New rocket pellet stove

  • 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.

The Smokester

Member
Mar 5, 2013
14
Grants Pass OR.
Hello, my wife and I are in the market for a wood stove. We live in southern NY, on Long Island. We have a 2500 sq foot colonial built in the 70’s. I say the installation is adequate not great. We’re going to install the stove in the front living room which has a semi open layout to 1100 sq feet with an open stairwell to the second floor. We like the second floor on the cooler side. So it’s okay if we can’t get it in the 70’s up there. This stove would be used as primary heat and we can use our boiler to supplement when needed.

We want to take advantage of the rebate program and have interests in 3 stoves. Looks are important to us, as this will be the focal point of the room. Below are the stoves that appeal to us and would fit the installation restrictions we have with corner clearances and ceiling height.
1- VC encore
2- BK ashford 30 (Is the 20 to small?)
3 - Green mountain 60


I’m looking for a stove that won’t be overly complicated for my wife to use. Which I think rules out the Encore. After reading through threads I think the ashford is easiest to operate. I’m not crazy about the fact that the Ashford doesn’t have the dancing flames unless I keep it on high. Would the Ashford 20 be better fit for us? I am petrified of going to small of a stove.

Any thoughts?

Side note. My neighbor has the same exact house layout and stove location and burns a Jutol 500. We also like the PE T5 but it doesn’t qualify for the rebate.
Food for thought check out the GAP 2020 New gravity feed pellet stove no power needed simple to light 8 heat settings simple to operate no air control just heat settings keeps steady temperature between 250 - over 1000 degrees, runs easily over a day. First EPA certified Rocket Stove has be installed into a wood stove Class A chimney because of the heat it puts out no tax credit but the costs will be close.
 
Food for thought check out the GAP 2020 New gravity feed pellet stove no power needed simple to light 8 heat settings simple to operate no air control just heat settings keeps steady temperature between 250 - over 1000 degrees, runs easily over a day. First EPA certified Rocket Stove has be installed into a wood stove Class A chimney because of the heat it puts out no tax credit but the costs will be close.
Why would you recommend this stove for this application? The 51% efficiency is going to be a huge turnoff for many people. Especially when paying for pellets
 
