Efficiency - Quadrafire V Harman

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Richardin52

Member
Mar 28, 2008
121
A farm in Maine
I just bought a quadrafire pellet stove. It loads from the top into a pot and there is a lever I push and pull to empty the pot when it needs it. . The Harman loads from the bottom and pushes the ash out the top as it feeds. Someone told me the Harman is more efficient because of the way it feeds the pellets into the stove.

So whats the real story here? Does anyone really know or is this a sales pich?
 
I dont think pellet stoves are technically effiecieny tested, but someone else might chime in if Im wrong.
 
Sounds like a sales pitch!

Efficiency depends on a LOT of factors, including stove sizing, design, pellet quality, burn rate, etc.

If I had to hazard a really rough guess, it would be that a top-fed unit had a slight edge (all things being equal) in efficiency with high quality pellets at variable rates, but that bottom-fed works as good or better at high rates -and, of course, the bottom-fed burns higher ash pellets much better.

I think you made a good choice. Many years ago there was a shoot-out done with pellet stoves in the field - and, as I remember, Quad came out on top or near the top.
 
Quad dealer told me today mt vernon heats 543 sq ft per lb of pellets vs harman xxv 275 sq ft per lb of pellets but this was the quad dealer, harman dealer told me that harman is more efficient.
 
[quote author="Webmaster" date="1212633517"]Sounds like a sales pitch!

Efficiency depends on a LOT of factors, including stove sizing, design, pellet quality, burn rate, etc.

If I had to hazard a really rough guess, it would be that a top-fed unit had a slight edge (all things being equal) in efficiency with high quality pellets at variable rates, (quote)


I`m not doubting your rough guess but I`d really like to know how you arrived at that conclusion?
John
 
Shelly said:
Quad dealer told me today mt vernon heats 543 sq ft per lb of pellets vs harman xxv 275 sq ft per lb of pellets but this was the quad dealer, harman dealer told me that harman is more efficient.

They should be ashamed of themselves...really!

Just for fun....can you ask them for a single piece of written information to back up that claim????

It makes me ashamed of the industry to hear that stuff, but then again I can't fix the Human condition all by myself! Maybe I should start an "ethics" committee in our trade org.
 
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