Greetings Everyone

[HandyHome]

My name is Art and new to the forum.

I joined because it looks as though there is plenty of knowledge among all the members on board.

With that said I am currently considering purchasing a Pellet Stove Insert for my Mason Fireplace. I have family that own stand alone systems and boiler pellet systems so I have a basic understanding behind them. But now that I am in the Market I figured it best to do as much of my own research as possible and gather information from those who have many more years of experience with these machines.

I see there are plenty of options out on the market and the prices seem to be all over the board. I would appreciate any advice provided.

My current fireplace has the following dimensions 36"w x 21"h x 19"d.......I am finding that those dimensions seem to be limiting my options drastically. Some more useful info would be that I was considering the pellet insert to be a secondary heat source for my 1800 sqft home with an open floor plan. The insert would be located in the main living area that is open to most of the house. It also has vaulted ceilings that allow the 2nd floor to view down upon it.

Being that it would be in the main living area of the house, noise is somewhat of a concern. I also have a budget i would like to keep this project within.

Thank you in advance for the help and advice.

 

[iceguy4]

Welcome art

 

[iceguy4]

Being that it would be in the main living area of the house, noise is somewhat of a concern. I also have a budget i would like to keep this project within.

Im thinking we should introduce our selves something like this....
" My name is Iceguy4....and Im addicted to burning pellets....and saving money"
lol anyway I'm not going to advise you on what brand, but I will say be very careful about a "budget" when you make your decision . MANY times saving $$$ on equipment will cost you money in the operation of said equipment... Personally I would substitute EVERY for MANY in previous statement when equipt is to be used "long term" You get what you pay for.

 

[HandyHome]

I would have to agree with you quote.....Buy Cheap, Expect Cheap.

But I also think that many of the well known companies are making you pay for a "name" and not so much for the quality.

By Budget, I am not looking for the Cadillac of equipment...but more on the lines of the Working mans price.(not to fancy but gets the job done).

 

[Ctcarl]

Welcome art.do your research into what you need.im a big lover of the Harman brand.My p35i keeps my 1800 split level toasty .What ever you get good luck

 

[WoodPorn]

Welcome Art,
Have you thought about buying a freestander and placing it in (on) your hearth instead of an insert?
Your limitations would be close to nil...

 

[iceguy4]

By Budget, I am not looking for the Cadillac of equipment...but more on the lines of the Working mans price.(not to fancy but gets the job done

when I read this all I could think about was Pontiac....and we see where they are... (I'm sure I'll regret saying that)

But I also think that many of the well known companies are making you pay for a "name" and not so much for the quality

I'm not agreeing with this statement. Bushings ...not bearings....steel ...not cast iron...designed.... not slapped together. Well known companies got to be well known for a reason. Most want to keep a good reputation intact.
Pay now or pay later..

 

[HandyHome]

Welcome Art,
Have you thought about buying a freestander and placing it in (on) your hearth instead of an insert?
Your limitations would be close to nil...

I haven't really considered a freestanding stove because my hearth is 8" off the floor and I don't think it's lager enough to have a freestanding stove on it.

I will definitely have to research and see if that is an option.

 

[HandyHome]

I'm not agreeing with this statement. Bushings ...not bearings....steel ...not cast iron...designed.... not slapped together. Well known companies got to be well known for a reason. Most want to keep a good reputation intact.
Pay now or pay later..

Yep I understand quality companies have put the time and resources into their product....but there are companies who depend on a name to sell their product and can have issues internally cheap components or service.

Also when you dig into a product from two companies and find they are using the same basic mechanics but have a price tag that differs by $1500 that concerns me. Customer service is a big thing as well....I would have no issue paying a bit more for a product that has great customer service rather then save a couple of buck on the same product and get horrible customer service.

Drive a Pontiac and then drive a Chevy.......same car internally....different name and minor features/style. But for some reason the price tags don't match and aren't that close......

 

[reallyte]

Buy a brand that a local dealer can service or provide parts. You are being kind of vague with the budget. What's your top dollar installed?

 

[alternativeheat]

My name is Art and new to the forum.

I joined because it looks as though there is plenty of knowledge among all the members on board.

With that said I am currently considering purchasing a Pellet Stove Insert for my Mason Fireplace. I have family that own stand alone systems and boiler pellet systems so I have a basic understanding behind them. But now that I am in the Market I figured it best to do as much of my own research as possible and gather information from those who have many more years of experience with these machines.

I see there are plenty of options out on the market and the prices seem to be all over the board. I would appreciate any advice provided.

My current fireplace has the following dimensions 36"w x 21"h x 19"d.......I am finding that those dimensions seem to be limiting my options drastically. Some more useful info would be that I was considering the pellet insert to be a secondary heat source for my 1800 sqft home with an open floor plan. The insert would be located in the main living area that is open to most of the house. It also has vaulted ceilings that allow the 2nd floor to view down upon it.

Being that it would be in the main living area of the house, noise is somewhat of a concern. I also have a budget i would like to keep this project within.