Last edited:
Why would you recommend this stove for this application? The 51% efficiency is going to be a huge turnoff for many people. Especially when paying for pellets
He said he wanted some thing easy for his wife to operate that heated a large area with nice flame, the GAP 2020 is simple to start and simple to operate has a great flame in medium mode or higher, can run over a day on one load very convenient cost effective with all the other stoves mentioned after total cost of purchase is realized. I have issues with how stoves are tested for efficiency because no test takes in consideration the stoves heat transfer ability. The 51% efficiency is flue related efficiency, this stove weighs 150 lb. and puts out more heat temperature's than 500-600 LB. stoves. The convenience of pellet is the steady long burns over wood. The efficiency argument goes out the window when you take in consideration wood is never going to live up to what the stove was tested at in the test lab, they use prefect moisture content rated fuel for the test. Because the moisture content is never going to be consistent in normal use those efficiency ratings are all bogus numbers. The GAP 2020 will burn consistent with a quality pellet that has a measured listed moisture content. Many folks are opting for pellet and selling their wood they may have available on their property to purchase pellet fuel for the convenience they can have with a pellet stove. The biggest difference with the GAP 2020 over any other pellet stove is that it is gravity feed no power needed has no parts to wear out. Another advantage is it wont smoke into the house when starting like so many woodstoves during light up or when reloading, so that's why I said food for thought and to look at the GAP2020 as a alternative to what he may be looking at. The GAP 2020 has the best of Bothe worlds when compared to Wood or Pellet, it heats like a wood stove with a natural draft but out performs with longer steady heat out put than a wood stove and no smoking issues to deal with, and easily out performs any pellet stove with higher heat out put and no mechanical or power issue to be concerned with. This new Rocket Stove the GAP 2020 is going to take the hearth industry by storm in the next couple years with what it can do. It has a overall clean burn rating of .65 they are working to bring that # down to .30 and then it will be a carbon neutral burner and those green people are going to be elated, virtually no pollution and the C.O. test on this stove never went over 4 grams when 52 grams were allowed and still pass.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Todd
He said he wanted some thing easy for his wife to operate that heated a large area with nice flame, the GAP 2020 is simple to start and simple to operate has a great flame in medium mode or higher, can run over a day on one load very convenient cost effective with all the other stoves mentioned after total cost of purchase is realized. I have issues with how stoves are tested for efficiency because no test takes in consideration the stoves heat transfer ability. The 51% efficiency is flue related efficiency, this stove weighs 150 lb. and puts out more heat temperature's than 500-600 LB. stoves. The convenience of pellet is the steady long burns over wood. The efficiency argument goes out the window when you take in consideration wood is never going to live up to what the stove was tested at in the test lab, they use prefect moisture content rated fuel for the test. Because the moisture content is never going to be consistent in normal use those efficiency ratings are all bogus numbers. The GAP 2020 will burn consistent with a quality pellet that has a measured listed moisture content. Many folks are opting for pellet and selling their wood they may have available on their property to purchase pellet fuel for the convenience they can have with a pellet stove. The biggest difference with the GAP 2020 over any other pellet stove is that it is gravity feed no power needed has no parts to wear out. Another advantage is it wont smoke into the house when starting like so many woodstoves during light up or when reloading, so that's why I said food for thought and to look at the GAP2020 as a alternative to what he may be looking at. The GAP 2020 has the best of Bothe worlds when compared to Wood or Pellet, it heats like a wood stove with a natural draft but out performs with longer steady heat out put than a wood stove and no smoking issues to deal with, and easily out performs any pellet stove with higher heat out put and no mechanical or power issue to be concerned with. This new Rocket Stove the GAP 2020 is going to take the hearth industry by storm in the next couple years with what it can do. It has a overall clean burn rating of .65 they are working to bring that # down to .30 and then it will be a carbon neutral burner and those green people are going to be elated, virtually no pollution and the C.O. test on this stove never went over 4 grams when 52 grams were allowed and still pass.
Ok there is allot of completely incorrect assertions made about woodstoves there. Getting proper moisture content certainly is nessecary but not difficult. And if installed properly it won't smoke back into the house.

And regardless the op asked for recommendations on woodstoves not pellet stoves. BTW the blazeking mentioned will easily burn 24 hours on a load of wood.

Can you explain more about why a 51% efficiency isn't a bad thing or why a lighter stove is better?
 
  • Like
Reactions: HuskyMakk and Todd
When I click the link to smokesters hearth products store I get a warning that the site is not safe and not to send any sensitive info (like credit card #s) to it. They should probably fix that if they want to sell stuff as I will not look at let alone buy something from an unsecured site. Certainly makes me wary about the claims of the stove as well.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bholler
When I click the link to smokesters hearth products store I get a warning that the site is not safe and not to send any sensitive info (like credit card #s) to it. They should probably fix that if they want to sell stuff as I will not look at let alone buy something from an unsecured site. Certainly makes me wary about the claims of the stove as well.

So I just went on the site in private mode and without even clicking anything on it my computer blocked 4 ads and 5 trackers. I would recommend people stay away from the site as it currently is dirty. If you are not a scam @The Smokester , I would fix those issues immediately. Your you cant safely collect people's cc#s without an https site. I'm putting this warning out so no hearth.com members get their info stolen.
 
Ok there is allot of completely incorrect assertions made about woodstoves there. Getting proper moisture content certainly is nessecary but not difficult. And if installed properly it won't smoke back into the house.

And regardless the op asked for recommendations on woodstoves not pellet stoves. BTW the blazeking mentioned will easily burn 24 hours on a load of wood.

