New Member from South East PA

Hi everyone, I have been lurking for a couple of weeks, liked what I saw and joined. My family and I just got a pellet stove installed two weeks ago, a Castille insert. I wish I had found this forum b4 I purchased so I could have had been more informed before my purchase.

A little about our journey to purchase a pellet stove. We bought our home three years ago. It’s a 30-year-old 2300 sqf two story colonial tract home with a fireplace. The first year we were able to get a bunch of free wood – about 4 cords. We cut it and hauled it. While that wood was seasoning, we started using the duraflame logs the former owner of the home left behind. Hey, who doesn’t want to use your fireplace in your new home? Hmmmmm, kinda was stinky whenever we burned the duraflames. We got some other real wood that was seasoned only to set off the smoke alarms when we used the fireplace. Hmmmm…. We then decided to open the outside door while trying to use the fireplace, not really enjoying the freezing air pouring into the room while the smoke detectors are going off. I spent the summer scrubbing off soot from our brick surround. I did have the chimney swept when I moved in. We tried using the fireplace last winter, with similar results. Last spring, we had a fireplace mason out to take a look at our problem. Turns out the fireplace was built with out a smoke shelf. Upon talking with other neighbors, they also cannot use their fireplaces. I can only assume the builder did not put smoke shelves in any of the fireplaces. Duhhhhh (we have found many other problems with this house.)

We decided NOT to have the whole fireplace knocked down and re-built for $8,000 to correct the no smoke shelf issue. There is no natural gas in this area, so propane delivery, wood stove, or pellet stoves were our choices. We had been hearing how great pellet stoves are so we decided to give it a try. We are not trying to heat our home with it, just supplement the oil heat & be able to USE our fireplace. We gave away our hard-earned wood, to hubby’s uncle.

It hasn’t been very cold here yet, so I’ve only used it twice for an hour or so. We got our 2-ton of pellets in August from Lowes before the stove was installed for 263.50 per ton or 5.27 per bag. I hope you folks with more experience will volunteer your thoughts when I do have issues & questions with my new purchase.
Thanks & nice to meet everyone!

Hi Gotz! I don't have any questions yet, but perhaps this weekend I will. The weather is supposed to get colder this weekend. Glad you & your folks are having good luck with your quad's.
Thanks!
Beth

Gotz said:

You know where to find us when the time comes. Those pellets get a little cheaper if you mix them with some corn, not sure if you're in corn country or not? We usually burn 50/50 with no problems, then 100% corn when it gets really cold and the stove can run full time.Amke for a little more cleaning, but the price is right. In MN....snowing today! By the way, we have around 600ft below and 1600ft up w/cathedrial ceilings, the Quad is our primary heat source.

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Hi Gotz, SNOW?!?!? It's been bout 75 here, which is a little warm for us this time of year. We're about 40 miles from Philadelphia. Not too far from where the Amish school girls were shot. So sad. Anyway weathers going to get chilly - high in the50's - over the weekend. I figure I can give our new stove a work out.

Can you tell me more about the corn? The installer said we were not set up for corn. The brochure mentions it, but does not go into any details. I guess it's kind of a dead issue because I would not know where or what type of corn to buy!???

Thanks again!
Beth

Hi Gotz! Thanks for the corn info. I'll have to look around. We don't have too many farms left around here. I read your other thread about your Mothers Quad. Please keep us informed in the other thread on what the causes of this could be. Sure Glad everyone's OK.
Thanks!
Beth

Ha! I grew up in Delaware County; Married bought first home in K.O.P. lived there for 12 years. Dear husband lived in KOP when he was young, then they moved to Wayne. My daughter is a King of Prussia native - LOL. Now in Collegeville area! Nice to know others are/were in our area. Been to Lower Merion High for adult night classes. They have a great thing going.

Yes, everything was boonies when I was younger. NOT NOW. All farms and small farms are houses now. The gigantic kind of homes - 3000-4000 sqf homes on 1/4 acre. We moved from KOP because we wanted more room. Well we got it, but as I mentioned earlier, the home we bought has issues - doesn't every home? We moved up from a big .19 acre in KOP to a whopping 2/3 acre in Collegeville. We simply can't afford more land cause the builders have offers on everything over a half acre.

Thanks, and nice to meet you WebAdmin!
Beth

HaHa! My daughter is a Lankenau Hospital baby! I saw that sledding hill while I was in labor. Brother-in-law from prospect park, husband works in Landsdown. I've never been much of a city person, so my interactions tend to be north west of the city.

Maybe I can find a little corn some where around as Gotz mentioned. However, the installer of my new baby said I was not "set up for corn." Perhaps when I get sick of the up and down of pellets & oil prices I'll try a risky corn venture. The pellet hunt really bothers me. I got the run around from some dealers, I got jacked up prices from some, and I finally got an in between price at the local Lowes. I would have rather bought from the local guy, but it was too confusing and bothersome. I got one price from agway 20 miles away that sounded great, but no stock. I got a price from the local agway which was $100.00 more per ton. At that point I went to Lowes which was in the middle of the two and bought. This was in August. Next year I'll check out Tractor supply and some others.

By the way, the Collegeville Inn no longer has smorgasbord or dinners for that matter. It's a catering place now. I wish the new owner would bring back what it was famous for - DINNERS! Oh well, times change. I guess I have to grow up. Great remembering!

BTW VFMA? Every Mom around here threatens their boys about being sent there.

Thanks!
Beth

Hey Matt, Thanks for the tips on where to get the corn. Let me know how that new Harman works for you! I've been trying out our new stove this weekend. Seems to warm the house up nicely.

We are experiencing some problems with our Quad., but we're going to play around with it some more today to see if it's user error or the Quad.

Leaves are really turning this weekend. Looks like I'll have to get the rake out. But maybe not, cause it's my Birthday

Take care & nice to meet you,
Beth

Hi Cori!

My sister in law is the director of the Wild Card Office at Villanova. Villanova is a great school as you know.

Nice to meet you!

Beth

Hi Ya Josh!! I've never heard of Pipersville. I've got a sister - in - law in Doyelstown area. I'll ask her if she knows of Pipersville. You've been busy moving around I sure know what you mean about sharing walls although all of my neighbors are very nice. Nice to meet you!!

Hi Brew8! My family and I are really liking our stove. The area our stove is located is the coldest section of our home, our family room. Sooo, we are using this section of our home dailey this winter. It has made a huge difference.

Hi Brew8! I'll bet you are excited! What kind of stove are you having installed? We have the quadrafire castille insert. Anyway the pellet consumption varies with us. We do not and cannot heat our home with our pellet stove do to the location it is installed. I use the stove from 6am till about 8pm to heat the downstairs. Then I turn up the oil furnace for an hour or so to get the upstairs warm. Our oil consumption has been drastically reduced. However, it was a very warm winter in the beginning. I would guess we do use about a bag a day when we run the stove all the time.