Greetings from Fairbanks

[Skagdog]

Didn't see an intro thread but I guess that means y'all are all about business!

I just bought a Pleasant Hearth Cabinet Style 50000K (Cab50 wannabe) from Lowes.

Stove, 1 ton of pellets, cheapo heater board, duravent exhaust kit and an extra duravent 45 joint was $2183 out the door.
Two hours of install later.....

It's further out from the corner than I had invisioned but that was the closest I could get based on stud spacement on my doublewalled house.

I had to build a quick riser to clear my hotwater baseboard heaters. I used the spare wood from some adirondak chairs I built last summer.

We're gonna build a tile hearth once we can find the right ones on clearance or craigslist, as we already have the other necessary tiling supplies.

My wife makes bread and the yeasties love the heat this puppy puts out. Kids enjoyed watching the "fire channel" while I watched the Super Bowl..

Hobbies include home brewing, auto mechanicing, playing hockey (winter), keeping score for my wife's softball team(summer beer league!!).

 

[The Ds]

Welcome! We like pictures, so get the camera ready.....

 

[Xena]

Welcome to the forum Skagdog! Yeah this place isn't as organized as a lot
of bigger forums out there with Introduction sections and all but you sure
can count on the grand stand being filled with self proclaimed eks-perts tossing in their two bits whenever hahaha.
Anyway glad to have you aboard and yes they will bust your cookies over pics -
why I have no clue but enjoy the heat from your new stove.

 

[Skagdog]

Link Removed

Didn't even think to try and upload pics already. I had to do some time in other forums before I had that level of interaction. So, the first pic is of one of my boys watchin the "fire channel" You can see the vent pipe through the wall and how I had to build a little riser inorder to mount the thimble. It's our hope that we can find some craigslist tile or close out stuff so we can turn the whole corner into a hearth..

Bake in (30 on high in accordance with manufacturer) had our house nice-n-toasty.

We're now putting the "F-U" in "Heating FUel"!!

 

[Skagdog]

This is the pic that shows the pipe and baseboards and whatnot. Sorry to double tap, I'll get it figured out soon enough.

 

[will711]

yes they will bust your cookies over pics

Because with out pic's it never happened

Welcome to the show Skagdog.

I see you type faster than I do Looks good nice job

 

[Lousyweather]

This is the pic that shows the pipe and baseboards and whatnot. Sorry to double tap, I'll get it figured out soon enough.View attachment 92305

always double tap....just need to be "sure"

 

[kinsmanstoves]

What is a ton of pellets going for in Fairbanks? I know a lot about Alaska thanks to the shows Building Alaska, Alaska State Troopers, and Buying Alaska. I was in Alaska for a short time when I was in the Navy.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Welcome Skagdog,

Don't worry about the inmates, we've been de-fanged and de-clawed, so we are basically harmless.

 

[Skagdog]

What is a ton of pellets going for in Fairbanks? I know a lot about Alaska thanks to the shows Building Alaska, Alaska State Troopers, and Buying Alaska. I was in Alaska for a short time when I was in the Navy.

$5.35 a 40lb bag/$267.50 a ton. The pellets are also made right down the road in North Pole, AK. I haven't checked (didn't know that tidbit at purchase) to see if I save any getting them straight from the horse.

 

[jtakeman]

always double tap....just need to be "sure"

Feeling frisky today hey?

 

[bill3rail]

Welcome, enjoy the warmth of the forums and your new stove.
Price is not too bad, what brand? Hopefully, you can get them a bit cheaper at the source.

Bill

 

[jtakeman]

Welcome Skagdog, Nice looking stove!

Careful there be lots of trouble makers here. Most have already posted too!

 

[P38X2]

Welcome to the forum Nice looking stove.
.

 

[Mr. Spock]

Nice setup skagdog. Welcome aboard!

 

[silverfox103]

Welcome Skagdog

I worked on the Alaska Pipeline in 1976 & 1977. On the way up we stayed at the Roaring 20's Hotel, I want to say it was on First Street, but not 100% sure. Is it still there? That was quite the place.

On the way back, when we had plenty of cash, we stayed at the Polaris.

That was an adventure.


Tom C.

 

[will711]

Careful there be lots of trouble makers here.

I don't know who Jay is talkin' about You'll fit right in here you burn pellets , the wife plays softball in a BEER league

 

[Skagdog]

Welcome, enjoy the warmth of the forums and your new stove.
Price is not too bad, what brand? Hopefully, you can get them a bit cheaper at the source.