Can you explain more about why a 51% efficiency isn't a bad thing or why a lighter stove is better?
Hello apparently I have upset you with some of my comments and that was not my intent, your correct the op was asking about wood stoves I simply implied food for thought to consider an alternative and I didn't suggest a pellet stove I suggested a Rocket Stove it just happens to burn pellets but is in no way a pellet stove in fact it was tested as a wood stove not a pellet stove. Again your correct with obtaining a good moisture content by properly seasoning your wood is easily obtainable, but real world reality is many don't properly season their wood for various reasons, many are sold wood stating it was seasoned and find it wasn't many have to try and find wood in the middle of the heating season and fail, this leads to many issues including excessive creosote build up hard to start fires smoking back into the house complaints about the stove, and in many cases a house fire. Everyone should be educated to how to properly season their wood and the necessity to purchase a moisture meter to make sure their wood is properly seasoned. I am aware that Blaze King is an exceptional wood stove I sold them for years and installed hundreds of them over the years and their large firebox gives them the ability to hold a fire up to 24 hours and beyond but holding a fire and actually heating the area their capable of or designed to for that length of time drops dramatically, they make it convenient for holding a fire or coals for those extended burn times and save having to start from scratch building a new fire. But those long low burns do add to more creosote build up and should be watched and addressed by burning hotter fires after those long low burn periods to compensate. I respectively have to disagree with your statement that a properly installed wood stove wont smoke, all wood stoves will smoke from time to time for a number of reasons, at start up or when ever the door is opened if operating or burning. Cold flue at start up, wind conditions, improper loading of fuel, not enough kindling when starting, opening the door to quickly, are just a few of the reasons wood stoves will smoke. Most all stoves actually have to leave the door ajar when starting just to help them get started and this is a major factor for stoves smoking back into the room because they are so heavily baffled. Some companies have a built in a by pass to alleviate the need to leave the door ajar at start up. Your question on why 51% efficiency isn't bad thing and your right 51% efficiency isn't great it looks bad but the reality is those efficiency are flue gas temperatures being measured not heat output of the stove. Stoves are tested to a high burn 1 hr. a medium burn on two hrs. and a low burn on 4hrs which simply has to keep running for that 4hr. period and then given a overall efficiency rating. The main requirement of test is the stove has to burn 50% or less fuel between the high burn and the low burn or it fails and still meet EPA 's 2.0 standard. This stove overall emission's were .64, lower overall stove efficiencies can relate to lower pollution percentages because of the higher stack temperatures, the real trick is to lower stack temperature's while maintaining high burner temperatures. My reasoning for a lighter stove is better, isn't just a weight factor but the material used, heat transfer is far faster through thinner metals than thicker metals, do you remember the sheep herder stove's years ago they were 28 gauche blue metal and just lighting a couple sheets of newspaper inside could burn you if you touched the stove after lighting . All woodstoves these days are 1/4" steel, cast iron and even thicker, using soapstone is thicker yet, then the stoves are insulted with brick or cement panels inside to protect them from warping, or cracking, baffles above the fire and under the stove top are insulated with a ceramic blanket all of this is designed to keep the firebox hotter to burn the gasses more completely before they exit the stove at the same time it lowers flue gas temperatures and improves efficiency on burning of the fuel. But the ability of the stove to transfer the heat into the room is lowered because of the insulation factors slowing down the heat transfer into the room, there fore reaching higher efficiency's measured in the stack or the exhaust doesn't relate to more heat out put, if the heat transfer is lowered. No test is done to see how much heat is transferred into the room or which stoves do a better job at heat transfer, common sense will show the thinner the metal the faster the heat transfers through it, that's my reasoning for a thinner stove being a better heater than a heavier stove, I have been a chimney sweep and installer for over 45 years and sold every type of stove made have heard all the praise and complaints from customers on all of them some justified and most not. That old adage about the customer is always right couldn't be farther from the truth but you learn to make them think they are and still solve the problem for them. I have had an obtained every certification in the hearth industry they have offered at one time or another. Just so you know I am not a advocate of pellet over wood or any other heating appliance they all have their advantages and disadvantages depending on the customers needs, the trick is to figure out what they really are looking for, show them what's available and let them decide but broadening their understanding to what's available is always welcomed or that's been my experience. Last note this GAP 2020 isn't a wood stove and it isn't a pellet stove its a Rocket Stove and because of it there will be many more existing manufacturers that will be striving to create their own Rocket Stove model this just happens to be the first Rocket Stove to meet or pass EPA's test requirements. My understanding of a Rocket Stove is there is no air control and this stove has none, this stove has figured out how to control the fuel to achieve compliance. Didn't mean to right a book here but hope it answers your questions to me.
 
