help with pellet stove
- Thread starter bull
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
- Status
magentaman
Member
Pro, plenty of heat.
Con, gotta clean em.
Pro, No stacking wood.
Con, Pellet hording can be addictive.
Pro, They are very efficient.
Con, you will spend countless hours on this forum.
I know there is more, but I have to go level my pellets in the hopper.
Con, gotta clean em.
Pro, No stacking wood.
Con, Pellet hording can be addictive.
Pro, They are very efficient.
Con, you will spend countless hours on this forum.
I know there is more, but I have to go level my pellets in the hopper.
SmokeyTheBear
Minister of Fire
Pro, no cutting trees down.
Con, less time spent in the woods.
Pro, no insects.
Con, occasionally you get dirt in a bag or worse.
Pro, no double bit Axe cuts.
Con, less time with the cute nurses.
I think there are more but I have to go vacuum my pellets.
Con, less time spent in the woods.
Pro, no insects.
Con, occasionally you get dirt in a bag or worse.
Pro, no double bit Axe cuts.
Con, less time with the cute nurses.
I think there are more but I have to go vacuum my pellets.
what is the cost of burning pellets , and how long does the hopper last say for 24/7 burning. i burn wood now insert and free standing in basement .only use the freestanding when its really cold. both are fishers. i see that some are using somerset pellets. does anyone know where they are located . because i live in somerset and there is a factory here that makes wood pellets. just wondering if there is a connection.
SmokeyTheBear
Minister of Fire
the bull said:
You haven't provided enough information for us to figure out a cost for you.
Pellets cost anywhere from $180/ton to over $300/ton purchased in full pallet increments.
The cost varies depending upon how far you are from the plant producing the pellets and the quality of the pellets you are buying plus whatever the retailer gets for a markup.
The thing we need to know is how much wood you burn or a whole lot of other factors that are specific to your house and the prevailing temperatures.
How long a hopper of pellets will last depends upon the size of the hopper and the stoves firing rate.
ETA: Yes there is a connection to the company you know in Somerset.
tjnamtiw
Minister of Fire
Pro - LOTS of heat from wood stove
Con - Until 3 am!
Pro - Get to use a chain saw
Con - Can't get the damn chain saw started because of the 10% alcohol fuel
Pro - Get to use the log splitter - another manly tool
Con - Can't get that started either! And the darn tires are flat
Pro - Get plenty of exercise hauling, stacking, unstacking, loading wood close to fire
Con - Damn chiropractor isn't covered under Obama Care
Pro - Get to drive that manly truck 25 times hauling wood
Con - Only have to drive it four times for the pellets
Pro - Get to sit in front of and enjoy looking at a roaring fire
Con - While sitting enjoying the fire, your butt is freezing from the breeze coming from the other rooms trying to feed the fire.
Con - Until 3 am!
Pro - Get to use a chain saw
Con - Can't get the damn chain saw started because of the 10% alcohol fuel
Pro - Get to use the log splitter - another manly tool
Con - Can't get that started either! And the darn tires are flat
Pro - Get plenty of exercise hauling, stacking, unstacking, loading wood close to fire
Con - Damn chiropractor isn't covered under Obama Care
Pro - Get to drive that manly truck 25 times hauling wood
Con - Only have to drive it four times for the pellets
Pro - Get to sit in front of and enjoy looking at a roaring fire
Con - While sitting enjoying the fire, your butt is freezing from the breeze coming from the other rooms trying to feed the fire.
whit
Member
Pro Pellet: All the above, plus not feeding the termites in the yard. (I'm within a few miles of the northern border of their range, unfortunately south of it.)
Pro Woodstove: Mostly radiant heat, penetrates structures and bodies better. Wife really like the odor of burning cord wood. (Pellet stove heat is mostly convection, blown air, and smoke doesn't have musky quality.) Prettier fire. Primal experience of tending it. Doesn't need power.
Pellet wins for me, mostly.
