My Enviro EF 2 install (long)

[nailed_nailer]

Hey all,

This is how I spent my Thanksgiving morning. With a little help from a buddy of mine I managed to finish my new (Used) Pellet Stove install.

We picked up the stove last May. It was sitting at the end of someones driveway with a $100.00 price on it. I stopped and took a look at it. It was clean and had been well cared for so I took a chance and bought it without knowing if its electronics were any good.

Well spring turned into summer and summer into winter and I checked the level of oil in my 275gal tank. I had a 1/2 left but I started checking out local oil prices. $3.00 per gal and up.

I decided I had to get the stove running.

I called several chimney sweeps and stove shops in the area to get the unit installed. Most of them would only install what they sold. The one Chimney sweep that did call me back said he could get out to my place mid to late December to schedule the job for early February. I decided that would cut into my beer and tool funds too much and decided to tackle the install myself.

The help here was invaluable. All my questions were answered and you guys gave me the confidence to proceed and where to start.

Lisa my Wife and I decided on a location and after looking at various hearth pad options we decided to make our own. As it was a corner install I cut a 3/4" sheet of BC plywood to distribute the weight of the hearth and stove over a greater area. Over that I layed in a 1/2" sheet of Durarock concrete board. I used this for two reasons. One because it is a solid fireproof sheet that embers couldn't pass. Two, I needed a good substrate to bond the thinset to. Next we set out prick pavers in a pattern we liked. I rented a big brick saw for 1/2 a Saturday morning. I built a red oak surround to contain the bricks and then sanded it all in with polymeric sand. Cool stuff. Just sweep into brick crack, vibrate (I used a palm sander) then mist with water. In 2-3 days it is cured like tile grout. The advantage is that you spread it dry. I was worried the grout would get into the rough surface of the pavers.

Next we moved the stove onto the new hearth and using a plumb bob to the vent riser we planed where the roof cut was going. I used 3" Pellet Vent Pro pipe and a cathedral ceiling hanging box. The pipe hangs from the cathedral ceiling box. There is a weather flange and a storm collar that goes on next. The vent needs to be 2' above anything within 10'. In my case 34" got me past the peak.

Here is the vertical stack going out the ceiling box.

And a few shots of the unit in operation. And the hearth.

If I have my numbers right. I have about 150 heating days in my area. I would normally use 800 gallons (3 fill ups) of oil for a season. At $3.00 a gallon that would be $2400.00 to heat the house plus the cost of electricity to run the heat blowers and the actual furnace.

A bag of mixed hard and softwood pellets runs about $5.00 per bag. I just bought a ton (50 bags) for $260.00 I should need three tons for the year. So I should be able to heat the house for about $780.00 for the season. And still have the oil system in place for backup. Thats about 700 gallons of oil I won't be buying this year.

Total costs
$100.00 for stove
$120.00 for hearth stone and install materials
$350.00 for vent kit
$260.00 for ton of bagged pellets to get me into January
$65.00 new Rigid shop-vac with a HEPA filter for cleaning out stove.

I don't own any trees on my property. So a wood burner was out of the question for us. Plus I grew up heating with wood. I don't miss the cutting, splitting, and stacking. And I won't miss the dirt, dust, and insects that always seems to be around a wood stove.

Stove model is an Enviro EF2 it is a little beat up but runs great.

Fire/Building inspector was here today and my install passed with no problems.

We ran the unit over the weekend (just to test it out) and I was able to maintain a hot 78 degs (fine for Lisa but too hot for me). Sunday I adjusted it a bit and was able to get the house comfortable at 72.

Thanks for looking, and to all those that helped me out.
Feel free to ask if any questions.
---Nailer---

 

[kd460]

Very nice install. Looks real nice. $100 is a steal and the stove don't look that bad. Heck a can a spray paint and it will look brand new, but it don't look bad at all right now.

One thing I would do is paint the stack. It's just my opinion, but, something about a flu pipe-to me they should be flat black. Just my own personal taste I guess. The hearth looks great too! It's nice to save $$ isn't it? KD

 

[Xena]

Congrats! Great job on both the hearth and the stove install.
Thanks for sharing the pics.
My numbers are almost identical to yours except I paid a little
less for the pellets. Big wave to ya from up here on the South Shore.
Enjoy that stove.

