hey guys, im looking into getting a larger pellet stove. i am currently running and englander 25pvd. my house is a single level 3,000 square foot platform. the englander isnt cutting it at all as winter is coming and im thinking the p68 should be a thousand times better from what im reading., are any of you guys heating a large space like this with a p68?
harman p68
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Lake Girl
Moderator
With that size house, you may want to consider a pellet boiler or furnace. Otherwise, you're looking at two pellet stoves...
F4jock
Minister of Fire
Listen to the lady, especially considering where you live! Of course, lots depends on layout and what temperature you want to maintain.
Luv2burnPellets
Member
The p68 is a beast. If your home is well insulated and somewhat open floor plan, one level, the p68 will provide adequate heat. You may need to keep the bedroom doors open. It would also help to insulate the floor above the basement. I have a 2500 sq ft single level and the p68 is hardly working up a sweat to keep us warm, even now, outside temp is 9f with 21 mph wind gusts and she is just mulling, snacking on blazers, 72f in main rooms, maybe a few degrees cooler in bedrooms, as it should be. Yes, the p68 will be a great choice for you.
thanks for the quick reply. what are your settings at in this weather and how long does a bag last you?
F4jock
Minister of Fire
Before you buy I'd strongly recommend you do an analysis of your heating needs to be sure the BTU and stove location will give you the results you want but hey, it's your money.
The P68 is a beast and will certainly outperform the 25pvd but I will stop short of saying it will heat the whole place. MUCH easier to operate and maintain though. Welcome to the forum!
F4jock
Minister of Fire
You're right about the Harman of course. Bigger stove = more heat and Harmans can't be beat for versatility and performance but I hate to see people go into a purchase like this blind with high expectations and then become disappointed and blame the stove when a few hours of homework would make all the difference.
Agreed, that's why I said "I will stop short of saying it will heat the whole place"
Lake Girl
Moderator
Thanks for the reminder guys, meant to post this last night for the OP ... When figuring your heating needs, this may be of help ... BTU calculator
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/how_much_heat_does_that_room_need
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/how_much_heat_does_that_room_need
Greetings: I've been heating my 2800 square foot 200+ year old farmhouse in No.Vermont almost exclusively with a P68 for 6 years. I burn about 7 tons/yr. The house is pretty tight and well insulated and has an open floor plan with good circulation to the second floor. Only on the coldest well below zero days do I have to supplement it with some hot air from my oil or wood/coal furnace. The P68 is a heat machine that should do the job if you can move the air around.
FB in Vt.
FB in Vt.
Lake Girl
Moderator
Golfeur
Member
I have a house of 2400sq / ft on 3 floors and well insulated.
The stove is in the basement and when the temperature was -31 with 15mph winds I take 2 1/2 bags per 24 hours.
Harman P68 heats the entire house
The rooms are 3 floors has 68 degrees
The stove is in the basement and when the temperature was -31 with 15mph winds I take 2 1/2 bags per 24 hours.
Harman P68 heats the entire house
The rooms are 3 floors has 68 degrees
that sounds like a damn good stove then. lowest temps we get here is about 0 max. what do you usually keep your stove on for settings and still keeping the whole place comfortable? gary
alternativeheat
Minister of Fire
A bigger stove that can't get the heat where you need it is just a bigger stove. Don't fool yourself, listen to people. You might be better off keeping your existing stove and adding another elsewhere in the house . People have done that here, they end up very happy and use no more pellets than with the single stove. Or very few more anyway. You would be bummed if you got all dreamy eyed over a P68, spend the dough and you're no better off than now.
DOLLARBILL
Feeling the Heat
I have a three bedroom log home and on the advice of my dealer installed theXXV he explained after coming out here the 68 was to big so I listened and am very Happy I did ! it looks like it belongs in this home and even in the coldest of times like right now never works hard! Ohh and I must say Im very impressed with the OkiesDF they are nice and hot leve little ash and my cleanup time is short! which ever Harman you go with you'll be Happy !
Luv2burnPellets
Member
I set the feed rate at 4 and room temp manual when outside temp is below 32.
I burn 2 bags per 24 hrs during really cold weather. I run the fan speed on medium.
bogieb
Minister of Fire
Hey, thanks for that link. surprised to find that my living room takes 13k just for itself - and that is only a quarter of the main living area.
The P68 does throw out some serious heat. It is better than a damn good stove IMO. I am easily heating 2 levels and 2,350 SQ FT but I have a fairly open plan. That said, I also have tons of big windows and glass doors throughout both levels and high vaulted ceilings. I am only heating with the P68 now and have been. I have experienced numerous cold snaps in the single digits and now it's less than that. The P68 is holding the house at 73* where I have it set pretty easily. It's using a little more pellets to do so but that is not a concern to me. Warmth is. It also averages out the bag a day or less in the shoulder season or beginning of the heating needs. The P68 will out perform your current stove by far. Fact! Question is how is that stove doing? What temps can it maintain in your 3,000 SQ FT?
OK, You are probably sold now on a P68 but hold on one minute.
Here is where reality comes into play. I will also emphasize that each set up and home varies greatly. I also think you need to do your homework because 3,000 SQ FT is a large space to heat. To be perfectly honest I bought my P68 mainly for the shoulder seasons and ease of use for the wife thinking it would not be able to heat the 2,350 SQ FT two level core that I am in the cold, cold. It does heat it and does it well. No complaints here at all other than I hate cold weather. I am pretty sure the P68 could handle another 650 SQ FT depending on where it was located in regards to the stove. I will elaborate on this in a few.
