Adding a Pellet Stove to the Cellar

[dylskee]

Hello all, first time posting here in the Pellet Mill and I've got some questions. I currently run a Woodstock Fireview on my first floor of a Cape style house and it heats most of my first floor and all of my second floor. The far end of my house is my son's bed room and a bathroom with ceramic tile that doesn't get much heat at all from the wood stove. We use the stove as our main heat source, oil furnace hasn't been on in years now! Needless to say, the far end of the house isn't very warm and I also have a bedroom in the cellar as well that we use a space heater in the winter.

I would like to put a pellet stove in the cellar to heat about 900 SF and the floors of the first floor. Would it be a good idea to put it on a hearth pad? Not sure If I'd lose too much heat through the cellar floor or not? I don't have any experience with pellet stoves at all but I would assume it doesn't throw too much heat from the bottom of the stove, correct? I was thinking of buying a stove that would heat at least 1500 SF because it will be in my cold ass cellar...... How are the Englanders from Home Depot as far as quality, should I steer clear of the Home Depot specials? I would rather not spend $3000. but I also don't want a junker that's not going to heat my basement. It's also sales tax free weekend this Saturday and Sunday so I can save a few bucks as well!

Thanks in advance for any advice..........

 

[subsailor]

Pellet stoves DO get hot on the bottom.

Englanders are good stoves and their customer service is the best as long as you're mechanically able. Their senior service tech is a regular on this site. I'm not qualified to offer advice on which stove you should look at, but I'm sure others on here will.

 

[Jaymaine34]

I'm thinking about doing the samething . Just worried the heat would drive me out of there !

 

[kenstogie]

The 25 PDVCis a fine stove .... if you are mechanically iinclined. Ihave 2 and love them. It says its good to 1500 sf (i think) but Iimagine thats for an open floor plan.

 

[Pellet-King]

As a longtime cellar "woodstover", the heat of a woodstove would drive you out as you cant regulate it as much as a alot cooler running on low pellet stove, 90+ degree's was my cellar temp in my previous cape.

 

[sinnian]

The foundation will absorb a lot of heat before it radiates and heats the upstairs floor.

 

[Jaymaine34]

Not looking for a lot of heat just enough to take the chill off kids play down there a lot in the winter . Me I'm on the ice !

 

[Chain]

Are your basement walls insulated on either the outside wall or inside wall? Both? I would suspect that depending upon the answer to this question you'd be fine with putting a decent sized new or used pellet stove in your basement. As long as you realize that much of that heat may not make it upstairs into your primary living area. Given it sounds like you're primarily looking to "take the chill off," a pellet stove may be exactly what you need.

 

[dylskee]

Thanks for all the replies, very much appreciated! No, my basement walls are not insulated so that was a concern for me. I only want to heat the basement and the floor right above where the stove will be placed, a little less than 900 SF. I figured if I get a stove capable of 1500 SF that should be suffice? I figured a pellet stove would be perfect, I need something I don't have to babysit. My wood stove on the first floor is right in my living room next to my comfy recliner so I can keep up on that pretty easily! And the FireView has a great burn time, I can load it with a few splits at 10:00 PM and still have red hot coals at 5:00 AM. Would I benefit from putting the pellet stove on a hearth pad or would the difference be negligible?

 

[smoke show]

I have a basement install. Its not on a hearth pad. My walls have 2" foam on the outside. Its about 1k sq ft. I run the stove intermittently, its takes a few

hours for the walls to heat up but after that its just fine. I was using an Englander 25pdvc, but recently swapped it out for a Avalon with more features.

 

[MCPO]

Thanks for all the replies, very much appreciated! No, my basement walls are not insulated so that was a concern for me. I only want to heat the basement and the floor right above where the stove will be placed, a little less than 900 SF. I figured if I get a stove capable of 1500 SF that should be suffice? I figured a pellet stove would be perfect, I need something I don't have to babysit. My wood stove on the first floor is right in my living room next to my comfy recliner so I can keep up on that pretty easily! And the FireView has a great burn time, I can load it with a few splits at 10:00 PM and still have red hot coals at 5:00 AM. Would I benefit from putting the pellet stove on a hearth pad or would the difference be negligible?