 

[Kenny1]

Sweet!

Enjoy the new stove.

 

[nailed_nailer]

KD,

I totally agree about the vent pipe. I ordered it from a local stove shop. They got it in quick but I didn't specify color when I ordered it. My mistake. I will probably paint it next year. For now, it is in and working.

The stove will get painted at the same time. But for now it is working well.

Thanks for looking,

---Nailer---

 

[Dougsey]

I think they say to burn the pipe before painting anyway.

Nice job... dog looks pretty comfy.

 

[tinkabranc]

Very nice...

Enjoy!

 

[pegdot]

Nice job... dog looks pretty comfy.

Yep, the dog looks like he approves! Next question....why does my pellet stove produce a doggie odor? LOL

Nice job on the install! Are the blinds being that close to the stove a potential problem? If they are vinyl I'd think that heat might warp them.

Peg

 

[nailed_nailer]

I have a Fluke Model 63 IR Thermometer. Its one of those point and shoot laser types.

I was curious about the blinds too. When running the blinds get up to 75 deg. F, about the same as room temp.

All told, the sides of the stove have nearly no radiant heat.


Thanks all for the nice comments.
---Nailer---

 

[hearthtools]

That is a good solid stove.
looks good other that not painting the pipe
LOL

Just be sure to Turn your stove to Run mode after the green light comes on. so the safety features come on.


I would put 3 screws in each pipe joint. this would help you get that little crook out of the pipe joint you have in the house

you dont need to be 2 and 10 with a pellet stove pipe
24" out the roof on a pitch less that 6/12 is just fine.


Just curious why you put the adjustable slip at the top below the cap
seems kind of a waste of money when the cap will go on a standard length of pipe.

Keep the burn pot clean and ash pan closed and you will have some
happy heating

 

[nailed_nailer]

That is a good solid stove.
looks good other that not painting the pipe
LOL

Just be sure to Turn your stove to Run mode after the green light comes on. so the safety features come on.


I would put 3 screws in each pipe joint. this would help you get that little crook out of the pipe joint you have in the house

you dont need to be 2 and 10 with a pellet stove pipe
24" out the roof on a pitch less that 6/12 is just fine.


Just curious why you put the adjustable slip at the top below the cap
seems kind of a waste of money when the cap will go on a standard length of pipe.

Keep the burn pot clean and ash pan closed and you will have some
happy heating

Hearthtools,

Thanks for the info.
I do switch it over to "auto" when the green light comes on. Makes a huge difference.

For my vent kit, I provided my local stove shop with the dimensions of my room and roof line. They provided me with 2-5' sections, 1-3' section, 1-1' section, and 1-1' adjustable section, the clean out "T", a weather cap, a roof flange, a storm collar, and a cathedral box.

I have about 30" of vent above the roof. The top of the vent (not counting cap) is about 4" above my ridge line. I used the adjustable section because I wasn't sure where my inspector wanted the vent. I figured It would be easy to move if he wanted it higher. I didn't use the 3' section at all. If I had I would have been too tall. I maintained the 2' in 10' rule. My Roof pitch is just under 4/12.

Thanks for suggesting the sheet metal screws. I wasn't sure if I could use them on this pipe. Also should I use Hi-temp sealant at each joint or is the pipe self sealing enough? The Simpson manual didn't mention sealant.

The stove is running like a charm. No problem heating the whole house.

Thanks again,
---Nailer---

 

[hearthtools]

Some people say you need to seal every joint
Duravent is design so you dont have to seal every joint


It is a good idea to RTV seal the connection to the stove and any slip joints.
and put 3 screws in EVERY JOINT.

FYI
I may be wrong but looking at the photos most of the pipe I see is the standard Duravent pellet vent
NOT THE PRO
the PRO does not have the Rolled edges on the female ends of the pipe.

But I could be wrong and they are labeling Last years stuff Pro vent also.

We are still weeding out all the old pipe to the new Pro vent.
we mix and match all the time.