Thank you in advance for the help and advice.

Hi Art !

Hey Art listen, I thought I could cut corners and find exactly what you describe and ended up with a Harman free standing ( the P61A) hearth stove. We really tossed around the P52i insert as well and even though it is on rollers and a beautiful unit to look at and easy to pull it out of the fireplace compared with some others ? It's still not as simple as the P series free standing stoves to maintain. But, I'm not advising you to go that route, just to really really look at your options in stoves. Look them over well, look into the design of the mechanics of them all. Cheap stoves look built cheap, learn the difference in the exact design and pieces like stoutness of burn pots, fit of the glass, fit of the doors etc. I took a long time to decide, looking at all the options along the way ( almost three months to make up my mind).. Yes you can get a cheap stove, it will burn pellets, many put out good heat ( some don't) and then about the second year the trouble starts from a lot of accounts you can read right here at the forum. They won't burn this pellet or that, get jammed with ash, catch chimneys on fire. I've read here and then gone to the stores and looked. The top brands stand out for a reason. I'm not saying don't buy a less expensive stove, just be very careful and go in with your eyes wide open. Do so both about the product you buy and about the install. It will reward you three fold or more in the end. And there are other good brands or certain models from a brand besides Harman too. In inserts I believe Harman has it nailed though, just my opinion unless you're buying a coal insert !!.

Is that 29 inch measurement the height of your fireplace ?

 

[HandyHome]

Buy a brand that a local dealer can service or provide parts. You are being kind of vague with the budget. What's your top dollar installed?

I was hoping to keep it under $3500 installed and I don't know if that is avg. Low. Or high. Based off some of the local providers 3K is the starting price for just the insert.

 

[HandyHome]

Is that 29 inch measurement the height of your fireplace ?

The height is 21"....which is where I am finding trouble getting models to fit.

You bring up a great question....does any one know of a coal insert? My old house had a coal smoker and I loved it.

Thanks for the great comment. I am going to make sure to learn as much as possible before I pull the trigger.

 

[alternativeheat]

The height is 21"....which is where I am finding trouble getting models to fit.

You bring up a great question....does any one know of a coal insert? My old house had a coal smoker and I loved it.

Thanks for the great comment. I am going to make sure to learn as much as possible before I pull the trigger.

Yes, coal is available in an insert. Hitzer ( others as well that slip my mind at the moment) comes to mind for a decent one. THe Hitzer unit produces up to 100,000 btu heating between 1500 and 3000 sq ft. As I recall the price was under #
$3000 but don't quote me on that. In my case, what I was interested in was a stoker, either insert or stove but no rice coal available in my area. So we bought into pellets.

21 high rules out Harman's pellet inserts.

 

[HandyHome]

Yes, coal is available in an insert. Hitzer ( others as well that slip my mind at the moment) comes to mind for a decent one. THe Hitzer unit produces up to 100,000 btu heating between 1500 and 3000 sq ft. As I recall the price was under #
$3000 but don't quote me on that. In my case, what I was interested in was a stoker, either insert or stove but no rice coal available in my area. So we bought into pellets.

21 high rules out Harman's pellet inserts.

I did love the my coal stove... Awesome heat

But the pellet stove I think is a better option for supplemental heat source in our great room. Easy to stop and start and easy to make heat adjustments, visible flame and esthetic.

I have been looking at Quadar fire classic bay or castile, St Croix Ashby, Lopi AGP, Englanders, and Breckwell blazer.

Any others I should check out? Or thoughts on the ones I am looking at?

Thanks

 

[HandyHome]

Slowly narrowing down the options that would suit our needs.

St.Croix and Quadra Fire are the 2 that are sitting at the top of my list, they have the visual look my wife likes and they are fitting for the dimensions of my firebox. One of the dealers is trying to push me in the direction of a Lopi AGP, while looks aren't my fundamental criteria, my wife isn't excited about the design.

Any thought or preferences on Quality of each? Any one who owns one? opinions?

Thanks

 

[Lake Girl]

You may want to consider leaving the hearth intact to be used in the event of power outage and installing a pellet stove in another position within the living space. Invertor generator could alleviate that concern too.

When it comes to install (especially an insert), install an OAK at the same time. Helps to eliminate burn problems, drafty room, and costs less in the long run if done with the original install.

Good luck in the search and remember we love pics!

 

[HandyHome]

You may want to consider leaving the hearth intact to be used in the event of power outage and installing a pellet stove in another position within the living space. Invertor generator could alleviate that concern too.

When it comes to install (especially an insert), install an OAK at the same time. Helps to eliminate burn problems, drafty room, and costs less in the long run if done with the original install.

Good luck in the search and remember we love pics!

Thanks Lake Girl.

I do have the house setup for a generator, so figured when I run the power for the insert I would make sure that it would always have power....or even setup a UPS.

So this may be a dumb question.....but do all pellet stoves have an OAK available? I see Quadra fire offers one but haven't noticed any others offering a kit.

