Newbie Questions, please help.

[GenghisJon]

So I spent the weekend talking to pellet stove salesmen who probably aren't the best source to get objectionable opinions on whether a pellet stove is right for me.

I'm tired of paying crazy oil prices and still having a drafty house. My family is in the living room/ downstairs area 90% of the day. Zone heating makes alot of sense, I just need some feedback as to if a pellet stove will really save me money.

Here are some questions I could not get answered by salesmen.

1) should I get an insert or freestanding? I have a fireplace but do freestanding omit heat better?

2) Assuming I get an insert, how well does the heat travel to other rooms? Upstairs? I have a 1700 Sq Ft house and the insert I was looking at heats 2500. The salesman told me it should heat most of the house but that doesn't sound likely because it would have to go through a doorway, through the hall and then another doorway. Not very open.

3) Is there a danger of freezing pipes, ect if using zone heating? I was planning on using oil heat only at night for our bedrooms upstairs. Is that dangerous to leave it unheated during the winter months? This is assuming the heat will not carry up there.

4) Is it worth the extra money to get a bottom feeding stove as opposed to top?

5) I'm clueless how to shop for a stove. What should I look for?

Thanks alot for your help. I'm in CT.

Jon

 

[HEMI]

i see your in middletown....where did you go looking at stoves?

 

[GenghisJon]

After Glow in Meriden
Fireside Supply in Hebron
Lowes, Home Depot

Thanks

 

[HEMI]

After Glow in Meriden
Fireside Supply in Hebron
Lowes, Home Depot

Thanks

i went to a few different places myself, and i settled on afterglow...of the places i went they were hands down the best choice, they also had the best price at what i was looking at....they spent a good amount of time with me on two occasions before i decided to go with them.....there is also another member on here from naugatuck area who purchased there also and has had a good experience.

 

[krooser]

I'm sure many will disagree with me but here goes...

First, find a dealer who you are comfortable with and who is knowledgeable (not pushy) and can service your stove. Ask for names/numbers of folks who have purchased from them. Check the references.

Second... if your fireplace isn't near the center of your home buy a freestanding unit and install it closer to the center of the house. Looking at the fire in a fireplace is great but if the rest of your house is cold it doesn't do much in the dead of winter. I put my St. Croix in the porch area of my kitchen which was the coldest part of the house. It also heats the living room and my office... keeps the bedrooms about 60F in Jan/Feb. Plus, if you have to reline your flue to use the stove, it may be cheaper to install a freestanding unit with a simple horizontal or vertical vent out the wall.

The Harman guys here will cringe at this but I'd buy a top feeder every time. I see many posts here about auger clogs if you have too many fines, too large of pellets, etc. on a bottom feeder stove. Top feeders generally don't suffer from those problems. I have a St. Croix freestanding and I have never had any problems regardless of the pellets I've used. My stove also has a self-cleaning grate and I don't have to even open the door for a week or more to clean the firepot... very nice. I do clean the glass a little more often.. sometimes. I'm not saying you have to buy a stove like mine but you get the idea.

Bottom line is find a good dealer, ask folks who have pellet stoves who they bought from and how the dealers service is. There are many sales-only dealers out there who are clueless about customer service after the sale.

 

[GenghisJon]

After Glow in Meriden
Fireside Supply in Hebron
Lowes, Home Depot

Thanks

i went to a few different places myself, and i settled on afterglow...of the places i went they were hands down the best choice, they also had the best price at what i was looking at....they spent a good amount of time with me on two occasions before i decided to go with them.....there is also another member on here from naugatuck area who purchased there also and has had a good experience.

I liked Afterglow alot too. They seemed to know their stuff and took the time to answer my questions.

 

[countk]

I'm sure many will disagree with me but here goes...

First, find a dealer who you are comfortable with and who is knowledgeable (not pushy) and can service your stove. Ask for names/numbers of folks who have purchased from them. Check the references.