 

[MCPO]

Thanks for all the replies, very much appreciated! No, my basement walls are not insulated so that was a concern for me. I only want to heat the basement and the floor right above where the stove will be placed, a little less than 900 SF. I figured if I get a stove capable of 1500 SF that should be suffice? I figured a pellet stove would be perfect, I need something I don't have to babysit. My wood stove on the first floor is right in my living room next to my comfy recliner so I can keep up on that pretty easily! And the FireView has a great burn time, I can load it with a few splits at 10:00 PM and still have red hot coals at 5:00 AM. Would I benefit from putting the pellet stove on a hearth pad or would the difference be negligible?

I`d say negligible. You are going to lose a significant amount of heat thru all the concrete regardless of whether or not you use a hearth pad. Bite the bullet and insulate the walls at least.

 

[dylskee]

My local HomeDepot doesn't carry the Englander Pellet stoves, Lowes stocks the Summers Heat Pellet stoves, are those equivalent or should I keep shopping?

 

[Don2222]

I have a basement install. Its not on a hearth pad. My walls have 2" foam on the outside. Its about 1k sq ft. I run the stove intermittently, its takes a few

hours for the walls to heat up but after that its just fine. I was using an Englander 25pdvc, but recently swapped it out for a Avalon with more features.

Hey Smoke
What kind of Avalon, it is not in your Signature?

 

[Don2222]

Would I benefit from putting the pellet stove on a hearth pad or would the difference be negligible?

IMO, there are many benefits of a nice RAISED hearth in the basement.
1. Having it higher off a damp floor keeps paint from chipping or peeling
2. Safer, running into a raised hearth hurts less than a hot stove
3. Easier to pull up a chair and clean it out without stooping to low!
4. Looks nicer. See comparison pic below! ! ! Same stove, but a nice raised hearth makes it look better. LOL

Click pic of "Dueling Quads" below to Enlarge

 

[Don2222]

Would I benefit from putting the pellet stove on a hearth pad or would the difference be negligible?

Let's put this another way.
I would Never think of putting my Harmy's on a cold basement floor or garage floor or shed floor!

See pic of "My 3 Harmans" below. Click to Enlarge

Pic 1 - Basement
Pic 2 - Garage
Pic 3 - Shed

 

[smwilliamson]

Let's put this another way.
I would Never think of putting my Harmy's on a cold basement floor or garage floor or shed floor!

See pic of "My 3 Harmans" below. Click to Enlarge

Pic 1 - Basement
Pic 2 - Garage
Pic 3 - Shed

Geez you for 3 now? How much of that HHT cool-aide did you drink?

 

[smoke show]

Newport, Don

 

[h2ochild]

My local HomeDepot doesn't carry the Englander Pellet stoves, Lowes stocks the Summers Heat Pellet stoves, are those equivalent or should I keep shopping?

The Summers Heat 55-SHP10,Timberidge 55-TRP10,and 25 PVDC are all the same stove..You might want to check out AMFM energy..(broken link removed to http://www.amfmenergy.com), they sell rebuilds at impressive savings, carrying the same warranty...I and others here, are very satisfied with our purchase from them.

 

[Lousyweather]

Geez you for 3 now? How much of that HHT cool-aide did you drink?

he doesn't own a Quad.......yet......maybe just drinking the Harman variant?

 

[dylskee]

Well, I bought a pellet stove today and I know I'm going to get flamed (<===Pun Intended) for my decision but........ I bought a Kozi Shop Heater, I figured for the money it would be fine down in my dark damp cellar. I know it doesn't get great reviews but I really didn't want to spend too much for something to heat the cellar. If it turns out to be a giant piece of crap, I'll get rid of it and get something more expensive. From what I've read so far, it really needs to burn high quality pellets to be happy, although that can be said for any stove really. I will be picking it up next weekend, now I have to make room down cellar and build a platform to sit it on so I'm not breaking my back cleaning it out. Now I have to figure out how to install it...

 

[subsailor]

Pic 3 - Shed

How come it's crooked on the hearth?

 

[Don2222]

How come it's crooked on the hearth?

It is not hooked up yet. I took out the burn pot to paint the fire box. I just got the Auto Ignition Upgrade Kit with the new burn pot. Now I have to put it in along with the new wiring harness and new control panel. LOL

 

[Don2222]

he doesn't own a Quad.......yet......maybe just drinking the Harman variant?

You must have missed those Quads I had LW

1st was a CB1200
2 & 3 were Quadrafire Santa Fe

Now I just have the older Contour with the pie warmer shelf. It keeps my coffee warm in the winter! LOL

 

[smwilliamson]

he doesn't own a Quad.......yet......maybe just drinking the Harman variant?

He has a sante fe