When I click the link to smokesters hearth products store I get a warning that the site is not safe and not to send any sensitive info (like credit card #s) to it. They should probably fix that if they want to sell stuff as I will not look at let alone buy something from an unsecured site. Certainly makes me wary about the claims of the stove as well.
Yes have had that addressed a couple of times it has to do with your browser and how search engines crawl pages can assure you there is nothing unsafe about our site you can see if www.pelletstoves.com returns the same warning or www.wisewaypelletstove.com does I will have tech guy request they upgrade credentials again. You can also open a different browser and search our site that usually is the easiest.
 
Hello apparently I have upset you with some of my comments and that was not my intent, your correct the op was asking about wood stoves I simply implied food for thought to consider an alternative and I didn't suggest a pellet stove I suggested a Rocket Stove it just happens to burn pellets but is in no way a pellet stove in fact it was tested as a wood stove not a pellet stove. Again your correct with obtaining a good moisture content by properly seasoning your wood is easily obtainable, but real world reality is many don't properly season their wood for various reasons, many are sold wood stating it was seasoned and find it wasn't many have to try and find wood in the middle of the heating season and fail, this leads to many issues including excessive creosote build up hard to start fires smoking back into the house complaints about the stove, and in many cases a house fire. Everyone should be educated to how to properly season their wood and the necessity to purchase a moisture meter to make sure their wood is properly seasoned. I am aware that Blaze King is an exceptional wood stove I sold them for years and installed hundreds of them over the years and their large firebox gives them the ability to hold a fire up to 24 hours and beyond but holding a fire and actually heating the area their capable of or designed to for that length of time drops dramatically, they make it convenient for holding a fire or coals for those extended burn times and save having to start from scratch building a new fire. But those long low burns do add to more creosote build up and should be watched and addressed by burning hotter fires after those long low burn periods to compensate. I respectively have to disagree with your statement that a properly installed wood stove wont smoke, all wood stoves will smoke from time to time for a number of reasons, at start up or when ever the door is opened if operating or burning. Cold flue at start up, wind conditions, improper loading of fuel, not enough kindling when starting, opening the door to quickly, are just a few of the reasons wood stoves will smoke. Most all stoves actually have to leave the door ajar when starting just to help them get started and this is a major factor for stoves smoking back into the room because they are so heavily baffled. Some companies have a built in a by pass to alleviate the need to leave the door ajar at start up. Your question on why 51% efficiency isn't bad thing and your right 51% efficiency isn't great it looks bad but the reality is those efficiency are flue gas temperatures being measured not heat output of the stove. Stoves are tested to a high burn 1 hr. a medium burn on two hrs. and a low burn on 4hrs which simply has to keep running for that 4hr. period and then given a overall efficiency rating. The main requirement of test is the stove has to burn 50% or less fuel between the high burn and the low burn or it fails and still meet EPA 's 2.0 standard. This stove overall emission's were .64, lower overall stove efficiencies can relate to lower pollution percentages because of the higher stack temperatures, the real trick is to lower stack temperature's while maintaining high burner temperatures. My reasoning for a lighter stove is better, isn't just a weight factor but the material used, heat transfer is far faster through thinner metals than thicker metals, do you remember the sheep herder stove's years ago they were 28 gauche blue metal and just lighting a couple sheets of newspaper inside could burn you if you touched the stove after lighting . All woodstoves these days are 1/4" steel, cast iron and even thicker, using soapstone is thicker yet, then the stoves are insulted with brick or cement panels inside to protect them from warping, or cracking, baffles above the fire and under the stove top are insulated with a ceramic blanket all of this is designed to keep the firebox hotter to burn the gasses more completely before they exit the stove at the same time it lowers flue gas temperatures and improves efficiency on burning of the fuel. But the ability of the stove to transfer the heat into the room is lowered because of the insulation factors slowing down the heat transfer into the room, there fore reaching higher efficiency's measured in the stack or the exhaust doesn't relate to more heat out put, if the heat transfer is lowered. No test is done to see how much heat is transferred into the room or which stoves do a better job at heat transfer, common sense will show the thinner the metal the faster the heat transfers through it, that's my reasoning for a thinner stove being a better heater than a heavier stove, I have been a chimney sweep and installer for over 45 years and sold every type of stove made have heard all the praise and complaints from customers on all of them some justified and most not. That old adage about the customer is always right couldn't be farther from the truth but you learn to make them think they are and still solve the problem for them. I have had an obtained every certification in the hearth industry they have offered at one time or another. Just so you know I am not a advocate of pellet over wood or any other heating appliance they all have their advantages and disadvantages depending on the customers needs, the trick is to figure out what they really are looking for, show them what's available and let them decide but broadening their understanding to what's available is always welcomed or that's been my experience. Last note this GAP 2020 isn't a wood stove and it isn't a pellet stove its a Rocket Stove and because of it there will be many more existing manufacturers that will be striving to create their own Rocket Stove model this just happens to be the first Rocket Stove to meet or pass EPA's test requirements. My understanding of a Rocket Stove is there is no air control and this stove has none, this stove has figured out how to control the fuel to achieve compliance. Didn't mean to right a book here but hope it answers your questions to me.
Ok you didn't upset me I am simply doing my job as a moderator by questioning why you are marketing your stove through this site.

