i think hearth products in general hold their value fairly well

[ad356]

I noticed that allot of used stoves still have a decent amount of residual value left say vs. a gas or oil furnace. I noticed that all of quality stoves that are 20-30 years old are still worth a fairly good penny and when you compare them to a natural gas furnace of the same vintage the stove will always win. I think this makes them a better investment. a 20 year old natural gas furnace is worth nothing more then scrap, ready for the boneyard. a stove from the same era is still an item that has value so long as it hasn't been trashed. I also think stoves have a much longer lifespan, a modern high efficiency gas furnace is good for 10-15 years NO MORE.

I have a Harman P61 and I expect to get a much longer life out of that then I would any gas furnace. by the time it gets retired im going to be old and worn out myself. hearth products are made much better and out of much heavier materials then any modern natural gas furnace, which are basically throw away units. I am going to buy a decent woodstove and as long as I don't overfire it constantly and take care of it, it should have value for a very long time

what do you guys think?

 

[BrotherBart]

I would really be surprised if the life of a pellet stove, nice as they are, is any longer than a gas furnace. Not many 15 year old pellet stoves around.

I burn cord wood but am on the cusp of old and worn out and the convenience of a pellet stove is starting to look attractive.

 

[begreen]

The components are similar and in some cases the same. But the estimate of lifespan is off. There may be some repairs but the life of a gas furnace is longer. We pulled our condensing propane furnace, running well at age 20. I had replaced the igniter by that point, but that's all.

 

[RockyMtnHigh]

We still have Quads and Whitfields out there that are from the early 90's. It's getting harder to get parts for some of the old Whitfields but we can still get parts for the first Quads ever made. When it comes to pellet stoves it seems to boil down to the manufacturer. If they sold a LOT of units the parts can be had for a long time. It's all about keeping them clean clean clean and they will last. It wouldn't hurt to buy an extra combustion fan, convection fan, auger motor etc. to have on hand as the price on those parts will continue to rise every year for the most part.

That said, a lot of people want too much money for their old woodstoves depending on what they are. My mother has a 12 year old Lopi Revere I installed for her a long time ago that I expect to outlive her gas boiler. I am trying to talk her into a pellet insert though, she has a tough time trucking wood up the stairs nowadays compared to back then.

 

[Sprinter]

a 20 year old natural gas furnace is worth nothing more then scrap, ready for the boneyard. a stove from the same era is still an item that has value so long as it hasn't been trashed.

I'm sorry, but I just can't agree with that as regarding furnaces at least. We just sold my dad's 44 year old house with a NG furnace that was working very well and was in very good condition. I maintained it myself. The blower system was built like a rock and I never even had to change a belt.

 

[BrotherBart]

I knew this one would bring a discussion. And so did the OP.

 

[BrotherBart]

That said, a lot of people want too much money for their old woodstoves depending on what they are. My mother has a 12 year old Lopi Revere I installed for her a long time ago that I expect to outlive her gas boiler. I am trying to talk her into a pellet insert though, she has a tough time trucking wood up the stairs nowadays compared to back then.

Agreed on the "too much money" but if some fool will pay it... And also the tough time trucking wood. I am getting there fast. Blessings to your Mom. Make sure she always has a way to stay warm.

 

[RockyMtnHigh]

She will never get cold. It would be easier for me to come by and stack a ton of pellets on her deck as well. I can also get her discounts up the wazoo on parts, pellets and stoves since I work for a hearth retailer. If I could afford it, I'd buy her one tomorrow.

 

[ad356]

the older gas furnaces were built like brick out-houses but they aren't built like that anymore. modern high efficiency gas furnaces have very thin heat exchanger tubes and allot of electronics to control everything. those old dinosaur gas furnaces are also highly expensive to operate, making them pretty much worthless, no resale value at all. no one is going to install a 20 year old natural gas furnace in their home, while people often do install 20 year stoves in their home as long as they are in good shape. my parents have a home built in the 1970's and while they have a boiler that is original to the home, it costs them a fortune to heat. try $250 per month on balanced billing, that's right $250x12. they are paying for heat in the middle of july when its 90 degrees outside. they have a $3,000 annual gas bill. old gas furnaces might still run but people remove them because they are much more expensive to operate. while hearth products have improved efficiency over the years the difference isn't as dramatic.

a pellet stove has a control board a couple of blowers and an auger feed motor. the dealer that sold me my Harman told me that there are quite a few of the first Harman pellet stove sold still running.

how old is the P61 as a design, when did they first come out. while cheaper pellet stoves like US stove seem to change designs every year or two Harman has not changed the design of the P61a since I bought my P61, they share almost all of the same parts except the control boards. my Harman Is on my 1st floor where its dry I don't see that control board failing unless it gets an electrical surge. if I had a gas furnace it would have to be in a damp basement, it wouldn't last too long down there. I have a very damp basement, that has been known to flood in the spring if the sump pump quits. my home is old and my well is in my basement, in the spring it is known to overspill.

how do you guys think parts availability is going to be like on my Harman as is ages? it seems to be well built, but your right if I can no longer get parts; that will be the end of its serviceable life.

by the way I also like wood/pellet heat allot better. I would have put a wood stove in my house but they are more of a mess and the chimney is an expense. the Harman P61 and P68's, I think heat just as well as woodstove.. at least I never had a lack of heat. they also regulated allot better with setback thermostats then wood or coal could.

 

[RockyMtnHigh]

I think you'll be able to get parts for your Harman for quite some time... They are a legit manufacturer and didn't design "disposable stoves" like some of the companies that have come and gone over the years. Harman is here to stay!

 

[jharkin]

Are you thinking only of furnaces? Or of boilers too? I once lived in an apartment that still had a functioning 1950 American Radiator steam boiler... Coal conversion to oil. The oil heat guys said they still occasionally see a still operating 'snowman'. A big old round asbestos encapsulated steam boiler from the 20s/30s. Those things probably weighed half a ton......... Horrendously inneficient but probably will outlast the building.