purchase advice - TV vs noise

[Sutter]

I recently purchased a 2 floor 2100 square foot house with a semi-open floor plan that unfortunately has a very old oil burner. The service guy put the efficiently in the high 60’s, needless to say I’m pretty sure I want to try to improve my future heating costs…..

Service guy also said a new boiler through him would not exceed $5500.

However I’m only planning on being in the house 3-10 years (probably 5 years) before building a new house from scratch, so rather than upgrade the boiler I’m considering installing a pellet insert into my living room fireplace (harman accentra specifically) that way I can take it with me when I move if I want to.

My living room is 21 X 13 feet and I would put my main couch and TV ant the ends of the room with the pellet stove right in the middle of a side wall.

Questions:

1) Would the noise from the pellet stove bother me while watching TV?*
2) If I put a couch or chair against the wall opposite the pellet stove would it be to warm for anybody to actually sit there?

* As the room is not very large, I would guess that I would not need the stove on high while actually in the room as it would get too hot, so I’d only have to worry about the stove being on medium or low?

House layout detail: living room has 2 doorways, one is a standard size that leads to the upstairs, and there is a 2nd double wide doorway that feeds to the family room/kitchen.

 

[jamesdjs]

I recently purchased a 2 floor 2100 square foot house with a semi-open floor plan that unfortunately has a very old oil burner. The service guy put the efficiently in the high 60’s, needless to say I’m pretty sure I want to try to improve my future heating costs…..

Service guy also said a new boiler through him would not exceed $5500.

However I’m only planning on being in the house 3-10 years (probably 5 years) before building a new house from scratch, so rather than upgrade the boiler I’m considering installing a pellet insert into my living room fireplace (harman accentra specifically) that way I can take it with me when I move if I want to.

My living room is 21 X 13 feet and I would put my main couch and TV ant the ends of the room with the pellet stove right in the middle of a side wall.

Questions:

1) Would the noise from the pellet stove bother me while watching TV?*
2) If I put a couch or chair against the wall opposite the pellet stove would it be to warm for anybody to actually sit there?

* As the room is not very large, I would guess that I would not need the stove on high while actually in the room as it would get too hot, so I’d only have to worry about the stove being on medium or low?

House layout detail: living room has 2 doorways, one is a standard size that leads to the upstairs, and there is a 2nd double wide doorway that feeds to the family room/kitchen.

The noise would depend on the make and model of the stove you are looking at.
If you buy a used stove then there is a good chance the blower motors will make noise.
Some of the newer stoves are very quiet.
Either way there will be some noise but you can always turn up the TV volume.
Best thing to do is to go to dealer show rooms and look and listen to what they have.

 

[Marbleguy]

I have a Quad 1200I in the same room as my "winter" TV and have no problem with sound. The blower motors do make some noise but when run on low or medium, it is easy to here the TV over the noise of the stove. I just need to turn the volume up a little. On the high setting, the noise is a little higher but not to the point that I can't hold a conversation with the wife or hear the TV. As for the heat and where you sit, you will have to test things out. Right in front of the stove it does get quite hot but I have a ceiling fan to disperse the heat.

 

[trogers]

I recently purchased a 2 floor 2100 square foot house with a semi-open floor plan that unfortunately has a very old oil burner. The service guy put the efficiently in the high 60’s, needless to say I’m pretty sure I want to try to improve my future heating costs…..

Service guy also said a new boiler through him would not exceed $5500.

However I’m only planning on being in the house 3-10 years (probably 5 years) before building a new house from scratch, so rather than upgrade the boiler I’m considering installing a pellet insert into my living room fireplace (harman accentra specifically) that way I can take it with me when I move if I want to.

My living room is 21 X 13 feet and I would put my main couch and TV ant the ends of the room with the pellet stove right in the middle of a side wall.

Questions:

1) Would the noise from the pellet stove bother me while watching TV?*
2) If I put a couch or chair against the wall opposite the pellet stove would it be to warm for anybody to actually sit there?

