Pellet stove novice with lots o questions

[zenn68]

Hoping some of the good folks on this forums could give me some advice.
I'm in the market for a pellet stove, been researching on this site and all over the interwebs. There is so much information to sort trough, I just dont know whats real and whats just marketing hype. having never had any kind of stove I dont know what I'm looking at.

I have a 1400sq ft split level ranch, the upper level has radiant heat. The lower level is divided in half. A laundry, bath and workshop/storage on one side, 350sq ft family room on the other. My main objective is heating the family room.

Some questions:
Lowes and Home Depot are both having some good sales right now on stoves, or would I be better off going to a local name brand retailer and spending a little more?
What about buying used off Craigslist, being that I dont know what i'm looking at or how to evaluate the condition, am i just looking for trouble here?
As far as installation, does it have to go against a wall, or can I put it in the middle if the room?
The room it's going into is 350 sq ft. Most of the stoves I've seen are rated for 1200sq ft and larger. Could I expect it would heat the upstairs as well trough the staiway connecting the two levels, taking some of the load off the radiant system?
What features should I be looking for in a stove and what are just extra bells and whistles?

Sorry for the long 1st post just wanted to get all the relevant info in there.

 

[gbreda]

First off, welcome to the forum. Lots of great folk here and willing to help.

I went thu the first stove thing 2 years ago. I lurked here and then joined asking questions along the way. It was a year later before I purchased, so I was well informed.

I went with Harman for a few reasons, but mostly because I dont have alot of time at home to tinker with settings. Although very mechanical and love to take things apart, fix, clean etc, I need something to fill the hopper and let it go. Harman offers that, with a price tag. The 1500.00 tax credit was what allowed me to go with Harman and stay in a decent budget.

Regarding the middle of the room. A pellet stove does not radiate heat like a wood stove, so a corner, or at least a wall is generally preffered.

If you are a DIY type person, this forum will help on maint and repairs when needed...they will be needed. If not, the selling/servicing dealer's service will be VERY important. This leaves big box guys off the list.

More will chime in here.

Good Luck

geno

 

[jtakeman]

Seeing as you said you don't know much about stoves YET!(we can help there). I would try to refrain from used if possible. There is nothing like new and the warranty would get you buy the first few seasons if an issue arises. But if you do see a used one, Drop us a line for comments. Make sure you see the stove in full working order before you hand over any cash. Like a car take it for a test ride. You can run these stoves outside with no pipe installed.

Make sure the stove has stat capabilities, So you can set it to a temp that's comfy for you in the room. Once it reaches temp it will idle down or shutdown until it call's for heat again.,I also recommend a programmable stat. They work get for busy schedules. No sense keeping an area comfy when its not occupied. Some heat will travel upstairs, But you may need to assist with some fans. I would also over size the stove some if that's the plan. Putting a tiny stove down there will only keep that area warm. Most likely you would need to over heat the family room by a "few" degrees to see much difference upstairs.

You might want to describe the family room area a little more. Also your location, There could be other fuels available like corn. So maybe a multifuel stove that will still burn wood pellets.

 

[defield]

Zenn68,

You will get more replies that echo genbreda's advice:

What is your DIY skill level, mechanical aptitude, and home project enjoyment status? If high, a big box or Craigs list stove may work for you. If not high, your most important decision will be which local reputable dealer to go with.

There are many good stove brands, visit dealers showrooms, talk to friends who have pellet stoves, and devour the threads on this site. Good information abounds.

A center of the room install would likely require a chimney going through the upper level. Do you have an unused flue? if not, a near an outside wall install.

As you will read, getting pellet stove heat to the upper level will require air distribution fans.

Don't slight the research process, good luck, and keep us posted.

Ranger

 

[vvvv]

try to locate the stove towards the N side

 

[newf lover]

If that 350 square foot family room is not pretty open, and is has only a doorway for you to push the heat from a pellet stove out of that room, i think you will find it's not easy getting the heat upstairs. I personally wouldn't go for a used stove unless I was already comfortable with pellet stoves and/or was extremely mechanically inclined.

 

[imacman]

......350sq ft family room on the other. My main objective is heating the family room.

Some questions:
Lowes and Home Depot are both having some good sales right now on stoves, or would I be better off going to a local name brand retailer and spending a little more?
What about buying used off Craigslist, being that I dont know what i'm looking at or how to evaluate the condition, am i just looking for trouble here?
As far as installation, does it have to go against a wall, or can I put it in the middle if the room?
The room it's going into is 350 sq ft. Most of the stoves I've seen are rated for 1200sq ft and larger. Could I expect it would heat the upstairs as well trough the staiway connecting the two levels, taking some of the load off the radiant system?
What features should I be looking for in a stove and what are just extra bells and whistles?.....

As Jay mentions above, being that you're a pellet "newbie", I also don't recommend buying a used stove, with the exception of a factory refurbed unit that has the factory warranty. See some links below for factory refurbed unit of the type sold in Lowes, Home Depot, etc. I bought one......have had no problems, they come w/ free shipping on some and they have the factory warranty, plus I saved quite a bit of $$.