 

[rparker]

Have a Quad CB1200. Good heater, few issues. Very simple to run. It seems to be a little louder than some of the Harmans I have seen but we got used to it very quickly. It is a rear exhaust and depending on the size of your hearth, you could go freestanding and run the pipe into your flue. There are others here with the Quad insert and I haven't heard many complaints.

 

[HandyHome]

Have a Quad CB1200. Good heater, few issues. Very simple to run. It seems to be a little louder than some of the Harmans I have seen but we got used to it very quickly. It is a rear exhaust and depending on the size of your hearth, you could go freestanding and run the pipe into your flue. There are others here with the Quad insert and I haven't heard many complaints.

Rparker, my hearth is at most 19" from the firebox but also sits 8" off the floor .

Noise is something I am a bit worried about since this will be in main living area and we have the TV mounted right over the mantel. I don't want the TV to be competing with the start
I've all that much. Obviously I know the stove will make some noise because of the nature of them.

Quadra friend seems like a great system.

Thanks for the info.

 

[alternativeheat]

Rparker, my hearth is at most 19" from the firebox but also sits 8" off the floor .

Noise is something I am a bit worried about since this will be in main living area and we have the TV mounted right over the mantel. I don't want the TV to be competing with the start
I've all that much. Obviously I know the stove will make some noise because of the nature of them.

Quadra friend seems like a great system.

Thanks for the info.

I believe of the choices you mention I would go with the Quad. You can cobble together an OAK kit for most any stove I imagine but it sounds like Quad has everything you need, a lot of folks here own them and like them.

Is your generator system a standby or a portable ? I have a portable for my house, at this point in time I have no living room receptacles hooked to the transfer switch though. My choices are run an extension to the stove or burn oil in a power outage. Switch out my transfer switch to an 8 or 10 breaker version ( my Gennie can easily handle a couple more wired in , the current use meter hardly moves on it) However, a concern is the digital circuits in the stove even though the current from my generator is very even, it varies less than a volt with load or unloaded according the generator guy who fixed it after my wife shut it down one time with the house powered up ( blew the voltage regulator). My generator is not indicated as pure sine, however it has a digital voltage regulator so figure it itself has digital circuits on board !!

 

[rparker]

hearth: can you build a hearth extension to support a free standing stove? Being 8" off of the floor is not an issue. I prefer the freestanding unit for cleanability.
I built my own air kit instead of overpaying for the stock kit.

 

[tjnamtiw]

The height is 21"....which is where I am finding trouble getting models to fit.

You bring up a great question....does any one know of a coal insert? My old house had a coal smoker and I loved it.

Thanks for the great comment. I am going to make sure to learn as much as possible before I pull the trigger.

(broken link removed to http://www.keystoker.com/products.php#as) makes coal fireplace inserts and (broken link removed to http://www.readingstove.com/heating-stoves/coal-stoves/lehigh-stove.php) makes good coal stoves that could sit in front of your fireplace and utilize the chimney. (broken link removed to http://leisurelinestoves.com/Stove_Products.html) makes a hearth model also that is a 'stoker' (I imagine that's what you meant to say you had before). All of them put out 90,000 btu's or thereabouts. Twice at least of what you'll get out of a pellet stove. The stoker units and some of the top fed units run automatically on a thermostat and are capable of cutting way back on output unlike the older stoves.
You could always build a hearth in front of the hearth!

I have the Castile but wish I had the Classic Bay for the extra btu's. No coal available down here in Georgia. If there were, I'd have a coal stoker in a minute. As you see I have two Quads and enjoy both of them. The Castile looks better than the Sante Fe and cost a lot more but internally they are basically the same stove. I have the Castile BECAUSE I AM MARRIED! Only reason, if you get my drift!

 

[DOLLARBILL]

Welcome and to answer your question three stoves come to mind Harman,Harman and Harman Ive had others and wished id spent the extra $$$ right off ! But which ever unit and brand you decide on buying best of luck to you !

 

[tjnamtiw]

Looks like the Harman crowd is awake tonight! They also make a coal stove but not an insert, or at least they used to before they were bought out by the same company that makes Quads. It remains to be seen if anything will change.
You will find loyal owners of all brands on here and an equal number of owners complaining that they have problems. Most problems are caused by the owner not realizing the importance of THOROUGH cleaning of the stoves and periodic maintenance. It's a tough decision, for sure.
As already has been pointed out, the most important thing is that you have a good, competent dealer close at hand (difficult to find) or you are a hands-on DIY'er with some basic troubleshooting/electrical skills.
Another brand to consider are the Englander line of stoves. They have excellent customer service as most owners here will tell you. With most of the other brands you must deal with your dealer and not the manufacturer. Englander will spend time with you on the phone troubleshooting. You can buy from Englander or amfmenergy sells new and refurbished units with full factory warranty at excellent prices.
I'm glad I don't have to make your choice!

Oh, one other thing to consider is that most inserts are a PITA to work on compared to free standing units. Some inserts now come with rails to help roll them out into the room but still not the best situation.