Pellet stoves

niteshiftfromkc · Oct 29, 2017

I am looking at getting a pellet stove. Any suggestions on ones to buy or to stay away from?

I am looking at the one to two thousand range. I would probably be leaning toward the Englander Imperial or possibly the Comfortbilt HP50. Both are available at Home Depot online. Ideally I would like something with those dimensions as the existing flue pipe hole is approximately 5' off the floor level, so I want something that will cover the majority of the flue pipe, hence the two that I have above. Most of the others in that range are around 30 inches tall.

If money wasn't an object I would get one of the Harman stoves with the hopper extender on it, but I just can't justify that expense right now. With our old wood stove, we used to burn about 2 cords of wood...at least that was what we purchased from the firewood sellers. It was probably more like 1 and a half full cords. We just burned it to take the chill out of the large finished basement area and allow the heat to filter upstairs.

Any other tips/tricks for maintaining them? What about cleaning, will a shop vac with a fine filter work or should I invest in a special vacuum for it?

Thanks for the help.

Tughill Tom · Oct 30, 2017

niteshiftfromkc said:
I am looking at getting a pellet stove. Any suggestions on ones to buy or to stay away from?

I am looking at the one to two thousand range. I would probably be leaning toward the Englander Imperial or possibly the Comfortbilt HP50. Both are available at Home Depot online. Ideally I would like something with those dimensions as the existing flue pipe hole is approximately 5' off the floor level, so I want something that will cover the majority of the flue pipe, hence the two that I have above. Most of the others in that range are around 30 inches tall.

If money wasn't an object I would get one of the Harman stoves with the hopper extender on it, but I just can't justify that expense right now. With our old wood stove, we used to burn about 2 cords of wood...at least that was what we purchased from the firewood sellers. It was probably more like 1 and a half full cords. We just burned it to take the chill out of the large finished basement area and allow the heat to filter upstairs.

Any other tips/tricks for maintaining them? What about cleaning, will a shop vac with a fine filter work or should I invest in a special vacuum for it?

Thanks for the help.

I had 2 Harman’s in the home we just sold in NJ. One was an insert the other free standing in the finished basement. Heated the whole house 2100SqFt down to 20Deg f outside them I would run the boiler to prevent the pipes from freezing. Over the 15 years burned 31/2 to 4 tons per year.
We cleaned the burn pot weekly and did a full clean out at the end of season and half way thru. I used a shop vac with clean filter with no issues .
These units burn some brands better than others so find what it likes

Tooljunkie · Oct 30, 2017

You will be shocked over the price of repair parts. Serviceability is a big thing for me, especially if i want unit to last. The big box stores carry offshore units and likely parts are non-existent. Even the cheapest harmon is by far steps above the cheap offshore ones.

Buy an ash vac,if you pick up a hot ember the paper filter will light up pretty quick.

Im going to the city today to buy a new pellet stove,and a good surge protector.
I lost 2 circuit boards due to a lightning strike last summer.

Stmar · Oct 30, 2017

Mine is an almost 20 year old Whitfield Profile 30, Lennox has since bought out Whitfield. I have replaced control board twice, combustion motor once and 4 igniters so you can work on them. If it ever completely craps out I think I will go with Harmon, they are pricey but seem to get good reviews. With your budget I would not buy a cheap stove, it will nickle and dime you to death and if you are looking to save money that will not be the case in the long run. Maybe look for a good used unit, they do come up, from a reputable manufacturer. Even dealers sometime have floor models or trade ins that you can pick up. Go on this forum and check some of the posts, you can learn a lot from the posters' experiences and get a good feel for type and brands that would meet your needs:

https://www.hearth.com/talk/forums/the-pellet-mill-pellet-and-multifuel-stoves.14/

Stmar · Oct 30, 2017

Tooljunkie said:
You will be shocked over the price of repair parts. Serviceability is a big thing for me, especially if i want unit to last. The big box stores carry offshore units and likely parts are non-existent. Even the cheapest harmon is by far steps above the cheap offshore ones.

Buy an ash vac,if you pick up a hot ember the paper filter will light up pretty quick.

Im going to the city today to buy a new pellet stove,and a good surge protector.
I lost 2 circuit boards due to a lightning strike last summer.

Let us know what model you buy and how you like it. Mine definitely has a surge protector, I live a the end of the line literally and have alternative power that may be a bit hard on electronics.

RCW · Oct 30, 2017

I’ve had a Hartman XXV for 13 years or so. Burn 5-6 ton per year.
I was in the same spot as the OP, and decided to buy quality. Has proven good for us.
Couple folks I know are on their second stove in time we’ve had ours.
Ours has gotten to be primary heat source.
Burned 7.6 gallons of fuel oil last year.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Tooljunkie · Oct 30, 2017

Bought a kozi baywin. Its internal components are identical to my kozi ksh shop heater.
They are manufactured in winnipeg, so for me its a no brainer.

bans25 · Oct 31, 2017

niteshiftfromkc said:
I am looking at getting a pellet stove. Any suggestions on ones to buy or to stay away from?

