable Energy Source helping to reduce global warming.

2. One of the most convenient and cost-effective methods of upgrading from Solid fuel or Oil boiler Systems. Pellet Stoves normally have more flexible installation options and lower installation costs when compared with other renewable heating systems.

3. Heat available at the flick of a switch – Timers on all systems and WiFi systems available so you can turn it on from your mobile phone so the house is nice and cosy when you get home.

4. Very low maintenance especially when compared to solid fuel. If you like the look of a fire without all the hassle, they really are a great option.

5. Highly efficient heating process which is very cost-effective to run. Wood pellets are heavily compressed which reduces the moisture content. Dry fuel produces more heat and as a result the pellets burn hotter and cleaner than wood.

6. Temperature adjustable to suit your needs.

7.  Very cost effective to run if you are currently using an Oil Boiler System due to the rising cost of home heating oil. A Pellet Boiler can be used in conjunction with an Oil Boiler System if desired also.

Disadvantages:

1. Still more expensive than getting turf cut but without the labour and cost involved with turning it, footing it, loading it, transporting it, unloading it, throwing into shed and dealing with the large quantities of ashes etc.

Question 8

What level of maintenance is required?

Accepted Answer

Pellet Stoves should be serviced annual as with nearly all heating systems. The Service performed by Dalton Pellet Stove Services includes a full chimney clean using ultra-flexible rods specially designed to clean 100mm flexi flues and 80mm flue pipes.

Day-to-day maintenance on a Wood Pellet Stove or Boiler depends on the system you have but is very minimal when compared to solid fuel. We have a Wood Pellet Boiler Stove and I would empty the ash pot once per week at most. The pot is about the size of a tin of beans. I would hoover out the ashes area once a month. I would agitate the heat exchanger once a week. That’s it!

Question 9

Are the controls very difficult to use?

Accepted Answer

The only settings which you may want to change seasonally is the temperature and the timer. The controls are relatively easy to use. If you can use most basic applications on your mobile phone, they should not be an issue for you. 
For some people who may struggle with the controls, we suggest getting a relative or friend to adjust the settings when required or our Service Technician can do this during the Annual Servicing.

Question 10

Do I need to get someone to install and commission the stove?

Accepted Answer

Dalton Pellet Stove Services is a one stop shop and can arrange all parts and labour for the customer associated with the stove installation.
All Wood Pellet Stoves must be commissioned by a registered technician to be covered by European warranty. This service can be completed by Dalton Pellet Stove Services.

Question 11

Is chimney cleaning included in the service?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Full chimney cleaning using ultra-flexible rods specially designed to clean 100mm flexi flues and 80mm flue pipes.

Question 12

How far will you travel?

Accepted Answer

Wherever you are in the country, please get in touch and we will do our best to help.

Dalton Pellet Stove Services Ltd.

The experts in Service, Sales and Repair

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