Pad for pellet stove

[Ashamatash]

I'm in the process of installing my new Englander PDVC-25 pellet stove and had a question about the heat pad for the bottom of the stove. I've searched some threads and read about building Durorock pads with some tile on top. Does the base of the stove need to rest on top of the Dururock tile or can you cut the Durorock around the base and slide it snugly in around the base after the install? I don't necessarily want to live with the tile I chose at first (may want to easily replace it in a few years) and want the option to be able to pull that insert out every once and a while and give it a good cleaning. I guess the question may lie within the base of the heater: does it get too hot to be directly on a wood floor or not?

Also, a sales associate at Home Depot told me they used to carry portable pads/sheets that would simply lay on the ground in front of the stove (almost like a doormat) and was made of fire-retardent material. Does anything like this exist and is it recommended as sufficient for those little chunkers that may pop out from time-to-time?

Thanks,
Scott

:cheese:

 

[Shane]

Just get a premade pad like the HD associate said. They can be had for 150 or so and up. If you build your own then you do need the hearth protection UNDER the stove.

 

[hearthtools]

I think you only need 3/8 thick of NON combustible 9" in front and 6" on the sides
but check your manual or with the Englander guys here on the forums.

 

[Gooserider]

You definitely need the pad to be UNDER the stove as well as around it. Depending on what the requirements are, you should be able to use either a pre-made pad or make your own out of one layer of Durock and some tile or slate over it.

In theory you might be able to make a two peice pad with one peice under the stove and a second that wrapped around the first, but that would be tricky to make in a way that would keep the inspectors happy, as they don't want to see any cracks or seams in the pad that might allow an ember to fall through to a combustible surface underneath.

Gooserider

 

[harrymowrey]

What in the sam hill are you guys talkin about? I have never had a ember or any combustble pop out of my pellet stove. But I did make my own pad 1/2" MDF 1/2" hardibacker and some tile set on top then trimmed it with the same base as the rest of the house, looks like it grew there now :>). It cost about $30.00 to make.

 

[Gooserider]

What in the sam hill are you guys talkin about? I have never had a ember or any combustble pop out of my pellet stove. But I did make my own pad 1/2" MDF 1/2" hardibacker and some tile set on top then trimmed it with the same base as the rest of the house, looks like it grew there now :>). It cost about $30.00 to make.

Possibly true, but inspectors are a paranoid bunch (Sorry Elk! :coolsmirk: ) and worry about things that are very unlikely if a stove is operated properly. Also many standards are written for wood stoves and don't really get changed much for pellet stoves, so some of the pellet stuff is a bit overkill. However it is better to err on the side of too much safety than not enough...

Gooserider