Are you thinking about a reliable heating source for your tiny home that wouldn’t cost you a fortune?
Well, you’re not alone as many tiny house owners are going back to the basics- using wood fire to supplement their tiny space heating source, especially because it reduces the overall heating cost of their tiny homes.
Without mincing words, pellet stoves are a popular heating source for keeping your tiny house warm.
A pellet stove is a brilliant and sustainable alternative to burning firewood as pellets are made from a mixture of sawdust, barks, and a blend of biodegradable materials.
These materials burn cleanly and more efficiently.
Now, the big question is, what are the best small pellet stoves for your small space?
Well, read on as we have put together a list of some of the best tiny house pellet stoves on the market.
We are sure you’ll find one of these pellets stoves worth giving a try.
Also, we have included some buying guides to make the entire process easy for you.
Finding the best pellet stove for your mobile home
When shopping for a suitable pellet stove for your small house, there are some things you need to consider.
Some of the major criteria for choosing a small pellet stove that will heat your home include the size of the pellet stove, the heat output, the cost, energy source, and overall maintenance.
Let’s delve deeper to give you a broader understanding of what we mean.
Hopper size
The physical size of your small pellet stove depends greatly on its heat-generating capability and its hooper size.
Just so you know, every pellet fuel appliance has a hooper for storing pellets.
From what we have found out over the years, an average hooper is designed to hold between 35-130 pounds of pellet fuel.
To this end, a larger hopper will most likely hold more pellets.
While a small pellet stove can produce a significant amount of heat to warm up a large room, don’t expect the heat to last long, as it most likely has a small hooper.
Heat output
A decent small stove for a tiny home is most likely to have an energy rating of 65% to 75%.
Nevertheless, when shopping for a reliable wood pellet stove for your home, we suggest going for an EPA tested, approved, and certified pellet stove.
That’s because such stove has between 70% to 83% energy efficiency.
Also, when shopping for a small pellet stove for your tiny space, you want to opt for one that is the right size for your small space.
As a rule of thumb, we always recommend going for a small pellet stove with a 42,000 BTU rating.
This type of stove should heat a space measuring 1300 square feet.
Though this may be too large for your tiny home, it will work effectively to keep your home warm.
On the flip side, if you think that that’s a little too much, you can opt for a tiny house pellet stove with at least 8000 to 12,000 BTU ratings.
This is more appropriate for your tiny home.
Cost
Before deciding which pellet stove ticks all your boxes and is ideal for your tiny home, you need to factor in the cost of the stove.
The average price of a tiny house pellet stove is between $1700 to $3000.
Compared to a conventional wood-burning heater for tiny homes, pellet stoves are believed to be cheaper and a lot easier to install.
The cool thing about a pellet stove system is that it can be vented directly to a room.
This way, you won’t need a flue or chimney, making it a great option for tiny homes.
Once your tiny house small stove has been installed, you also have to buy pellets to keep it burning.
During extremely cold weather, homeowners with pellet stoves installed in their homes usually have to buy between 2 to 3 tons of pellet fuel yearly to keep their stoves burning every day.
A ton of pellets can cost between $180 to $250, depending on the area you live.
You may spend between $750 or slightly less on pellets annually.
Maintenance
Even though pellet stoves have proven to be a reliable and efficient heat source, many people often overlook the efforts needed to maintain them.
Just so you know, you’ll have to vacuum the burn pot daily.
As per the entire stove, you’ll have to clear it out quarterly.
Before the cold season kicks in, you need to service your pellet stove and have it checked by a professional.
Besides this basic maintenance, you must ensure that the motor parts are maintained and working correctly.
When shopping for a mini pellet stove for your home, consider the ease of maintenance.
We often suggest going for a tiny house heating system with a warranty or customer service guarantee.
Ease of installation
Even though pellet stoves don’t require professional help for installation, some newer models aren’t easy to install.
