Newbie looking for best pellet stove opinions

[Alkamodaddy]

Hi
Due to the propane price increase and shortages, I am considering alternative heat sources. One of the ones I am looking at are pellet stoves. If I go that route, I want a stove that is efficient, reliable and safe. It would be a space heater type placed on an outside wall in the living area. Any suggestions or opinions would be appreciated.

 

[Polar Bear]

Are you inquiring which size to purchase? They are all essentially efficient, reliable and safe.

 

[DMKNLD]

Hi
Due to the propane price increase and shortages, I am considering alternative heat sources. One of the ones I am looking at are pellet stoves. If I go that route, I want a stove that is efficient, reliable and safe. It would be a space heater type placed on an outside wall in the living area. Any suggestions or opinions would be appreciated.

Welcome to this forum, Alkamodaddy. You join a long and growing list of people looking for alternative heat sourcing - you've come to an invaluable resource to start that process.

You will find many many pellet stoves that meet your efficient, safe and reliable criteria. A few questions to ask - do you want to go new, when you 'buy' a dealer's reputation as much as you do a heating appliance, or are you going to try to pick up something used, and 'go it alone'? Are you going to depend on a dealer or an independent stove shop to do your repair and maintenance, or do you plan to go the DIY route, where many of us on this forum derive our satisfaction from self-reliance and maintenance cost control.

You will find members on this forum who are quite passionate, and understandably perhaps somewhat partisan about their pellet stove choices and opinions. You will find forum members who swear by upper end stoves like Quadrafire and Harman, but just as many 'big box' stove owners who do just fine with less expensive stoves, particularly if you are only using your pellet stove for supplemental vs the primary heat source." Some like Ford's, and some like Chevy's....." This forum is a well spring of all types of pellet stove owners who can help you along your way, remembering what it was like when we were 'newbies' to pellet stove ownership.

I would start by researching your local pellet stove dealer, especially if you want to go the new stove route, (some dealers even sell used stoves as well), as the quality of dealer service and support is all over the map. Get a referral from someone who has been a customer to get 'the good bad and the ugly' on dealer knowledge and service. If you can wait until the spring you can often find good spring deals on Craigslist or E-bay to find a used pellet stove, then you can post on here and find someone who owns that type of stove and they can give you the scoop on what to check on before you buy.

 

[Alkamodaddy]

Are you inquiring which size to purchase? They are all essentially efficient, reliable and safe.

I will be heating less than 2000 sq. ft. What I am looking for is stove owners opinions and experience with the different brands and models.

 

[BrotherBart]

Best way to find that is to surf through the threads in the pellet forum.

 

[john193]

Start with a six pack and head over to "search."

 

[chken]

I will be heating less than 2000 sq. ft. What I am looking for is stove owners opinions and experience with the different brands and models.

The more info you give about your reqs the better suggestions; otherwise almost all stoves and brands are acceptable, but each has its own peculiarities.

 

[TonyVideo]

I just purchased 2 myself in February. I first decided the square feet needed by ceiling height. I have 11 foot ceilings on two floors on an 1880's home that is not as efficient as far as insulation. Once I decided on BTU's needed I doubled it in my case with larger ceilings and to leave wiggle room for those days that are below season norm. I wanted to make sure it would handle the load. Now that I have that information is why I decided on two stoves. One for the living room and one for the back side of the house. I have 3,000 square feet. Armed with that info I then did research. I googled stoves in my btu range. It led me to this site along with manufacturer sites. Once I got model numbers needed from my research for each manufacturer I typed those in as well in Google and this site. I read almost every post. I then narrowed my list down to 3 models. I then went deeper on this site with just those and read every thread. Keep in mind on forums most people don't post unless they have a problem. I then priced each one out from the MSRP. Does it fit my budget? I had the following criteria in this order of importance.
1. Reliability
2. Easy of cleaning.
3. Features or versatility.
4. Cost

I then went to a dealer that handled each of the 3 stoves. To me a dealer is important because when I need a part or service I want somebody I am comfortable with doing the work just like my cars. I wanted to have it professionally done for insurance purposes. Ask the dealer a lot of questions. They should have working stoves so you can see them running. I can work on them myself but travel periodically travel for work so I wanted somebody my wife could call if I am out of town for the week. I could have done the install myself but some of the recommendations I did not even think of for instance: to use inside air on the intake or outside air, negative pressure in the stove that is created and what will happen if power goes out. I did not want smoke in the house so I went with outside air intake. A cool wall thimble was installed with direct pipes out. I have brick so this being a very tall two story home I do not have a vertical pipe but the exhaust pipe sticks out about 3 feet pointing down. I am glad they went through 3 lays of brick on the outside wall instead of me. The air intake is at the top of the thimble and spreads out so it does not stick out. The exhaust pipe is 4 feet off the ground outside so this type of install was better for me as I do not have to worry about overhangs which is two floors up or about 40 feet with the attic.Each home is different.This is just an instance.

