WHAT IS BETTER HARDWOOD PELLETS OR SOFTWOOD PELLETS?
Most people jump to the conclusion that “we have always burned hardwood in our woodstove so hardwood must be better” – Not true with pellets. The first and most important thing to remember is that you are buying pellets by weight NOT volume. A cord of dry hardwood vs. dry softwood weighs about 2-3 times as much. However, a pound of dry hardwood weighs the same as a pound of dry softwood. So what counts is the heat output of each. In terms of heat output, softwood pellets have naturally occurring resins (lignin), which contribute to heat output. Independent laboratory tests show that hardwood pellets do not create more heat than softwood pellets. In fact, the tests have shown that softwood pellets tend to produce more BTU’s per pound than hardwood pellets. Below is information from a study done by the wood industry …