As far as pellet stove vs wood stove. Can you burn wood in your stove or does it just burn pellets?

Yes I know many people don't properly season their wood I have been a sweep.a long time and constantly educate on that. But you can't blame the stove for that.

The Blaze King mentioned doesn't have an exceptionally large firebox. The reason it can burn so long is the cat and the thermostat. The cat allows the stove to still burn clean even at those long low burns. And btw the btu outputs are very similar to those of your stove both low and high.

If a stove is smoking into the house there are only a few reasons. A cold chimney Inadequate draft due to installation not done to spec. Or negative pressure around the stove. How does your natural draft stove avoid those things?

If you are sending that much more heat out the chimney how are you also sending more heat into the house as well?

So regular stoves are insulated in some areas absolutely. But they are running lower stack temperature's and high firebox temps. Where does that heat go if not out the chimney?

BTW the liberator was the first epa compliant and listed Rocket Stove on the market
 
Ok you didn't upset me I am simply doing my job as a moderator by questioning why you are marketing your stove through this site.
Ok great ! Didn't visit the site with intentions to market the stove just started reading the threads and made a suggestion to one of the threads I do this all the time in the store to make customers aware of all the options available for burning solid fuel, if someone else had made the suggestion it wouldn't be considered marketing if there was no affiliation to the product, I see the difference.
I have requested your advertisement information to be sent to me I feel your forum would be an excellent area to help educate the public to this new type stove and will see the best place to put an ad on this forum.
As far as pellet stove vs wood stove. Can you burn wood in your stove or does it just burn pellets?
It was tested to wood stove standards because of the amount of heat it generates in the flue, it can use wood or kindling to start it but a different grate would have to be designed to actually burn wood in it, we have discussed doing that for emergency situations in the event your out of pellets and freezing. But it is not designed for it at this time.
Yes I know many people don't properly season their wood I have been a sweep.a long time and constantly educate on that. But you can't blame the stove for that.
Your right again but customers do on a regular basis because improperly seasoned wood causes all kinds of smoking problems, and they don't understand why or how to overcome the problem, plugged screens on caps, because of unseasoned wood is the major culprit for causing stoves to smoke or make them hard to start or reload without smoking. Educating the public or customer to what is happening is not always received well because to many time's the education comes at some expensive fixes or they feel they should have been better educated before purchasing their stove as to issues to be aware of. That's why these forums are so helpful for those wise enough to check them out.
The Blaze King mentioned doesn't have an exceptionally large firebox. The reason it can burn so long is the cat and the thermostat. The cat allows the stove to still burn clean even at those long low burns. And btw the btu outputs are very similar to those of your stove both low and high.
Yes I realize that model isn't one of Blaze Kings larger box models but again if improperly seasoned wood is not used then the damage done to the catalytic can cost them dearly even the warranty on the combustor wont continue to be honored if the customer is abusing with unseasoned wood.
If a stove is smoking into the house there are only a few reasons. A cold chimney Inadequate draft due to installation not done to spec. Or negative pressure around the stove. How does your natural draft stove avoid those things?
Well I can think of quite a few more you just mentioned a couple but we could have a long discussion on multiple causes for a stove to smoke. Negative pressure is a major cause of stoves smoking and many times not an easy or simple fix. We avoid all that with a positive
outside air connection this stove is sealed uses no room air for combustion.
