first time pellet stove purchase?

[cbb]

Gentleman; I am considering purchasing a new pellet stove, will be installed in cellar. 1300 sq. foot cellar and will be vented out lined brick chimney. I have heated with wood for over 40 years and would like to go with something a bit easier for me . I presently have an old cast iron inefficient wood stove that uses about 5 cord or so, depending on the winter

The brands i see in my locality are Harman and Lopi. Searching the forums, Harman seems to be a popular choice. Looking for a solid well made unit.

 

[ThePoncho]

They're both popular and well known names. But I have no experience with either, having just sold an Avalon that I bought new and used it for nearly 14 years and now have a brand new Ravelli.
That being said I would check out online reviews as well as comparing BTU output, hopper capacity, ash pan capacity and ease of maintenance as far as what has to be taken apart and cleaning intervals.
I've only been a member of this forum a very short time. But I think you'll find some very helpful people with valid opinions here. At least that's been my experience so far.

 

[johneh]

Just a word to the wise buy a bigger BTU stove than
you think you need or the salesman says will be OK
It is easier to turn a stove down than to get more heat
out of a maxed-out stove.
Both stoves you are looking at are good in their own way
I have been using the same stove (Enviro) for 20 years without
any major repairs. So go with something easy to clean, maintain
and repair

 

[cbb]

Thanks guys, appreciate the help! I am in no rush and will do some homework as you guys suggest.

 

[scajjr2]

Have had my Harman since 2013. Solid, well built, low maintanence, will burn just about any brand/quality pellet. Expensive but worth it.

sam

 

[bogieb]

I don't qualify to answer since I'm not a gentleman (or man of any type), but I've never been one not to butt in with my opinion. (No, I don't take offense so no reason to apologize, I just like to give people chit )

You don't say if you are just heating your cellar, or are hoping to heat your whole house. If the latter, just be aware that any pellet stove may not (or may) do a satisfactory job. It all depends on the dynamics of the house - for some it oworks well, for others (like me), it doesn't work out so well. Also you don't say if your basement is finished/unfinished, insulated or not.

Sure, go bigger than what you need on paper, but don't go overboard. An unfinished/uninsulated basement will suck out more heat than a finished, so that is a consideration.

Both stoves you mention are really good stoves. I am partial to Harman's., but have heard good things about Lopi. @ThePoncho brings up excellent points to ponder before buying: each stove is different for how often you have to clean, how big the ash pan is, how big the hopper is (or if an extension can be added), and ease of maintenance. Do you have a significant other? If so, it would be great to take into consideration what she/he can handle if you are ever laid up.

If your basement is a living area, aesthetics may be an important consideration - although everyone's definition of what looks good is different. I happen to like the simple looks of the Harman P-series, and they can be dressed up a bit (for extra $), but some like the wood stove look and others like European looks.

Another consideration is clearances - each stove is different. A Harman P-series has larger side clearance requirements than some of the other stoves of the same size out there. The installation and owners' manuals are available online, so take a look at all the information provided.

 

[cbb]

Thank you, Basement not entirely insulated, but will be by end of next year. Not a living space. but i use it for fly tying, some wood working etc. It is entirely open. Not really looking to heat entire house as I have a heatpump for upstairs and if/when needed a Toyotomi heater. This past summer I have enclosed the entire house, raised ranch, with 3 1/4" of foam insulation, strapping and new vinyl siding and a number of new windows. A ton of work but am happy with the outcome It is warmer and quieter. The wife can handle the pellets etc. In case of power outages I have a Honda 2200I generator that will handle the Toyo stove or the pellet stove.

Talked briefly ,over the phone, with a local (60 miles) stove salesman. He recommended the Harman brand, either P61 or the P68.

 

[cbb]

This will be vented up thru a masonry/brick chimney. I will be installing a stainless liner, cap etc. in the chimney this summer.

Is a OAK kit necessary? If so what is the diameter of the air pipe?

 

[bogieb]

This will be vented up thru a masonry/brick chimney. I will be installing a stainless liner, cap etc. in the chimney this summer.

Is a OAK kit necessary? If so what is the diameter of the air pipe?

Regardless if it is "necessary", I would install one. If your house is too tight, the stove won't breath right. And if your house is not that tight, cold air will come in the path of least resistance - which will inevitably be right where you spend the most time. OAKS are cheap, so no reason not to do it at the same time as the initial install. The professional installers didn't put one in for the P61a in the basement. I ended up installing it myself. Installed an OAK as a matter of course when I installed the main floor stove.

Use a 3" flex pipe. It will slide around the air intake of the stove. Use a ring clamp to tighten it on.

 

[Dataman]

I have had Harmon XXV since Spring 2018. Been Great Stove. Easy to clean, lot of heat. This Season it's used about 2.5 tons of Pellets. Had a minor problem of Vibration when new. Screw impacting Distribution Fan. Would buzz when warm. We got Backup Power thru AIMS 1250 Inverter/Charger and two 100ah Batteries for 12 hours of power outages. Backup to that is 800w PSW Generator. We put stub pipe to save wear and tear on the OAK flexible tubing. That now has small hole in the stub. Some silicon will fix it for number of year and then replace it. Panels were rough on the flex tubing.

 

[ThePoncho]

Use a 3" flex pipe. It will slide around the air intake of the stove. Use a ring clamp to tighten it on.

I think you'll find that diameter isn't a universal thing. I couldn't get in to get an actual measurement on my stove but I'm sure it's only about 1 1/4 inch. You'd never clamp a 3 inch anything down that small.
The exhaust has 3 inch pipe but the intake is not remotely close to that on my particular stove.
Anyone considering an outside air intake should measure first to be sure of what you have. Or often there will be drawings in you manual with dimensions of various stove aspects.