Second... if your fireplace isn't near the center of your home buy a freestanding unit and install it closer to the center of the house. Looking at the fire in a fireplace is great but if the rest of your house is cold it doesn't do much in the dead of winter. I put my St. Croix in the porch area of my kitchen which was the coldest part of the house. It also heats the living room and my office... keeps the bedrooms about 60F in Jan/Feb. Plus, if you have to reline your flue to use the stove, it may be cheaper to install a freestanding unit with a simple horizontal or vertical vent out the wall.

The Harman guys here will cringe at this but I'd buy a top feeder every time. I see many posts here about auger clogs if you have too many fines, too large of pellets, etc. on a bottom feeder stove. Top feeders generally don't suffer from those problems. I have a St. Croix freestanding and I have never had any problems regardless of the pellets I've used. My stove also has a self-cleaning grate and I don't have to even open the door for a week or more to clean the firepot... very nice. I do clean the glass a little more often.. sometimes. I'm not saying you have to buy a stove like mine but you get the idea.

Bottom line is find a good dealer, ask folks who have pellet stoves who they bought from and how the dealers service is. There are many sales-only dealers out there who are clueless about customer service after the sale.

I couldn't agree with you more. I had my Empress installed in April of 08 and have not had a problem yet. When I thought I had one my dealer came out immediately. I would never think of going to a Lowe's or Home Depot, mostly because I wouldn't know how to install or fix a stove.

As for a top feeder I would also agree, not from a technical standpoint, because I know nothing about augers. What I do know is that I have never had a jam, problems with pellets feeding, etc. I look at all the problems here just like you and wonder what all the scuttlebutt is about auger jams and feeding problems, pellet length, etc.

Just my 2 cents!

 

[BDPVT]

So I spent the weekend talking to pellet stove salesmen who probably aren't the best source to get objectionable opinions on whether a pellet stove is right for me.

I'm tired of paying crazy oil prices and still having a drafty house. My family is in the living room/ downstairs area 90% of the day. Zone heating makes alot of sense, I just need some feedback as to if a pellet stove will really save me money.

Here are some questions I could not get answered by salesmen.

1) should I get an insert or freestanding? I have a fireplace but do freestanding omit heat better?

2) Assuming I get an insert, how well does the heat travel to other rooms? Upstairs? I have a 1700 Sq Ft house and the insert I was looking at heats 2500. The salesman told me it should heat most of the house but that doesn't sound likely because it would have to go through a doorway, through the hall and then another doorway. Not very open.

3) Is there a danger of freezing pipes, ect if using zone heating? I was planning on using oil heat only at night for our bedrooms upstairs. Is that dangerous to leave it unheated during the winter months? This is assuming the heat will not carry up there.

4) Is it worth the extra money to get a bottom feeding stove as opposed to top?

5) I'm clueless how to shop for a stove. What should I look for?

Thanks alot for your help. I'm in CT.

Jon

Glad to share my opinion for what its worth:

1) Really no difference between an insert or free standing. I have both installed at home and ethier way they throw good heat. An insert may be easier to install but the location may not be ideal. Heat the areas that you spend the most time in.

2) Pellet stoves are space heaters . Warm air moves by convection so you need to find clever ways to move it to the coolest parts of the house.Very difficult to move warm air throughout your house and maintain even temps. I have an old house with lots of rooms. We use floor fans and ceiling fans, but upstairs is always 5-6 degrees cooler.

3)Freezing pipes can be a problem. Running your central heat a little each day is good insurance.Do a search of this site. Lots of good ideas how to avoid this issue.

4) I have both and have never had a feed problem no matter what pellet I burn. Pick a stove the fits your needs and budget from a reputable dealer and you will be happy.

5) Start by finding a good local dealer. It is in their best interest to advise you on the best stove for your situation as well as provide service. Again search this site as you go. Lots of great advice and help.

Good luck!

 

[krooser]

One alternative... Englander has a dealer who sells their factory seconds, returns, etc. on Ebay at a considerable discount. At least one forum member has taken advantage of this deal and seems happy. Mike from Englander is also a member here and he's a great source of tech info.

