Maybe having a stove too big for the house isn't a bad idea

[newf lover]

We have a 1400 sq. foot ranch with a great room where the stove is located. After insulating properly, I have been kicking myself for buying the P68 because it's too much stove for the house. I don't know what would have happened with the P43, but I actually had to get up in the middle of the night to turn the temperature down, it was too hot. The bedroom off the great room was 71, the bedrooms at the far end of the house were 68 degrees, the great room was 73, the temp outside was -3 degrees. During the day those temps would be fine in the house, I just like it cooler at night. We don't get those temps too much around here, so I haven't had much chance to test the stove. It was nice to know I think it could handle anything that we might get. Hope everyone had a warm night last night!

 

[CladMaster]

Perfect.

 

[john193]

That is hott! Our bedroom is usually 55-60 overnight. Any more and I can't sleep.

 

[bags]

That size of a floor plan I think a P43 would have you handled pretty easily. But, like you have said it's moments like these. Sounds like it's time for you to add on and support a local contractor. LOL! Then you can brag and say my stove heats so well I had to give it some more house to keep it occupied. Many people would be envious of your so called problem.

 

[Enigma869]

My concern with a stove that large in a house that small would be all the times that it's not sub-zero. I would imagine on a "normal" Winter day, it probably doesn't get the chance to run normally. I have the same stove in a 3300 square foot house, and my temperature was 71 degrees this morning, and it was -6 at my house. Do you switch to manual ignition (after you light the stove), or do you allow it to cycle on and off?

 

[bags]

My concern with a stove that large in a house that small would be all the times that it's not sub-zero. I would imagine on a "normal" Winter day, it probably doesn't get the chance to run normally. I have the same stove in a 3300 square foot house, and my temperature was 71 degrees this morning, and it was -6 at my house. Do you switch to manual ignition (after you light the stove), or do you allow it to cycle on and off?

Just curious. Are you heating all 3,300 SQ FT and if so how is it doing and could you please give some details of your homes floor plan and construction. Insulation, age, average windows, ceiling heights, stove location within the home, etc; I am interested and very curious with what the possibilities are with the P68s. Thanks!

 

[moey]

I think Id vote for something too small for when its super cold. Those days are rare and your burning more pellets on warmer days.

 

[St_Earl]

but wouldn't the harmans use roughly the same amount on lower settings/warmer days?
if they are able to reach and maintain a certain steady temp as i've read (cool feature) that's going to require a certain amount of BTUs and that equals a certain amount of fuel.
it is my impression from reading that the big (or little) harmans would just idle along and maintain any temp you set them at when running in that mode below their top capacity.

isn't it just on the top end where their size comes into play?
in general, i think it's better to have a stove with more capacity and not have to drive it at the limit as often if ever.

 

[Bioburner]

Usual problem I found when sizing a stove was could not find a stove that could idle below 10k. Several stoves low end is 16k. Rare to need in our home anything over 30k. Harman and the Bixby fit our low end well and can punch out enough to keep the home toasty when the temps outside drop to -30. But the home is of newer construction and R60 in the roof. Gotta love the payback of insulation.

 

[bags]

If he wanted to the P68 is a pretty easy used sell and he could get a new smaller unit but I don't see a terrible problem with it being oversized. In the shoulder season my 68 works well also and doesn't use any more pellets than smaller stoves. It will use more when the demand is there and that's a nice option to have.

I have played around and tend to favor the stove temp set correctly and it just loafs thru the day. Sure the burn is a little dirtier but it still motors on. I am sure a smaller stove has similar characteristics during the warmer times. The amount of BTU's needed to heat said space remains the same regardless. That said, if you only need say 20K to hit targeted temps what is the difference if those are met with a 43K or a 68K BTU stove? Both are pushing out the needed 20K and not hitting optimal burns towards their upper limits.

I say this because my PC45 does not operate much differently than the new P68. They both throttle down to what is needed. I understand the 45 is close to a 61 and based on the same platform, but I will also say it is closer to the 43 in overall BTU output of 45K to 50K depending on the setup and fuel used. Keeping 50K as a baseline the 61 is 11K more and the 43 is 7K less therefore making it more comparable to the 43.

In reality it's like having and over powered sports car and rolling down the road at legal speeds. Sure you can do that in a 4 cylinder that needs a good tail wind but you can also loaf on your way with a super charged V-8 using minimal fuel for said speeds. It's when you need to pass that this extra power is wanted and needed.

