Heading south - part deux - pellet newbie

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Hi Pellet People...
I've posted before in the wood burning section. Most recent post regarding moving from northern New England to Eastern Shore of Virginia. I was asking for help deciding whether to bring our Jotul Oslo south or not.

Decision made.

Jotul stays in NH (sob) and we're on to a pellet stove for Virginia instead of our beloved wood stove.

Questions for the experienced pellet people...

1. Do you size a pellet stove to the area of the house in a similar way that you would a wood stove, or not because it has a thermostat? --- I'm looking at the Quadra Mt. Vernon AE because I like the variety of fuel types available and it seems like a well regarded brand. But the Mt. Vernon is rated for 2400 - 3800 sq ft and the cottage is 1200 sq ft. Overkill? Or do you just turn the thermostat down?

2. If you've recently converted from electric/oil/propane heating to exclusively pellets, what have you seen as far as heating cost decreases? I'm not counting the initial cost of the stove, just the ongoing cost of heating.

3. Any recommendations that you'd like to throw my way for a pellet stove to consider would be appreciated. Like I said, we have 1200 sq ft, like a traditional wood stove look, and like the idea of multiple fuel options.

Thanks very much!
KarynAnne
 
I suggest you do what a lot of us did & look at the manufacturers websites & then go to the dealers that sell them . I just had mine installed last week after hummin' & hawin' for 2 months & asking all kinds of questions from these great people on this great site . Good luck to ya, Muss Ps. I've been here in Maine for 3 years & came up from NH ;-)
 
The Mt. Vernon is a seriously heater, but could be run on a lower heat level. Perhaps the Castille would be a better fit?
 
I was gonna bring mine too but sold it with the house.
Check the cost of NG down here first......
I pay like $100 a month to heat 2200 SF with NG, with that said I can't justify switching to pellets in my area, not that I can find pellets in my area anyway :)
 
I'm not sure what the pellet situation is in VA but further south there is a serious lack of pellet stove dealers and pellets. Around here very few people even know what the heck a pellet stove is! lol We have almost no local dealers and those who will order you a pellet stove will not service it so, I bought an Englander so I can fix the thing myself if need be.

My recommendation would be for you to get on the phone and call around to get some idea of what the pellet supply is like in that area before deciding anything. (Tractor Supply is about the only local pellet supply we have and they only stock them for a few months a year.) I love my stove and despite the problems we've had locating pellets I won't go back to using a furnace but pellet stoves are just an oddity in the south so check out the pellet supply and the availablity of service before taking the plunge!
 
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