I was wanting to see how many people have had a wood stove and replaced it with a pellet stove. I am currently trying to decide on what stove to get wood or pellets. Please, list the pros and cons.
Thanks,
Thanks,
Pellet stove or Wood stove
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If you don't like to "tinker," you do NOT want a pellet stove.
You'll hear different versions of maintenance procedures,
but the bottom line is that pellet stoves require "user interface"
in order to perform at their best. Scraping, brushing, poking,
vacuuming, or whatever.
They are not maintenance free.
A BIG reason to burn a wood stove is that wood's the ONLY
fuel you can legally scrounge!
You'll hear different versions of maintenance procedures,
but the bottom line is that pellet stoves require "user interface"
in order to perform at their best. Scraping, brushing, poking,
vacuuming, or whatever.
They are not maintenance free.
A BIG reason to burn a wood stove is that wood's the ONLY
fuel you can legally scrounge!
Jakehunter,
I have burned wood in fireplaces, Franklin fireplaces, air tight stoves ( Vermont Castings Vigilant), and a Tarm wood boiler.
Still burn wood in the Tarm boiler, but replaced the wood stove with a pellet stove.
Reasons for doing so:
1. The air tight stove was causing cresote problems in the chimney.
2. Wood in living room was messy.
3. Hard to regulate temperature ( related to cresote problem).
With a pellet stove:
4. Pellets easier to stack and store, take less volume per BTU, easier lug up the basement stairs ( in a coal hod), easier to stash a supply by the stove, many options for purchasing ( as opposed to dealing with firewood cutters), can purchase in small or large quantities.
5. The pellet stove itself is easy to regulate for temperature, runs on a thermostat, is self starting.
6. Both wood and pellet stoves require maintenance, but less ash residue with pellets.
7. Pellets burn cleaner than wood.
Again, I still burn wood in the Tarm boiler, but find a pellet stove better, for my situation, for the living area.
Anyone can refute any of my reasons for going the pellet route, but I am very happy with the decision.
Good luck,
Ranger
I have burned wood in fireplaces, Franklin fireplaces, air tight stoves ( Vermont Castings Vigilant), and a Tarm wood boiler.
Still burn wood in the Tarm boiler, but replaced the wood stove with a pellet stove.
Reasons for doing so:
1. The air tight stove was causing cresote problems in the chimney.
2. Wood in living room was messy.
3. Hard to regulate temperature ( related to cresote problem).
With a pellet stove:
4. Pellets easier to stack and store, take less volume per BTU, easier lug up the basement stairs ( in a coal hod), easier to stash a supply by the stove, many options for purchasing ( as opposed to dealing with firewood cutters), can purchase in small or large quantities.
5. The pellet stove itself is easy to regulate for temperature, runs on a thermostat, is self starting.
6. Both wood and pellet stoves require maintenance, but less ash residue with pellets.
7. Pellets burn cleaner than wood.
Again, I still burn wood in the Tarm boiler, but find a pellet stove better, for my situation, for the living area.
Anyone can refute any of my reasons for going the pellet route, but I am very happy with the decision.
Good luck,
Ranger
If, I go with a pellet stove it would be a harman XXV or P61. Does there seem to be any issues with these stoves?
I have read where these stoves need cleaned once a month is this true.
I have read where these stoves need cleaned once a month is this true.
Ranger,
thanks, for the information it helps alot. I am aslo, a little worried on of the cresote that a wood stove will produce. My house was built in 2006 good insallation so, I would also, be buying a air tight stove. So, cresote is a big concern.
thanks, for the information it helps alot. I am aslo, a little worried on of the cresote that a wood stove will produce. My house was built in 2006 good insallation so, I would also, be buying a air tight stove. So, cresote is a big concern.
The biggest factor in to consider when shopping for a pellet stove is the dealer IMHO... regardless of the brand things will eventually need service. A good dealer, with a good parts and service dept., will make owning a stove a breeze.
Stoves need to be cleaned every week... and have a through cleaning after every ton of pellets, again, IMHO. Your Harman will have to have the pot scrapped each day or every other day. These are not maintenance free but are a lot less work than wood stoves.
There are many good brands of stoves out there...
Stoves need to be cleaned every week... and have a through cleaning after every ton of pellets, again, IMHO. Your Harman will have to have the pot scrapped each day or every other day. These are not maintenance free but are a lot less work than wood stoves.
There are many good brands of stoves out there...
Can only give my personal experience. Burned wood for several years. Main reason, I had access to land to cut my own wood and not have to pay for it. Although I had my own chainsaws, splitter and tractor for hauling the wood out, it was a lot of work (I was also a lot younger). Speed up to today. I would have to buy 5 cords @ $200 a cord to heat my home. It costs me $840 for pellets. Wood needs constant refilling(even in the middle of the night), pellet stoves run a lot longer. Therefore, they need to be tended LESS than woodstoves. You have to clean the ashes on both wood stoves and pellet stoves. Just not as often on pellet stoves. There are pluses and minuses to both. For me, NOW, the pluses for the pellet stove far outweigh the wood stove. Did I mention, I had 2 chimney fires with the woodstove. One needed the fire department. No more wood stoves for me!
