I'm looking to get a pellet insert and have harman and quadrafire dealers near me, I know they are owned by the same company, but what brand is the better of the two and why? Or are there others out there in the inserts that would be just as good? Looking at the Santa Fe and p35i . Thanks I'm totally new to the pellet stove thing
Harman or quadrafire
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Hello
I own a Contour (Same as the Santa Fe except it has the pie warmer compartment) and a P61a-2 similar to P35i, it has the same parts and controls but not an insert.
In my opinion, you should get what is best for your living conditions. The Santa Fe can work with any milivolt T-Stat or milivolt WiFi T-Stat like the Ecobee that has a SmartPhone App.
The Harmans have a built in Thermostat control using it's famous room probe. Even though some people use it with a remote wireless T-Stat like the SkyTech, it was not designed to do that.
I have the Quad in my shed with a Lux Digital T-Stat that I .can turn on with a toggle switch from the house. You cannot do that with a Harman.
Other than that, the Harmans are a great stove and I do recommend them!
Just my 2 cents.
I own a Contour (Same as the Santa Fe except it has the pie warmer compartment) and a P61a-2 similar to P35i, it has the same parts and controls but not an insert.
In my opinion, you should get what is best for your living conditions. The Santa Fe can work with any milivolt T-Stat or milivolt WiFi T-Stat like the Ecobee that has a SmartPhone App.
The Harmans have a built in Thermostat control using it's famous room probe. Even though some people use it with a remote wireless T-Stat like the SkyTech, it was not designed to do that.
I have the Quad in my shed with a Lux Digital T-Stat that I .can turn on with a toggle switch from the house. You cannot do that with a Harman.
Other than that, the Harmans are a great stove and I do recommend them!
Just my 2 cents.
railfanron
Minister of Fire
I run my Harman P43 with a Hunter digital programmable thermostat with either the thermostat or the Harman controlling the temperature and it works equally well in both modes. If the stove was in the workshop an x10 universal module in series with the thermostat would turn it on from the house with a remote, from a switch, a computer, or with the proper software and interface anywhere with a web connection. I use the x10 modules to control my Christmas lighting and a lot of other stuff in the house or workshop. Just sayin.
Ron
Ron
reallyte
Feeling the Heat
Hello
Which ever one you get, run a 3" outside air liner up the chimney next to the flue liner and stuff Roxul 100% fire proof rock wool insulation on the damper shelf and around both liners. It will make your house draft free, keep the heat from going up the chimney and feel much more comfy! Also use less pellets!
Which ever one you get, run a 3" outside air liner up the chimney next to the flue liner and stuff Roxul 100% fire proof rock wool insulation on the damper shelf and around both liners. It will make your house draft free, keep the heat from going up the chimney and feel much more comfy! Also use less pellets!
Would you have the Free Standing in front of your fireplace or in a different location? If the hearth is extended from the fireplace, a FS does work just fine.
I would put it on the hearth and go right up the chimney. May not look as good but the trade off is worth it IMO. It is a real B*#ch to pull insert and do the cleanings that should be done on both fans, vacuum switch and exhaust area on a regular basis. Also, most inserts hold a lot less pellets which means more work for me. I'm lazy.
alternativeheat
Minister of Fire
Ya as much as the wife and I liked the looks of the inserts we went with free standing last year ( p61a). Cleaning is so easy on that stove its almost a shame to call it cleaning compared with inserts . Plus the p61 has a large hopper and even an extension if one wanted that. And the P series also radiate heat. As you say not as pretty but all those added features won out.
We were originally gonna do a freestanding stove, but since we have a fireplace thought the insert would be the way to go, but if it requires pulling it out to properly clean them I may think otherwise since I'll be cleaning it!
alternativeheat
Minister of Fire
The Harman is on a rail, pulls out like a desk drawer but bigger and heavier of course. But ya you got to pull it to clean it right and to access the vent liner as well. Once I got the right guy at the stove shop to show me the difference s I was sold on free standing is all I can say.
Also, the ash pans are larger on the Free Standing stoves. My ash pan holds one ton. So cleaning once a month after burning a ton is not as bad as evey 2-3 days or even once per week!
Tonyray
Minister of Fire
Inserts look like a lot more work for cleaning.....
But not an authority on them since I do not have a fireplace and need for one...