If you notice that your pellet stove isn’t working correctly after installation, it is very likely that some of its components weren’t correctly installed.
Also, incorrect installation can result in fatal accidents or fires you aren’t ready to deal with.
That’s why we always recommend hiring an HVAC expert to install your pellet stoves.
Though it may cost you extra, nothing is too much to pay for your safety.
Our picks for best pellet stoves for tiny homes
When it comes to picking the right pellet stove for your tiny home, there are plenty of great options on the market.
And in terms of quality, many of the small wood stoves on the market are decent.
To this end, you need to decide on the perfect pellet stove for your tiny home, depending on the functionality you want in a stove.
Out of the pellet stoves we reviewed, we have narrowed down the list to include our top 6 pellet stove picks.
Read on for more details about these stoves.
Comfortbilt HP22-SS Pellet Stove
If you’re interested in a pellet stove with fantastic burn time and superb functionality, you’ll undoubtedly love the all amazement Comfortbilt HP22-SS pellet stove.
Here is a breakdown ofo some of the unique features of this stove.
Besides having an EPA certification, this pellet stove for tiny homes has the highest possible energy efficiency.
With an 84% energy efficiency rating, this stove can heat a 1700 square feet space without any hassles.
While it has a 50,000 BTU heating output, the stove also features a 55-pound hopper along with a powerful fan.
With such brilliant features, you can expect every winter night to be toasty.
Another thing we love about this pellet stove is that it comes with a programmable thermostat and an auto-ignition.
Thanks to these remarkable features, you won’t have any issues running the stove.
And while you may not have any issues running the stove, it feels great to know that users get a 1-year warranty on parts, in addition to technical assistance from the manufacturers.
With the Comfortbilt HP22-SS pellet stove, you get to watch the flame burn through its large viewing area while the stove warms your small space.
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Pros
- Easy to install
- High energy efficient rating
- Heats up small spaces quickly
- 1-year warranty and technical assistance.
Cons
- This heater isn’t the cheapest option on the market
- It requires regular maintenance.
US GW1949 Wiseway Non-Electric Pellet Stove
For tiny house owners who want a safe, efficient, and electricity-free pellet stove with a robust design, you won’t be disappointed to give this one a try.
To start with, the US Stove GW1949 Wiseway is small but is EPA certified and boasts of an impressive heating range.
Thanks to its 40,000 BTU rating, this pellet stove can heat up a 2000 square feet area in one go.
Though ideal for larger space, this tiny house pellet stove can be tweaked to heat up small spaces, making it a great option for tiny houses.
What makes the GW1949 pellet stove unique is its natural gravity feed mechanisms.
Thanks to this brilliant feature, you won’t need electricity to power your stove.
More so, the stove doesn’t come with mechanical parts that will break down easily.
Once you heat up the burn chamber and flue using a propane torch, the pellets will burn nicely, heating your space and keeping everywhere warm.
Thanks to its 60lbs hopper capacity, this pellet stove will deliver a whooping 30 hours burn time.
Meaning you don’t have to refuel regularly.
Another thing we would like to point out is the fact this pellet stove doesn’t come with a fan.
To this end, it produces little to no noise.
The downside, however, is that you have to clean regularly.
This will clear out the ash from the main burning tunnel.
But cleaning isn’t so difficult as it will take a few minutes to wrap everything up.
Pros
- Has a remarkable burn time
- Has high energy efficiency
- Heats up small spaces pretty quickly
- Excellent heat rating
Cons
- It needs regular maintenance, which can be a chore.
Castle Serenity 12327 Wood Pellet Stove
For tiny house dwellers interested in a pellet stove with hi-tech features, controls, and settings, you’re welcome to give this pellet stove a try.
Read on for more fascinating details about the Castle Serenity 12327 Wood Pellet Stove.
To start with, the Castle Serenity 12327 small wood pellet stove is EPA certified.
Also, this pellet stove generates a significant amount of heat.
