Looking for a good pellet stove installer in Pioneer Valley, Mass

[vferdman]

Hello. I am getting a Harman stove from a friend who no longer needs it. I want to install it in my finished basement. It is large and has electric heat now, so it's VERY expensive to heat. I have come up with one local installer (I am in South Hadley, MA), but he is rough around the edges and is not good at returning my calls. I am very handy and am thinking of doing the install myself. If anyone can recommend a good installer in this area I would give him/her a chance, but otherwise I am seriousely considering doing it myself. I will start a separate thread containing questions about that.

Thanks!

 

[Xena]

Hey Vlad, small world! It's Xena the Administrator
from the XLF. Just wanted to say welcome.
I'm sure someone will come along with answers
to your questions. In most cases a diy is do-able
if you have the drive, can follow directions,
and are mechanically inclined. Sorta like working on your sporty. ;-)

 

[Stentor]

Don't forget to find out if your town requires a permit and if your insurance company needs any information.

 

[vferdman]

Hey Vlad, small world! It's Xena the Administrator
from the XLF. Just wanted to say welcome.
I'm sure someone will come along with answers
to your questions. In most cases a diy is do-able
if you have the drive, can follow directions,
and are mechanically inclined. Sorta like working on your sporty. ;-)

Wow! That's incredible! I've actually been on this forum for a while, but sort of inactive. I have a Jotul Kennebeck insert in my living area and am burning BioBricks as well as cord wood. Last year cord wood around here got very pricey and I did BioBrick only. This year I am not really ready to store the cord wood (I am new at this wood burning stuff, but this is going to be my third season). I need to build some storage that plays well with the rest of my house. Anyway, really surprised to see you here, but again, like minds think alike, right? I was on this vinyl record forum a few weeks back (got a nice turntable from the local dump and decided to listen to some of my old non-digital recordings again). One of the guys asked if I ride a V-4 Honda. Well, I don't any more, but that was my first bike before the Sporty for about 15 years. The guy recognized me from one of the V-4 forums. I tell ya, this is a small world.

Now I am adding this pellet stove and I am hoping to do this myself as I was quoted $300 for the install, which is fine, but the guy is just not returning my calls and in general a very rough kind of fellow. I don't mind if he was reliable, but... As it is I am thinking if I get the basement concrete wall cored, I am pretty much home free. The rest is just cutting pipe and fixing it to the house wall. Not a huge deal. Still, I would not mind having it installed professionally since renting the tools will probably put me at not that great a savings. I wish this was a Sportster. There are few things I will not attempt on that thing. But still, I would leave engine work to a good shop

 

[Gumby1]

Did you try calling Top Hat Chimney Sweeps?
He is right in South Hadley.
phone # 536-6830 or 552-0686
His name is Dale Smith.

 

[Gumby1]

Also if you need wood pellets. Rons Precision Auto over on Granby Rd. in South Hadley has
ProPellet wood pellets in stock. His # is 534-4220

 

[vferdman]

Did you try calling Top Hat Chimney Sweeps?
He is right in South Hadley.
phone # 536-6830 or 552-0686
His name is Dale Smith.

That's the exact guy I am having problems with. He is not answering my calls (I left two or three messages with his messaging service). Also, I had him clean the chimney where my Kennebeck insert is installed and I met Dale at that time. Not the most pleasant individual to deal with. Very abrupt and not very forthcoming with information. He gave a quote for the pellet stove installation and I said I would call him in a few weeks. Now I can not get in touch with him and I really do not want to wait too much longer. That's why I am asking for installer names, but so far I just come up with Top Hat. It's like there isn't another person doing this stuff around here.

As far as pellets, I bought mine from McKenney Electric over in Holyoke on Rt.5 right near the power plant. I paid $269/ton and $75 for delivery of 2 tons of pellets and 2 tons of BioBricks I also bought from him. Thanks for the tip, though. Always good to have other suppliers. I know Amherst Farmer's Supply also sells pellets, but not sure what they charge.

 

[imacman]

........Still, I would not mind having it installed professionally since renting the tools will probably put me at not that great a savings.............

Vlad, I think I may have supplied this info on another thread, but here's a website run by Zoobler that will give you many installers in your area simply by inserting your zip code. Hope it helps you out:

www.stovesdirect.com/installers.php

 

[vferdman]

........Still, I would not mind having it installed professionally since renting the tools will probably put me at not that great a savings.............

Vlad, I think I may have supplied this info on another thread, but here's a website run by Zoobler that will give you many installers in your area simply by inserting your zip code. Hope it helps you out:

www.stovesdirect.com/installers.php

Thanks! I looked up my zip code and there are a few people not that far away. I will give them a buzz and see.

 

[imacman]

........Still, I would not mind having it installed professionally since renting the tools will probably put me at not that great a savings.............

Vlad, I think I may have supplied this info on another thread, but here's a website run by Zoobler that will give you many installers in your area simply by inserting your zip code. Hope it helps you out:

www.stovesdirect.com/installers.php

Thanks! I looked up my zip code and there are a few people not that far away. I will give them a buzz and see.

Glad I could help.

 

[Gumby1]

Dale may be a little gruf but he does great work. I wouldnt give up on him. Maybe hes on vacation.
Another one you could try is Old Hadleigh Hearth and Home on Rt 33

 

[vferdman]

Dale may be a little gruf but he does great work. I wouldnt give up on him. Maybe hes on vacation.
Another one you could try is Old Hadleigh Hearth and Home on Rt 33

Thanks for the good word about Dale. I have nothing against "gruf", but a better way to handle this would be to either inform his answering service that he is on vacation or simply get back to me and say he is on vacation. He pays good money for humans to answer his phone calls and he wastes it on being unresponsive. It is not all that cool to have customer keep calling with work. I will just find some one else or do it myself. I am not helpless and I hate more than anything to be treated like I am by the service sector. This is why I do most of my auto, home and motorcycle maintenance myself and most of my home improvement as well. It is not because I necessarily enjoy it, but mostly because of the lousy attitude (and often lousy quality of work) of service providers. Auto mechanics were the first to teach me to be independent of them back when I was in college, then home improvement contractors when I got my own family and home. Now it's time to learn to install wood stoves. Oh, well...

BTW, Old Hadleigh do not install pellet stoves, only wood burning. They recommended Dale Smith also. I will try him again a few times, but he is quickly falling down to the bottom of my list of options.