As for heating the upstairs as a "bonus", it may work, it may not....depends on the layout. I'm sure it WILL help with the upstairs somewhat, but how much, who knows.

And as far as the exhaust goes, the great majority of pellet stove owners put the unit against a wall.....the North wall is a good choice if that is one of your family rooms walls.

Hope this helps.

http://cgi.ebay.com/TimberRidge-Pel...ltDomain_0&hash=item3cb112d0ca#ht_2006wt_1092

 

[krooser]

I'm always different... I bought a used St. Croix stove...BUT I bought it from a dealer with a one year parts and labor warranty... never needed it. If I had to buy new I'd still be waiting I guess.

I installed it myself. I HATE working on my house... but I did the install and had my dealer check it out and it got his OK.

The biggest thing to consider is customer service.... buy from a local dealer who services what he sells... a cheap price is no good if the guy sends out a 16 year old kid to fix your stove... the only exception is to buy an Englander stove... Mike from England Stove Works is a regular contributor to this site and he is a stand up guy. You can get good advice from Mike and he will take care of you on warranty questions, too. imacman has one of their stoves and he hasn't froze yet...

Good luck...oh yeah, but quality pellets.

 

[hossthehermit]

One thing to remember is that the 30% tax credit does not apply to used stoves. Good luck

 

[zenn68]

Found a local place not far from me, I will go check out what they have later today.
lowes has what looks like a re-branded Englander for $899
http://www.lowes.com/pd_45894-76845-55-SHP10L_4294856721_4294937087_?productId=1184101&Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_quantity_sold|1&pl=1&currentURL;=/pl_Wood+Stoves+_4294856721_4294937087_?Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_quantity_sold|1
Plus I have 10% coupon I can use there.

 

[jo2fst4u]

Find a used Harmen and done look back...be sure to test it out and ask ??? I picked mine up used and it's the best we have had! I have had 3 others. Craigslist is you friend...But like others have said be sure to test test test.

 

[krooser]

Found a local place not far from me, I will go check out what they have later today.
lowes has what looks like a re-branded Englander for $899
http://www.lowes.com/pd_45894-76845-55-SHP10L_4294856721_4294937087_?productId=1184101&Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_quantity_sold|1&pl=1&currentURL;=/pl_Wood+Stoves+_4294856721_4294937087_?Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_quantity_sold|1
Plus I have 10% coupon I can use there.

They have a few different names they use on essentially the same stove...that stove was discussed here a few days ago. At that price, and with a coupon, it's a hard deal to beat... new or used.

 

[Trickyrick]

I grew up in a split level in the late 70 and early 80s. It has 4 levels including the finished basement. I hated hauling wood but one thing I will say. If you can vent the cold air down from the back most bedrooms even just putting a couple registers in the very corners, you can greatly improve the natural heat flow. Short of that our wood stove would only heat the 2 lower levels and heat the floor in the kitchen/livingroom and we just couldn't get the heat up those last 7 stairs to the bedrooms till we cut the registers in.

Seems if there is no place for the cool air to get back it sort of plugs up that stairwell.

I know this isn't specifically about pellets but once you make the heat, heat is just heat.

 

[krooser]

Some folks here have had luck using small fans to suck the cool air out of the bedrooms allowing the warm air to circulate...

 

[dac122]

Lowes and Home Depot are both having some good sales right now on stoves, or would I be better off going to a local name brand retailer and spending a little more?

$873 is a pretty good price for a new stove with a full warranty. I paid $760 for my refurbished unit of the same kind.

But don't forget your pipe cost. If you are doing this yourself, and this is your first time, make your life easier and pay the extra expense to get the ICC Excel pipe. If you must go Duravent PelletVent product, consult with folks here to be sure you do it right, or buy the Duravent PelletVent Pro line. From what I hear Selkirk is pretty good but expensive like th Excel and Duravent PelletVent Pro

What about buying used off Craigslist, being that I dont know what i'm looking at or how to evaluate the condition, am i just looking for trouble here?

Maybe not. That is where I bought my Jamestown. The key is to run the stove on the spot before buying. Make sure the wiring looks okay, and nothing appears bypassed. If the stove won't run just move on.

As far as installation, does it have to go against a wall, or can I put it in the middle if the room?

Against the wall.

The room it's going into is 350 sq ft. Most of the stoves I've seen are rated for 1200sq ft and larger. Could I expect it would heat the upstairs as well trough the staiway connecting the two levels, taking some of the load off the radiant system?

I would not expect it to heat the entire house, but depending on your layout and comfort level it is possible. For sure it will take some load off your current heating system.

What features should I be looking for in a stove and what are just extra bells and whistles?

Auto-igniter is nice so you will not have to manually light it.

Some higher end stoves will auto start and shutdown from a thermostat just like an appliance. That's a nice feature, but not really needed by most folks.

Finally, unless I am mistaken there are members out your way, so perhaps a few could give you some hands on help. PM one of them and see. Otherwise, PM me and we can talk offline or over the phone.

 

[mark d fellows]

If you want something to turn on and forget about, buy a Harman.

If you want something cheap, that requires more maintanence, and know how, get an Englander.

