Enviro Maxx: Yes or No?

[rocketpeacock]

Hi All,

I have a Victorian home that's around 2000 sq ft, with blown-in insulation but old windows. I spent my first full Nova Scotia winter in it, and spent a ton of money on heating oil. Now I'm purchasing a pellet stove to save costs and have narrowed it down to the Maxx. It has the highest BTU rating, and at the top of my budget.

I am looking to install it on my main floor in the foyer, in a corner configuration, so that it will blow heat into the living room and I will use a ceiling fan to spread the heat around the main floor and up my stairs.

My final questions are:

1) Will the stove be too loud? (It will be in my foyer, but will it still be obtrusively loud while watching TV?) I know others have installed the Maxx in their basement, not main floor.

2) Is the stove overkill for my house and insulation rating? Would I be better off with an Enviro M55 or Enviro Meridian?

3) Is the agitation auger on the Maxx-M worth the extra cost (the Maxx and Maxx-M are identical except for this feature)?

Thanks everybody! Look forward to your insight!

 

[whitetailscout]

Just a quick thought on this... The Enviro Maxx is a very modern looking stove, the M55 Cast would probably fit into your Victorian home very nicely.

 

[batchman]

FWIW the difference between the Maxx and Maxx-M is more than that, the stirrer is not just an add-on. Try to look at the two burn pots together.

+1 on the Cast M55 (truly gorgeous in enamel), which is the same burn setup as Maxx-M, and would be 'at home in the home' much more so than the Maxx. Not that I don't like my Maxx-M, but it's in the (finished) basement and belongs in the basement where I can work ducting (next project, honest).

Good luck,
- Jeff

 

[Don2222]

Hello

If I got the Enviro Maxx, I would put it in the basement and then get the optional ductwork kit and cut a couple of floor registers to bring the heat up. The basement might be warmer but the living area would be comfortable. In this way, the pipes in the basement would not freeze either.

The M55 would look real nice in the upstairs and has a much quieter convection fan and quieter exhaust blower

So if you got both, then you would not have to spend any money on clothing.

 

[rocketpeacock]

Thanks everyone for the quick replies.

I should have mentioned that another big feature that I like about the Maxx/Maxx-M is that it has its own bolt-on hearthpad, which will really save on floor space and cost (hearth pads are $400 plus in my area and I have no desire to build one). Not many stoves I've seen from Enviro and other manufacturers have their own pads. The M55 needs a separate hearth pad.

The biggest thing I am concerned about with the Maxx/Maxx-M is the noise. It has a big fan but it says in the manual it has a 'variable speed' control. Does this mean I can control the noise? Also, I would be putting the stove in the main floor foyer, not the living room, but will it still be too loud?

Thanks again everyone!

 

[MountainSean]

More air flow = more noise, there just isn't any way around that. Some designs will be a little quieter than others depending on how their heat exchangers are set up. The Maxx has a 455 CFM convection fan, it moves a lot of air compared to most other pellet stoves about 155 more CFM than the M55 for example. As far as how it will impact your tv watching, that depends on how far your foyer is from your TV and how many bends or doorways are in between the two. In the end you will most likely just adjust to being used to the noise the stove makes as it is just a white noise that your brain shoves into the background very quickly.

If your biggest concern is the noise and secondary is to heat your house then get an M55, they are much quieter but less BTU's and are also a gorgeous stove and it will heat your home nicely. If you are wanting something to heat your home and a primary function with noise and looks secondary then get the Maxx because it will heat your house amazingly.

 

[batchman]

Don't be too impressed with the included hearthpad. You can do the same with a square yard of 1/16th sheetmetal spray painted black, because that's all it is. In fact it's less material than that as it is cut out under the stove... Hmmm... My stove sits on a tile floor so if you're really wanting that hearthpad I'd be happy to send you mine, and that offer will stand until I need to make something out of it.

If your decor is mid-century industrial and you run several window fans in the summer, are used to someone periodically grinding coffee, have a fridge with an active ice-maker or run an older dishwasher nightly, you'll be right at home with it in your living space. Otherwise, not so much.

Honestly it is not as loud or obnoxious as all that but it does show its' roots as an industrial grade appliance - notice the used ones you see mostly have the "gun slit" window in the door. I keep mine directly below my living room and it is audible when it builds up a little crud; there are 4 motors in the thing, some quite large and some very high torque, and y'know what it is not an infrequent thing for one of them to make an industrial sounding burp.

And do beware that things found on the internet are sometimes out of date, my vintage '13 Maxx-M is not settable to 70k btu nor is the convection fan speed adjustable other than by changing the heat setting (burn rate).

All that said though I really really like my Maxx-M, so please don't get me wrong. I just would not want it in my day-to-day living space - I'm working on duct work to move the wonderful heat around.

Good luck,
- Jeff

 

[stovelark]

Hi Rocket- I agree with almost all said above. However, the Maxx is about the only stove that can replace most large wood stoves and do it convincingly with its heat output. Is it noisier?? Yes but if its about delivering heat in your home for around 3 grand (3500-3700 with the M55), most can live with the extra noise. If noise is a primary concern, then the Maxx will be noisy. For quietness, the M55 cast or Quadrafire Mount Vernon E2 (the E2 is probably a better value, it cost about 300 bucks less) and in my view, the E2 is the quietest pellet stove that is a hot heater that I have seen. I have been and still are an ardent Enviro person, but this new Quad is turning heads at the store. Good luck in your search..