Pro Woodstove: Mostly radiant heat, penetrates structures and bodies better. Wife really like the odor of burning cord wood. (Pellet stove heat is mostly convection, blown air, and smoke doesn't have musky quality.) Prettier fire. Primal experience of tending it. Doesn't need power.
Pellet wins for me, mostly.
ironpony
Minister of Fire
fill with pellets
set it and forget it for 12 hrs
scrape burn pot
top off pellets
clean weekly
empty ash pan monthly
repeat
set it and forget it for 12 hrs
scrape burn pot
top off pellets
clean weekly
empty ash pan monthly
repeat
Snowy Rivers
Minister of Fire
Yesss all of the above and more.
I can remember back in the days of having a wood stove.
Laying on the floor enjoying the heat and eating a bowl of ice cream, then after sitting the bowl down, to discover a trail of little itty bitty ANTS heading up over the side of the bowl.
AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGG.
The Pellet stove gives the same great warmth as a wood stove, because it is a wood stove, just burns little tiny logs.
Now I use nut shells in mine but the warnth is the same as pellets.
Can't say enough good things about the pellet stove.
I am a purist and desire to lite my own fire and tend it rather than allow a computer to do it all.
This said we do have a Quadrafire automatic in one corner that is always ready should the need arrise.
Lots to choose from in the market place.
I really can't seriously think of too many CONS
If I were buying a new stove today, I would look at the MULTI fuel models, more options for what you can burn.
Snowy
I can remember back in the days of having a wood stove.
Laying on the floor enjoying the heat and eating a bowl of ice cream, then after sitting the bowl down, to discover a trail of little itty bitty ANTS heading up over the side of the bowl.
AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGG.
The Pellet stove gives the same great warmth as a wood stove, because it is a wood stove, just burns little tiny logs.
Now I use nut shells in mine but the warnth is the same as pellets.
Can't say enough good things about the pellet stove.
I am a purist and desire to lite my own fire and tend it rather than allow a computer to do it all.
This said we do have a Quadrafire automatic in one corner that is always ready should the need arrise.
Lots to choose from in the market place.
I really can't seriously think of too many CONS
If I were buying a new stove today, I would look at the MULTI fuel models, more options for what you can burn.
Snowy
what are your burn times of 1 bag on low med and high settings. and how many hours do you get for each.
Generally the manufacturer can provide details as to the volume being pushed through at each setting. Sometimes the delaer also has this information. Having a pellet stove with electronic ignition combined with a thermostat has cost savings. when the room reaches temperature it turns down and shuts down the unit whereas on manual it is up to you to remember to shut it down when the room reaches temperature.
SmokeyTheBear
Minister of Fire
the bull said:
On the lowest setting of my stove I get better than one day out of a bag provided it isn't the densest pellet there is. Pellets vary in density and thus how fast they will feed through most stoves, all of the so called pound per hour rates are based upon a mythical pellet.
Pellet stoves feed by volume not weight.
The volume fed is controlled by a motor that is on for a specified time and then off for a specified time. On some stoves this is in a fixed time cycle on others the time cycle varies.
Most stoves have more than three feed rates and some have only rate limits.
Mr Whitfield
Feeling the Heat
Whitfield Advantage II-T Insert, 13 Hr on High, 46 Hr on Low. Freestanding 15.5 on High, 54 on Low.
nailed_nailer
Minister of Fire
I grew up with Wood/coal stoves in New Hampshire.
If I had a low cost source of wood I would probably heat with a wood stove.
For cost alone it is hard to beat wood.
But,
Wood has some down sides.
Wood Source. Cutting/hauling/stacking/lugging/storing/etc.
Lot of time required to cut your own.
If ordered/delivered you still have to stack it somewhere.
I remember the stove being dirty and dusty. Especially dirt/bark from the wood itself.
Insect migrations. In your yard and in your house. It is a factor.
Length of burn time.
Temp fluctuation in the house
Cost of installation
Clearances to combustibles
Wood Upside
Cost
Heat is plentiful
Fast
Radiant and convection heat
Don't require much in the way of technical support
Pellets downside
Pellet stoves can cost more
Stoves require frequent cleaning (around 2x a week)
Consistent sources of pellets (local availability)
More complicate heating appliance.
