Extremely green newb with a 2011 25-PDVC

[Prospect62]

Hello all,

Great forum here. I'm on a few forums, mostly car/Jeep stuff. This one is nice because people seem friendly and more than willing to share experiences, tips, tricks and pictures. I guess what follows is my introduction/first question post...

I just picked up a used 2011 Englander 25-PDVC for a 400 sq/ft unattached, uninsulated workshop on the property of a home I just bought last June. When I say uninsulated, I mean it. Studs and plywood, metal siding, cement floor, a few vinyl replacement windows, a couple man doors and two uninsulated overhead doors. Light comes in through the eaves...that kind of uninsulated. I have been told this stove will work for keeping the place relatively warm. I'm a warm blooded fella, so 60-65 would be more than acceptable to me during the winter here in upstate NY where it's been around 15-30 outside over the last few months.

The stove is pretty clean and the guy I bought it from started it and got it rolling for me in his driveway when I bought it. It started easily and in about 10 minutes got hot enough for the convection blower to kick on while sitting in a driveway on an 11 degree day. I was impressed.

I found this post:

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/cleaning-and-inspecting-the-englander-25-pdvc.69425/

Which is where I plan on starting with this stove. Does anyone else have any recommendations or advice?

Thanks and keep up the good work!

Dan

 

[doghouse]

Nope. Pretty much says it all. I would add that you may need to clean out the heat exchanger tubes. Dryer lint screen brush works well.

 

[Prospect62]

Ok, I can do that! Thanks.

 

[johneh]

I wouldn't expect to be able to heat your uninsulated
shop . Heat will go up and out the eves .

 

[Prospect62]

I wouldn't expect to be able to heat your uninsulated
shop . Heat will go up and out the eves .

Well. That's disappointing. Now what the hell do I do. I was under the impression that uninsulated shops were great for applications of wood and pellet stoves. At least I didn't put a hole in my wall yet...

 

[blades]

yep, ya got some sealing up to do before firing that stove up.

 

[Prospect62]

Well, that's not happening anytime soon. If I had the money to do insulation and drywall I wouldn't be buying pellet stoves used.

Should I throw this thing back on Craigslist and just get a kerosene Salamander? Would a wood stove be more appropriate due to the radiant vs. convection heat? Or should I buy a few bags of pellets and give it a go?

What do you guys think?

 

[BigJohnfromCT]

Well, that's not happening anytime soon. If I had the money to do insulation and drywall I wouldn't be buying pellet stoves used.

Should I throw this thing back on Craigslist and just get a kerosene Salamander? Would a wood stove be more appropriate due to the radiant vs. convection heat? Or should I buy a few bags of pellets and give it a go?

What do you guys think?

Why not fire it up, as long as you don't have to buy anything else. It would seem to me that if you want to do any painting/refinishing in upstate New York in January or February you're going to need heat. So, eventually you're going to seal and insulate. Just my two cents.

 

[Prospect62]

Nah, no painting or refinishing going on here. Mainly electrical work and hobby type stuff.

It's not a 24/7 heat need, which is one of the reasons a pellet stove seemed more appealing than a traditional wood stove. Faster and easier starts. That and the less complicated, less hazardous venting vs. stove pipe, chimneys and the like.

I'm extraordinarily leery of kerosene heaters blowing God knows what into my breathing air, although it would seem that a very high BTU kerosene forced air heater would probably suit me best.

I won't rule out the possibility of insulating the building at some point, but it's much lower on the list than heating it was.

I suppose I can give it a go and see what happens.

 

[Pete Zahria]

Speaking from experience with working in garages...
Don't bother with the pellet stove.
First, you are not going to keep it going all the time.
It will never get the place warm, on an "as needed basis".
The kerosene jet engine, if it's a good running one, on K1,
is not unbearable... but it will give off fumes.
I had one running on a thermostat... but that is not a really good method either.
The wood stove, if you got a good sized one, would get your garage up to temp better than
that pellet stove... and put out a lot more heat.

I have a pellet stove like yours in my garage/shop now.
I've had wood stoves, kerosene stoves, and kerosene space heaters..
It is insulated, with an insulated ceiling, and an insulated OH door. Three double pane windows.
It works pretty good in there.
But you are going to be wicked disappointed, if you think that is going to keep your shop
at 60-65, on an as need basis.... in the winter..

Just sayin'......

Dan

 

[Prospect62]

Thank you for that input. Not really sure what to do at this point. I liked the idea of keeping the area warm even when I wasn't working in there, although there will be times it'll be cold and unoccupied for days on end. I have things in there that, if it gets down below freezing, I'd like to keep warm.

Another issue with the Kerosene jet engine is the condensation created. Remember those things I wanted to keep warm? They are metal. I absolutely cannot do something that would cause rust to form where it wouldn't otherwise. I really, really like the idea of a wood or pellet stove drying the place out when in use.

It would seem a good size wood stove would be able to keep the place warm? I guess I'll have to see about that chimney after all.

Completely at a loss. Really bummed that the pellet stove isn't going to work.

Thanks again for the information to all.

 

[Pellet rick]

Agreed a pellet stove in an uninsulated garage will not do it for quick warm ups. I would sell it and buy a wood burner. They can be picked up cheap and will heat the garage quickly ounce it is rolling. Just my opinion though

 

[Pete Zahria]

I wouldn't worry about the moisture aspect if you were just using it (torpedo) once in a while.
I never had an issue with that... and my shop has tons of metal tools etc.
Not to mention many race car chassis.

Those unvented propane heaters are BRUTAL... Cheap... but don't do it.

Wood stove can get up to temp very fast...
First two seasons in my shop, were similar to yours.....
get one that has a good sized firebox..
I sold my Ashley, which is a good stove, for $350....
A Harman pellet stove to heat your place would be at least $2500 used...
And you would eat up serious pellets just keeping your place barely warm...

Dan