I am looking at the one to two thousand range. I would probably be leaning toward the Englander Imperial or possibly the Comfortbilt HP50. Both are available at Home Depot online. Ideally I would like something with those dimensions as the existing flue pipe hole is approximately 5' off the floor level, so I want something that will cover the majority of the flue pipe, hence the two that I have above. Most of the others in that range are around 30 inches tall.

If money wasn't an object I would get one of the Harman stoves with the hopper extender on it, but I just can't justify that expense right now. With our old wood stove, we used to burn about 2 cords of wood...at least that was what we purchased from the firewood sellers. It was probably more like 1 and a half full cords. We just burned it to take the chill out of the large finished basement area and allow the heat to filter upstairs.

Any other tips/tricks for maintaining them? What about cleaning, will a shop vac with a fine filter work or should I invest in a special vacuum for it?

Thanks for the help.

I bought a used Harman insert a 4 years ago of CL for $2k. My wife and I love it.. kicking myself I didn't do this 15 years ago!

I would not hesitate buying another used Harman, I have been very happy with it. very easy to work on, parts everywhere and built like a tank.

Stmar · Nov 1, 2017

Tooljunkie said:
Bought a kozi baywin. Its internal components are identical to my kozi ksh shop heater.
They are manufactured in winnipeg, so for me its a no brainer.

Looks like nice stoves, took a look at their website. Wonder if they have dealers in the states? I had never heard of them. Are they priced competitively with the Quadrafire or Harmon?

NEPA Guy · Nov 1, 2017

I have a harmon accentra. Worth it if you can manage the cost. Works great in the coldest of weather, set it and forget it. My wife can manage it. We go through 3-4 ton a year, heats our entire upstairs, 1200 sq feet, around corners and everything. Clean it every two ton. Buy good pellets or you'll have to clean it more often. Plan a good place to store all your pellets. GL on your search.

NBKubota · Nov 2, 2017

Just got our first pellet stove ever. Always had traditional wood stoves before this. After years of cutting my own trees, splitting etc, I thought I'd give it a go with pellets.

Only put 2 bags through so far, it's a quadrafire. So far so good. Creates a nice heat. Still trying to figure which is best with the hi/med/low settings.

Bought premium hard wood pellets for it. 3 ton to start. Stored in the garage (it's very dry in there). Would love to hear more from the experienced pellet stove owners in here. Picked up some good tips (and tricks) from you guys already.

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skeets · Nov 2, 2017

So tell me what happens when the power goes out?
Do they gravity feed into the burn chamber?
Do they go out?
How often do you have to clean the chimney?
Do they make one to fit in a metal fire place?
I know the work and pain that goes into a wood burner, might be time to change up. A dealer will not tell you everything, the good the bad and the really ugly truths about them. SO Im asking

NEPA Guy · Nov 2, 2017

So tell me what happens when the power goes out?
APC Backup UPS, will buy you enough time to operate the combustion fan and vent the smoke out of the stove until power is restored. I have a whole house generator so not a concern. If you don't no heat. Or invest in a powerful battery backup.

Do they gravity feed into the burn chamber?
Yes

Do they go out?
No

How often do you have to clean the chimney?
Once a year. Its real easy, the pellets are so dry, there is virtually 0 creosote. I have a 4" flue, I've seen 3".The kicker is you have to clean the stove in itself at least twice a year. Can be a hassle.

Do they make one to fit in a metal fire place?
Inserts? Yes

I know the work and pain that goes into a wood burner, might be time to change up. A dealer will not tell you everything, the good the bad and the really ugly truths about them. SO Im asking

I like consistent temperatures. Set it and forget it. Easy for the wife. Fire creates an ambiance. I dislike, fan noise, storing and cost of pellets ($750-1000 a year), cleaning the stove. Electronics break, its only a matter of time before it requires a fix.

I have a wood burner for my basement. Wouldn't trade it in for a pellet stove. I try to keep a balance of pros and cons. No noise, no power or repair concerns, burns hot, love the ambiance. Tough to maintain constant temperature. Dropping, cutting, hauling, splitting, stacking, loading to house, is a roya pita, but it keeps me in shape..Maintaining and storing the wood splitter is a hassle.

I've learned that no matter what. You're gonna pay. There is no way to save money. I have the trees on my property but it requires so much effort, it almost seems not worth it. I guess it comes down with what you're willing and able to do.

RCW · Nov 2, 2017

Like NEPA said, the set it and forget it is a great feature.

