55-SHP22L is in and roasting me out of the house!!!

[alexei27]

First off thanks to everyone one the forum who helped me along the way. I installed my Summers Heat stove last week and have been running it every day. At a fairly low setting (feed of 2, blower on 4-5) I use about 3/4 bag of Lignetic pellets per day. To be honest I would like to produce a little less heat because the stove is keeping the 1st floor of my house at 75-80 deg...and the 2nd floor at 70-75. The stove is easily heating 1800 sq ft and the oil burner has not been on since I lit up last week!

Have not had the inspector come out yet...but I hope to do that this week.

I'll post pics here shortly.

Here are a few questions....

1) Have had 2 shutdowns due to the hopper getting down to about 1/3 full....and the remaining pellets getting hung up along the sides of the hopper. I tap the sides and they all fall into the auger...start the stove back up and all is well. Is there anyway to avoid the pellets getting hung up....or do I just need to keep the thing full?

2) Can those with a thermostat speak to how well they work? did you notice a significant reduction in the amount of pellets you went through?

Thanks again!

 

[MCPO]

First off thanks to everyone one the forum who helped me along the way. I installed my Summers Heat stove last week and have been running it every day. At a fairly low setting (feed of 2, blower on 4-5) I use about 3/4 bag of Lignetic pellets per day. To be honest I would like to produce a little less heat because the stove is keeping the 1st floor of my house at 75-80 deg...and the 2nd floor at 70-75. The stove is easily heating 1800 sq ft and the oil burner has not been on since I lit up last week!

Have not had the inspector come out yet...but I hope to do that this week.

I'll post pics here shortly.

Here are a few questions....

1) Have had 2 shutdowns due to the hopper getting down to about 1/3 full....and the remaining pellets getting hung up along the sides of the hopper. I tap the sides and they all fall into the auger...start the stove back up and all is well. Is there anyway to avoid the pellets getting hung up....or do I just need to keep the thing full?

2) Can those with a thermostat speak to how well they work? did you notice a significant reduction in the amount of pellets you went through?

Thanks again!

Arghhhh How is it only you can heat 1800 sq ft easily on 3/4 bag of pellets a day to 80 degrees and have the upper floor at 75 and actually need to burn less pellets cause it`s too much heat? I`m assuming you are burning continuous since you ask about a thermostat.
This simply defies even my vivid imagination.

 

[MCPO]

OK, maybe Long Island temps are significantly warmer than the northeast and that could help account for such low pellet useage. My oil furnace doesn`t come on either when it`s 55 outside.(only for hot water)

 

[travlnusa]

To keep the pellets flowing, when the hopper is low, rub wax paper on the sides, walls, etc. This helped mine.

 

[MCPO]

Every so often I rub powdered graphite on the side walls. It certainly isn`t going to hurt the auger tube.

 

[alexei27]

Yeah it's not that cold here on LI. We have been in the teens at night only a few times. Most cooler nights are upper 20s. A far cry from when I lived outside Albany. I also sealed the windows with shrink plastic so its pretty insulated.

That pellet amount is 18-22 hrs a day (I am still scared of the thing and shut it off when noone is in the house). I am going to try to crack a window upstairs and see how it works.

thanks for the ideas on greasing up the hopper...I'll give it a try.

 

[cdodge04]

I too was very nervous about leaving the pellet stove going when I wasn't home, however now I just let it rip. I turn it down when I'm gone just because there is no sense to keep the house screamingly warm if nobody is home. I just make sure I clean my burnpot in the morning before I leave. Make sure the hopper is full of pellets and sealed down. Pellet stove seems about as safe as your other sources of heat (forced hot air furnance or hot water boiler).