* As the room is not very large, I would guess that I would not need the stove on high while actually in the room as it would get too hot, so I’d only have to worry about the stove being on medium or low?

House layout detail: living room has 2 doorways, one is a standard size that leads to the upstairs, and there is a 2nd double wide doorway that feeds to the family room/kitchen.

I have the Harman Accentra Insert and love it. That said, it is a bit noisier than other stoves that I have seen. So far, it runs great and has had no issues. It doesn't require any real adjustments. I have a faiarly open concept 1100 sq feet on my first floor and the stove handles that very well on low (warmer winter months) and medium (coldest months). I run my stove 24 hours a day so I'm never playing catch-up to get the house warmer.

Hope this helps.

 

[imacman]

I had an Avalon Astoria Bay FS, and it was very quiet. They make an insert version of that too, or the smaller Newport bay.

Astoria heats up to 2250 Sq. ft

Newport up to 1600 sq. ft.

www.avalonfirestyles.com/product_guide/pellet_inserts.aspx


BTW, where are you located?

 

[BDPVT]

I have a Accentra insert in a living room similar to yours. The fan distribution fan noise is not excessively loud, but does compete with the TV. We often set the stove on low heat when watching TV and the fan is much quieter. Never had a problem of too much heat when sitting about 10' away. You should go demo an Accentra and listen to the fan noise for yourself if you already haven't.

 

[cncpro]

I recently purchased a 2 floor 2100 square foot house with a semi-open floor plan that unfortunately has a very old oil burner. The service guy put the efficiently in the high 60’s, needless to say I’m pretty sure I want to try to improve my future heating costs…..

Service guy also said a new boiler through him would not exceed $5500.

However I’m only planning on being in the house 3-10 years (probably 5 years) before building a new house from scratch, so rather than upgrade the boiler I’m considering installing a pellet insert into my living room fireplace (harman accentra specifically) that way I can take it with me when I move if I want to.

My living room is 21 X 13 feet and I would put my main couch and TV ant the ends of the room with the pellet stove right in the middle of a side wall.

Questions:

1) Would the noise from the pellet stove bother me while watching TV?*
2) If I put a couch or chair against the wall opposite the pellet stove would it be to warm for anybody to actually sit there?

* As the room is not very large, I would guess that I would not need the stove on high while actually in the room as it would get too hot, so I’d only have to worry about the stove being on medium or low?

House layout detail: living room has 2 doorways, one is a standard size that leads to the upstairs, and there is a 2nd double wide doorway that feeds to the family room/kitchen.

With a house that big all a pellet stove will get you is one really warm room and a freezing house. You will not likely be satisfied with the result and you'll end up running that boiler all winter anyway in addition to the expense of buying a new stove and pellets. No savings there.

I'd pay the boiler man and comfort myself with the knowledge that when it's time to sell having a 5 year old boiler will be of major interest to potential buyers.

Anyway, regarding noise I think it could work OK for you but it would definitely be annoying if you were trying to watch TV quietly while somebody else was sleeping and the pellet stove is roaring away...

 

[MCPO]

I recently purchased a 2 floor 2100 square foot house with a semi-open floor plan that unfortunately has a very old oil burner. The service guy put the efficiently in the high 60’s, needless to say I’m pretty sure I want to try to improve my future heating costs…..

Service guy also said a new boiler through him would not exceed $5500.

However I’m only planning on being in the house 3-10 years (probably 5 years) before building a new house from scratch, so rather than upgrade the boiler I’m considering installing a pellet insert into my living room fireplace (harman accentra specifically) that way I can take it with me when I move if I want to.

cncpro is right.
Do yourself a favor and spend your money on a decent central heating system before you think of blowing good money on a space heater that might not make you happy and will add nothing to the value of your house not to mention uneven temperatures in every room.
You can always get a pellet stove after and use it supplementary and then take it with you.
Another thing I`d be concerned about is the insulation and windows too.
If you bought an old house with an innefficient heat system the chances are good the former owner didn`t invest in insulation or windows either. I`d consider that a priority too because whatever you use for heat it`s gonna dissipate fast.