You can put the stove in the middle of the room, if you can go straight up, and out the roof with flashing. Of course it will cost a lot more, as you have to step the pipe up a few steps and possilby go a long distance up past the roof.

I have a 1000 square foot cape code with a vaulted cealing and the loft up stairs was converted to bedrooms. My Accentra heats all of the first level and the second up through the stairs.

Mark

 

[imacman]

If you want something to turn on and forget about, buy a Harman.

If you want something cheap, that requires more maintanence, and know how, get an Englander.

Interesting statement, given the high price that harman asks, plus the MANY, MANY post on this forum with members with problems with their Harmans.....I'm not sure they'd agree that they should "turn on and forget about" it.

And as for the Englander comment, the only maintenance I do on my Englander is clean it like all the other stoves......maybe I missed something...the Harman needs less than that? I guess for the price, it should. Should wash the dishes too, IMO. :smirk:

 

[Nicholas440]

Thats a good price you mentioned for the Englander they are a good stove and would keep you toasty for a long time to come providing you keep it clean.. No matter what brand you end up with , the most important thing is clean, clean, and clean some more. I think we all would like a stove we can just turn on and forget about, but from what Ive seen thats wishful thinking, even with stoves such as the Harman. You will see about every brand made listed here in this forum with a problem at one time or another. Read over as many problems as you can in here, and you will get a feel for what brands have what types of problems. Some are famous for burning out ignitors, others may have auger troubles and so forth. Read, read, read, and you will learn.


What I would do is look at your local shops, and see just how they burn, see what one appeals to you as far as looks goes if thats a consideration for you. Listen to them when they are running, some will be louder than others. Ask the dealer to show you a little about how these things get cleaned every few days.

Whatever one you settle on Im sure youre going to enjoy it. I really like watching mine on those cold raw nights, I can sit back in my recliner, press the button on my remote control and the pellet insert fires up. Mine is a Quadrafire Castile Insert, I enjoy it, the front , sides, and top are all cast iron with a Burgandy porcelain coating. As someone said many stoves have automatic ignition, and many other bells and whistles. Look them over, read up on them and then make your decision. Also do some research on what brand of pellets you will want to use, and whats availlable in your area.

I wish you luck, if you dont mind doing a little maintenance on your stove weekly, monthly, and yearly then you're going to love it.

 

[tjnamtiw]

Found a local place not far from me, I will go check out what they have later today.
lowes has what looks like a re-branded Englander for $899
http://www.lowes.com/pd_45894-76845-55-SHP10L_4294856721_4294937087_?productId=1184101&Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_quantity_sold|1&pl=1&currentURL;=/pl_Wood+Stoves+_4294856721_4294937087_?Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_quantity_sold|1
Plus I have 10% coupon I can use there.

If you or anyone else here is a Veteran, you can ALWAYS get 10% off at Lowes or Home Depot just by showing your vet card.

 

[rehabbingisgreen]

We bought a used stove and are having an issue with the auto igniter. We installed it ourselves, and am pretty sure replacing any parts or what not, will be easy enough. Ours is an Englander and I have had the joy of seeing it run twice at least so far. After using a wood stove as our sole source of heat (different house) I know I am going to love the pellet heat already! We have an old house and have the challenge of getitng the heat to the upper floor.

 

[imacman]

We bought a used stove and are having an issue with the auto igniter. We installed it ourselves, and am pretty sure replacing any parts or what not, will be easy enough. Ours is an Englander and I have had the joy of seeing it run twice at least so far. After using a wood stove as our sole source of heat (different house) I know I am going to love the pellet heat already! We have an old house and have the challenge of getitng the heat to the upper floor.

Even though you bought a used Englander stove, send Mike Holton a PM and ask for help. He is the senior Tech at Englander and is a regular on this forum and a great guy. They really stand behind their products, even long after the warranty is over.

His forum "name" is "stoveguy2esw". You could also call the Englander Tech phone line and ask for Mike: (800) 245-6489 Ext.131

Have the serial number and manufacture date handy if you can find it (usually on underside of hopper lid).

Oh, BTW, probably best for you to start a new thread next time so everyone can see it.....kinda buried here.....I just stumbled on it.

 

[rehabbingisgreen]

We bought a used stove and are having an issue with the auto igniter. We installed it ourselves, and am pretty sure replacing any parts or what not, will be easy enough. Ours is an Englander and I have had the joy of seeing it run twice at least so far. After using a wood stove as our sole source of heat (different house) I know I am going to love the pellet heat already! We have an old house and have the challenge of getitng the heat to the upper floor.

Even though you bought a used Englander stove, send Mike Holton a PM and ask for help. He is the senior Tech at Englander and is a regular on this forum and a great guy. They really stand behind their products, even long after the warranty is over.

His forum "name" is "stoveguy2esw". You could also call the Englander Tech phone line and ask for Mike: (800) 245-6489 Ext.131

Have the serial number and manufacture date handy if you can find it (usually on underside of hopper lid).

Oh, BTW, probably best for you to start a new thread next time so everyone can see it.....kinda buried here.....I just stumbled on it.

I've already called tech support once and they were awesome!