Harman sez a P61 Will hold 1 ton of ash but,
every other day I take a 2" paint brush and brush the heat exchanger, walls, shelves, creavices etc into the ash pan.
Due to this I get no where near a ton burned before emptying.. no biggie....
more like 25 bags or so which take it to 3/4 full...
But not an authority on them since I do not have a fireplace and need for one...
Harman sez a P61 Will hold 1 ton of ash but,
every other day I take a 2" paint brush and brush the heat exchanger, walls, shelves, creavices etc into the ash pan.
Due to this I get no where near a ton burned before emptying.. no biggie....
more like 25 bags or so which take it to 3/4 full...
alternativeheat
Minister of Fire
And going with the P61a, while not as pretty, gained us 9000 more btu over the 52i. Since the goal was to heat the house nuff said.
alternativeheat
Minister of Fire
That's just he ashy pellets you burn. Well most of us do that really since the Harnans will. Try some DFs sometime
I have cleaned alot of Accentra Inserts as well as other models. Many of those stoves have interior panels to take out, clean, and wire brush. They also have traps where you have to remove them and stick brushes in them and then blast them out with a compressor. The Harman P-Series has non of that! Just a little cover plate over the exhaust blower impellers that you must take off once in a while to clean out the exhaust chamber. Easy peasy and does not need it very often!
alternativeheat
Minister of Fire
Yes the 52 I has panels and removable heat exchanger tubes I believe. Really what it has going for it is looks and a bit quieter than a P unit. Also it tucks in way back on the hearth compared with a free standing stove if someone has space issues. And some folks don't want the stove to radiate heat. A P does a lot of that, the 52i basically none.
Tonyray
Minister of Fire
I burn mostly Energex Hardwoods[American] and at times Stove Chows...That's just he ashy pellets you burn. Well most of us do that really since the Harnans will. Try some DFs sometime
alternativeheat
Minister of Fire
I know you do and I burn the Energex Hards as well. They are way way more ashy than DF. Also DF ash basically blows off the burn pot, what ash there is. But being practical I burn and the less expensive pellets mostly. Its a treat to burn DF though when I do that.
Tonyray
Minister of Fire
It's funny but living close to Big Metro areas, [I live between Phila and Trenton, New Jersey] Both are close to me...... there are not a lot of pellet dealers to choose from.
love to try Turmans, Barefoot, Hamers, DF etc but unless I am willing to pay BIG BUCKS delivery charges for 50-60 mile transports, Pretty much only have the box stores products and my dealers Energex Hardwoods...Most of the pellet places are Western Pa. I am in Eastern Part.
alternativeheat
Minister of Fire
Well you may go on a road trip one day and run into some of those brand. You then could grab a few bags to try out. We wouldn't have DF here either but my stove dealer picks them up. He transports them in himself.
Tonyray
Minister of Fire
yep....
I would do that..
5 bags here, 5 bags there, would have a whole Ton of mix/ match pellets in no time..
.my dealer last winter talked of getting in some Hamers or Barefoots but then the Vortex hit, pellet supplies dwindled, and the tractor trailer cost to bring them here jumped thru the roof so they we're dropped. maybe this year.... My dealer has a good realtionship with Energex Upstate from here so prob why he still get's them exclusive....
He told me that 7 of every 10 tons he sells to his customers are the Energex Golden Supreme Hardwoods..0.5 ash as opposed to the regular Hardwoods that I get.
those are only distributed by Energex certain time of the year and only for a few months. kinda like certain beers only being brewed seasonal... I was surprised by that...So I bought 2 tons for this winter and am eager to see how they do..
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alternativeheat
Minister of Fire
Ya, no Goldens around here yet. Actually this time of year there are barely any pellets to be had but Energex and New England, maybe some DFs if he has made a run at all.. So I don't know what I will get for this winter yet. first is a shed, I need a second shed to store my tractor in and pellets and some of my wifes gardening tools ( can't forget that !).
Tonyray
Minister of Fire
alternativeheat
Minister of Fire
I have about 8 bags of Energex under a tarp on a pallet outdoors. But I'm not putting pellets in my basement, I stopped carrying buckets of coal from the basement years ago and I'm not going back to that with pellets. A shed is at ground level and I like that better. Actually I'm fine with them under the tarp but "she who must be obeyed" is not ! And I'm not ok with my tractor under a tarp so we are on equal ground.
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