I sold two wood stoves and bought a pellet stove.It's a lot easier on the wife and I.No more splitting,stacking.We have a two story with pellet downstairs and a wood stove upstairs.Still like the crackle of a fire.But no more mess on the floor.No more restarting a fire every morning.Pour in a bag or two and your set for a few days.I can stack 3 tons of pellets in a half an hour,stacking 4.5 cords of wood takes a bit more time then that.So much easier.
Thanks, for the fast replys. I was thinking that pellet stove would be all around best for the wife and I. I do not want to get up in the middle of the night for a reload. What name brand pellet stoves should I look at?
jakehunter said:
Look at the signatures of several members here to get an idea of what stoves people are using. Some considerations should be reputation, ease of maintenance, noise level, heating needs, fuels availability. Also read this sticky note:
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewannounce/13750_22/
Wood is good if you have a free supply and are physically fit to do the work your self but you still have to buy or rent , chain saw, splitter and have the time to get the wood.
You will also have to do extra cleaning caused by carrying wood through the house. A good wood stove will cost about the same as a decent pellet stove.
Many decent pellet stoves will burn up to a ton of pellets before being cleaned. They are more complicated then the old fashioned wood stove but most people find them simple to learn to operate. I would say anyone that can learn to operate a computer can easily master a pellet stove.
My suggestions would be to purchase a multifuel stove rather then just a wood pellet stove. Ask other people that own them what they like and dislike. Look at the dealers around you and see what they offer.
Are you home morning and night to load with fuel and empty ashes? Do you want to be able to run it with a thermostat and depend on it to start and stop by itself?
I burned wood for several years - cleaned the pipes and chimney myself. We live in the country so having a fire dept 5 minutes away isn't likely.
During that time I learned a few things- expect to pay 400.00 for a good chainsaw- learn how to sharpen your chains, have a wood splitter Buy a good wood stove. Keep your wood dry and the old saying burning wood keeps you warm several ways.
As the years go by cutting wood got to be more work and carrying a sack of pellets or a pail of corn looked a lot more appealing.
A good multi fuel stove cost a little more then a good wood stove since they are more complicated but I eliminated the 400.00 chain saw, wood splitter and wood stove.
I have been burning corn or pellets for 7 years and learned to clean the exhaust system and stove plus do some maintenence replacing some parts but it is far easier then burning wood for me.
A clean stove, clean pipes and clean dry fuel will give you good dependable heat. If electricity goes out there is some stoves that run off 12 volts.
You will also have to do extra cleaning caused by carrying wood through the house. A good wood stove will cost about the same as a decent pellet stove.
Many decent pellet stoves will burn up to a ton of pellets before being cleaned. They are more complicated then the old fashioned wood stove but most people find them simple to learn to operate. I would say anyone that can learn to operate a computer can easily master a pellet stove.
My suggestions would be to purchase a multifuel stove rather then just a wood pellet stove. Ask other people that own them what they like and dislike. Look at the dealers around you and see what they offer.
Are you home morning and night to load with fuel and empty ashes? Do you want to be able to run it with a thermostat and depend on it to start and stop by itself?
I burned wood for several years - cleaned the pipes and chimney myself. We live in the country so having a fire dept 5 minutes away isn't likely.
During that time I learned a few things- expect to pay 400.00 for a good chainsaw- learn how to sharpen your chains, have a wood splitter Buy a good wood stove. Keep your wood dry and the old saying burning wood keeps you warm several ways.
As the years go by cutting wood got to be more work and carrying a sack of pellets or a pail of corn looked a lot more appealing.
A good multi fuel stove cost a little more then a good wood stove since they are more complicated but I eliminated the 400.00 chain saw, wood splitter and wood stove.
I have been burning corn or pellets for 7 years and learned to clean the exhaust system and stove plus do some maintenence replacing some parts but it is far easier then burning wood for me.
A clean stove, clean pipes and clean dry fuel will give you good dependable heat. If electricity goes out there is some stoves that run off 12 volts.
Ex-woodburner here too. Got tired dealing with chainsaw, gas, bar oil, oil for gas, axe, splitter, burned hands, bugs, dirt, splinters, and having to get up every night at 4 am to re-load the stove.
And as for the "extra expense" that the electric fans on a pellet stove add, I didn't see any difference as my wood stove had a fan too.
PLUS, you can hook to a stat....can't do that w/ a woodstove.
And as for the "extra expense" that the electric fans on a pellet stove add, I didn't see any difference as my wood stove had a fan too.
PLUS, you can hook to a stat....can't do that w/ a woodstove.
