A Helping Hand

Hello Everyone, I'm new to Hearth.com...lol...please be gentle.
I'm in VT. My state is offing a program to install/replace older inefficient heating equipment for which I qualify.
I'm still relatively new to pellet stoves, though I've been using one (loaner) for roughly 3/4 yrs.
I'm looking for guidance, ideas, really anything that may be of help choosing a new pellet stove of my own.

The stove inplace now is the only one I've ever used. I've no other experience to go off of.
The stove is an Englander-PDVC believe 11/07. My log-home is 800sqft. with a 15ft high ceiling.
The home has been newly insulated in the roof area, (8)-double-pane windows, (2)-energy efficient doors installed. The logs themselves are tongue & groove fitment, sealed along each joint/seam as well. The home just had an energy audit roughly 1/2 yrs ago was given A+ rating.

With my disability & age. I tend to like the home on the warm side (75/80) esp. on the coldest days, probably uncomfortable for many though. I have no issue cleaning the stove, I rather enjoy it, & probably preform too often (2+x-per-day) during use, no matter the settings. An ash pan is a feature wished for, other on my wish list larger room blower able to push heat little further out into the room. I have been reading/studying so many areas of the internet my head spins. I did install a hopper extension which has been great, also a door installed over the convection blower, allowing for quick cleaning each day. Sound levels are no issue, as I'm deaf.

My Main Wishes:
Ash Pan / Large Convection Blower-CFM / Large-Larger Hopper / (also the ability to operate both the feed rate, &, room blower independent of the other, which I really like with this present stove)

My local dealers (part of the heat program) are steering towards the following stoves:
Harman P43 / P61
Pelpro-ppc90 / pp130
Avalon-AGP
Lopi-Deerfield
Quadra-Fire-Mt.Vernon-AE / Mt.Vernon-E2 / Classic-Bay1200
Englander PDV / PAH / CPM

I've several questions: Will a stove that cycles on & off, rather than just maintain steady level, use more energy?. Also, will the same stove go thru igniters quicker, having to cycle on/off repeatedly?. &. which stoves have that ability outside the Englander line.

I'm not sure how I feel about cast stoves, if a hopper ext. could be added down the rd. if desired.
Also worry cats may burn themselves should they climb onboard...

Again, at this point, I'm open to everything offered by others that be in the know, as I have no experience with any other stove outside the present PDVC.

Thank You Ever So Much Scott (SMRY)

Thank You.. First I may have typed incorrect Harman model P38 as it does seem P43 was the actual model.
For clearances, believe I should be in fine shape. both sides of present stove, has no walls, at the rear I've exactly 2ft to the present exhaust pipe.
The top of PDVC gets lukewarm, never hot, Handsome-Boy (cat) still able to pass across it on his way to the window. Pellets I must say, no idea if those I use are considered good/bad/between, as really the only brand offered, or, able to get reliably close to home. They're New England Wood Pellet Premium(blend), $249 per ton delivered.

Thank You!... Doesn't it seem strange my pellet vender (LaValley's) of both Lebanon / N. Walpole NH. able to deliver (roughly 50miles/less) for that price, being further away too, than you, pretty much at the plants doorsteps. Anyways not having tried others, can't compare. Last year 2017 winter I ordered 7-tons both due to VT offering help & Lavalley's offing a sale, another $10 off of $249 each ton, thus I ordered 7-tons at $239-delivered (min order had to be 2-tons). I burned 3.5-tons. It seemed this last yrs batch burned supper clean, very little ash, very fine powder, rather than more grainy/granular texture. The door glass only took a quick drywipe, rather than a shutdown during deeper cleaning (firepot/impingement plate/ash area). perhaps the Plant/vendors have an agreement the plant not to sell pellets to the general public, so as not to shutout, the store, or, at lest not to offer a better price, again cutting the stores themselves out of the picture if you will. I do believe I'd still like to try others, as, I rather enjoy testing/experimenting.

Surely doesn't make sense. Like you point out, esp. with trucking/fuel prices being what they are. Received a call from Heat-Squad Friday &, starting to push me to make a choice in stoves. Honestly, still feeling overwhelmed. Director of the program, advised, get as much stove as possible, being a one time opportunity resulting in no cost. They would like me to look into the following as base, however, not limited to, should something else fit the bill, with 3-local vendors.

("brands available by 3 local suppliers we work with, and, further by emissions cap which is at least 70% efficient, and, max 2.0 grams/ hr emissions.")

Thank You Don,
I snapped several quick shots of access door to the convection blower. The door itself I fabbed from a floor register cut in half from the local hardware store. So much easier than trying to snake the brush/vac underneath. The PDVC is actually a nice stove. Works great. I would say, long as anyone owning this stove, along with the PDV, keeps knocking the crust from the lower lip at auger, on somewhat of a regular basis during the season should be golden. I really like being able to operate the Heat & Convection blower separate from one another. Just thought, while I have the opportunity to try another stove would indeed do so, &, hopefully an upgrade.