In reality they are designed as a space heater (whole house pellet furnaces are available)
Fuel price tends to fluctuate year over year
Blower noise
Requires power to operate
Pellet Up Side
Clean
Easy fuel loading
Standardized packaging (40 lb bags)
Thermostat controlled heat
Safer around kids. (other than front glass the outer shell of most stoves are cool to touch)
Smaller clearance to combustible footprint.
Easier venting systems
Burn time from hopper fill vary with control settings. Generally 1-2 bags a day
In my case wood is not an option due to availability of fuel.
I don't own much land/trees and cost of delivered cord wood is prohibitive.
Prefer not to spend many weekends procuring my heat source.
So I went the pellet route. Onto my second stove now and I love it.
I buy Pellets by the ton (shop for deals)
I try to keep 2-5 tons in my basement each year. A ton of pellets (50 bags) fits nicely on a standard pallet. I burn around 3-1/2 tons each year.
Last few years prices are around $200-300 a ton.
Hope that helps.
---Nailer---
If I had a low cost source of wood I would probably heat with a wood stove.
For cost alone it is hard to beat wood.
But,
Wood has some down sides.
Wood Source. Cutting/hauling/stacking/lugging/storing/etc.
Lot of time required to cut your own.
If ordered/delivered you still have to stack it somewhere.
I remember the stove being dirty and dusty. Especially dirt/bark from the wood itself.
Insect migrations. In your yard and in your house. It is a factor.
Length of burn time.
Temp fluctuation in the house
Cost of installation
Clearances to combustibles
Wood Upside
Cost
Heat is plentiful
Fast
Radiant and convection heat
Don't require much in the way of technical support
Pellets downside
Pellet stoves can cost more
Stoves require frequent cleaning (around 2x a week)
Consistent sources of pellets (local availability)
More complicate heating appliance.
In reality they are designed as a space heater (whole house pellet furnaces are available)
Fuel price tends to fluctuate year over year
Blower noise
Requires power to operate
Pellet Up Side
Clean
Easy fuel loading
Standardized packaging (40 lb bags)
Thermostat controlled heat
Safer around kids. (other than front glass the outer shell of most stoves are cool to touch)
Smaller clearance to combustible footprint.
Easier venting systems
Burn time from hopper fill vary with control settings. Generally 1-2 bags a day
In my case wood is not an option due to availability of fuel.
I don't own much land/trees and cost of delivered cord wood is prohibitive.
Prefer not to spend many weekends procuring my heat source.
So I went the pellet route. Onto my second stove now and I love it.
I buy Pellets by the ton (shop for deals)
I try to keep 2-5 tons in my basement each year. A ton of pellets (50 bags) fits nicely on a standard pallet. I burn around 3-1/2 tons each year.
Last few years prices are around $200-300 a ton.
Hope that helps.
---Nailer---
this is what i am wanting to know before i decide to go with a pellet stove. my basement has a fisher grandma stove in it now , that i only use when it is really cold for a long time . and use a plug in oil type heater when not using the stove, the central heat and air does not do much for this area. it is 800 sqft. i am looking for a multi fuel stove that would help keep this area warm that is not going to break my bill fold and use pellets up quick . i dont like running two wood stoves at once but i have it is a pain. the good thing about running the basement stove is the floors abve it stays nice and warm . thanks for the feed back. need the schooling so keep it coming . also what used stove to look for. and which ones to avoid thanks bull. also on a tight budget.
the bull said:
This is a multifuel from Lowes and Home Depot for about $1600 SummersHeat/Englander
I have the Englader 25EP and so far it has heat my 2 stories 2500sq/ft home(70 degrees on a low setting) on a single bag a day without a problem. That multifuel stove is rated to 2200s/f so your 800s/f space should be a cinch. I don't know if it'll keep the floors on your upstairs toasty though.
- Status
Similar threads