I sent the dealer my floor plan and my thoughts on placement of the stoves, they came back with a better recommendation for more even heat throughout the house. They have installed hundreds if not thousands depending on the dealer. I am happy with the placement and even enhances the living room which was not my idea but now I see it as a better location. A good dealer will help you work out what you need but not oversell you for your needs. This is just a sample of questions I had before and many after the sale. A good dealer will work with you after the sale as well. They will show you how to clean it properly. My dealer gave me a good price on pellets by the ton so I will be buying them through them and in the spring if we have one they will place an order for me on what I estimate I will need. Storage of pellets for an off-season buy is a consideration as well.

That all being said, I went with Harman stoves. A P68 in the larger area in the living room and a P43 in the back part of my house. Enjoy the research as you will learn a lot. The search feature on this site is your friend.

 

[Mr. Spock]

Welcome to the forum Alkamodaddy!
All good advice from the forum members so far. I will assume from your user name that you are male and married. If that is the case then expect the wife to have a say... err I mean make the decision for you. I was thinking along the lines of a P43 until her eyes gazed upon the sugar coated XXV. It was at that point I made my choice.

 

[Polar Bear]

Welcome to the forum Alkamodaddy!
All good advice from the forum members so far. I will assume from your user name that you are male and married. If that is the case then expect the wife to have a say... err I mean make the decision for you. I was thinking along the lines of a P43 until her eyes gazed upon the sugar coated XXV. It was at that point I made my choice.

This made me laugh, cause it's true.

 

[BrotherBart]

Yep. I always say do your online research, find the ones you think you might want, come to hearth.com and find what people that own them think and then go back and buy the one she wanted in the first place. Wood, pellet don't make a difference. Works the same way.

 

[bondo]

Welcome to this forum, Alkamodaddy. You join a long and growing list of people looking for alternative heat sourcing - you've come to an invaluable resource to start that process.

You will find many many pellet stoves that meet your efficient, safe and reliable criteria. A few questions to ask - do you want to go new, when you 'buy' a dealer's reputation as much as you do a heating appliance, or are you going to try to pick up something used, and 'go it alone'? Are you going to depend on a dealer or an independent stove shop to do your repair and maintenance, or do you plan to go the DIY route, where many of us on this forum derive our satisfaction from self-reliance and maintenance cost control.

You will find members on this forum who are quite passionate, and understandably perhaps somewhat partisan about their pellet stove choices and opinions. You will find forum members who swear by upper end stoves like Quadrafire and Harman, but just as many 'big box' stove owners who do just fine with less expensive stoves, particularly if you are only using your pellet stove for supplemental vs the primary heat source." Some like Ford's, and some like Chevy's....." This forum is a well spring of all types of pellet stove owners who can help you along your way, remembering what it was like when we were 'newbies' to pellet stove ownership.

I would start by researching your local pellet stove dealer, especially if you want to go the new stove route, (some dealers even sell used stoves as well), as the quality of dealer service and support is all over the map. Get a referral from someone who has been a customer to get 'the good bad and the ugly' on dealer knowledge and service. If you can wait until the spring you can often find good spring deals on Craigslist or E-bay to find a used pellet stove, then you can post on here and find someone who owns that type of stove and they can give you the scoop on what to check on before you buy.

