Harman P68 vs. Quadrafire Mt. Vernon AE

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Drew1024

New Member
Hearth Supporter
Jan 29, 2008
90
Central NJ
I'm in the market. I have 4000 sq ft home. I know the upstairs will not be able to be heated with this, so I am looking to do my 2200 sq ft on the first floor. I am new to this so any suggestions on which you guys prefer would be appreciated. Pluses and minuses please!
 
They say the MT. Vernon AE will heat up to 3200 sqf. I think there are alot of factors, floor plan, air flow etc. Taking those into consderation, I would think either one of these stoves would do it. Don't have any experience with Harman, but have a Mt. Vernon it will heat the place up. Just set it on High and let it go until it heats up your place.
 
Deed said:
They say the MT. Vernon AE will heat up to 3200 sqf. I think there are alot of factors, floor plan, air flow etc. Taking those into consderation, I would think either one of these stoves would do it. Don't have any experience with Harman, but have a Mt. Vernon it will heat the place up. Just set it on High and let it go until it heats up your place.

Thats right....floor plan and air flow and BTU's are key to selecting as well as "name" AND good service unless you are handy. When we sell this place when I retire early....I will go for the more open floor plan on my next house :) Easier to move the heat.
 
You may want to check with the building dept. in your area, This may sound stupid but in the NYC area, certain fuel burning appliance (stoves, boilers,fireplaces) have to be approved by the city, they must have MEA # ( which means they were tested and approved for installation in there jurisdiction). If not they will not issue a permit for installation. Save yourself some aggravation.
 
As others hinted at, first thing you should do is pick your dealer. Make sure you have a dealer with good customer support and a good service staff. Sometimes you get lucky and the pellet stove will have no problems for years. But if you do get one with a few quirks you will need someone competent to do the warranty troubleshooting / repairs.

I don't know anything about the Harman but I know the Mt Vernon AE is a new generation advanced pellet stove. If you like cutting edge technology and are comfortable programming a digital thermostat it would be good option. Its got an auto-clean burn pot and the heat exchanger is simply to get off which makes cleaning it fast. I have work on other Quad stoves and the Mt Vernon AE is by far the easiest to clean up and get running again.
 
I agree JTP....I cant emphasize enough either on the dealer. I lucked out. I researched for several months before making such a big purchase. I "almost" purchased a Breckwell...which probably is a great stove....but....didnt like some of the answers the dealer was giving me....and he had only been in the business for a few years. So right up the road from me there's a stove shop that has been doing stove work for many years even though the store itself has only been open for about 2-3 years. The Dad(the most experienced and knowledgeable one) works the store with his wife and extremely helpful in providing satisfaction. His son now does the field with other workers. Englander is now going to take him on as an exclusive servicer for their stoves sold through Home Depots etc. He is a Quad dealer and I am partial to Quads.....dont know to much about Harmans even though I visited dealers and researched them....I just felt for the price and good dealer relations that I made the best choice. It so happens that my stove dealer does chimney work etc. for my furnace guy that has maintained my furnace for years lol and vice versa.....so its a win win for me.....have two servicing people I am very comfortable with. :)
 
I agree, the dealer and service are first and foremost important no matter which stove you choose. I have had my share of problems with my AE (which have now been worked out) but if it wasn't for the dealer I had I don't know what I would have done. The AE is a great stove and as previously mentioned easy to clean. I am heating over 3,500 sq/ft but I do have an open floor plan. Good Luck!
 
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