 

[bags]

Bio has a good point on the why to size correctly but you can also fire the stove up when needed to raise temps and let it rest until needed again. Likely the same igniter use as someone who sets it and forgets it.

 

[Enigma869]

Just curious. Are you heating all 3,300 SQ FT and if so how is it doing and could you please give some details of your homes floor plan and construction. Insulation, age, average windows, ceiling heights, stove location within the home, etc; I am interested and very curious with what the possibilities are with the P68s. Thanks!

Yes, I'm definitely heating all 3300 square feet, without an issue. I will say that I have the perfect floor plan (it's VERY open) for a pellet stove (that wasn't the case in my last house). My house was built in 2005, so definitely a newer home. Not sure of the insulation R factor in my house, as I didn't build it, and haven't cared enough to go look . The stove is in the corner of my family room (which has 20 foot ceilings). It faces the open staircase to the second floor, which really makes it the optimal location. Because of where the stove is, and the fact heat rises, it is always 2 to 4 degrees warmer on the second floor than the first floor. This was not the case in my last house where the stove was much further away from the staircase to the second floor. My Son's room (which is up the stairs, and around the corner) is the furthest away point from the stove, and is the "coldest" room in the house, and his room never drops below about 67 degrees. Here is a picture of my thermostat app showing the temperatures in my house last night, when it was VERY cold. You'll notice that on both thermostats, it reads "system off". That means both furnaces (one in the basement and one in the attic aren't even turned on)!

 

[moey]

but wouldn't the harmans use roughly the same amount on lower settings/warmer days?
if they are able to reach and maintain a certain steady temp as i've read (cool feature) that's going to require a certain amount of BTUs and that equals a certain amount of fuel.
it is my impression from reading that the big (or little) harmans would just idle along and maintain any temp you set them at when running in that mode below their top capacity.

isn't it just on the top end where their size comes into play?
in general, i think it's better to have a stove with more capacity and not have to drive it at the limit as often if ever.

Theres a optimal curve every heating appliance has one published or not. Its definitely not at the lowest and is typically near top output.

If you have a efficient central heating system that's a big IF. I would propose you could run your stove balls out on the coldest days in conjunction with a central heating system and spend less money in a heating season even if your central heating system uses a more expensive fuel. Because when its 20F outside your burning more efficiently to make up for the very cold days. Not cycling up and down as often.

The optimal efficiency is when the heat loss of the house equals the heat generating by the heating appliance. Every cycle reduces efficiency.

 

[St_Earl]

It was nice to know I think it could handle anything that we might get.

this is where i stand on the matter as well.
especially since i use the stove as the sole source of heat.
we haven't had to use the oil furnace as backup once in four seasons.

 

[bags]

Yes, I'm definitely heating all 3300 square feet, without an issue. I will say that I have the perfect floor plan (it's VERY open) for a pellet stove (that wasn't the case in my last house). My house was built in 2005, so definitely a newer home. Not sure of the insulation R factor in my house, as I didn't build it, and haven't cared enough to go look . The stove is in the corner of my family room (which has 20 foot ceilings). It faces the open staircase to the second floor, which really makes it the optimal location. Because of where the stove is, and the fact heat rises, it is always 2 to 4 degrees warmer on the second floor than the first floor. This was not the case in my last house where the stove was much further away from the staircase to the second floor. My Son's room (which is up the stairs, and around the corner) is the furthest away point from the stove, and is the "coldest" room in the house, and his room never drops below about 67 degrees. Here is a picture of my thermostat app showing the temperatures in my house last night, when it was VERY cold. You'll notice that on both thermostats, it reads "system off". That means both furnaces (one in the basement and one in the attic aren't even turned on)!

Very impressive! I am similar but doing 2,350 SQ FT currently. I am getting almost identical temps with my farthest bedroom on the second floor. My home is bigger than the 2,350 ft2 and I am almost ready to install the second stove in another area to open it up and supplement the 68.

I have been running around like a mad man with the IR gun and I may rethink my second install's location yet once again for the umpteenth time. I am amazed with what my P68 is doing and last night was a very good test. Thanks for your response! The original core two story here is circa 1984 but I have basically built another home around it. I also updated everything after I bought it in 2003. Still finishing some stuff since my place always comes last. Time and money. I pay as I go.

I believe your 3,300 SQ FT is the most I've seen so far being heated solely with one P68 or any stove for that matter. It's great to have a good example and another goal to shoot for. My issue is tons of glass and the non-typical custom place I've wound up with. Now ya have my head running in circles and smoke rolling out of my ears again. Thanks! I might get this other stove I bought 11/21 put in sometime this year.............