Very well said. Use the search in your browser also. That is where I started. Read reviews on all the stoves that fit into the criteria you are in need of. Also are you going to be using it as a supplement or something that will take over the heating of your house? I bought my stove for the same exact reason you are buying yours. Propane was at $5 a gallon and I said no way. If I am going to spend that kind of money then I want to buy something tangible that I will have after the money is spent not just heat. It also makes me feel good knowing that I have two heat sources now. If one goes down I have the other to take over. When I bought the stove I assumed I would need to use the propane when it got really cold. I am happy to say that is not the case. It has been -20 a few times now since I got the stove and it has been no problem, in fact the house is now kept warmer with the stove then it was with propane. I have a 2 story 1800 sq ft house that was built in 1900. Almost all windows have been replaced in the last 5 years and the insulation is pretty good. I think there is a stove out there for everyone. Is money an issue? Are you a diy type person? How often are you available to clean? Are you gone for long periods and need an oversize hopper? Do you want a stove you can tweak or one that does that for you? I went my route because I am a diy type person. I didn't need all the bells and whistles. Also mine will be paid off for the most part by spring. I paid about $1500 for the stove and all my piping needed. Add in the pellets and I am figuring about $2000 for the rest of the heating season. At $5 a gallon it would have cost me $2500. At $3 it would of been about $1500. Some stoves are more efficient then others. Some are also more reliable. A higher price doesn't always equal more reliability remember. They are all safe though as long as the user/installer does what they are suppose too. Figure out the answers to those questions and you can really narrow down your search.

 

[Alkamodaddy]

I just purchased 2 myself in February. I first decided the square feet needed by ceiling height. I have 11 foot ceilings on two floors on an 1880's home that is not as efficient as far as insulation. Once I decided on BTU's needed I doubled it in my case with larger ceilings and to leave wiggle room for those days that are below season norm. I wanted to make sure it would handle the load. Now that I have that information is why I decided on two stoves. One for the living room and one for the back side of the house. I have 3,000 square feet. Armed with that info I then did research. I googled stoves in my btu range. It led me to this site along with manufacturer sites. Once I got model numbers needed from my research for each manufacturer I typed those in as well in Google and this site. I read almost every post. I then narrowed my list down to 3 models. I then went deeper on this site with just those and read every thread. Keep in mind on forums most people don't post unless they have a problem. I then priced each one out from the MSRP. Does it fit my budget? I had the following criteria in this order of importance.
1. Reliability
2. Easy of cleaning.
3. Features or versatility.
4. Cost

I then went to a dealer that handled each of the 3 stoves. To me a dealer is important because when I need a part or service I want somebody I am comfortable with doing the work just like my cars. I wanted to have it professionally done for insurance purposes. Ask the dealer a lot of questions. They should have working stoves so you can see them running. I can work on them myself but travel periodically travel for work so I wanted somebody my wife could call if I am out of town for the week. I could have done the install myself but some of the recommendations I did not even think of for instance: to use inside air on the intake or outside air, negative pressure in the stove that is created and what will happen if power goes out. I did not want smoke in the house so I went with outside air intake. A cool wall thimble was installed with direct pipes out. I have brick so this being a very tall two story home I do not have a vertical pipe but the exhaust pipe sticks out about 3 feet pointing down. I am glad they went through 3 lays of brick on the outside wall instead of me. The air intake is at the top of the thimble and spreads out so it does not stick out. The exhaust pipe is 4 feet off the ground outside so this type of install was better for me as I do not have to worry about overhangs which is two floors up or about 40 feet with the attic.Each home is different.This is just an instance.

I sent the dealer my floor plan and my thoughts on placement of the stoves, they came back with a better recommendation for more even heat throughout the house. They have installed hundreds if not thousands depending on the dealer. I am happy with the placement and even enhances the living room which was not my idea but now I see it as a better location. A good dealer will help you work out what you need but not oversell you for your needs. This is just a sample of questions I had before and many after the sale. A good dealer will work with you after the sale as well. They will show you how to clean it properly. My dealer gave me a good price on pellets by the ton so I will be buying them through them and in the spring if we have one they will place an order for me on what I estimate I will need. Storage of pellets for an off-season buy is a consideration as well.

That all being said, I went with Harman stoves. A P68 in the larger area in the living room and a P43 in the back part of my house. Enjoy the research as you will learn a lot. The search feature on this site is your friend.

Now that is the kind of answer I needed. Thanks very much for all the information. I have been leaning toward the Harman stoves and as luck would have it there is a dealer about 2 hours away. I live in Michigan's UP, so that is pretty close. Again great reply!! Thanks for taking the time to be so thorough.
Hank

 

[Alkamodaddy]

Welcome to the forum Alkamodaddy!
All good advice from the forum members so far. I will assume from your user name that you are male and married. If that is the case then expect the wife to have a say... err I mean make the decision for you. I was thinking along the lines of a P43 until her eyes gazed upon the sugar coated XXV. It was at that point I made my choice.