 

[cac4]

With a house that big all a pellet stove will get you is one really warm room and a freezing house. You will not likely be satisfied with the result and you'll end up running that boiler all winter anyway in addition to the expense of buying a new stove and pellets. No savings there.

I don't think that there is enough information to conclude that. That sounds more like a wood stove, than a pellet stove. But it depends on just "how open" the floor plan is...and subsequently, how well the hot air circulates.
My house might be described as having "fairly open floor plan", too, and an accentra free-standing heats the whole house just fine. on the very coldest days, I'll run my furnace because I'm afraid that pipes will freeze in the basement, but the living space is fine. Its about 2 degrees colder at the point on the first floor that is farthest away from the stove, and about 5 degrees cooler in the upstairs bedrooms. My house is smaller than the OP's, but not by a whole lot. depends on how you measure it.

I'd pay the boiler man and comfort myself with the knowledge that when it's time to sell having a 5 year old boiler will be of major interest to potential buyers.

now this, I can see. plus, since its a "boiler", that could be the source of DHW, too. Might be worth doing, either way.

Anyway, regarding noise I think it could work OK for you but it would definitely be annoying if you were trying to watch TV quietly while somebody else was sleeping and the pellet stove is roaring away...

again, not a problem in my house. TV and stove in the same room. a: the stove just isn't very loud, unless the fan is on "high"...(and it never needs to be on "high"; low range is plenty, and since the speed varies w/ the demand on the stove, it is often not running as high as it is set.). As I type this, the stove is "idling"...meaning that the combustion blower is on, but the room air fan is off; its making slightly more noise than my refrigerator. I'm closer to the stove than the fridge. b: the noise from the stove is constant, making it less noticeable. I usually don't notice it unless it turns itself down.

as far as being "too warm"....also not a problem. I have a corner stove, with a couch and chair on adjacent walls. from either, you could reach over and touch the stove. no problem at all sitting right next to it. 10 feet across the room--you can't feel anything.

An Accentra insert might make more noise than the free-standing. Some people have reported that because of the way the air flows around it. probably not the fans so much as the moving air. can't speak to that, directly, as I don't have one.

When I was in the planning stages, I was very concerned about noise...and I'm extremely persnickety on that subject...so if I think the noise level is "ok", it must be. ;-)

 

[schmeg]

Sounds like your a good candidate for a Rika Integra insert.

 

[imacman]

.....I'd pay the boiler man and comfort myself with the knowledge that when it's time to sell having a 5 year old boiler will be of major interest to potential buyers.....

The more I think about what CNC said, the more I think I agree. If your just staying a few years, the investment in the new boiler would pay off when you sell it, plus there's virtually NO noise to worry about. And the new units, if you spend a few more dollars, are very energy efficient....a BIG selling point these days, and there's a good chance that it will be an even BIGGER selling point in 5 or so years.

 

[Dr_Drum]

Another vote for the new furnace.
Mike -

 

[krooser]

I dunno... a USED insert would be cheaper... it would give a chance to try a pellet stove and see how it works for you. I bought my stove because my NG furnace couldn't keep my house warm and it would cost beaukoup bucks to re-do the air distribution system to fix the probelm. Now I'm nice and warm and the NG furnace is my back-up.

 

[hoverfly]

Get a pellet boiler. But what ever you do replace the old central unit with a good one that is high efficiency, it will add value to the house.

 

[defield]

RE: ". . .that unfortunately has a very old oil burner. The service guy put the efficiently in the high 60’s, needless to say I’m pretty sure I want to try to improve my future heating costs…..

However I’m only planning on being in the house 3-10 years (probably 5 years) before building a new house from scratch, so rather than upgrade the boiler . . . "

My unasked opinion is also that you should strongly consider replacing the boiler first for reasons of comfort, efficiency, and resale value. Remember that pellet stoves perform differently in different installs, BUT they are a space heater.

