I'm interested in adding a pellet stove to my ~2200sq ft, open floor plan, MA cape this fall/winter to supplement my propane furnace. I've been doing a lot of reading here, had a few questions, and just wanted to run my logic past you folks before I start calling in earnst to get some price quotes.
I'm considering the following, more or less in the order of preference
- Enviro Maxx M
- Vistaflame VF 170 (which I've been able to find the best price on vs. maxx)
- Enviro Maxx
- Enviro Omega (which I don't see on their website, but seems highly regarded on this site)
The stove will live in the basement, where the previous owner had a wood stove and has a 6" flue plumbed into the wall that exits up my chimney. The rest of the basement is unfinished (except small bath + laundry), fairly open with the exception of the central stairs, with insulated walls and uninsulated ceiling. The stove will sit immediately under the main living area, with an open kitchen/dining room to one side, and master bedroom to the other side. Bedrooms on the far side of the house have registers cut in the floor to bring heat up from the basement. The main living area is open to the second floor, where there is a tv room and unused spare bedroom.
I understand the potential limitations of the basement install, and am prepared to install a heat exchanger and plumb into my duct work if I'm struggling to move the heat upstairs. Since it will be in the basement, I'm not particularly concerned with looks. Big black box is fine.
I also travel frequently for work, and there will be some weeks where the stove is shut off for 3-4 days just because I'm not sure how comfortable I am leaving it unattended (not that I expect the hopper to hold enough for that long anyway, though I would be fine with the temp going down into the 50s while I'm gone anyway).
A few questions
1) Given I already have a 6" flue in the wall, is the install a matter of simply adding a few feet of pipe (+ clean out) from the stove to a reducer that will be installed in the flue in the wall? No need for pipe running to the top of the chimney, caps, etc? I've heard quotes for install that are $800+, which seems to imply far more effort involved than what I'm anticipating is required.
2) Am I correct that I need a dealer to do the install to ensure I have valid warranty coverage? Seems like there are a few stove service companies in the area, but not worth investigating at the expense of the warranty.
- I checked and no impact to homeowners, but in MA I do seem to need a permit/inspection.
3) I haven't been able to tell if I can retrofit the burn pot auger of from the maxx-m/omega to the VF 170 - if the VF-170 remains significantly cheaper?
4) Any recommendations in the Hampden MA (Springfield-ish) area or where to go or where to avoid?
5) I'm planning to call local dealers for price quotes with a few specific questions:
a) base unit pricing
b) delivery and installation, considering the above (flue in wall), plus handling permit/inspection
c) what else?
Anyway, that's where I am in my research, and hope to make a decision in another week or two. Any feedback, tips, warnings, oversights, etc please feel free to point out!
Thanks,
Chris
I'm considering the following, more or less in the order of preference
- Enviro Maxx M
- Vistaflame VF 170 (which I've been able to find the best price on vs. maxx)
- Enviro Maxx
- Enviro Omega (which I don't see on their website, but seems highly regarded on this site)
The stove will live in the basement, where the previous owner had a wood stove and has a 6" flue plumbed into the wall that exits up my chimney. The rest of the basement is unfinished (except small bath + laundry), fairly open with the exception of the central stairs, with insulated walls and uninsulated ceiling. The stove will sit immediately under the main living area, with an open kitchen/dining room to one side, and master bedroom to the other side. Bedrooms on the far side of the house have registers cut in the floor to bring heat up from the basement. The main living area is open to the second floor, where there is a tv room and unused spare bedroom.
I understand the potential limitations of the basement install, and am prepared to install a heat exchanger and plumb into my duct work if I'm struggling to move the heat upstairs. Since it will be in the basement, I'm not particularly concerned with looks. Big black box is fine.
I also travel frequently for work, and there will be some weeks where the stove is shut off for 3-4 days just because I'm not sure how comfortable I am leaving it unattended (not that I expect the hopper to hold enough for that long anyway, though I would be fine with the temp going down into the 50s while I'm gone anyway).
A few questions
1) Given I already have a 6" flue in the wall, is the install a matter of simply adding a few feet of pipe (+ clean out) from the stove to a reducer that will be installed in the flue in the wall? No need for pipe running to the top of the chimney, caps, etc? I've heard quotes for install that are $800+, which seems to imply far more effort involved than what I'm anticipating is required.
2) Am I correct that I need a dealer to do the install to ensure I have valid warranty coverage? Seems like there are a few stove service companies in the area, but not worth investigating at the expense of the warranty.
- I checked and no impact to homeowners, but in MA I do seem to need a permit/inspection.
3) I haven't been able to tell if I can retrofit the burn pot auger of from the maxx-m/omega to the VF 170 - if the VF-170 remains significantly cheaper?
4) Any recommendations in the Hampden MA (Springfield-ish) area or where to go or where to avoid?
5) I'm planning to call local dealers for price quotes with a few specific questions:
a) base unit pricing
b) delivery and installation, considering the above (flue in wall), plus handling permit/inspection
c) what else?
Anyway, that's where I am in my research, and hope to make a decision in another week or two. Any feedback, tips, warnings, oversights, etc please feel free to point out!
Thanks,
Chris
