I posted a while back about our pellet stove and how much trouble we had

[[email protected]]

a local company in Bangor put our pellet stove in -- it was a Napoleon stove---insert. They hooked it up wrong & had to come back about a dozen times to fix it. Too high venting, no big enough pipe, pvc used when it said dont use pvc, air leak in the door - I could go on & on.

We ended up getting them to come in & take our stove out for a full refund. Labor & all. We had them leave the hole they drilled since we are getting another stove this summer---

Can anyone here recommend a stove that they are happy with? How about putting the stove in? My husband is extremely handy & can do just about anything--I didnt want him to put the stove in due to safety reasons---turns out the company that put it in challenged any safety reasons I could have had-----any thoughts on doing it yourself vs having it "professionally" done?

Thanks so much!

 

[JustWood]

Multifuel.
With the high price of pellets it may give you options for saving $$$$ on your fuel source.

 

[dac122]

There is no reason you cannot install it yourself. In fact, many including myself are avid DIYers who have not only done their own but helped others.

I would start researching the model you like and dealer you like that carries it, contact the manufacturer to get the install manual, read it carefully, post questions here and ask the dealer. Good dealers will assist and walk you through the install without too much trouble. And I bet there isn't a question that collectively can't be answered here.

 

[woodsman23]

I would think about a multi fuel stove for sure. Installation is really cut and dry and you already have the hole so 1/2 the work is already done. If he needs help we are here to assist no problem. I installed mine in 1 hour was no big deal. There are some really good stoves out there i have a Afton Bay made by St. Croix it has been flawless for over 2 years and can burn corn and pellets. Harmon is a good stove, Remember you get what you pay for. I would also look for a silghtly used one that someone put in but did not get into pellet burning you can really get a great deal here and most come with all the piping you will need and maybe some bags of pellets as well. Check craigslist and others. ( buyer beware)

 

[MCPO]

If your main concern is saving money on fuel , I`d not be thinking about spending on an overpriced finicky pellet stove that requires expensive fuel that is sometimes hard to come by (think last year) .
You might consider yourself lucky in spite of all that happened that you got a reprieve.
I`d be thinking of a good chimney system and wood stove instead.

 

[CygnusX1]

a local company in Bangor put our pellet stove in -- it was a Napoleon stove---insert. They hooked it up wrong & had to come back about a dozen times to fix it. Too high venting, no big enough pipe, pvc used when it said dont use pvc, air leak in the door - I could go on & on.

We ended up getting them to come in & take our stove out for a full refund. Labor & all. We had them leave the hole they drilled since we are getting another stove this summer---

Can anyone here recommend a stove that they are happy with? How about putting the stove in? My husband is extremely handy & can do just about anything--I didnt want him to put the stove in due to safety reasons---turns out the company that put it in challenged any safety reasons I could have had-----any thoughts on doing it yourself vs having it "professionally" done?

Thanks so much!

I've had an Enviro Meridian insert for 5 years now with no problems outside of a burnt out high temp sensor ($35.00) to replace. As for installing a stove yourself,especially an insert, it's not all that hard as long as you follow the codes your town may have for pellet stoves. I'm not brave enough to install a free-standing stove. Something about drilling a hole through my house damages my confidence.lol

 

[cncpro]

any thoughts on doing it yourself vs having it “professionally” done?

I'd recommend having hubby take care of it if he's as handy as you say just as long as he's not a "hack"... Safety First and do it right the first time... If he can play by those rules have him do it.

Step 1 : Seek out your town's Building Inspector and discuss your plan with them on the same day you apply for a permit to install the stove. This helps you not end up on their bad side and allows you to identify and eliminate any problems before they cost you money needlessly.

Step 2 : Install your stove

Step 3 : Inspector signs off without hassling you.

I installed my Quadrafire CB1200 myself and had no experience at all with pellet stoves at the time.

I like the CB1200 but I am unhappy that the dealer misled me about where it was made. The CB1200 burned 4 tons for me without issues.

If I had more room in my house I would have gone with a wood stove but for me the pellet stove makes more sense... Unfortunately this year I'll probably burn oil because pellets are too expensive. So... as another person already suggested... Consider a wood stove instead because it will save you money.

 

[Xena]

----any thoughts on doing it
yourself vs having it "professionally" done?

One thing you have to consider is that if you install yourself you
won't have the support of a dealer which means if something goes
wrong you're on your own trying to troubleshoot. This would be the deal
no matter which stove you went with except for Englander who will troubleshoot
with you over the phone. If you think you'd have the time
and patience for that then I'd say go with a DIY installation.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

any thoughts on doing it yourself vs having it “professionally” done?

I'd recommend having hubby take care of it if he's as handy as you say just as long as he's not a "hack"... Safety First and do it right the first time... If he can play by those rules have him do it.

Step 1 : Seek out your town's Building Inspector and discuss your plan with them on the same day you apply for a permit to install the stove. This helps you not end up on their bad side and allows you to identify and eliminate any problems before they cost you money needlessly.

Step 2 : Install your stove

Step 3 : Inspector signs off without hassling you.

I installed my Quadrafire CB1200 myself and had no experience at all with pellet stoves at the time.

I like the CB1200 but I am unhappy that the dealer misled me about where it was made. The CB1200 burned 4 tons for me without issues.

If I had more room in my house I would have gone with a wood stove but for me the pellet stove makes more sense... Unfortunately this year I'll probably burn oil because pellets are too expensive. So... as another person already suggested... Consider a wood stove instead because it will save you money.

The 1200 is a good stove, even though it is made in china now. All of there other models are made in US. The 1200 dropped from $3200, to $2300 to make it more affordable for more people. You will enjoy your 1200. It has quite the history and reliability record.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

I don't think i will recommend a specific model, just stay away from first generation pellet stoves. I would say don't buy anything less then 3 generations old. Next would be to buy a brand that is local to your area. Even the best pellet stoves will need service, and a small percentage will not work out of the box. Third, the most expensive does not necessarily mean the best. You can find good stoves within all the price points.