Need Advice on a Pellet

[jimmieguns]

Hello ALL !..

AM considering a pellet stove to help in my overall home heating( about 1500-2000 sq ft)

Would like to spend under $ 1000.00 for the unit-- I will get an installer to do the job. Need Stove recommendations and specs to look for that REALLY matter.

Unfortunately I need to stay cheap on stove cost.
How much is a fair price to pay for install?

THANKS. Need info ASAP

 

[CladMaster]

Cheap stoves ..... visit Home Depot / Lowes / Marsdens.

Also check out the 2nd hand market ..... Feebay / Craigslist.

For the size of your home ,,,,,, the Englander 25 PDVC or 25 PDV should be about right, but these are just over the $1000.00 mark, thats as cheep as your going to get a new one unless you can find reconditioned units at stores like Mardens or 2nd hand (used) from other places.

I was heating with oil until this year, decided I was not buying oil anymore, installed the stove myself (easy).

So far I have only spent about $150.00 - $170.00 in pellets to heat my home (1500 sq ft), if I was to have used the oil burner I'd be looking at close to $350.00 in oil by now (2 months) and it's not been that cold here in Maine until yesterday when the temps hit 11F. And then it snowed all night and this morning I wake up to 4" outside with the outside temp at 20 - 24F. And for the inside of my home, and nice toasty 75F.

The lower part of the house where the stove is heats up to around 72 - 78F and upstairs from 65 - 71F depending on the settings on the stove.

I've managed to get the house warmer with the stove than I ever did with the oil burner in the cellar.

 

[jjs777_fzr]

For the pricepoint you are looking at - I'd also suggest the Englander 25 PDVC. It may be utilitarian in the looks dept but it is a reliable stove. I've been running one since 2006 with few issues. It can probably handle the lower end of the sq/ft that you want to heat. Many factors will impact how well it will heat the listed sq/ft - for ex you'll want to ensure it is centrally located if possible. If possible you will want to go with a bigger stove to reach the 2000sq/ft mark. Better to have slightly more heating capacity with a larger stove and run it on a lower setting than to run a smaller stove on higher settings in my opinion.
Beware if you are considering a basement install sometimes thats just next to impossible to get heat to upper living areas.

 

[DexterDay]

I would suggest the newer generation Englanders. They are top feed (single auger) and do On/Off and High/Low, as opposed to just High/Low of the PDVC or PDV.

If you look at AMFM Energy, they have Manufacturer refurbished stoves, that come with Full factory warranty

The 25-PAH has a Huge hopper, but looks like a box for $1,049 and the 25-EP has a beautiful Bay Window and is $1,249.


(broken link removed to http://www.amfmenergy.com/manufacturer-refurbished-stoves.html) 2 others (PDVC and PDV) are $849 and $1,049.

If $1 ,000 is the #, then the PAH would be a good bet. But if you could splurge a little, the 25-EP has a better look and also a better heat exchange system

Or there is the used market. Plenty of good deals out there. As for install costs, there are a number of variables. It all depends on how you want it installed?

 

[CT Pellet]

Cheap stoves ..... visit Home Depot / Lowes / Marsdens.

Also check out the 2nd hand market ..... Feebay / Craigslist.

For the size of your home ,,,,,, the Englander 25 PDVC or 25 PDV should be about right, but these are just over the $1000.00 mark, thats as cheep as your going to get a new one unless you can find reconditioned units at stores like Mardens or 2nd hand (used) from other places.

I was heating with oil until this year, decided I was not buying oil anymore, installed the stove myself (easy).

So far I have only spent about $150.00 - $170.00 in pellets to heat my home (1500 sq ft), if I was to have used the oil burner I'd be looking at close to $350.00 in oil by now (2 months) and it's not been that cold here in Maine until yesterday when the temps hit 11F. And then it snowed all night and this morning I wake up to 4" outside with the outside temp at 20 - 24F. And for the inside of my home, and nice toasty 75F.

The lower part of the house where the stove is heats up to around 72 - 78F and upstairs from 65 - 71F depending on the settings on the stove.

I've managed to get the house warmer with the stove than I ever did with the oil burner in the cellar.

The PDVC ($1099 at homedepot.com) is a good stove. But jimmieguns, you will be disapointed with this stove. It can heat up to 1500 sq feet, but understand that this presumes ideal conditions, ie:
low cielings, open floor plan, oprimal windows and insulation etc....

And even at this, the stove will need to run on high a majority of the time. This is tatamount to running a 90hp 4 cylinder car on the highway, tached out at 4,000rmp all day long every day. Yeah, it can do it, but for how long? The PDV that heats up to 2200 sq feet will serve you better, and is at $1600 at homedepot.com. (broken link removed to http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/catalog/servlet/Search?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&keyword=pellet%20stove&Ns=None&Ntpr=1&Ntpc=1&selectedCatgry=Search+All)

I know money is tight, (and who's isn't these days?) but if the bigger stove is beyond your budget, I really don't think the smaller one is the answer for you.Keep in mind that beyond the cost of the stove is going to be exhaust pipe which will start at around $250 and could be more depending on your setup. Additionally, the installer could charge between $400-$600 for installation as well.
I agree with CladMaster in that the used market cam sometimes offer some hidden gems if you know what to look for. The good thing about Englander is that if you get one of those, the tech support is extremely helpful and knowlegable, as well as the mountain of resources of these members here. Either way, your first step is to do your due dilligence, which seems like you're on the right track. Good luck and keep us informed as to your progress. Merry Christmas!

 

[Montnl]

My decision to buy Englander was price for both pellet and wood. You can find in this forum a lot of help tips for troubleshooting, maintenance and to even save money in parts, like making your own gaskets, changing bearings in combustion motors instead of buying new. If things get really difficult, Englander's customer service is great. Go with AMFM, new stove for the price of used, it is a good deal.
Read manuals before buying in order to know what you need to do on daily, weekly and monthly basis.

Hope you find the right stove for your needs.

 

[imacman]

Another nod here to buying from AMFM.....can't beat the prices.

Andy is great to work with, and you still get full factory warranty and the best customer service from the guys at Englander Tech Service.

Having their Senior Tech (Mike Holton) as a member of this forum is the icing on the cake...... "Best in the Industry" tech service.