The Auger Bearing Upgrade.. can you steer me in the right direction, surely would like to see, perhaps purchase. I as a rule keep the bearings greased with the red-hi-temp, several squirts during the season. Off season, remove both augers, &, wire-wheel, along with running wheel down the auger-tubes. The other side of stove (exhaust blower) usually keep pretty clean, &, remove during maint as well. I rather enjoy it, as, keeps me active, &, reminds me of my days with the RRs.

I've also discovered from time to time pellets unburned in the pot. What I've done an experiment at the time is to cut a pc of window screen as I had lots of. I folded a pc over placed just under the wear plate. This has eliminated pellets from not burning. After a fashion, perhaps once a year I need to replace the screen having finally burned thru. It really does last a long time, &, I don't find un-burned pellets dropping further down inside the burn-pot itself in front of the fresh air tube. I've also drilled every other hole in the wear plate slightly larger, for an extra-boost.. Snapshots just after 3-weeks use, for a general idea.

Sorry there Don, must have passed over your ?... The hinges I believe were sized / for jewelry boxes / medicine cabinet, been some time, not big at all. the knob is just a standard cabinet knob. I drilled a hole in the stove used the bolt & nut that came with the knob,, I just spin the knob on to keep closed & spin off during cleaning. As an after thought, was going to use two magnets, but, this works so well, never got around to try other.

Don2222 said:

Interesting about the burn pot.
What size did you drill the holes out too?

Click to expand...

Holes drilled went with 1/4 inch. Have been thinking of trying 7/32 on the remaining holes, slightly larger than factory holes, but, don't want to hurt performance. It worked just great this last season, don't want to start going backwards with any mods. I had also saved the panel cut from side, thinking should it be too loud for others could always block once again.
Just for the hell of it, I also tried a Styrofoam cup fitted to the blower with the small end cut open, thinking, somewhat of a ram-air effect. The cup (large end) fit perfectly, unfortunately, performance went down. However, not shown in the older snapshot, have installed a pc of filter (taken from an old AC unit) fitted to both the door & blower which helps keep the dust-bunnies at bay.

Sticking with the 1/4 for the largest holes.. 7/32 being ever so slightly smaller, not sure going to bother with the remaining factory holes (3/16), like I say, worked great as is. I failed to mention though, opened the igniter hole ever so slightly & with a taper/bevel. that too really helped the fire start much quicker. Your project, could always cut your perforated pc, then just lay inside the pot (over the old grate), should it work to your liking (testing) this season, come spring do a nice fitment / weld up. I like the welder.. Really enjoy my Lincoln-125/mig/argon. Anything too large a project, just take to the roundhouse.

My stove project started out, wanting more heat, without the need to fire the stove in the upper ranges, say 5 & above, on heat setting.
When I started out, discovered at times, the little block-off plate at the bottom of hopper, had often prevented a steady flow of pellets, no matter how I adjusted this plate, &, seemed to coincide with my heat being set on 1-2. I've removed this plate, result, no dry fires, doesn't seem to use anymore fuel without this plate regardless of heat settings.
My normal routine from startup, is, set heat on 4, room-blower 9-(all the time). Once the room gets up to the temp I'm most comfy at, 75/80, I back the heat down to 1-2, which is just enough to maintain both the stove, &, my preferred temps, without fear pellets may fail to drop.
These settings have saved me tons of pellets, whiles still keeping the house toasty, &, should it really be necessary (rare) to crank the heat, have a large safety-valve of choices above 5 to 9 within the heat range.
Having installed the screen under the wear-plate has prevented pellets from not burning completely. Drilling every other hole in the wear-plate has helped greatly, by allowing more fresh air to enter the hot coals. Drilling/Beveling the igniter hole, has allowed more air to reach its tip, &, heat to reach the pellets faster. My start-up routine takes less than 10mins to a nice roaring fire. Please-Note, I also use a thermostat as of last season, another test, result, I really can't see any difference alongside my preferred settings on the stove itself, from when the stat wasn't installed. My pellets NEWPs are stored outside on skids, covered year round, with roughly half ton inside the home any given time.

You know, several calls to the tech dept. in the past, gave
691- up to 05, models, followed by, 641- 05 to present models.

I tried both, &, a whole host of others along the way...lol...
Most days, I'm able to keep at 241 which really saves the fuel, whiles maintaining the heat quite well..
I operate 641 on the very coldest days (sub-zero-days-on-end).
Whiles 691 produces lots of heat as well, found that it burned thru the pellets
faster than I care for. That 9 really pumps the "Low Burn Air" thru the embers.

Pellet storage not something able to change, due to space / funds.
Half ton inside for weeks/months at a time, surprisingly seems to be working very well.
Those remaining outside, have been very well protected thus far, have yet to find wet
sawdust / bloated pellets. However, would prefer a silo/bin of some sort one day.

Latest Update: Look like I'm down to 3-vendors within my area for stove choices, &, local heat program has approved the following models. Vendor1= P43 /\ Vendor2= Mt.VernonE2, Deerfield, AGP /\ Vendor3= 25-PAH, 25-PDV, PPC90, PPC130. They've all got their pluses & minuses, has my head spinning. Looking for feedback from the Hearth Family...lol...Don't Be Shy....