Waterford Erin? Whitfield Renaissance?

Second post with still more questions.

So I picked up the Waterford Erin pellet stove on Craigslist for what seems like a good deal but it's hard to tell. Searching across the internet I found a few parts available like the burn grate which was also listed as compatible with the Whitfield Renaissance. So I looked up that stove and sure enough it looks just like the Waterford Erin with some stylistic differences. However, more to the point I took a closer look at the label on my stove and found two manufacturers listed and the product name listed as "Erin/Renaissance."

Are these two items the same stove? It sure would seem that way. I've heard good things about Whitfield stoves (at least pre-Lennox) but all I've heard about Waterford is that they no longer import into the US.

Is this a decent stove or have I just purchased what may become a rather large and heavy lawn ornament once something breaks?

Thanks for the information. I have a spare auger motor and I think I'll start stockpiling other spare parts as I find them. I've seen the burn grates going on eBay for around $90 which seems steep for a simple piece of folded stainless steel. What types of things can I expect to go bad on this thing? Things that immediately spring to mind are the control board and blower motor. Are there others?

Finally, what other stoves are out there with similar styling should I find myself in need of a replacement in the coming years? My wife particularly likes the cast iron look of the Jøtul wood stoves, but wants the convenience of pellets.

hearthtools said:

Pyro (whitfield) made the guts for Waterford stove and waterford made the Castings for the cast Whitfield stoves in the early 90's
there are NO more parts available for that stove other than limit switches, Auger motors, Burn pots, U TUBE removal kits and Convection blowers.
All the other Stuff that you WILL need like the booster blower and control board, Auger Assymbly are NO MORE.

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So what types of maintenance might I do to prolong the life of these no longer available parts? Do those parts just fail or will they announce their impending demise? If I can get another stove cheap for parts would you advise it or should I begin saving for a replacement for the inevitable? In the case of the latter, can you give me an idea of similar stoves (i.e. porcelain on cast) that are of a more recent vintage?

I might be remodeling that room in which case I have a few options, including a switch to wood (although that does introduce the 20' chimney issue in my other post).

Thanks very much for the info, your help has been invaluable.

hearthtools said:

I would not waste my time with that stove unless it was fully functional now
it is not a big heater and is Picky on pellet fuel and need to be kept real clean to run well.

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The stove appeared fully functional during a test burn.
The previous owner didn't appear to keep it real clean (heavy ash deposits built up all around fie box, probably 1/4" thick on the glass) but he said it runs very well for him. I'm a bit OCD when it comes to cleaning things so I'll make everything sparkle inside and out.

Any particular fuel it wants (softwood, hardwood, wood/corn blend) to run well? My local supplier has Cubex wood pellets but there are other suppliers within a short drive.

Enviro Windsor/Empress www.enviro.com

Harmon Talked alot about on this forums

Travis has a new cast pellet stove now in the Lopi and Avalon line www.avalonstoves.com

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Thanks for the leads. I couldn't find the Travis stove but the Enviro Empress and Harman XXV are very much what she likes. I *think* I've been able to distill what she likes into a few features:

- no or very little brass/chrome
- legs rather than pedestal
- rounded edges

She would say she likes a "traditional" look.

As for heat, the stove only needs to heat a 250 sf room - any excess heat it produces just means my oil furnace will need to work less. Depending on the cost of oil and pellets (no, I haven't bought pellets yet, I'm waiting until the price spikes so I can pay the maximum amount) I'll change the amount I run the pellet stove.