Built to operate at a 31,000 BTU, this stove is perfect for a small space measuring at least 1500 square feet.
Given its compact design, this pellet stove is ideal for your tiny home as it is space-saving.
The Castle Serenity 12327 wood pellet stove is a direct-vent model with almost 70% thermal efficiency.
This means the stove doesn’t require a chimney.
What makes this stove special is the fact that it doesn’t have hidden chambers, corrugations, or tubes, making it convenient and easy to maintain.
While the large spaces can be easily vacuumed, the ash pan is also removable.
So you can clear it out easily.
The stove also comes with a smart controller, which allows you to choose between the thermostat, manual, or weekly operational modes.
With these great features, you can heat up your space according to schedule.
The only caveat with this pellet stove is that it has a low pellet capacity of 40 lbs.
Compared to other bigger pellet stoves, you may have to refill wood pellets often, especially when you opt for high settings.
At high settings, this wood pellet stove for tiny houses will burn for only 12 hours.
Also, the built-in fan in this model can be a little noisy.
Pros
Cons
- This stove has a low pellet capacity, so you’ll need to add wood pellets often.
- The built-in fan that comes with this device can be a little noisy.
US Stove 5500M King Pellet Burner With Igniter
Are you interested in an old-school pellet stove with a breathtaking design?
Then look no further than the US Stove 5500M King Pellet Burner with Igniter.
Read on for some detailed features of this powerful tiny house stove.
The US Stove 5500M King Pellet Burner is among the oldest pellet stoves we found during our research.
And guess what, this fantastic stove features a digital control board.
With this, you can easily tweak between the five heat settings and LED display.
Designed to run at 48,000 BTUs per hour, this stove is perfect for heating up tiny homes.
This pellet stove also comes with a powerful 120 CFM blower.
This helps to spread heat evenly across your home.
The only issue we have with this pellet stove is the fact that you have to buy the installation kit separately.
And despite the fact that the stove has a technology that keeps it behind much newer models, we like that the stove is eco-friendly and spots a great design.
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Pros
- This tiny house pellet stove runs at 48,000 BTUs, making it effective for heating small spaces.
- It has a digital control feature for smooth configurations
- Its powerful 120 CFM blower ensures that this model heats up your space quickly.
- It is eco-friendly and spots a great design.
Cons
- This pellet stove is miles behind newer models.
- It can be a little tough to clean
Pleasant Hearth Wood Pellet Stove
Pleasant Hearth is one of the leading manufacturers of pellet stoves for tiny homes.
And with this model, they didn’t disappoint as the pellet stove has many brilliant features you’ll not find in other pellet stoves.
Read on to learn why this pellet stove is a must-have for tiny house owners looking to keep their space warm.
What we particularly love about this stove right from first glance is that it has a large hopper capacity of 120 lbs.
With such a large space, you won’t have to refill pellets for at least 2 to 3 days.
Compared to other stoves we have explored so far, this stove has the largest hopper capacity and longer burn time.
What makes this unit stand out from others on the market is its intuitive computer configurations as well as its three integrated fans, which work optimally to warm up your space.
To give you more details, this device has an exhaust fan, a starter fan, and a combustion fan.
All these fans are built to control the burn degrees of the pellets.
Also, they are important for managing the required heat range for small spaces.
Designed to produce at least 50,000 BTUs, this stove, though compact, can be deployed to heat larger space.
Also, thanks to its unique blower fan settings, this stove will heat your small spaces within a couple of minutes.
Let us also add that this device has a five years warranty.
So you can be rest assured that you’re getting your money’s worth when you opt for this model.
Nevertheless, this device has a few letdowns you should know.
First off, this model can be challenging to clean, especially with its integrated fan structure.
And yes, this stove has to be cleaned regularly to prevent any heating issues from arising.