8)

 

[Alkamodaddy]

The more info you give about your reqs the better suggestions; otherwise almost all stoves and brands are acceptable, but each has its own peculiarities.

Well I want a stove that looks nice, not an industrial box. I need to heat about 1600 Sq.ft. I would to only have to load the stove every 24 hours or so. I want one that I do not have to worry about a whole lot. It will be on an outside wall and vented through the wall. I am not sure what else to put here. Thanks for taking the time to reply.
Hank

 

[Ctcarl]

Welcome as the others are saying research is key .My first stove was a used enviro ef3 that I got for a low price and did barter for the instal. I never had any type of stove prior just a open fireplace.it was a disaster . Problems after problems. Did my research saved some cash and went with a Harman p35i and love it.i do a good 7 day cleaning on it and did my first ton cleaning last weds and knock in wood went great.Im heating a 1800 split level.Im glad I did the research and it's paying off .You get what you pay for. What ever you choose good luck

 

[peirhead]

Be sure to take into account the maintenance required for these stoves.......and also have a look at mini split heat pumps as well...with a COP of 3 - 4 these devices provide similar performance and operating costs as space heaters with no maintenance!!

 

[BGStG1aholic]

Well I want a stove that looks nice, not an industrial box. I need to heat about 1600 Sq.ft. I would to only have to load the stove every 24 hours or so. I want one that I do not have to worry about a whole lot. It will be on an outside wall and vented through the wall. I am not sure what else to put here. Thanks for taking the time to reply.
Hank

Howdie Hank,

I just bought a Harman XXV and it's about the prettiest stove I've seen(maj...brown porcelain(enamel)- shiny) and it puts out a buttload of heat. It does eat some pellets though, won't last near the 24 hrs. you request but I'm glad I bought it.The hopper is said to hold 60 pounds of pellets but a 40 pound bag is about all it can take, maybe 10 more pounds could be stuffed in. It usually lasts me 12-14 hrs. burning it pretty hot.

Another consideration which I've not really seen mentioned is the "burn factor" or the exterior heat of the stove. While my old Avalon(1990) stove was a bit more efficient than my new Harman you(or little kids or myself ) could sustain a nice burn on your arm if it is rubbed up against the stove(Avalon) while making adjustments or whatever. My new Harman is NOT hot enough anywhere(except for exhaust area) to cause a burn even if a kid or a drunk stumbled onto it. Some of the other HO Harman stoves will get about hot enough to cook on which can be a definate advantage. I prefer the hot hot exterior but still went with the XXV as I have an old Avalon stove(hooked up now for backup) and also a wood stove I can cook on if I need.

Check out some pics of the XXV - It's a beauty (especially the enamel finish, only like 400 bucks extra)and if you've done the least amount of research you already know the Harman line is at the top of the list regarding ease of cleaning, quality built, ease of maintenance, etc. - did I mention quality built and quality shipped to protect the finish of the stove. It comes bolted on a nice heavy duty steel mount and has small thin rubber pieces stuffed between 4 different areas to prevent rub marks. They definately pay attention to protecting their product during shipping to the dealer. I'm very pleased with this stove

You may also wish to "shop around". The first Harman dealer I went to was a really nice informative guy. I told him I was already set on my choice of the XXV and his store was the first I stopped at to get a price quote. I was honest right away(so as not to waste his time) and told him I just was after the cheapest price on the stove I had picked out, the Harman XXV enamel finish. I told him I was going to check prices at a few different places and he gave me a quote on my stove and assured me no one would beat his price. I went home, got on the phone and within 1 hour had another Harman dealer just 15 miles further away that would sell me the same stove for 300 bucks cheaper. I ended up spending $90.- on gas to buy the stove for 700 bucks cheaper only 180 miles away! The only negative about this is that I have no free warranty call because I'm so far away but I don't care whatsoever about that because I'm the one that needs to work on this stove when it needs working on anyway so I can learn it. Unless something major(computer or box whatever related) goes wrong I'll be able to handle any repairs. It pays to shop around, that's for sure

 

[john193]

One of the most important part about stove ownership is a reputable dealer to help you. Unlike automobiles, only the dealer you purchase your stove from can perform warranty services.