We have a 39 year old boiler. One of the first questions a sharp buyer or real estate agent would ask is how much of a price reduction would be considered because of the old furnace.

I have a pellet stove, but am replacing the old boiler with a highly regarded Buderus brand zero start unit to enjoy the increased efficiency for now and resale value for later.

Again, I would suggest a new boiler and a even consider a used pellet stove for noe.

Good luck and let us know.

Ranger

 

[Sutter]

thanks for the feedback.

to answer a couple of the questions asked:

house is almost 40 years old, but every window in the house is a less than 8 year old Pella window.

i'm in tiverton, RI

I do have somewhat of a budget so its a boiler or a pellet insert...buying a boiler and used pellet stove sounds like a good idea, but its getting above my budget unless I can get a used pellet stove pretty cheapily..and still in pretty good condition. I assume a used pellet stove is an ebay/craigslist type item?

 

[MCPO]

thanks for the feedback.

to answer a couple of the questions asked:

house is almost 40 years old, but every window in the house is a less than 8 year old Pella window.

i'm in tiverton, RI

I do have somewhat of a budget so its a boiler or a pellet insert...buying a boiler and used pellet stove sounds like a good idea, but its getting above my budget unless I can get a used pellet stove pretty cheapily..and still in pretty good condition. I assume a used pellet stove is an ebay/craigslist type item?

Hurrah! New windows are a big plus.
I`d have to think a house less than 40 yrs old would have some insulation in the walls. But the next best thing would be to check the attic floor for insulation and add more there if it`s not enough and you should be good to go.
I think a new boiler and a used pellet stove would be an excellent idea.

 

[Sutter]

Hurrah! New windows are a big plus.
I`d have to think a house less than 40 yrs old would have some insulation in the walls. But the next best thing would be to check the attic floor for insulation and add more there if it`s not enough and you should be good to go.
I think a new boiler and a used pellet stove would be an excellent idea.

the attic insulatin is up to current building code...don't remember what that is off hand, but what ever it is, the house meets it. Or so the home inspector pointed out when I was purchasing the house. so I think I'm good as far as that goes

 

[krooser]

thanks for the feedback.

to answer a couple of the questions asked:

house is almost 40 years old, but every window in the house is a less than 8 year old Pella window.

i'm in tiverton, RI

I do have somewhat of a budget so its a boiler or a pellet insert...buying a boiler and used pellet stove sounds like a good idea, but its getting above my budget unless I can get a used pellet stove pretty cheaply..and still in pretty good condition. I assume a used pellet stove is an ebay/craigslist type item?

I know how budgets work... I paid $1100.00 for my used St Croix stove. You can also find new/refurbished Englander's on FleaBay for under $2K... new stoves by US Stove and Breckwell sell for $1200-1400.00 around here. Some owners will want more money but the market's changed with the "stimulus" rebate now in play on new stoves.

You can find good use stoves for under a grand pretty often on Craig's list. When buying used look for a stove that's still being manufactured...St. Croix, Harman, Quad, etc. Finding service and parts for an obsolete brand can be tough. Installing a used stove may get you thru this winter without breaking the bank... I believe many stoves are sold/discarded by owners who have problems with them that are easily remedied by a good, thorough cleaning.

 

[pastera]

I added some confusion to the mix - Had Suttter over last night to help with setting up a new toy (90" air hockey table) in the family room.

Ran my Traditions II through the fan speeds to demo the noise levels - had the place over 78° from the testing, enough to send him to the beer fridge for a couple. With the fan on low, you can hear the pellets clink into the burn pot so sound shouldn't be an issue - I would assume an insert would be quieter than a freestanding stove.