 

[sydney1963]

Hi alexei27,

I'm up here in Maine and have had a few teen degree nights. We have a 1500 sq ft cape and the stove also cooks us out of the house (75* in the stove room and 68*-70*) everywhere else. Have only been using a bag to bag and a half during these teen temps (24/7). Only half a bag, if that, just warming it up in the morning and evening during 30-40* temps. I know our house is very well insulated. I keep the stove on 1-1 and 5-5-1 (lower buttons) and end up shutting it off when we get to 75*. I have experienced nights when the temps were in the teens and windy though, the wind does make a significant difference. Hope this helps. Seems like a lot of stove, doesn't it?.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

recently i installed a wall sta and have been quite tickled with how well it works , usually i run at heat 4 and blower 7 and the stove is banked probably 3/4 the time in the day and about half at night , im burning a bit over a bag a day and heating a 1250 sq ft ranch with the 25-pdvc

 

[woodsman23]

Wall stat works very well and you can regulate the heat output of your stove using it. Set it to 70 and it will be right at or very near 70 all the time, homedepot 35 bucks. good luck. Also cobver any seam , screw heads etc, inside your hopper with alum. tape for proper pellet flow.

 

[alexei27]

Hi alexei27,

I'm up here in Maine and have had a few teen degree nights. We have a 1500 sq ft cape and the stove also cooks us out of the house (75* in the stove room and 68*-70*) everywhere else. Have only been using a bag to bag and a half during these teen temps (24/7). Only half a bag, if that, just warming it up in the morning and evening during 30-40* temps. I know our house is very well insulated. I keep the stove on 1-1 and 5-5-1 (lower buttons) and end up shutting it off when we get to 75*. I have experienced nights when the temps were in the teens and windy though, the wind does make a significant difference. Hope this helps. Seems like a lot of stove, doesn't it?.

great info. Yeah it's a lot of stove. Took a little getting used to...but I am happy having the larger model. I have not yet messed with the lower 3 buttons. Sounds like we have similar situations (I too have a cape). We get a wicked wind off LI Sound and that when its noticeably cooler upstairs. Thanks for the reply.

I'll be up in Maine in a few weeks for Navy reserve duty at Brunswick (and to pick up Lobsters!)

 

[sydney1963]

Hi alexei27,

I'm up here in Maine and have had a few teen degree nights. We have a 1500 sq ft cape and the stove also cooks us out of the house (75* in the stove room and 68*-70*) everywhere else. Have only been using a bag to bag and a half during these teen temps (24/7). Only half a bag, if that, just warming it up in the morning and evening during 30-40* temps. I know our house is very well insulated. I keep the stove on 1-1 and 5-5-1 (lower buttons) and end up shutting it off when we get to 75*. I have experienced nights when the temps were in the teens and windy though, the wind does make a significant difference. Hope this helps. Seems like a lot of stove, doesn't it?.

great info. Yeah it's a lot of stove. Took a little getting used to...but I am happy having the larger model. I have not yet messed with the lower 3 buttons. Sounds like we have similar situations (I too have a cape). We get a wicked wind off LI Sound and that when its noticeably cooler upstairs. Thanks for the reply.

I'll be up in Maine in a few weeks for Navy reserve duty at Brunswick (and to pick up Lobsters!)

Lobster here is selling at $4.99 per lb right now. Scare went out around the world that our lobster were poisined due to red tide or something like that. What didn't go out was it only affects the liver (tamalli, green stuff inside) the tail and claw meat are ok. The advantage is locals can buy them at a decent price. Have had several lobster feeds and lovin it. Take advantage of the low cost right now, helps the Maine economy.

 

[imacman]

Syd, maybe you can change your avatar to a cat eatin a lobster......he must be tired of popcorn by now. :sick:

 

[sydney1963]

I agree macman. LOL

 

[wilbilt]

Frozen lobster tails are about $25 each here. We would love to eat more of them, but have to buy those pellets at $5.08/bag.

Eat or heat, that is the dilemma.

 

[woodsman23]

Hi alexei27,

I'm up here in Maine and have had a few teen degree nights. We have a 1500 sq ft cape and the stove also cooks us out of the house (75* in the stove room and 68*-70*) everywhere else. Have only been using a bag to bag and a half during these teen temps (24/7). Only half a bag, if that, just warming it up in the morning and evening during 30-40* temps. I know our house is very well insulated. I keep the stove on 1-1 and 5-5-1 (lower buttons) and end up shutting it off when we get to 75*. I have experienced nights when the temps were in the teens and windy though, the wind does make a significant difference. Hope this helps. Seems like a lot of stove, doesn't it?.

great info. Yeah it's a lot of stove. Took a little getting used to...but I am happy having the larger model. I have not yet messed with the lower 3 buttons. Sounds like we have similar situations (I too have a cape). We get a wicked wind off LI Sound and that when its noticeably cooler upstairs. Thanks for the reply.