How is your current stove heating all and all even though it is not cutting it? We need some variables to work with here in order to offer recommendations and suggestions. I am all about having another P68 owner around here, but I also refuse to fluff it up and sell you on a bag of tricks and happy unicorns. Please keep in mind that all pellet stoves are "space heaters" and really are not designed to heat entire homes per se. Many here are heating large homes with them alone also and have basically turn that "space heater" into their primary and only heat source.
All we know is that it's 3,000 SQ FT on one level. We need to know some temps such as the temp where your stove is located and the far reaches where obviously your current stove is not getting the job done to your satisfaction. Take a few minutes to research and cover your bases to be sure it will work before you plunk down another chunk of cash. What some here are suggesting and I agree is they simply do not want you to get your hopes up, plunk down some more cash and be disappointed. Give us some facts and variables to work with. For example, if your current stove is keeping your place at X degrees and you would like to raise that to Y degrees.
Lastly, I will point out that the temps I am experiencing inside are between 6-8 degrees cooler in the far reaches of what I am heating with the single P68. That is perfectly acceptable here. I would also like you to consider that I have also bought another stove too. A used PC45. Once I install the 2nd stove I'm going to heat another area of my home which is currently closed off by doors and not used much now. I am also going to supplement the far reaches of the P68 in doing so and I will likely keep very consistent temps throughout then. I am pretty certain I will. What are your expectations? Realize that you will also experience lower temps the farther you get from any stove. Question is will the P68 (68K BTUs) and its distribution blower be able to get those temps up where you would like? Good possibility, but we would like to see you happy with your investment.
Another point I'd like to make is that IF I had tried to do what I am surprisingly doing with my P68 with the PC45 I know it would be struggling and likely not giving me the great results I have but then again it is 45-50K BTUs and a 135 CFM blower. It would heat what I am doing but in the cold, cold I think it would have troubles.
OK, You are probably sold now on a P68 but hold on one minute.
Here is where reality comes into play. I will also emphasize that each set up and home varies greatly. I also think you need to do your homework because 3,000 SQ FT is a large space to heat. To be perfectly honest I bought my P68 mainly for the shoulder seasons and ease of use for the wife thinking it would not be able to heat the 2,350 SQ FT two level core that I am in the cold, cold. It does heat it and does it well. No complaints here at all other than I hate cold weather. I am pretty sure the P68 could handle another 650 SQ FT depending on where it was located in regards to the stove. I will elaborate on this in a few.
How is your current stove heating all and all even though it is not cutting it? We need some variables to work with here in order to offer recommendations and suggestions. I am all about having another P68 owner around here, but I also refuse to fluff it up and sell you on a bag of tricks and happy unicorns. Please keep in mind that all pellet stoves are "space heaters" and really are not designed to heat entire homes per se. Many here are heating large homes with them alone also and have basically turn that "space heater" into their primary and only heat source.
All we know is that it's 3,000 SQ FT on one level. We need to know some temps such as the temp where your stove is located and the far reaches where obviously your current stove is not getting the job done to your satisfaction. Take a few minutes to research and cover your bases to be sure it will work before you plunk down another chunk of cash. What some here are suggesting and I agree is they simply do not want you to get your hopes up, plunk down some more cash and be disappointed. Give us some facts and variables to work with. For example, if your current stove is keeping your place at X degrees and you would like to raise that to Y degrees.
Lastly, I will point out that the temps I am experiencing inside are between 6-8 degrees cooler in the far reaches of what I am heating with the single P68. That is perfectly acceptable here. I would also like you to consider that I have also bought another stove too. A used PC45. Once I install the 2nd stove I'm going to heat another area of my home which is currently closed off by doors and not used much now. I am also going to supplement the far reaches of the P68 in doing so and I will likely keep very consistent temps throughout then. I am pretty certain I will. What are your expectations? Realize that you will also experience lower temps the farther you get from any stove. Question is will the P68 (68K BTUs) and its distribution blower be able to get those temps up where you would like? Good possibility, but we would like to see you happy with your investment.
Another point I'd like to make is that IF I had tried to do what I am surprisingly doing with my P68 with the PC45 I know it would be struggling and likely not giving me the great results I have but then again it is 45-50K BTUs and a 135 CFM blower. It would heat what I am doing but in the cold, cold I think it would have troubles.
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I am about the same but I run my blower on max. I am using 2 bags a day and sometimes head towards 3. I'm fine with that for the heat I am getting. 73* inside now and my coldest and farthest upstairs bedroom is 66*. It is 7* outside without wind chill. Not bad!
Golfeur
Member
woodmakesheat
Feeling the Heat
Yes, more information about your current situation is needed. Surely a stove putting out about 51k BTUs/hr will do a better job than one that puts out 24.5k BTUs/hr, but pay special attention to those that urge caution - many of these people are only using 2 bags a day during this cold snap, which, as you know, is about the same as you are likely using running your PDV at maximum (I'm using 2.4 bags a day with my CPM-10 which has the same output as your stove.)
So be cautious, the P68 is not 1000 times better, but it IS 2x better which may or may not be good enough depending on the layout of your home and how tight and well insulated it is. 2 stoves are suggested by some because you can get a much better heat distribution versus a single heat source - especially advantageous in a sprawling single-story house.
So be cautious, the P68 is not 1000 times better, but it IS 2x better which may or may not be good enough depending on the layout of your home and how tight and well insulated it is. 2 stoves are suggested by some because you can get a much better heat distribution versus a single heat source - especially advantageous in a sprawling single-story house.
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