Because a pellet stove is usually a very attractive addition to a room, it is generally located where the family can enjoy it most and where it will provide the best benefit as a heater. This said, several other considerations should come into play when you consider where to put a new pellet stove.

In most cases, a central location is best for a freestanding pellet stove because this allows it’s radiant heat to serve the entire surrounding area.

For a pellet stove to heat the entire house, the house will need to have a very open plan that has few barriers to heat movement. Rooms away from the stove’s location will need a means of warm air distribution such as a ducted forced-air heating system. And the stove must have a blower. With this type of setup, the stove can be placed near a primary cold-air return for the forced-air heating system so that its warm air is drawn into the system and circulated to rooms. At the very least, this provides a good supplement for the existing heating system and cuts down on the use of gas or oil. (Keep in mind that the warmed air will only be distributed when the system’s blower is running.)

Another option if you want to heat the entire house with pellet fuel, is a pellet-fired furnace or boiler. This can replace or supplement your gas- or oil-fired furnace or boiler.

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Because most pellet stoves do not require the same type of chimney as a typical wood stove or fireplace, you usually have more options in where one can be placed. You will need to plan for a 3-inch flue to exit out the back or top of the stove, go through the wall, and then extend upward past the house eaves.

Because the outer surfaces of pellet stoves don’t get as hot as many wood stoves, most can be placed closer to combustibles—typically 3 inches to walls at the sides and 1 inch to back walls. They need to stand on a non-combustible surface such as stone or tile, and this must be at least 3/8 inch thick. Be sure to adhere to all of the manufacturer’s requirements regarding clearances to combustible surfaces.

Keep in mind that you’ll be bringing pellet fuel to the stove. It pays to have easy access from the area where you’ll be storing the fuel.