Looking At A Used Enviro Empress

Well it's September and time to start thinking about heat for the winter. I want a second stove for upstairs and found a used Enviro Empress that would be just about right.

I plan on looking at it this week and hope to see it fired up and want to know if there is anything specific about this stove that I should look out for...

I don't know yet how old it is. Are the things I should be look out for? Is the model year clearly noted on the stove? Any particular issues I should look out for with this model?

I have a couple of friends that own them. Only issue I have seen is they are compact units(tight inside) and the blowers sometimes over heat. Mostly the combustion blower to be exact. Keeping the blower motor free of dust bunnies and properly lubed, Is usually enough to keep them cool enough to run problem free.

Nice quite little units and put out a good amount of heat for their size.

Thanks for the feedback

I'l pay attention to the blowers when I go look at it and see it fired up on Saturday. I thought I recalled someone on the forum recently saying something like 'the new ones are pretty good' which sounds like the old ones aren't.

Edit: Empress is still made. Was the replacement to the Windsor

Pretty solid units. A member last year bought a used one, had it vented with 4' or 5' of horizontal pellet vent (not recommended) and burned Inferno's all Winter and he said it did well. That right there is enough to tell me, that its a pretty good unit

Make sure she runs and the rest is just cleaning and checking gaskets.

This is what I recalled reading "The newer empresses are a good stove."

From Scott Williamson here. I'll see if he can elaborate...

Not a real big difference in the old unit compare to the latest. Controller was the biggy. Some of the older units had the controller troubles. If its older, Just try to get them down some. $300 should cover the controller upgrade.

May we ask how much? And please post the model date when you can!

Thanks!! That's exactly the kind of info I was looking for. I don't know the model year yet but I just asked him for it and will post it when I get it. I'd rather not post the price yet 'cause I don't want to jinx the deal or find out he's a member here and have me say the wrong thing. Promise - after I look at it I'll post the details.

I just found out it was manufactured in March 2006. Does that put it at risk of having the old controller?

Here's what you want to look out for, the inner door should have little square holes on the top and bottom of the rails above and below the glass, that is the air wash and is a sign that the newest door is installed. If you do not have that door, you either need to upgrade $340 OR you have to change out the door gasket to the 3/8 tadpole and switch the high limit and vac sensor leads. Additionally, with the older door styles, you are going to want to make sure the vac line is taking air from the exhaust port and NOT from the the air intake. With the new door style you can leave all else alone.

The controller has been upgraded and you would want that too. $368 or so. Lastly, it would be good to have the new combustion motor too but not really a deal breaker if the existing one doesn't whine or hum. Oh...and make sure that the damper is slide actuated from under the stove and not hidden in the back. The older ones that were hidden in the back usually rust up and are a total PITA to free up if you can do it at all.

Thanks Scott - great information! Are those parts readily available? If needed what's a new combustion motor cost?

Also, since this would not be my primary stove, what's the downside of not upgrading the controller and door right away? Are they safety issues or just inconveniences? I can live with the air wash not being perfect if that's all the new door fixes.

The controller concerns me more. Can I assume that this being a March 2006 stove, it would have the old controller unless they upgraded it?

Thanks again, Dex, Jay and Scott for the valuable information.

it burns like crap and shuts down if the older door style os on there. controller and mptors are optional. if the controller hasnt been replaced yet, chances are its still good.

I bought it.

I looked at it last Saturday, agreed on a price and he brought it over Wednesday. It is a very old model (March 2006 which looks like a very early one) and hasn't been updated at all but I think it will work out. He bought it new in early 2007, ran it for 3 years and then switched to cord wood so it sat in the basement for the next 2 years.

On the minus side it doesn't have the new door. In fact just now I opened the door and the glass almost fell out. Doesn't look like there is anything holding the glass in but the gasket. The controller hasn't been upgraded either. Also, it took a long time (10 minutes?) to fire up so I assume the ignitor might need replacing too. The damper is toward the back left corner just in front of the back leg and took a bit to free up so I assume it's the PITA one Scott referred to.

On the plus side it is the nice brown porcelain finish I like so much on my Castille and the finish is nearly flawless. The motors were quiet and once it fired up it purred along very nicely. He still had all the original paper work, bill of sale, cleaning tool and touch up paint.

He was asking $1200 and I figured I'd want to knock off a couple hundred each for the door and controller so offered him $800. We agreed on $900 and since he had a trailer and I don't he agreed to deliver it and he also threw in 30 feet or so of flex vent with a chimney cap, that he still had, that I will need for my installation.

I think it will clean up nice. I'll try it first without, but if I need to replace the door and controller down the road, that's OK. At least I knew what I was getting. Thanks guys for the feedback. I'm happy and he's happy with $900 and some more room in his basement.

I'll probably start a new thread with my adventures cleaning it up and getting it hooked up and running but for now have one quick question for any owners out there. Are there supposed to be washers at the hinges between the outer door and the side, where the pins hold the door in place? He delivered it with the door and top off and it seems like there should be something to keep the door from just riding on the porcelain coated hinge.

it took a long time to fire up because the door seal is bad. thats part of the new door i was speaking of. your guy had a bad experience with this stove despite what he may have told you. trust me. get the new door and enjoy the stove, it will run perfect afterwards and ignite right up in a minute or two.

$900 is a good deal for that stove. Its beautiful too...

Looking forward to the install.

You may want to call Enviro and see if the door is covered under warranty. Mine was made in may of 07 and received the door upgrade at no charge 3 years ago.

Nice looking stove Don. Looking forward to pics of the "rebuild".

BTW, since the previous owner probably had "issues" with it as Scott mentioned, I think you should tear the stove apart and do a complete cleaning of everything.....then replace the door and you should have a sweet running stove.

Sorry to bring up an older thread but I have a similar situation. I have an opportunity to pick up a Enviro Empress, the tag says it was manufactured in July of 07. My question is, was this stove built after the door/controller issues? Owner says it needs an igniter, but that's not a deal killer.

Thanks

to my knowledge it is pre 2006 including early 2006. i bought one so you should be good
good deal?
i called enviro he said there were not even issues and said he dont know of dealers swapping doors they never did anything about it so i dunno

also look for a hi lo switch that should mean its the newer board

Thanks OMV. Owner is looking for $1,200.00 with the piping included (paid $600 for pipe). What do you think the igniter would go for?

Did you get rid of yours? Don't see it in your sig.

you know what when i talked to the enviro tech he noted that i want to leave the stove on manual, auto will burn an ignitor a year and said they werent cheap, i forget the price but i think he said 179 but im not sure