I have to disagree with one of the posters saying the pellet stove needs cleaning daily....? what are you burning that you need to do that? Checking the burn pot area weekly with a quick vacuum and maybe, again I say maybe a quick scrape if getting some hard stuff starting to form on the sides or near the auger.....I just didn't want the OP to get worried about a daily cleaning.....just my IMO.....
jakehunter said:
Both are top of the line stoves, the XXV looks nicer and is supposed to be a little quieter, the P61 is easier to clean and gives off more radiant heat, you can boil water on top of it when it's cranking.
I burned wood for 20 years, L3-4 and L4-5 have decided that I'm not going to cut, split and stack firewood any more. I wish I had gone to pellets years ago, and so does my back, it cost a little more but the heat is more controllable and will last all night. Anyone who says pellets stove are to much maintenance have never owned a wood stove, there is maintenance there too, cleaning out ashes, cleaning connector pipe, cleaning chimney, replacing gaskets, it's all there like a pellet stove. Chimney cleaning is easier with a pellet stove, it's usually just fly ash your brushing out, not hard crusted on creosote like with a wood stove.
Also one major thing to think of is your time. How long does it take to cut/transport/stack/bring in the wood. How much is your time worth to you? My free time is worth alot to me (since I have such little of it).
Remember, no electric, no pellet stove, no heat. Not good if your area is prone to power outages.And also , not very romantic with the rrrrrrrrrr of the pellet stove blower going. My friend had one and it sounded like a box fan going on high all night. And the fire in a pellet stove doesn't look "real". Don't forget clinkers, maintenance, transporting of pellets, finding pellets when no one has them. No thanks, I load my wood stove once in the morning and once in the evening. Sorry guys I just wanted it to be fair. :red:
I have both. One on each end of the house on the first floor. Would not give up the wood stove in the living room as I'm watching TV I don't want to hear the fans running. Wood stove does not have a fan installed. I love the crackle of a real fire, hate the mess, love to be able to shovel out coals into my grill and BQ in cold winter days, hate the bugs. Wood is free but I need to sometimes cut to length and always need to split and store. I'll stop here
The pellet stove is in the kitchen on other side of house. Fans don't bother me much there but if it was in the living room I would keep it off while watching TV.Pellets are easier to store, less mess and just like it's been said you fill the hopper and turn up the thermostat(if you get a model capable of using one). They self ignite unless igniter fails, like it happened to me end of last season, then you need a hot ember from the wood stove to throw into the crate to ignite the pellets. If electric fails you'll be in the cold and smoke gets in the house. The ease of lighting the pellet stove makes it ideal for the wife to run when I'm not home, although she has been pretty good about keeping the wood stove alive thoughout the day.
There are pros and cons to both. Both need maintance. Is your spouse a neat freek, pellets are best. I can't keep more then 25-30 clean logs in house and must be inspected for bugs. I keep a pile of logs on top of a cart by my french doors just outside the living room and grab one at a time when it's freezing cold and I better pick up anything that falls outside of stove.
Good luck with your choice
The pellet stove is in the kitchen on other side of house. Fans don't bother me much there but if it was in the living room I would keep it off while watching TV.Pellets are easier to store, less mess and just like it's been said you fill the hopper and turn up the thermostat(if you get a model capable of using one). They self ignite unless igniter fails, like it happened to me end of last season, then you need a hot ember from the wood stove to throw into the crate to ignite the pellets. If electric fails you'll be in the cold and smoke gets in the house. The ease of lighting the pellet stove makes it ideal for the wife to run when I'm not home, although she has been pretty good about keeping the wood stove alive thoughout the day.
There are pros and cons to both. Both need maintance. Is your spouse a neat freek, pellets are best. I can't keep more then 25-30 clean logs in house and must be inspected for bugs. I keep a pile of logs on top of a cart by my french doors just outside the living room and grab one at a time when it's freezing cold and I better pick up anything that falls outside of stove.
Good luck with your choice
People have mentioned noise. fans do make noise and I guess if you have to move the heat throughout the house you will have a fan making noise.
Harman stoves have hot top and sides so you will get a certain amount of quiet heat from it. Downside of course is kids can burn them selves.
lots of things to think about and maybe time to visit friends or neighbors who own stoves and visit with them. After using one for a year they will tell you both the good and bad points.
We can only tell about our experiences with our own stoves and maybe we should be asked about our experiences with the local dealers.
Harman stoves have hot top and sides so you will get a certain amount of quiet heat from it. Downside of course is kids can burn them selves.
lots of things to think about and maybe time to visit friends or neighbors who own stoves and visit with them. After using one for a year they will tell you both the good and bad points.
We can only tell about our experiences with our own stoves and maybe we should be asked about our experiences with the local dealers.
a great idea to visit a dealer when they are burning or will fire one up for you. then depending on what ever else is going on you can decide if the fan noise is a bother....i have my stove right in the family room downstairs, with surround sound I don't hear the fans! LOL
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