Just installed a P43, new member/user

[yrock87]

Just did a self install on a new P43 I picked up from the wonderful couple down the road at END OF THE ALCAN. A real mom and pop shop that won our business from 100 miles down the road over the local shop 3 miles from the house.

Anyways, I have been lurking here for a few months while deciding on the stove to get and if Pellets were the right way to go. I just picked up the stove and installed it myself in about 5 hours this weekend. The hardest part was the dang vinyl siding!

I'm interested to see how the P43 does in our climate. I have it centrally located in a great room of a 1900 sqft two story newer home. Insulation is r48 in the ceiling and r18 in the walls. I Know that the stove won't be able to take care of the house by itself with our - 30/40 winters, but I plan on moving within the next few years and saving the grand that I would of spent on a p68 buys a lot of Pellets!

I am trying to find room for Pellets, I figure I will go through a minimum of a ton a month in the winter (October to may) with December, January and February expecting the stove running pretty well full tilt to supplement the oil boiler burning 2+ bags a day. I expect to go through 7/8 tons, I have already pulled the trigger on 5 tons of locally made "superior" Pellets from Lowe's. And expect to get some higher quality Blazers from HD once they get shipped up here.

Either way I hope to keep the oil man at bay, the previous owners went through 1800 gallons of oil last year! And at $3.95 delivered, I can't afford that!

 

[Bioburner]

Welcome. There are a couple others from AK but I think they are using the bigger brothers to fend off the oil man almost entirely.

 

[yrock87]

Yeah, I debated with myself for the better part of a month on getting a p68 that could keep the house warm on its own. At the end of the day we are leaving in a year or two, and the cost was 2900 installed for the p43 or 3900 for the p68. Figuring the added value to the house and the anticipated savings, I went for the smaller unit knowing that it would be supplemental only in deep winter.

My neighbor has the same house that he has had a wood stove installed for several seasons. He heats his whole living area, but needs the oil for both hot water and keeping the garage above freezing. As it stands, he goes through 1 gallon a day summertime for water only , and 3 gallons a day at - 30 for garage heat and water.

 

[Jocko1]

Yeah, I debated with myself for the better part of a month on getting a p68 that could keep the house warm on its own. At the end of the day we are leaving in a year or two, and the cost was 2900 installed for the p43 or 3900 for the p68. Figuring the added value to the house and the anticipated savings, I went for the smaller unit knowing that it would be supplemental only in deep winter.

My neighbor has the same house that he has had a wood stove installed for several seasons. He heats his whole living area, but needs the oil for both hot water and keeping the garage above freezing. As it stands, he goes through 1 gallon a day summertime for water only , and 3 gallons a day at - 30 for garage heat and water.

You can eliminate oil usage for hot water by installing a hot water heat pump. I installed one and instead of spending over a hundred dollars a month for hot water I spend about 20. It's a no brainer. Look up GE Geospring.

 

[scajjr2]

You can eliminate oil usage for hot water by installing a hot water heat pump. I installed one and instead of spending over a hundred dollars a month for hot water I spend about 20. It's a no brainer. Look up GE Geospring.

Looked up the Geospring on Amazon. 39 reviews, 29 of them rate it 1 star.

Sam

 

[yrock87]

You can eliminate oil usage for hot water by installing a hot water heat pump. I installed one and instead of spending over a hundred dollars a month for hot water I spend about 20. It's a no brainer. Look up GE Geospring.

I don't buy it. A heat pump that takes heat out of the air in my garage will make my garage colder. Then my oil boiler turns on more often to heat up the garage, burning oil in the process. At the end of the day all I have done is add a heat pump into the system I already have, which is burn oil for hot water. Only now I get to increase my electric bill to add a heat pump for the same results.

I am all about heat pumps, great systems in moderate climates, or if ground sourced to draw from 60 degree environments (the griund) but in extreme cold they are a no brainer, no. And if they steal the heat from a place that I am already heating I am just working against myself.

 

[Jocko1]

Looked up the Geospring on Amazon. 39 reviews, 29 of them rate it 1 star.

Sam

A lot of the reviews are older. They had problems with units made in china (surprised). The new line is made in the USA. As per keeping it in an above ground garage it will work fine in the warm months and keeep your garage cooler, but when it gets cold it switches to electric mode, it may be more expensive then oil during winter in an above ground garage (although with oil prices theses days i think its about the same). I keep mine in a below grade in basement where the tempature stays above 50 year round. As per my electric bill it has actually gone down, I am no longer running my boiler to produce hot water year round through an indirect tank. What I did was plumb it around my indirect so I have a back up source of hot water in case anything happens to the heat pump. I was scared by all the negative reviews at first, but this unit has been great for me. It has almost paid for itself in less then 7 months with a lot use. I went from burning 1200 gallons of oil a year to burning less then 100 by adding a pellet stove and hot water heat pump. I am saving over 3000 per year!

 

[yrock87]

A lot of the reviews are older. They had problems with units made in china (surprised). The new line is made in the USA. As per keeping it in an above ground garage it will work fine in the warm months and keeep your garage cooler, but when it gets cold it switches to electric mode, it may be more expensive then oil during winter in an above ground garage (although with oil prices theses days i think its about the same). I keep mine in a below grade in basement where the tempature stays above 50 year round. As per my electric bill it has actually gone down, I am no longer running my boiler to produce hot water year round through an indirect tank. What I did was plumb it around my indirect so I have a back up source of hot water in case anything happens to the heat pump. I was scared by all the negative reviews at first, but this unit has been great for me. It has almost paid for itself in less then 7 months with a lot use. I went from burning 1200 gallons of oil a year to burning less then 100 by adding a pellet stove and hot water heat pump. I am saving over 3000 per year!

fair enough. if i lived in a more temperate climate then this would look like a pretty good option. i imagin it is perfect for the souther states where there is minimal heating needs. you get hot water and a cooler house all at the same time! house is too warm? dont turn up the AC, just take a hot shower!