https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/pellet-newbie-ecoteck-installed.72279/page-2#post-1574520
I have the Elena model, burning it for the third season now, burning about 2 to 3 tons a season. No problems, a well built and very quiet stove. Has a heat-exchanger scraper rod on the front. Stainless steel heat exchanger and burn-pot. I clean mine about once every 120 to 160 pounds of pellets, just a quick 10 minute vacuum and a glass-cleaning. I clean out my all-horizontal flue pipe every ton, and a full cleaning of the entire stove at the end of the season. Stove is not pickey about pellets or fines. Never have vacuumed out the hopper, and never had any auger or hopper jams. Hopper holds 76 pounds. It is a nice feature to have the programmable thermostat built-in. You can also easily connect an external standard low-voltage thermostat. Also has an IR Remote control. All the programmed operating parameters can be easily accessed and changed, if you feel like tinkering. The fuel feed rate and combustion blower speed can be easily tweeked from the control panel, and you can monitor the exhaust gas temperature. Also has a run-time hour-meter. Parts are easily availible from North Forge Heating (Annville PA), and are reasonable-priced (ignitor = $60, burn-pot = $90, room temp probe = $25). The outside air system is properly designed, sealed into the burn-pot (unlike some stoves where the outside air pipe is just open, inside the stove cabinet, allowing outside air to leak into the house when the stove is not being used.) You can get copy of the Factory Service Manual from me.
It's not just a squat black box. Heat production is very good and we get extremes of cold (near International Falls, MN). Install was straight forward (horizontal install) with min. 18" clearance of window with the Elena model. Clearances from stove are not extreme. I prefer softwood pellets which cost a little more but produce a lighter weight ash so less internal clogging.
