A conversation with Scott Williamson
Scott Williamson, a veteran pellet
stove technician
The pellet stove industry has long occupied a middle ground—promising, practical, and often economical—yet never quite breaking into the mainstream. To understand why, I spoke with Scott Williamson, a technician who has spent decades installing, repairing, and troubleshooting pellet stoves across New England.
Scott lives in Rehoboth, Massachusetts and runs Pellet-Stove-Service.com, serving primarily southeastern Massachusetts. Over the course of his career, he has worked on tens of thousands of stoves across a wide range of brands, installations, and real-world conditions—giving him a ground-level view of how these systems perform outside of ideal conditions.
He got into the business in an unconventional way: “My mother-in-law bought a used pellet stove but couldn’t find anyone willing to service it. I had tools, I was available, and I was dating their daughter at the time. I had never even heard of a pellet stove, but I somehow fixed it. The family owned a breakfast diner and started telling customers I could fix their pellet stoves. That’s how I got started. Three years later, I was so busy I had to quit my day job.”
By 2019, nearly 20 years later, his company had performed over 20,000 service calls across New England.
Scott also runs the Facebook group Pellet Stove Troubleshooting & Repair, which has nearly 17,000 members and functions as a real-time knowledge base where technicians and experienced owners work through real-world problems every day.
What’s Holding Pellet Stoves Back?
The biggest factor has been relatively low oil and gas prices. If that changes—like if the Strait of Hormuz situation affects supply—you could see pellet stoves rebound quickly.
Electricity is becoming a bigger part of the equation. My electric bill last month was $500, and that’s not unusual. People relying on heat pumps in higher-rate states may start to feel that more over time.
There’s also a perception problem that hasn’t gone away. A lot of people don’t distinguish pellet stoves from wood stoves. They assume they produce a lot of smoke, and they get lumped into the same EPA, non-profit or media reports that are critical of wood burning.
Do Poor-Quality Stoves Hurt the Industry?
I don’t see stove quality as the main issue. It’s more about installation and maintenance. The core technology works—but it’s sensitive to real-world conditions.
Pellet stoves run great under ideal conditions. But over time—especially as they get dirty—they lose efficiency. The combustion isn’t as clean, and performance drops off.
From a field perspective:
· About 5 out of 100 customers will have repair issues in each winter
· Of those, maybe 2 are more serious or expensive
Some manufacturers have introduced temperature-based feedback systems that adjust combustion automatically, keeping the combustion cleaner—but those features are still far from universal. If every stove had that kind of feedback, you’d see a lot fewer complaints.
Is the Service Sector Keeping Up?
No—and that’s one of the biggest problems. Many dealers prioritize selling stoves over servicing them.
That’s backwards. Service is what keeps customers. It’s where the long-term money is. It’s the same as cars—dealerships don’t stay in business on sales. They stay in business because they service those cars for years.
There’s also a structural problem with pricing. Service calls under $200 are common—but they’re not sustainable. Between travel time, diagnostics, and repairs, you’re burning yourself out. You really need to be closer to $300 to make it work.
At the same time, there aren’t enough experienced technicians—and many aren’t using technology effectively to run their businesses.
In my case, I stepped away from service for four years to work for a pellet parts supplier. A technician in the next town took over most of my accounts. He does a good job and he is a good guy. At this point, there’s no real reason for customers to leave him and come back to me.
How Important is NFI Certification?
NFI training is good—but it’s just a starting point. The bigger issue is that it doesn’t carry much weight in the real world:
· Not required by most states
· Limited consumer awareness
· No real incentive to maintain it
In 25 years, no customer has ever asked me if I’m NFI-certified. By contrast, licensing requirements are more meaningful.
In Massachusetts and most of New England, you need a state-issued HVAC license to install stoves. The test is tough, and you need to work under someone who already has it. It’s a barrier to entry—but after that, it’s mostly just maintaining it.
Pellet Supply and Quality
I don’t see pellet shortages as a major issue. Most problems are seasonal. At the end of the season, stores stop restocking and people can’t find pellets—but that’s usually because they waited too long. Pellet quality is a bit of an issue, but over time, most users figure out what works best in their stove.
Hidden Barriers: The Psychology of Use
One of the biggest challenges has less to do with technology and more to do with how people experience pellet heating.
Pellets have too many touchpoints. You’re buying fuel, you’re cleaning the stove, you’re dealing with maintenance. Even when pellets are cheaper overall, the frequent interaction creates friction. It feels like you’re always paying for something.
By contrast, oil and gas systems require far less interaction. They just run. There are fewer touchpoints, so it feels easier—even if it’s more expensive.
Why Pellet Stoves Struggle in New Homes
New homes aren’t designed with pellet stoves in mind. Masonry chimneys are disappearing, and pellet systems are rarely part of new construction.
Mobility also plays a role. People move more often now. The more owners a pellet stove has, the more likely it is to develop problems over time. Lastly, some new homes are sealed tight, and pellet stoves have a hard time lighting. If you open a nearby window just a crack, the stove lights right up. So, those homes need outdoor air kits, that bring fresh outdoor air right into the stove, or right to the base of the stove.
A Better Model: Simplifying the System
Someone should simplify both the customer experience and the business model behind it. You could offer the stove, fuel, and service all in one monthly package—what I’d call ‘hassle-free heat.’ Repairs would be included.
For customers, that means predictable costs, fewer decisions and less uncertainty
For providers, it creates efficiency. Instead of dealing with dozens of stove models, you focus on one or two. Same parts, same training, same repair process.
Instead of stocking 500 SKUs, you might only need 15 or 20. And your technicians don’t need to know how to fix everything—they just need to be good at a few systems.
Are Heat Pumps a Threat?
They can be—but they can also work well together. Pellet stoves and heat pumps are actually very complementary.
Use a heat pump for moderate temperatures, and a pellet stove when it gets really cold. Both are space heaters, and they can work in different parts of the house. A lot will depend on electricity pricing. Electric rates can rise faster than pellet prices. That’s going to matter.
Outlook: Strong Fundamentals, Missing System
I wouldn’t call myself optimistic or pessimistic. The fundamentals are there—the fuel works, the technology works. What’s missing is everything around it:
· Reliable service infrastructure
· Better training pathways
· More standardization
· A simpler customer experience
If the industry can get those things right—and if energy prices push people to look for alternatives—there’s a lot of room for growth.
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