What should I insert?

[Buschpounder]

I am new to the pellet world having been heating with electric. I have a woodburning fireplace in my house that isnt used often. I thought I should put in an insert. I wanted a multifuel but may get just a pellet. The fireplace is in my living room so I need a quiet insert. I have three on my list and hope someone could provide some insight on them.

1) Enviro M55- I like this one the best but closest dealer is 3 hours away which I don't like if I have a problem. I read it was reliable and quiet. Aslo read that company customer service isnt the best.

2) St. Croix Ashby MF- I have a dealer about 1 hour away. I don't know alot about this one. Not sure if reliable, quiet or company customer service.

3) Harman Accentra-just pellet, local dealer. Read that Harman customer service is bad and that this insert is on the loud side.

What does any one think that has any of these? Any advice is appreciated.

 

[smoke show]

are u lookin to stay in a certain price range?
any other dealers nearby?
an honest dealer with a good reputation is the first step to success.

 

[Buschpounder]

I'm not too concerned about the price if I get quality. I have a Breckwell dealer close but dont think they make inserts. Napoleon dealer is close and there is a Glow boy dealer about an hour away. That's about all.

 

[CygnusX1]

I've been using an Enviro Meridian insert for 7 years. No problems, quiet, and heats my 1400 sqft house perfectly.

 

[rona]

Look in the past questions on different stoves and you will get a idea of what stoves to avoid. A name brand stove will usually give you more heat with less problems then a box store stove. Down the road a name brand proven stove will be worth more money then a brand X model.
A good dealer is important but if you don't mind getting your hands dirty you can handle most things with the stove. In general a clean stove and exh plus clean dry fuel will give you good troublefree heat. Sometimes a good tech manual is a cheap investment as generally it is more involved then the typical owners manual that always says call your dealer.

 

[jtakeman]

I'm not too concerned about the price if I get quality. I have a Breckwell dealer close but dont think they make inserts. Napoleon dealer is close and there is a Glow boy dealer about an hour away. That's about all.

I think the quality of your first three choices is better overall. The breckwell and the glowboy are entry level stoves and lower quality. I haven't heard much about the Napoleon. My vote is the for Enviro. Heck of a stove. My dealings with Enviro's customer service has been dandy.

The dealer is your 1st line of customer service so pick a good one. A bad dealer would wreck even the best stove out there.

 

[Buschpounder]

Thanks for info so far. I was leaning toward Enviro but first pellet stove and dealer 3 hours may not be good.

 

[jtakeman]

St Croix seems to have a good rep here. Lots a members and not much bad. The newer stoves have the revolution burnpot.

Seeing you have electric heat and the woodstove insert(great backup for power outages). I would look into a freestanding unit. They are easier to load and maintain overall. Just putting it out there for thought! Unless you have a genny!

 

[schmeg]

Don't waste your time on the Glowboy. I had one for a season. It isn't very efficient, and sounds like a Hoover on anything but
the lowest setting. Lots of good stoves out there. The amount of room in your fireplace may play into things. I already had a
steel insert which fits into a studded up wall, so room wasn't an issue for me, but masonry can be an issue if there isn't much room
to work with. A friend of mine has the Enviro and had great results. I went to a Rika because it had a reputation of being very quiet.

 

[krooser]

I'd also look into a freestanding stove... usually they have a larger pellet hopper and ash pan. They may be easier to keep clean which is important.

I have a St. Croix stove and it's been reliable and trouble free for 4 years now... I bought it used.

 

[rona]

Usually a insert type stove is more expensive, has less hopper space , smaller ash hopper, and the exhaust system is a lot more expensive to install. Maintenence will take longer.
Just the difference in cleaning the chimney pipe versus a small out the back through the wall will be a big issue.

 

[Glosta]

Quadrafire also makes an excellent insert. Search this forum for "Quadrafire Insert". Lots and lots of happy Quad owners.

 

[krooser]

It's been said here many times... customer service is the biggest factor in determining what stove you buy. A good 'deal' or fancy trim work is no substitute for a good, knowledgable dealer.

 

[ARGlock]

I'd also look into a freestanding stove... usually they have a larger pellet hopper and ash pan. They may be easier to keep clean which is important.

I have a St. Croix stove and it's been reliable and trouble free for 4 years now... I bought it used.

Krooser, what model St. Croix do you have? I heard these are pretty good stoves.

AR

 

[Buschpounder]

I wish I had room for a free standing stove but unfortunately, I don't. I could put a free stander in the basement and let the stairway door open to the upstairs but I don't think that would be as efficient as having an insert upstairs. Thanks for all the info so far.

 

[briansol]

As an insert owner, I sometimes regret having an insert as well. If you don't have the room, you don't have the room. I just wanted an easier pipe run without cutting into my house. Now, i sometimes regret not being able to burn some wood. I've collected a few trees/large branches that have fallen, and there's only so many out door firepits one can have in a summer before the neighbors get mad. Would be nice to be able to use my fireplace.

Plus, inserts tend to cost a few bucks more, hold less pellets, and have smaller ash pans than the same model in free-standing form.

but you are right, you don't want to put it in your basement. You want a pellet stove IN the room you want to heat.

 

[rona]

If you have a St Croix dealer close I would recommend looking into them. They have a good reputation as far as working without a lot of problems. just make sure the dealer shows you all the cleaning procedure needed before you purchase it. I would insist on that regardless which brand you buy. Nothing I hate worse then bad surprises after I get it home.

 

[dsnedegar3]

I have a Quadrafire Mount Vernon insert and am going on my third season with absolutely no problems. It burns multiple fuels (I have only burned pellets), and has a normal and quiet mode. The fan has variable speed based on your heating requirements. Also, because the motor is DC, you can have a marine battery power the unit in case you lose power with an optional cable. It also has a thermostat that automatically controls the temperature based on time of day.

My neighbor has and Accentra insert --- seems to go through lighters all the time. Also, the Accentra insert heat output is much less than my quad (not sure what your requirements are). My neighbor really likes my unit because it's programmed to come on in the AM and late afternoon so the house is warm in advance. Also, the Accentra temp control is a pain (his words) because it's very low on the stove and difficult to read.

I used two tons of pellets last year and cut my oil by about 550 gallons. Very pleased with my purchase. Stove with install was about $4800 before tax credit.