Moey hit the nail on the head. Outta likes!

 

[Snowy Rivers]

Do you have a spot elsewhere that you could stick a tiny stove.

There are some little guys out there that would do great for the times you need just a little heat.

We have three stoves in a 2400 ft ranch and pick and choose what we use to get the heat levels right.

Snowy

 

[bags]

Do you have a spot elsewhere that you could stick a tiny stove.

Great point Snowy. I was wishing I had a backup yesterday when I did the clean and it was good and cold. It only dipped 9* over some time with the stove wide open pumping cold air in and running in and out frequently. Really no concern but I could have slowed down on the deep clean. Fired it up and in no time had it back up to temp.

 

[newf lover]

My concern with a stove that large in a house that small would be all the times that it's not sub-zero. I would imagine on a "normal" Winter day, it probably doesn't get the chance to run normally. I have the same stove in a 3300 square foot house, and my temperature was 71 degrees this morning, and it was -6 at my house. Do you switch to manual ignition (after you light the stove), or do you allow it to cycle on and off?

I have it in room temp mode, and manual so it doesn't turn off. If I have it on auto, it does cycle on and off too much and I get some creosote. Don't get me wrong, when this stove kicks the bucket I will replace it with a P43, and I'm guessing it would be fine. At the moment, there are too many things in the house that need work and $$$ so I will continue with my P68.

 

[Enigma869]

Very impressive! I am similar but doing 2,350 SQ FT currently. I am getting almost identical temps with my farthest bedroom on the second floor. My home is bigger than the 2,350 ft2 and I am almost ready to install the second stove in another area to open it up and supplement the 68.

I have been running around like a mad man with the IR gun and I may rethink my second install's location yet once again for the umpteenth time. I am amazed with what my P68 is doing and last night was a very good test. Thanks for your response! The original core two story here is circa 1984 but I have basically built another home around it. I also updated everything after I bought it in 2003. Still finishing some stuff since my place always comes last. Time and money. I pay as I go.

I believe your 3,300 SQ FT is the most I've seen so far being heated solely with one P68 or any stove for that matter. It's great to have a good example and another goal to shoot for. My issue is tons of glass and the non-typical custom place I've wound up with. Now ya have my head running in circles and smoke rolling out of my ears again. Thanks! I might get this other stove I bought 11/21 put in sometime this year.............

Moey hit the nail on the head. Outta likes!

I wish I could take the credit, but truth be told, it really is all the floor plan. Don't get me wrong. The P68 is a BEAST of a stove. That said, if I didn't have the right floor plan, I probably wouldn't own a pellet stove, as I have no interest in having a cold house, and one room that is hotter than the sun . Luckily, in my house, there really is no way for the heat being put out by this thing to get trapped in one area, and not move. Here is a picture that I took with my back to the pellet stove to show how open the staircase is to the second floor. It truly becomes a "super highway" for transporting heat! Sorry about the sideways pictures. It's not sideways on my end, so not sure what happened when it got uploaded.

 

[bags]

View attachment 149941

I wish I could take the credit, but truth be told, it really is all the floor plan. Don't get me wrong. The P68 is a BEAST of a stove. That said, if I didn't have the right floor plan, I probably wouldn't own a pellet stove, as I have no interest in having a cold house, and one room that is hotter than the sun . Luckily, in my house, there really is no way for the heat being put out by this thing to get trapped in one area, and not move. Here is a picture that I took with my back to the pellet stove to show how open the staircase is to the second floor. It truly becomes a "super highway" for transporting heat! Sorry about the sideways pictures. It's not sideways on my end, so not sure what happened when it got uploaded.

You held your phone vertically when you snapped the shot. Didn't you? Turn it horizontal and try that. Not sure what happens during the upload but it seems to change things. Still not 100% sure. If this holds true then maybe it can get put into the uploading photo details. Try it out.

Looks like a cool place and I have a similar open floor plan which definitely helps out. Your newer constructions is a plus also. Still pretty impressive IMO. Enjoy that heat and fortunate situation. Many, including myself, would like an ideal pellet stove layout. I'm not far off but have not taken the total plunge yet.

 

[Deromax]

The only thing worst than vertical photos are vertical videos...

 

[bags]

The only thing worst than vertical photos are vertical videos...

Nah! What about the ceiling hangers? Laptops and pads rotate.