Bill

It's "Superior Pellet Fuels". The only info I have on them right now is that they will deliver for $350/ton. I've got the gear to haul 3 tons, if necessary, so that won't be necessary. I'm still trying to find out if they sell direct to consumers.

Welcome Skagdog

I worked on the Alaska Pipeline in 1976 & 1977. On the way up we stayed at the Roaring 20's Hotel, I want to say it was on First Street, but not 100% sure. Is it still there? That was quite the place.

On the way back, when we had plenty of cash, we stayed at the Polaris.

That was an adventure.


Tom C.

The Polaris has been vacant for quite some time and has now been condemned. They're trying to figure out how legal action now because the owner has neglected it for over a decade. It's full of mold, animals, the occasional transient and is just an eyesore. I've never heard of the Roaring 20s but I've only been here 10 years. Downtown has changed quite a bit from back in those days. It's difficult to attract new business and the parking situation isn't the best. They've implemented some new traffic patterns and there are some government types "studying" ways to reinvigorate the city center.

I don't know who Jay is talkin' about You'll fit right in here you burn pellets , the wife plays softball in a BEER league

Beer league rocks! I play hockey Sept-April so the summer time is her time. I just keep score and help empty the cooler...

 

[will711]

Beer league rocks! I play hockey Sept-April so the summer time is her time. I just keep score and help empty the cooler...

One of my favorite past times emptying the cooler that is

 

[imacman]

Welcome to the madness, Skagdog. You're "young'un looks like he'll be a pellet burner when he grows up.

 

[smoke show]

Nice stove.

Hockey and beer.

I love you.

 

[DexterDay]

Welcome to the Forums...

Don't believe many here have the Pleasant Hearth model line. I thought I read, that it has a room sensor, to help the stove sense temp and adjust accordingly? I know it's not like Harmans ESP, but looking forward to your thoughts using it.

Looks beautiful.. Looking forward to interior shots (pics) of the burn pot and such. (Like to see the inner workings of other units)

 

[Skagdog]

Welcome to the Forums...

Don't believe many here have the Pleasant Hearth model line. I thought I read, that it has a room sensor, to help the stove sense temp and adjust accordingly? I know it's not like Harmans ESP, but looking forward to your thoughts using it.

Looks beautiful.. Looking forward to interior shots (pics) of the burn pot and such. (Like to see the inner workings of other units)

It didn't come with any sort of external thermostat and the heater control has 3 positions (Off, Barely on, full-on high) and then a large range between low and high. It does have a sensor in the back of it. So far it's very easy to use. I've turned it off twice now to clean it and that goes very quickly then it's back on. Current weather in Fairbanks has been between 0 and 15 since I installed it (Sunday prior to kickoff) and I've burned about 3/4 a bag. Our garage zone (downstairs) has been off since forever but our upstairs thermostats have been set at 58. The temps inside the house are 72 in the main area (kitchen, living room, dining room, play room) and the bedrooms (down a hall) have been 65. My boiler turns on to heat our MIL apartment (also downstairs) and to keep itself warm... I've got a Toyo laser to install in the apartment so we aren't on the hook for the tenant's fuel any longer..... cha-ching!

 

[Skagdog]

Been runnin' it pretty much 24/7 since Sunday afternoon....Kept it about medium and that keeps our main living area (1400sf) about 70F. A strategically placed box fan on low creates a nice flow to keep the bedrooms (another 1000sf) right at 68. It's been hovering around 0F the whole week and I've got nothing but good things to say about my stove so far.

Notes for the first week:
- 1 bag/day on medium
- Firebox clogs up after 44 hrs and stove shuts down
- Daily cleaning of the firebox and a quick wipe of the glass takes about 15 minutes from the time I turn the dial to "Off" and the time I turn it back on.
- My oil-fired boiler misses me
- $5.35 per day from the pellets vs. 6.5 gallons ($3.89 x6.5) = $25.28 in oil per day

$20/day savings (in theory) would take me about 95 days to recoup the cost of the stove and install accessories (not including the pellets) $1915.50.

If I bumped that up to two bags a day it would take about 140 days....

I'm sure by boiler uses some fuel throughout the day to keep itself warm so those numbers aren't entirely accurate but I'm sure I'm saving somewhere between 15-20 bucks a day in the first week.

Why the heck didn't I do this sooner?

 

[nate379]

Wonder why it's so much down here? They were advertising pellets at Lowe's a few weeks ago and it was running $350/ton.

$5.35 a 40lb bag/$267.50 a ton. The pellets are also made right down the road in North Pole, AK. I haven't checked (didn't know that tidbit at purchase) to see if I save any getting them straight from the horse.