Another alternative is buying an Astroflamm stove on-line from my dealer here in Wisconsin. They have some smoking (pun intended) deals on Austrian-made Austroflamm stoves... with free shipping. These are nice stoves... the dealer has been super to work with and I'm sure you'd be happy with one of those stoves.

Here's the link...

(broken link removed to http://www.pellethead.com/AustroFlamm.htm)

Good luck...

 

[imacman]

3)Freezing pipes can be a problem. Running your central heat a little each day is good insurance.Do a search of this site. Lots of good ideas how to avoid this issue........

This solves the problem with possible frozen pipes…. I installed a “ThermGuard” on the upstairs t-stat last winter to eliminate the possibility of frozen pipe in attic, and it worked perfectly....money well spent, IMO.

www.bearmountaindesign.com

The guy who makes/sells them will give you a discount if you put in the discount code he made just for Hearth.com members: enter code 101657512 in the vouncher/discount code. The hit the recalculate button. Free shipping too.

Ends up being about $62.

 

[GenghisJon]

Thank you all for your replies. I learned more right now then I did a week searching the internet.

I'm thinking about getting the Quadra Fire CLASSIC BAY 1200 INSERT.

Pretty OK from the reviews I've read on here. Any opinions on if I should get the OAK?

Thanks again!

 

[Fsappo]

The quad 1200 is a decent insert. If you have a fireplace, I would surely go the insert route. Run your central heat once a day for an hour to keep pipes from freezing. Keep doing your research.

 

[GenghisJon]

Thanks Franks. Appreciate your help.

 

[StrangeRanger]

CT doesn't that cold, I really don't think frozen pipes are something you need to worry about unless your house is super poorly insulated. If your pellet stove is running during the day you'll get enough convection moving around that heat will work its way through the house to deter any frozen pipes. You'd need sustained days of bitter, bitter cold I think to have to worry about that.

Most importantly is to buy from a dealer you're comfortable with and preferably someone "local". I know the local part can be hard in cases but it's important. Your local, comfy dealer may even be a little more expensive than the next guy, but if he's willing to answer all your questions and be there for help if needed it's money very well spent. I think a lot of folks may have regretted going the less expensive route only wishing they hadn't when it came time for a service call.

 

[Marbleguy]

I have the Quadrafire 1200 insert and love it. I have in a family room that is off of the main house but I also have a ceiling fan that I run most of the winter to keep the air moving. The family room is warm and the rest of the house is a little cooler but not uncomfortable. During the day, there is enough heat going up the stairs to keep the thermostat from kicking on. I have that one set at 60 degrees but it only heats the bedrooms which we like cool anyway. One thing I like is that I have the thermostat for the stove in another area of the house and not in the same room at the stove.

 

[GenghisJon]

I have the Quadrafire 1200 insert and love it. I have in a family room that is off of the main house but I also have a ceiling fan that I run most of the winter to keep the air moving. The family room is warm and the rest of the house is a little cooler but not uncomfortable. During the day, there is enough heat going up the stairs to keep the thermostat from kicking on. I have that one set at 60 degrees but it only heats the bedrooms which we like cool anyway. One thing I like is that I have the thermostat for the stove in another area of the house and not in the same room at the stove.

If you don't mind me asking how big is your house? Do you still use another heating source at times (oil)?

Thanks

 

[Marbleguy]

The house is a standard three bedroom Dutch Colonial. The room with the stove is a family room off the back of the house with the fireplace on the far end of that room. Between the family room and the kitchen there is a large (maybe 5 feet by 3 feet) cut out in the wall plus the door. Heat seems to travel well thru the "window" pretty good as it is in direct line with the stove. Thermostat is in the hallwall between the dining room and central stairway in the front of the house. I found that the ceiling fan is a big plus in moving the air around the house. If you would like to see the install, send me a PM and we can get together. I still do use some oil to heat the upstairs durning the overnight when it's cold outside. We sleep with the door closed and that is where the thermostat is for the upstairs. This causes the oil burner to kick on once or twice overnight. Last year I used about 1/2 tank of oil after the stove was installed on the 2nd of January.