 

[Mt Bob]

Loaded question, with many possible replies. Size,room size,your expectations, how much you want to spend, repairs you can do yourself, maintenance intervals,ease and what you can do yourself, budget, on and on.
A few things, a lot of the cheaper stoves will still have warnings about not running them if you are not "around" or home. A big plus for more expensive stoves,the safety factor. Sounds like you want a bigger unit, my fav 3 woukd be Harman,Quad and Enviro.
Another thought, YES you can go too big. I personally have dealt with 2 p68 installs, where the room they are installed in, are too small, to use all the features of the stoves,room temperature being the biggest.In both cases, I moved the thermostats around the corner, into another room. However, in colder weather, the stove rooms get unbearably hot, and become not very usable spaces. Yes, a P68 will quickly crank out massive heat, very comparable to a wood stove. But so will a P61, but in both cases I dealt with a P61 would have been a better choice. Just some more thoughts for you.

 

[cbb]

Thanks guys, The reason I asked about the OAK is I need to core drill thru the 12 inch cellar wall. Prefer to do it prior to installation

 

[Washed-Up]

If you could post a few photos of your proposed installation area, it would help a bunch

 

[Mt Bob]

OAK is also dependent on length and bends.
more so than the flue, as it is suction. I think almost all harmans recommend 3" even though the fitting on the back is smaller. Be aware there are also flue pipes that have supply air built in. Some say these burn better, as it gives time for the air to expand.

 

[Dataman]

When it's very cold (7f or lower) my Oak flex tubing get some serious frost on it. Keep that in mind if under it will stain from moisture (should not). I have just stone. No biggie.

 

[Tonyray]

One of many reasons i went with the harman P61A including 72lb hopper and very easy to clean and maintain. Inserts are a pain to get around and pull out so nixed that.

 

[mtnbiker727]

If you decide to go with a Harman, here's a pinned post you should check out: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/how-your-harman-works-what-your-manual-doesnt-tell-you.91030/

And this one too: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/manual-or-auto.82295/#post-1052608

 

[mtnbiker727]

I can't remember why I went with a Harman. Somehow I heard they were really good stoves and looked them up online and found a local dealer. I wanted the P series, because I didn't want the fancy touchscreen models, even though the dealer tried really hard to get me to buy one of them.

 

[Tonyray]

I can't remember why I went with a Harman. Somehow I heard they were really good stoves and looked them up online and found a local dealer. I wanted the P series, because I didn't want the fancy touchscreen models, even though the dealer tried really hard to get me to buy one of them.

The digital models can go buggy with the software sometimes. Better off with the tried and true analog dial models. The newer touchscreen stoves dont burn any hotter or better. Programing for start and stop is prob best feature.

 

[bogieb]

I think you'll find that diameter isn't a universal thing. I couldn't get in to get an actual measurement on my stove but I'm sure it's only about 1 1/4 inch. You'd never clamp a 3 inch anything down that small.
The exhaust has 3 inch pipe but the intake is not remotely close to that on my particular stove.
Anyone considering an outside air intake should measure first to be sure of what you have. Or often there will be drawings in you manual with dimensions of various stove aspects.

My mistake, I was thinking of Harmans and had forgotten the OP had discussed other stoves too.

 

[bogieb]

Loaded question, with many possible replies. Size,room size,your expectations, how much you want to spend, repairs you can do yourself, maintenance intervals,ease and what you can do yourself, budget, on and on.
A few things, a lot of the cheaper stoves will still have warnings about not running them if you are not "around" or home. A big plus for more expensive stoves,the safety factor. Sounds like you want a bigger unit, my fav 3 woukd be Harman,Quad and Enviro.
Another thought, YES you can go too big. I personally have dealt with 2 p68 installs, where the room they are installed in, are too small, to use all the features of the stoves,room temperature being the biggest.In both cases, I moved the thermostats around the corner, into another room. However, in colder weather, the stove rooms get unbearably hot, and become not very usable spaces. Yes, a P68 will quickly crank out massive heat, very comparable to a wood stove. But so will a P61, but in both cases I dealt with a P61 would have been a better choice. Just some more thoughts for you.

I found once I insulated my small basement and installed raised flooring (moisture wicks up thru the cement), the P61a is oversized for the area. I cannot burn the really good pellets in that stove anymore as it will barely get started up before it shuts down again (even after hooking it up to a thermostat that is in another area of the basement and not in the air stream). The stove doesn't have time to get hot enough to keep gunk from forming. I gotta admit, it doesn't make me cry that cheap pellets work wonderfully in this situation and I can save any of the better stuff I find on CL for the main floor stove.

Would be better if I had a P43 down there. Although if the main floor stove goes down, the P61a can be utilized fo I don't have to turn on the propane driven boiler to keep the main floor from freezing.

 

[cbb]

Thanks guys. Do the p 61 and p68 have touch screens?

 

[Mt Bob]

Thanks guys. Do the p 61 and p68 have touch screens?

Not yet, but probably coming. However, the Absolute 43 and 63 do, and are more pleasing to the eye, for lots of people,and have comparable heat output. Also, as I and others have said, sometimes you can save a lot by purchasing a used high quality stove, refurbishing it if necessary, if you are able to. I'll take a 2-3k Harman or Quad before a $999 farm store stove any day. Looking at a P68 right now,1200 bucks, has full trim, but is in the middle of nowhere,out here, prob be a 8-9 hr round trip, and snow/winter is still here.I don't need it, but I would service it, then sell it later.

 

[Mt Bob]

I see you in maine have a P61a,P68 full trim, and a P43 listed for sale right now, 3k and under. And that was just a quick Craigslist look.