For years, burned about 10 face cord of firewood and 800-1,000 gallons of fuel oil. No natural gas, so it's oil or propane. Wood amounted to a supplement except weekends when I was home to tend the stove.

Fuel pre-buy one year was $4,000+, and decided something had to change.....so bought the XXV. Probably paid for itself within first couple years when fuel was $4+/gallon. Pulled the wood stove out, and plumbed pellet stove right back into masonry chimney with 6" top adapter that goes on the Harman. Just use welded seam pipe instead of snap lock.

With some other changes (hot water, boiler, windows/doors, etc.), 800 gallons went to 300, then 100, 50 and been less than 20 for last few years.

My fuel bill for 2016-17 was $17.85, and 6 tons of pellets @ ~$1,400. Did put ~$800 into bad circuit board ($250+/-) and preventive maintenance parts last year.

When actually running, don't draw much electricity. My generator runs the pellet stove and a bunch of other stuff easily - no whole-house set-up.

Stmar · Nov 2, 2017

My Whitfield, being older, probably requires a bit more maintenance. I clean the pipe a few times during the burning season, more of when the weather permits and not that it needs it, then I do a thorough cleaning stove and pipe in the off season. My ash pan is rather large and I empty it probably once a month if stove is burned a lot, again could probably go longer. I clean the stove once a week, like to keep the glass clean and it seems to burn better when ashes are dumped into the ash pan and the glass is clean. Stove was about $2400 installed with all hardware, pipe. In almost 20 years I have put about $1000 in control boards, igniters and fan replacements. I use about 2 tons of pellets per year and about 250 gallons of propane. Which is not bad considering our central heat, clothes dryer and cook stove are gas. Central heat works very little during the cold season. We have alternative power; inverter, solar, battery bank and grid power so we really don't even know if the power goes out. If the grid goes down and the sun does not shine enough to keep the battery bank charged I have a Honda EU2000 inverter generator that plugs into the inverter and charges the batteries and provides power to the loads also while charging.

Stmar · Nov 2, 2017

Why did we go to pellets? Getting wood was always a hassle, not much on the prairie so you had to use fuel, wear and tear on vehicle, trailer and equipment and me. A lot of the time there was a wood shortage, prices high and no place to cut it. Getting it delivered was an option that we had to use and again it was expensive then you had to cut and split, used up a few chain saws and threw my back out several times. I have had pellet stoves for over 30 years, two in my previous house and one here. Like the convenience of putting a 40 pound bag on pellets in and setting the thermostat.
If and when mine is no longer viable I think I will go with Harmon as of now. The XXV looks like quite a unit, very fancy and a focal point.

RCW · Nov 2, 2017

Just cleaned my stove, really to clean glass.
Stove controls vary. Mine has infinite temperature, distribution blower, and auger feed controls.
Others not so much....
I run my distribution blower wide open heating season. It will slow it down if necessary.

This is first day I ran it this fall. Ollie the Boxer is a big fan of his “Dragon.”

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Tooljunkie · Nov 2, 2017

They do not gravity feed into the burn pot. Most auger uphill to a chute then pellets drop into the burn pot.
Power failure is a problem,as mentioned a battery backup would help with that concern.
Once running, most stoves run on about 200 watts so it doesent take a lot to keep it running.

RCW · Nov 2, 2017

Thanks Frank, saw that gravity question.
A Harman does have a horizontal auger, but fed by a cam-driven door that lets pellets out of the hopper.
If pellets were truly gravity fed, it would be a fire hazard.

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Kubota Newbie · Nov 2, 2017

Little late to the topic here but we have a TP40 Earth Stove that we've had since 1990. We burn straight shelled corn in it, 175-200 bu. a year for the last 27 years except a few years back when corn was $6.50-7.00. Burnt wood pellets for two years before switching back to corn. Finally rebuilt the heat exchanger last summer. Have replaced 1 control board in that time (my fault, shorted out the original), room air fan probably 3 times, draft inducer fan twice, each of the feed system motors once and rebuilt the burn pot once. All of the motors/fans are available for this stove through Grainger if you know what to look for. This is a bottom feeder type (no stirrer), just like the old coal stoker furnaces. Clean the pipe once a year. More of a problem for the pipe is the fly ash from the corn, it has a pH +/- the same as lye (very caustic). It eventually even eats pinholes in the stainless pipe. This stove was way before the battery back-ups so no electric-no heat (but have a generator anyway so no big deal).
The break-even between bulk wood pellets and corn on a per million btu basis is usually +/- $5.50 bu corn. Our other heat is propane so there's no contest in price per mbtu. If it's cold, turn up the corn stove not the furnace it only costs about 1/3 as much as propane (depending on prices that is, but it is ALWAYS cheaper to burn the corn.)

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