pellet furnaces western massachusetts

[jameskira]

We need to replace our old oil furnace and are looking into getting a pellet furnace. Here are my questions:

• Which brands can burn pellets and corn? I've heard that it is more efficient to burn corn and you don't have to feed the furnace as often.

• We live in Amherst, MA...does anybody know if there is a service provider for Hamman closer than West Springfield? I am worried about the furnace going out in the middle of winter and not being able to get it serviced for several days. It will be our only heat source. And, when the service provider is far away, do you have to pay for their travel time?

• Are there dealers who only sell pellets manufactured in the Northeast?

Any other advice on getting a pellet furnace as the only source of heat is welcome! We are looking for low maintenance, ability to burn lesser quality pellets and corn, battery or generator backup in case of power outages, and an automatic switch on/off for spring/fall months.

Thanks!

- Sue

 

[begreen]

Sue, I suspect at times someone in your family would be the service person. There is a certain degree of personal responsibility that comes with ownership. Central pellet heating systems are still somewhat uncommon in the US and support is spotty. The likelihood of having a local emergency service person that will drop everything is slim. FWIW, we have had a report of a Harman furnace dealer close up shop and no further warrantied support from Harman. You might consider a hybrid system so that you have backup heat in case of a system failure.

 

[Eric Johnson]

You might want to look into European brands. Pellet furnaces are a lot more common over there.

I would second BG's suggestion of getting a multi-fuel set-up of some kind. You might want to heat your house if you go on vacation in the winter, and it seems to me that it would hurt your resale value if you don't have a more conventional alternative. Don't count on corn prices coming down any time soon.

There's a company called Aquatherm that imports a pellet-burning central heating unit, but I believe it's a boiler and not a furnace. You could still use it with a relatively inexpensive heat exchanger, and heat your domestic hot water in the process.

 

[Fiamma]

Sue, we are a dealer of a biofuel furnace here in CT, not far from you/ look at this and feel free to call us @ 203-266-7717
Rob

(broken link removed to http://www.fiamma.us/endurance.htm)

 

[HarryBack]

We need to replace our old oil furnace and are looking into getting a pellet furnace. Here are my questions:

• Which brands can burn pellets and corn? I've heard that it is more efficient to burn corn and you don't have to feed the furnace as often.

• We live in Amherst, MA...does anybody know if there is a service provider for Hamman closer than West Springfield? I am worried about the furnace going out in the middle of winter and not being able to get it serviced for several days. It will be our only heat source. And, when the service provider is far away, do you have to pay for their travel time?

• Are there dealers who only sell pellets manufactured in the Northeast?

Any other advice on getting a pellet furnace as the only source of heat is welcome! We are looking for low maintenance, ability to burn lesser quality pellets and corn, battery or generator backup in case of power outages, and an automatic switch on/off for spring/fall months.

Thanks!

- Sue

Can comment a bit on the Harman PF100 here. Most brands of pellet furnaces do burn pellets, of course, but many also burn corn, or a percentage thereof. Unfortunately, corn has increased in price while, so far at least, the pellets have remained relatively steady in price. Corn is easily regrown, from the "green" aspect, but it also tend to invite rodents. Corn also burns dirtier. There are a couple of "corn folks" here, Im sure they'll chime in.

As for distance, Amherst Farmers' Supply is the closest to you, being in the same town. You'd need to question them about offering weekend/night service, but if you bought the unit from them, I dont think travel time would be much of an issue.

I dont know of many dealers who are willing to put all their eggs in one basket and only sell pellets from the Northeast....what happens if the mill burns down, or they have production issues, or they go out of business? Most dealers of any size will sell more than one brand. In New England, New England Pellets are very prevalent, and their Hardwood Premium and Standard varieties are made in Jaffrey, NH, while their Premium Canadian pellets are MADE in Canada, but BAGGED in Palmer, MA.

The PF100 has automatic ignition, so yes, it does have an auto on/off for winter and fall. I dont beleive theire is a battery backup available for it, as the distribution fan is quite large and would run a battery down quite fast. Harman doesnt make generators, but if you buy a quality one with a line conditioner it might do the trick in a pinch. No pellet units are maintenance free. Its quite important they are regularly cleaned to preserve efficiency and keep the unit running.

Good Luck.

 

[elkimmeg]

There is a dealer in Monson Ma Squire lumber where one can see a Harman Pellet furnace

When I was at his store /lumberyard, the people there are very helpfull and knowledgeable.

They answered all my questions concerning the Harman oakwood. They are also a large pellet supplier,
with lots of inventory. I know if I were buying a harman, they would be on my very short list