 

[chken]

Well I want a stove that looks nice, not an industrial box. I need to heat about 1600 Sq.ft. I would to only have to load the stove every 24 hours or so. I want one that I do not have to worry about a whole lot. It will be on an outside wall and vented through the wall. I am not sure what else to put here. Thanks for taking the time to reply.
Hank

Okay, that narrows it down a little. Nice is in the eye of the beholder! 1600sqft is not that much space and just about any stove over 38k btus should heat it, as long as the rest of the house's heat requirements are average for a house that size. Loading the stove once a day means a hopper of at least a bag and a half, or 60+ pounds.

So, with that little bit, I'd say you can just about look at any size stove, but it's got to have a bigger than average size hopper. As you can imagine smaller stoves don't typically have larger hoppers, so that'll narrow your search a little.

 

[BGStG1aholic]

One of the most important part about stove ownership is a reputable dealer to help you. Unlike automobiles, only the dealer you purchase your stove from can perform warranty services.

The Harman dealer I just bought mine from said that since I live 180 miles away she would not come do service work(which I realised in the first place) but that my warranty would still be in effect 100% for any parts I needed and she would send me the parts for free if something covered by the warranty failed.

These pellet stoves are not like working on a jet engine, it's all pretty much basic stuff except for if the electronics screw up - then I'm lost. If you are not a total idiot I think you could do any services/repairs this stove may need, it appears to be quite easy. It is a quality unit and I see no need for a service person to come work on my stove(even if they are located one mile away) when I am capable of performing the simple tasks it takes to maintain this stove and/or fix it if needed.





John, are you a Harman dealer and know something about their warranty I or my dealer doesn't? Please inform me as all I know is what the dealer I trust told me.

.I still believe I have a valid warranty even though I don't have a dealer nearby to come and clean my stove for me

 

[Ctcarl]

The Harman dealer I just bought mine from said that since I live 180 miles away she would not come do service work(which I realised in the first place) but that my warranty would still be in effect 100% for any parts I needed and she would send me the parts for free if something covered by the warranty failed.

These pellet stoves are not like working on a jet engine, it's all pretty much basic stuff except for if the electronics screw up - then I'm lost. If you are not a total idiot I think you could do any services/repairs this stove may need, it appears to be quite easy. It is a quality unit and I see no need for a service person to come work on my stove(even if they are located one mile away) when I am capable of performing the simple tasks it takes to maintain this stove and/or fix it if needed.





John, are you a Harman dealer and know something about their warranty I or my dealer doesn't? Please inform me as all I know is what the dealer I trust told me.

.I still believe I have a valid warranty even though I don't have a dealer nearby to come and clean my stove for me

When I pay around $4000 for a stove and if it doesn't wrk I like the fact that I can have the tech come and fix it. Im comfortable doing cleanings but if there's a problem that I can't figure out in gnna call the dealer lol power to you mechanics fellas.

 

[tjnamtiw]

When I pay around $4000 for a stove and if it doesn't wrk I like the fact that I can have the tech come and fix it. Im comfortable doing cleanings but if there's a problem that I can't figure out in gnna call the dealer lol power to you mechanics fellas.

Us mechanics fellas will be nice and warm while you are freezing your butt off for 2 days waiting in line for a tech to come to your house to push a reset button on a snap disc. 'And that's all I'm gonna say about that.'

 

[john193]

The Harman dealer I just bought mine from said that since I live 180 miles away she would not come do service work(which I realised in the first place) but that my warranty would still be in effect 100% for any parts I needed and she would send me the parts for free if something covered by the warranty failed.

These pellet stoves are not like working on a jet engine, it's all pretty much basic stuff except for if the electronics screw up - then I'm lost. If you are not a total idiot I think you could do any services/repairs this stove may need, it appears to be quite easy. It is a quality unit and I see no need for a service person to come work on my stove(even if they are located one mile away) when I am capable of performing the simple tasks it takes to maintain this stove and/or fix it if needed.





John, are you a Harman dealer and know something about their warranty I or my dealer doesn't? Please inform me as all I know is what the dealer I trust told me.

.I still believe I have a valid warranty even though I don't have a dealer nearby to come and clean my stove for me

I'm just a consumer. What your dealer told you sounds legitimate. And if you are inclined to work on your own stove even better.

 

[Ctcarl]

Us mechanics fellas will be nice and warm while you are freezing your butt off for 2 days waiting in line for a tech to come to your house to push a reset button on a snap disc. 'And that's all I'm gonna say about that.'

Does my p35i even have a snap disc?like the garbage enviro I traded In Went through 3 of them lol