FIRST PELLET STOVE P68!!

[Tonyray]

btw: Energex has 2 plants.. 1 in Pa, and 1 in Canada, which is where all the Softwood and softwood blends come from.
yeah, as far as cleaning, I forgot that I always get to the fines box each time also.
found these gasket scrapers to do much better than the Harman tool..
get's those corners and sides of the burnpot where smooth layers of carbon like to hide..

 

[alternativeheat]

btw: Energex has 2 plants.. 1 in Pa, and 1 in Canada, which is where all the Softwood and softwood blends come from.
yeah, as far as cleaning, I forgot that I always get to the fines box each time also.
found these gasket scrapers to do much better than the Harman tool..
get's those corners and sides of the burnpot where smooth layers of carbon like to hide..

I use a wide flat screw driver to get what the Harman tool kind of bounces over.

 

[Tonyray]

yeah... The Harman tool is good for a quick 1st scrape in the morning to stir things up or pulling a mound of ash down to the ash pan..but thinner tools like what we mentioned are deff much more thorough.

just when I think the burn pot is clean, I use a flashlight and discover a super thin layer of carbon somewhere that looks like the actual bottom or side of the burnpot...the gasket scraper peels it right off.
right now my burnpot and walls are covered with Pam Cooking spray and a box of damp-rid in the ash pan for good measure.
Have my OAK air inlet holes covered with a foam strip to keep summer moisture out..
christ! my wife sez I take better care of the stove than our Cars...

 

[alternativeheat]

yeah... The Harman tool is good for a quick 1st scrape in the morning to stir things up or pulling a mound of ash down to the ash pan..but thinner tools like what we mentioned are deff much more thorough.

just when I think the burn pot is clean, I use a flashlight and discover a super thin layer of carbon somewhere that looks like the actual bottom or side of the burnpot...the gasket scraper peels it right off.
right now my burnpot and walls are covered with Pam Cooking spray and a box of damp-rid in the ash pan for good measure.
Have my OAK air inlet holes covered with a foam strip to keep summer moisture out..
christ! my wife sez I take better care of the stove than our Cars...

Bet she likes that heat though, a well cared for stove doesn't tend to let you down on some stupid frigid mid winter night with the wind howling outside ! My wife barely moved from the side of the stove all winter, course to be fair she did have a cracked rib for part of that time. Ya she sat right there knitting or reading her bible or listening to audio books and knitting.. Cats all piled up there too !

 

[Tonyray]

Bet she likes that heat though, a well cared for stove doesn't tend to let you down on some stupid frigid mid winter night with the wind howling outside ! My wife barely moved from the side of the stove all winter, course to be fair she did have a cracked rib for part of that time. Ya she sat right there knitting or reading her bible or listening to audio books and knitting.. Cats all piled up there too !

Our 2 female Golden Retrievers spent lot of last winter laying close to the P61.....
Now that I have the hang of it and understand the whole pellet stove workings and maint tips [thanks to reading 1,000 posts here], I wish I had bought one years ago..
nice talking to ya btw....
am sure we will cross posts come winter...

 

[alternativeheat]

Our 2 female Golden Retrievers spent lot of last winter laying close to the P61.....
Now that I have the hang of it and understand the whole pellet stove workings and maint tips [thanks to reading 1,000 posts here], I wish I had bought one years ago..
nice talking to ya btw....
am sure we will cross posts come winter...

Undoubtedly we will ! And winter is coming, it's almost 4th of July already. I tell everyone, once the 4th of July hits start preparing for Christmas !! It drives people nuts but it's so true.

 

[Tonyray]

Undoubtedly we will ! And winter is coming, it's almost 4th of July already. I tell everyone, once the 4th of July hits start preparing for Christmas !! It drives people nuts but it's so true.

forgot to mention that I don't think I have read many posts touting Fireside Ultras...
actually, quite the opposite.
I think Stove Chows are the best Pellets that BOX STORES carry and I am glad that they still sell for the same price as some of the crap they regularly sell.219-229.00

 

[alternativeheat]

forgot to mention that I don't think I have read many posts touting Fireside Ultras...
actually, quite the opposite.
I think Stove Chows are the best Pellets that BOX STORES carry and I am glad that they still sell for the same price as some of the crap they regularly sell.219-229.00

Didn't like those either, dirty, ashy. Made a mess out of my beauty the p61!

 

[Tonyray]

Didn't like those either, dirty, ashy. Made a mess out of my beauty the p61!

wow...
now there ya go..Ashy, yes..but not much more than Energex for me.
2 identical stoves and 2 different results with the same pellets.....Even more proof that we can't always go by what others recommend or not.
gotta try a few bags 1st if u can..
The forever quest for the best pellets [ for each persons stove].
don;t think it matters but do u have an OAK?

 

[alternativeheat]

wow...
now there ya go..Ashy, yes..but not much more than Energex for me.
2 identical stoves and 2 different results with the same pellets.....Even more proof that we can't always go by what others recommend or not.
gotta try a few bags 1st if u can..
The forever quest for the best pellets [ for each persons stove].
don;t think it matters but do u have an OAK?

Been away on vacation and just skimmed my email once up there in Northern Maine so missed this post. No, no OAK yet, it's on my list for this pre winters chores. I was speaking of the FSU pellets not Stove Chow, I have not tried Stove Chow. Anyway, I think my house is loose enough in the kitchen and one upstairs spare bedroom, I doubt it's got much to do with the stoves burning ability to not have the OAK. Less drafty house perhaps though. I don't know , the stove shop where we bought the stove from the owner said they rarely put in OAK in any local installs. He did not indicate having the materials in stock actually. Last winter I kept pondering the installation of an OAK then got myself confused as to how I wanted to run it and never did it.

 

[Tonyray]

Been away on vacation and just skimmed my email once up there in Northern Maine so missed this post. No, no OAK yet, it's on my list for this pre winters chores. I was speaking of the FSU pellets not Stove Chow, I have not tried Stove Chow. Anyway, I think my house is loose enough in the kitchen and one upstairs spare bedroom, I doubt it's got much to do with the stoves burning ability to not have the OAK. Less drafty house perhaps though. I don't know , the stove shop where we bought the stove from the owner said they rarely put in OAK in any local installs. He did not indicate having the materials in stock actually. Last winter I kept pondering the installation of an OAK then got myself confused as to how I wanted to run it and never did it.

When I bought my stove from my dealer, I didn't know anything about pellet stoves other than the fact that a Harman was a well made [here in Pa and easy for parts] and a top of the line product.. They installed the stove, OAK, and my out side piping as u can see.. I have no barriers, house or wind breakers on that side the OAK is on and to boot we have lake wind blowing towards us in the winter...I imagine I would have a lot of cold air being sucked thru the house without it since we have a 90 yr old barely insulated house. Only insulation on the walls is the thin sheets under the siding...sorta got off of the pellet subject .duh..
If your near a HD I would certainly tell u to try a few bags of the Chows.[which are bagged and distributed by Energex..] really not much difference other than more Ash with SC.'
heat seems to be the same to me..

 

[Pete Zahria]

I for one really don't buy into Shoulder season pellets but that's me.....

Not just you..

Dan

 

[mepellet]

X3. I'd rather save money all heating season and buy locally made cheaper pellets. That's one of the many reasons why I bought a Harman.