If you are sending that much more heat out the chimney how are you also sending more heat into the house as well?
The stove is built using 3/16 steel outer body and the burn chamber inside is the same there is no firebrick insulating the steel or ceramic blanket in a baffle area slowing down the heat transfer form the body of the stove, so its kind of a trade off. The other thing about this stove is it stays at a constant heat out put unlike a wood stove that heats on a curve builds up to a max and slowly drops as fuel is consumed, the GAP 2020 takes about 15 -30 minuets to reach optimum temp on the fuel burning in the basket and then stays constant as long as there's fuel in the hopper, the stove has a heat range between say 250 surface temp to over 1000 degrees, stove has 8 fuel settings 4 low and 4 high when changed takes about 20 minuets to balance out to a new setting. Stove also has a large glass and most of the heat is generated through the glass.
So regular stoves are insulated in some areas absolutely. But they are running lower stack temperature's and high firebox temps. Where does that heat go if not out the chimney?
Well it is being transferred into the room but at a lower rate or distribution the firebrick and ceramic insulation above the baffle and even the baffles themselves absorb tremendous amounts of the heat being generated and so when the stove is going out it traps that heat inside and it continues to exit the stove through the flue at a slower rate and is never fully realized in the home because that heat has been insulated form being able to transfer into the room.
BTW the liberator was the first epa compliant and listed Rocket Stove on the market
Yes you are correct they are the first Rocket Stove to have a UL listing but not EPA certified as of yet but still not legal to heat your home with except in some instances as a emergency. They will eventually get there we just happened to figure it out first we look forward to more coming on the market competition is good for everybody. Another note is our stove although its simple in appearance is still has a great look and large flame can be cooked on and is versatile for any situation. The Liberator needs to have a face lift like the Wiseway which is also a great stove, half the people hate the look, and it looks better than the Liberator, ( just my opinion) the Wiseway is the first gravity feed non electric pellet stoves to hit the market , but it is not a Rocket Stove it has a air control and no feed control very different operation than our stove or the Liberator.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Todd
Well it is being transferred into the room but at a lower rate or distribution the firebrick and ceramic insulation above the baffle and even the baffles themselves absorb tremendous amounts of the heat being generated and so when the stove is going out it traps that heat inside and it continues to exit the stove through the flue at a slower rate and is never fully realized in the home because that heat has been insulated form being able to transfer into the room.
But where is the heat going if not out the chimney or into the room. It has to go somewhere. What stack temps does your stove typically run at?

BTW many regular woodstoves are built with 3/16" plate but regardless steel is a pretty good conductor so an extra 1/16" isn't going to change much.
 
It's an interesting looking stove. Is the bottom right hand door an oven?
 
Yes, interesting. How draft sensitive is this stove? Will it run away on a tall chimney?
 
Oh I absolutely find it very interesting as well. I am just trying to cut through tge marketing bs and get some real info
 
  • Like
Reactions: SpaceBus
Oh I absolutely find it very interesting as well. I am just trying to cut through tge marketing bs and get some real info
It is a turnoff when someone suggests that low firebox temps are bad or high flue temps are good.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BKVP and bholler
So A) this probably should be in the pellet stove forum and B) commercial members need to read the site rules before posting.
And C) paragraph separations in posting and on the Gap 2020 website would make things much more readable. Otherwise, it's TL;DR.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kborndale and qwee