New to forum and new to pellet stoves...

Spoolin98 · Nov 16, 2015

Hi all,
I recently bought a house with a Harman P61. I've started burning pellets and Its doing a fairly good job at heating the entire house. The previous owner left me a Surefire 502H, but did not leave me a battery.
I've spent the past week or so reading on here when I have the time. I have a few questions I'm looking for answers to.
1. Where do you guys buy 12v 90ah deep cycle marine batteries from? I've read people get them for $100 but I cant seem to find them for that price. When I find batteries on the internet I cant find the amps per hour in the description on most of them. The few I found that are 12v 90ah are $200 or more. I want to use the 502 so my house doesn't fill with smoke while I'm not home. Any suggestions on a battery? Also does it HAVE to be a 90ah or can be higher at 100ah or 120ah?
2. I have a generac 8000 generator, how do I safely power the pellet stove from the generator? I have a transfer switch and can back feed my house from a outside 30 outlet. Do I need to put anything inline between the stove and the outlet to protect it?

My plan is to use the 502 to power the stove until I can get the generator hooked up.
Sorry for the long post, I'm new to this and trying to learn. I bought the house a month ago and I need to get this setup ASAP in case the power goes out. I don't have time to read all day looking for my answers.
Thanks in advance

CleanFire · Nov 16, 2015

Spoolin98 said:
I want to use the 502 so my house doesn't fill with smoke while I'm not home. Any suggestions on a battery? Also does it HAVE to be a 90ah or can be higher at 100ah or 120ah?

Just make sure the deep-cycle marine battery purchased matches the terminals (top post or side-post) that are on the backup unit.

No, it doesn't "Have" to be 90/120ah - the higher the ah, the longer run time you will enjoy, the more $$$ you will pay.

** Walmart is your friend for deep-cycle Marine Batteries at reasonable pricing. **

Spoolin98 said:
2. I have a generac 8000 generator, how do I safely power the pellet stove from the generator? I have a transfer switch and can back feed my house from a outside 30 outlet. Do I need to put anything inline between the stove and the outlet to protect it?

A good quality surge protector, like a Belkin, Tripp Lite, Monster Core Power (A/V) at minimum . (Wall Outlet -> Surge Protector -> Surefire 512H -> Stove.)

* In place of the Surefire 512h, you could also use an Uninterruptible Power Supply, or (UPS) - have APC brand here, CyberPower makes a good UPS also.

Use good quality wire for your setup if you need to go longer than 10-12 ft., 14 or 12 gauge for any extension cords, lower (thicker) gauge for the battery cables, as needed. (Don't skimp on wiring.)

Congrats on the house purchase, welcome to the forum.

Wilbur Feral · Nov 16, 2015

Just ditto on everything Cleanfire said. I hate to buy from Walmart, but haven't found anything close to them for deep cycle batteries. Excellent prices and quality seems good.

fmsm · Nov 16, 2015

careful on the generator, you need clean power and most non inverter generators are dirty. If it is an 8000XL check to see if it has a pure sine wave, if it does you should be ok. If not, be prepared for the possibility of burning out a board etc...

alternativeheat · Nov 17, 2015

Before you buy anything consider your venting system. If it goes out and up or up and out and with a P61 you may not need the backup for smoke issues. If the vent goes straight out and ends that is another matter.

Spoolin98 · Nov 17, 2015

Thank you all for the responses, much appreciated!

So if my generator does not have pure sine wave I cant use it to power the pellet stove? Is there anything I can buy to put in line between the generator and the pellet stove to make it safe to use?

As far as the battery goes, thanks for the responses, Im going to get one ASAP. Ill also have to pick up a surge protector.

As for the venting system, it comes out of the back of the unit a few inches, makes a 90 degree turn up a few feet, makes a 90 degree turn into the wall and then makes another 90 degree turn to go out the chimney. It vents out the chimney above my roof line.

Spoolin98 · Nov 17, 2015

Also, for the surge protector, how many joules does it need to be rated for?

Wilbur Feral · Nov 18, 2015

Spoolin98 said:
So if my generator does not have pure sine wave I cant use it to power the pellet stove? Is there anything I can buy to put in line between the generator and the pellet stove to make it safe to use?

This is always a tricky situation, but many (including me) have run their stoves for days on gen power. It's very situation specific. But using a UPS that conditions power and is designed to operate on dirty power is an excellent step in the right direction. Cheap units from the office supply store are NOT that. Those designed for third world countries or specifically to be used with generators generally are. Check out the latter at a computer store (not a Best Buy or similar).

Spoolin98 · Nov 18, 2015

Any suggestions on a UPS and surge protector?

Also does anyone know if my design will allow smoke back into my house? I can take a picture and post it if needed

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