I've seen his boiler - ridden hard and put away wet doesn't begin to describe it! the problem is that most places around here will absolutely **** you on install. A quote of $5500 gets you an $1800 boiler with a few hundred in associated parts to do a minimum replacement. If the quotes were for <$4k for a boiler I would say go for it - at $5500+ it's felony sexual assault (there are most probably reputable guys around but finding them is the hard part)


Aaron

 

[seaken]

An often overlooked feature of the Harman stoves is the ability to burn on low without the distribution/convection fan on. Set the stove to "Manual" and "Stove Temp" and keep the temp/rate dial to 5 or less and the stove will burn with no convection fan.

Also, adding the Outside Air Kit to the insert will eliminate the noise from air movement around the panels.

 

[MCPO]

An often overlooked feature of the Harman stoves is the ability to burn on low without the distribution/convection fan on. Set the stove to "Manual" and "Stove Temp" and keep the temp/rate dial to 5 or less and the stove will burn with no convection fan.

Also, adding the Outside Air Kit to the insert will eliminate the noise from air movement around the panels.

Whats the sense of that? Shutting of the convection fan greatly diminishes the efficiency of the stove . Most if not all pellet stoves are designed for maximun heat extraction from the heat exchanger and the fan system is an integral part of that design and operation. Sure , get the stove body hot enough and its bound to give off some heat but it`s not designed or built anything like a radiant heater, (wood stove)

 

[cac4]

An often overlooked feature of the Harman stoves is the ability to burn on low without the distribution/convection fan on. Set the stove to "Manual" and "Stove Temp" and keep the temp/rate dial to 5 or less and the stove will burn with no convection fan.

Also, adding the Outside Air Kit to the insert will eliminate the noise from air movement around the panels.

Whats the sense of that?

"Ambiance", baby. ;-)
Sometimes, you might just want to enjoy a nice fire, even though...its not that cold. I've noticed that sometimes when people are over for a holiday or whatever, all that body heat, (hot air, in the case of my family ), cooking, and so-forth, it can get and stay pretty warm. Can't show off the purdy stove...except w/ this manual config.

Shutting of the convection fan greatly diminishes the efficiency of the stove . Most if not all pellet stoves are designed for maximun heat extraction from the heat exchanger and the fan system is an integral part of that design and operation. Sure , get the stove body hot enough and its bound to give off some heat but it`s not designed or built anything like a radiant heater, (wood stove)

yes, and actually, if the stove gets hot enough under this manual setting, the fan will turn itself on to cool down the stove...even though the blower isn't set that way. there really is no true "manual" on these stoves; the computer will always win out, if it decides to.

 

[MCPO]

An often overlooked feature of the Harman stoves is the ability to burn on low without the distribution/convection fan on. Set the stove to "Manual" and "Stove Temp" and keep the temp/rate dial to 5 or less and the stove will burn with no convection fan.

Also, adding the Outside Air Kit to the insert will eliminate the noise from air movement around the panels.

Whats the sense of that?

"Ambiance", baby. ;-)
Sometimes, you might just want to enjoy a nice fire, even though...its not that cold. I've noticed that sometimes when people are over for a holiday or whatever, all that body heat, (hot air, in the case of my family ), cooking, and so-forth, it can get and stay pretty warm. Can't show off the purdy stove...except w/ this manual config.

Shutting of the convection fan greatly diminishes the efficiency of the stove . Most if not all pellet stoves are designed for maximun heat extraction from the heat exchanger and the fan system is an integral part of that design and operation. Sure , get the stove body hot enough and its bound to give off some heat but it`s not designed or built anything like a radiant heater, (wood stove)

yes, and actually, if the stove gets hot enough under this manual setting, the fan will turn itself on to cool down the stove...even though the blower isn't set that way. there really is no true "manual" on these stoves; the computer will always win out, if it decides to.

OK, I guess I can appreciate the point about ambience and I have to concede for those certain periods when ambience is wanted, I see no harm or significant money going up the flue by shutting the fan off and burning less efficiently for a while.
Unfortunately for me ambience is a foreign word with my Harman since it displays an unnattractive blow torch flame (on high) and a dinky little 1/2 " flame (on low).
It`s an excellent design and burns just great but the flame just doesn`t look anything like a real fire.(can you say ambience?)