Pros
- It is a super-efficient heating device
- It comes with a 5-year warranty
- Great for warming up small and large spaces
- Easy to tweak heat settings
Cons
- Cleaning this model can be a chore.
Bosca BCPS500BL Pellet Stove
You’ll love this pellet stove right from the get-go, especially because of its large pellet holding capacity, along with its slow burner.
Also, this pellet stove from the stables of Bosca steals the show, thanks to its excellent efficiency rating and ease of use.
Without mincing words, Bosca is a big brand in terms of design and quality, and with the Bosca BCPS500BL pellet stove, they didn’t disappoint as the product has many fantastic features.
While there are many pellet stoves on the market, this model from Bosca steals the show, and here is why.
To start with, this stove can hold up to 60 to 70 pounds of pellets.
Also, it delivers 53 hours of uninterrupted burn time.
With this, you don’t have to refill wood pellets often, saving you time, money, and the labor needed to refuel.
When it comes to quality, this pellet stove features a high-grade construction and superior materials.
This wood pellet stove is incredibly durable because it is built from quality ceramic.
More so, it is heat resistant and not easily damaged by wear and tear.
Let us also add that this pellet stove comes with a robust glass door intended to give users a mesmerizing view of the burning pellets.
This wood pellet stove is fitted with an integrated fan and can distribute heat evenly across small and large spaces.
Similarly, its different speed settings allow users to tweak heat settings to desired levels.
Our only issue with this pellet stove is that the company has slowed down production for this model, so there are only a few models available on the market.
If the company can increase the number of models it makes, that would be great for many tiny house owners who would love to have this pellet stove in their homes.
Considering that the company has slowed down the production of this particular model, it means that you’ll find it difficult to get replacement parts in the event of damage.
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Pros
- This pellet stove spots a really functional design
- Generates remarkable heat for warming up large and small spaces
- This model is EPA certified
- Noiseless operation
- It features a large hopper capacity.
Cons
- You’ll need to maintain and vacuum regularly
How does pellet stove differ from HVAC
Many tiny homeowners mostly prefer HVAC systems because they deliver both heat, conditioning, and ventilation.
With this option, it’s easier to control the temperature within your small space, whether cooling or heating.
Additionally, HVAC systems can manage the humidity level, heat distribution, and other atmospheric factors.
Considering all of these, you’ll agree that HVAC units are useful for tiny space.
Also, the fact that you can even get “mini-HAVAC” units, as well as the fact that they can be mounted on the wall, make them ideal for tiny spaces.
Here is how pellets stoves differ from HVAC units:
- Wood and pellet stoves take up more space in your tiny home than mini-HVAC units. While pellet stoves take up ample floor space, HVAC units are mostly wall-mounted.
- Pellet stoves are fuelled by wood, so they use renewable fuel. On the flip side, HVAC units are powered by electricity, which isn’t such a renewable energy source.
- HVAC systems are multipurpose, so they enable ventilation, heating, and air control. On the other hand, Pellet stoves only generate heat and don’t cleanse the atmosphere.
- Wood and pellet stoves require more maintenance than HVAC units. With pellet stoves, you have to clean often. HVAC systems, on the flip side, require only occasional maintenance.
- The heat produced from a pellet stove feels more comfortable and natural, and that’s because it emits radiative heat, which feels exactly like sunshine beaming on your face.
Tiny house pellet stoves: How do they really work?
Pellet stoves use woods or small pellets for fuel.
These pellets are made from either compressed woods or biomass.
The pellets sit in the stove’s compartment, called a hopper.
Just so you know, the hooper is designed to hold between 35-130 pounds of pellets.
When you switch on the pellet stove, the pellets usually fall from the hopper into the firebox, where it is burned.
The hopper continues to feed the firebox with wood fuel pellets, keeping it burning for several hours.
What’s unique about small pellet stoves is that they can operate for nearly 12 hours uninterrupted.
Also, they don’t need to be refuelled regularly as they feature a built-in thermostat.