I'll be up in Maine in a few weeks for Navy reserve duty at Brunswick (and to pick up Lobsters!)

Lobster here is selling at $4.99 per lb right now. Scare went out around the world that our lobster were poisined due to red tide or something like that. What didn't go out was it only affects the liver (tamalli, green stuff inside) the tail and claw meat are ok. The advantage is locals can buy them at a decent price. Have had several lobster feeds and lovin it. Take advantage of the low cost right now, helps the Maine economy.

Excuse me but could you send me some lobsters, i will send you money, you send lobsters..... deal????

 

[alexei27]

As promised...here are a few pics...

My hearth. Its pretty simple. 3/4" plywood underneath. The 2X6's are eventually going to be painted or stained and will be used to anchor a wrought iron gate. This is to keep my two girls (2 and 3 year old) from easy access to the stove. The stone is a marble-like flagstone (I forget the name). They come in 6" X 12" at Lowes and cut fairly clean with a stone saw blade. The mosaic pattern was easier then I thought it would be.

Pic 2 is the Stove with pellets a-flowing. This is the historic moment before the 1st ignition. The sound you cannot enjoy is my wife standing behind me laughing as I take pictures of the stove. The curtains are about 6 inches from the rear corners of the stove. I was a little concerned at first...but there is really no heat to speak of back there.

 

[j00fek]

Hi alexei27,

I'm up here in Maine and have had a few teen degree nights. We have a 1500 sq ft cape and the stove also cooks us out of the house (75* in the stove room and 68*-70*) everywhere else. Have only been using a bag to bag and a half during these teen temps (24/7). Only half a bag, if that, just warming it up in the morning and evening during 30-40* temps. I know our house is very well insulated. I keep the stove on 1-1 and 5-5-1 (lower buttons) and end up shutting it off when we get to 75*. I have experienced nights when the temps were in the teens and windy though, the wind does make a significant difference. Hope this helps. Seems like a lot of stove, doesn't it?.

great info. Yeah it's a lot of stove. Took a little getting used to...but I am happy having the larger model. I have not yet messed with the lower 3 buttons. Sounds like we have similar situations (I too have a cape). We get a wicked wind off LI Sound and that when its noticeably cooler upstairs. Thanks for the reply.

I'll be up in Maine in a few weeks for Navy reserve duty at Brunswick (and to pick up Lobsters!)

Lobster here is selling at $4.99 per lb right now. Scare went out around the world that our lobster were poisined due to red tide or something like that. What didn't go out was it only affects the liver (tamalli, green stuff inside) the tail and claw meat are ok. The advantage is locals can buy them at a decent price. Have had several lobster feeds and lovin it. Take advantage of the low cost right now, helps the Maine economy.

Excuse me but could you send me some lobsters, i will send you money, you send lobsters..... deal????

if you really want em, go here (broken link removed to http://www.lobsterfrommaine.com/consumer_purchases.htm) =]

 

[MACHINE1]

I have the same stove and also had problems with pellets sticking in the hopper. I called the manufacturer and they suggested that the paint inside the hopper was to coarse and to sand it with some "00" steel wool. It helped alot. I was also having a problem with clinkers and the glass getting all black within a day. They suggested that I turn the low burn air setting (middle lower button) all the way up. This has helped the glass out but I still got clinkers. The next time I called them about the clinkers they suggested that I fill the 2 large holes at the back of the burn pot with steel wool. This also helped but I still get clinkers. I'm burning energex pellets and I shut down and clean out the burn pot twice daily. We live in a 2500 square ft farmhouse circa 1895 and we've burned a half ton already. by this time last year we had filled the oil tank twice and we haven't used more than a quarter tank this year (we still need hot water).