Multiple Pellet Stoves

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.
No, but I think a large portion of electric utility power in NJ comes from coal!
 
I'm running 2 stoves this year. Burned zero oil. Have about a half ton left of a 4.5 ton stash. Heating 2200 sf. I'll make it to April 1 and have no problem chilling it out from there.
 
For anyone who happens to wonder about having more than one stove in the house.

The reasons why we chose to.

Back years ago, we had a smaller ranch style house, and heated it with one small pellet stove (with shells)

The house was too small for more than one stove.
One cold winter in the wee hours the stove broke, and it was an all out thrash to fix it.
Luckily I was able to effect a repair with materials I had on hand.

Had this not been possible, we would have been SOL, and with the temps outside in the teens, it would have sucked.

Here at the ranch, we have 3 stoves, with 2 being manual light units, and one automatic.

The auto (Quadrafire 1000) can heat the entire house if need be, but the cost is too high compared to using the shells.

The two Whits are used as singles or in combination to adjust and keep things comfy, with the ability to shut things off to clean them without letting the house get cold.

This may seem such as overkill or excess, but was worked out over time and thought through to come up with what we currently have set up.

Also, running one stove hard to keep the shack warm is tough on the unit, as compared to having a combination that allows the units to loaf along on a more gentle work load.

We had been through a single stove setup and a mission critical failure, so that was on our mind.

There is a method to the madness.

Just some thoughts

Snowy
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ashful
Running a pellet Furnace (St Croix) and a Parlor Stove (Breckwell) in the family room.
Sort of like a zone control. The main part of the house is at 68 degrees F and the family room is at 74. Feels nice and cozy when it's 20 below 0 outside!
I'm probably not saving as much as on heating as we could because if we were heating with lp we would keep it in the mid 60's in here and feel cold all winter.

If I were to do it over I'd put a smaller stove in the family room because the parlor stove can only be run on the lowest setting, It would be used more if the heat output was a bit lower.
 
Didn't know some or all the power was coming from coal. I'll have to look into it and see if I can find anything. I was under the impression that the power was being bought on the open market. Don't realistically know how I can change how the power is being generated. Kinda is what it is but I don't knowingly need to burn more coal if I can help it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ashful
Arti.

I know what ya mean about the heat output thing.

Back early on, we had a LARGE Earth stove pellet burner, and it was great when the outside temps were LOW, but during moderate weather the thing would cook us out.

At that time we used the Quad mostly and it was not until switching to the Whits and doubling up did we get the combination down to a science.

Too small of stove, and the problems are different, but just as bad, Brrrrrrr.


As is pointed out here all the time, "A pellet stove is a space heater"
Well the space we want to heat is THE HOUSE :)

It is a very fussy juggling act to get it right.

Some houses are very stubborn to get heat to crawl around, and others are very easy keepers.


Snowy
 
Status
Not open for further replies.