Once you tweak the thermostat to your preferred settings, the hopper continues to release pellets until your room is warm and cozy.
Also, the hopper automatically monitors the thermostat to make sure it is working optimally.
Most small pellet stoves we have come across have two fans.
While one fan blows air to stoke the fire and keeps it burning, the other fan blows air into the exchangers to warm up your space.
Though with some pellet stoves, exhaust gases have to be vented outdoor, you may not need to build a chimney for it.
Top safety tips for using pellet stoves
In general, pellet stooves for tiny homes are pretty safe to use.
Plus, they come equipped with various safety features like temperature sensors, vacuum switches, and other robust functionalities that ensure that your small pellet stove works as designed.
Nevertheless, the overall safety of your pellet stoves depends on how you maintain them as well as how it was installed.
Read on for some tips to keep your small home safe when using a pellet stove.
Who should install your pellet stove?
While installing pellet stoves isn’t rocket science, sometimes you need to step back and leave the installation to a licensed professional.
That’s because any mistake from the installation can cause smoke damage, carbon monoxide poisoning, or fire breakout.
When getting a professional to install your pellet stove, please opt for a professional with a certified permit.
Also, ensure that the job done meets the requirement set in building codes.
Another thing we would like to recommend is to install a CO detector.
This will alert you in case of any dangerous carbon monoxide levels in your home.
Where is the right place to install your pellet stove?
When installing your pellet stove, you need to choose the spot carefully, as the glass on the front can cause burns.
So we encourage you to place your pellet stove in a location where pets and kids cannot reach easily.
Also, you want to place your pellet stove away from furniture or wall draperies as these items are combustible.
How can I clean and maintain my pellet stove?
Cleaning and maintaining your pellet stove is a continuous task, especially if you want to ensure that your unit is safe and functioning correctly for the next ten years.
To maintain your pellet stove, you need to keep up with the regular cleaning as instructed in the maintenance manual.
To clean your pellet stove, we suggest regularly emptying the ash pans and filter.
Also, you’ll need to clean out any ash or creosote build-up to prevent any risk of fire.
When disposing of the ash, we suggest using a metal container with a lid and keep it far away from your home.
What can I do if I haven’t used my small pellet stove in a year
If you haven’t used your pellet stove for a year, then a good thing to regularly do is check the fans and monitors.
Also, before firing it up, you want to make sure it is inspected by a certified professional.
This way, you can have your pellet stove ready for the cold season.
Also, we highly recommend removing any unused pellets from the hooper or feeding system once the heating season is over.
This will ensure your stove isn’t damaged by rust.
Conclusion
When it comes to heating your tiny home, pellet stoves haven’t disappointed at all.
And with the myriad of pellet stoves available on the market today, you’ll be spoilt for choice when shopping for a reliable pellet stove for your tiny home.
To make things easy for you, today’s post featured some of the top 6 pellet stoves for tiny homes.
Go through our list to see if any of these stoves tick your boxes.
Frequently asked questions
Are pellet stoves expensive?
With different brands of pellet stoves on the market today, each with its special price, we can’t put a price tag on pellet stoves.
At the end of the day, it all depends on your budget.
That said, you can get a decent pellet stove for as low as $80.
Also, there are very expensive models on the market too.
So simply opt for a wood pellet stove that fits your budget.
How often should I clean my pellet stove?
Cleaning and maintaining your pellet stove is super important if you want it to work optimally.
To ensure everything works smoothly, it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to clean it at least once a week.
Plus, it isn’t so difficult and will take only a few minutes to clear things out.
How much is a bag of pellets for pellet stoves?
Most pellets for pellets stove are usually sold in 40-pound bags.
And usually, these bags are sold for $5 each.
Notwithstanding, the type of pellets, coupled with where you buy them, also determines how much you pay.
Overall, expect to pay from $3 to an excess of $9 for one bag of pellet.