Purchase and install

Do some research over the rest of the winter, look for a good used unit in the spring on whatever local buy/sell/trade resource you have there ...... Best advice I can offer, this is the WRONG time of year for a purchase/install/get pellets party .......

Hey Wakeboarder! I'm sure others far more in the know than I will be along soon to answer the technical questions....I did purchase and install my own Englander 25-pdvc in October of this year. I do recommend lots of reading, research and advice before undertaking the project but a safe and proper self-install certainly can be done. I know venting is critical to the proper operation of the stove, and it must be done in accordance with the stove manufacturer, vent manufacturer and local code requirements....be sure to l.et your insurance company know whats up too...just to be safe.

As to different stoves and price, I chose the Englander based on my lurking here at the forum....it's a unit that requires more frequent cleaning than some others, and any repairs in or out of warranty are done by the owner (albeit with fantastic support from Englanders Service Team), however the stove costs much less than other units on the market. I know there are a good amount of Harmon owners here who swear by their stoves and the ease of daily maintenance...but I think many of them paid more than I did up front....it really is a choice based on your preferences!

Good luck with the install...I am still amazed at the heat output and already major savings vs the electric baseboards I've had for years....wish I'd have done this a decade ago

To some extent pellet stoves are a "you get what you pay for" appliance. The more you spend, the more you can typically expect in quality, fit and finish, as well as performance. More expensive stoves should be more efficient with your fuel, and maybe keep themselves a little cleaner. And of course you're paying for aesthetics - the expensive stoves certainly look prettier. However, there are plenty of less expensive but very capable stoves that can still produce great, efficient, trouble free heat. You'll want to think about BTUs you need for the space you want to heat, hopper size if you're looking for extended run times between fueling, if the stove will adapt to a thermostat if you want, ash pan size (again important for extended running between cleanouts), etc. If you look around the forum it's likely that you might be a little concerned reading about all the problems everybody seems to be having. You gotta remember an internet forum is like a comment box at a restaurant. Everybody leaves a nasty comment when they're having trouble, but rarely do you hear neutral and good feedback from the vast majority of patrons.

As important as the stove you select is the installation of that stove. Pellet stoves are basically a big air pump, and efficient operation relies heavily on them breathing right. The exhaust and intake vent (you'll see people call those OAKs on here, that's Outside Air Kit) design and installation have everything to do with how well the stove runs. I would recommend taking a look at the operators manual of some of the stoves you're interested in to see what each manufacture requires for venting. Typically, you want to run the exhaust as short as possible, and as vertical as possible, with as few bends as possible, while having at least a few feet of vertical rise to ensure a natural draft in the event of a combustion blower failure (ie. power goes out, blower dies, etc.). Adding elbows increases the EVL (that's Equivelent Vent Lenght) quickly - a 90* bend has an EVL of 5', a 45* has an EVL of ~2.5'. 1' of horizontal piping has an EVL of 1', vertical piping has a EVL of 0.5' per 1'. Most stoves will tolerate an EVL of about 15' with 3" pipe, or 30' with 4" pipe - again check the manual on the particular stoves you're interested in - most have really good information and diagrams of several install options. That 4" flue may, or may not be a good option - you'd want to check it out thoroughly and make sure its in good repair, and make sure you understand the EVL of the whole system.

You also need to consider the intake air (OAK) - all manufactures recommend them, and some even require them. You'll find plenty of debate on here about them. There is a reason they are recommend by all manufactures and most of us run them - they work. If you want to learn more about that there is a good thread running near the top of this forum right now with several pages of reading on the topic and debaters on both sides of the discussion.

Finally, you have to think about clearance to combustibles (walls, furniture, etc) and if you need a hearth pad. You'll also want to consider where you'll store your pellets, and clean out equipment - an ash vacuum, good scraping tool, old paint brush, rubber mallet, and a cheap electric leaf blower are a good starting place. A surge protector is a good investment to protect your control board. Installing a stove isn't very difficult, as you said you're handy, and that's about all you need with a few simple home carpentry tools for installing the venting system. Hopefully that gives you a few things to think about!

BTW I'm in the Englander camp too - you can't beat the value. It's a solid stove, not as pretty, but just as functional.

You calling my Englander UGLY...she's a big heavy girl but she keeps me warm at night and complains less than the wife...I luv them both...lol

acammer said:

As important as the stove you select is the installation of that stove.

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I couldn't agree more. My neighbor just bought a nice used stove that the seller chose to get rid of, rather than meet his insurance company's demand that it be re-installed by a professional. Seller had just recently purchased the home, and the stove was installed pretty half-a**ed, just sitting on a wood laminate floor - no hearth pad, no nothin.

Wakeboarder said:

Hi all, hopefully I've found the right place to ask some questions about adding a pellet stove to our finished basement living room.

.... In the area I'd like to install it, ideally I'll run the exhaust through the wall into the furnace room, then out.
Looking into that room I saw a capped 4" flue that I was told was used for a woodburning stove about 20 years ago.

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This is a great place for info when you ask a specific question. General questions get hit with a fire-hose of opinions.

With fire-hose in hand, I 2nd what hossthehermit suggested: get fully informed about what's out there and how that fits your needs. The aesthetics do drive up the price, but for me hopper size and daily/weekly maintenance is key (ie ash drawer is a must have). The spring time is when all the new stoves go on sale or get big coupons/rebates. That's when the used stoves also hit CL, so if you're handy you could pick up a dirty diamond. Also learn the different OEM philosophies, from Harmon who does everything thru dealers (no diy'er wanted), to Englander who will stay on the phone with you but you'll turn the screwdriver. Whatever model catches your eye, don't rush. You'll be living with it for a long time.

The second part of your post about venting could lead you into some trouble if you DIY it without vetting the details. The comment about going from one basement room into another and then out may lead to problems with an excessive horizontal run. Be careful with that, and break that out as a specific question when you're ready.