Pellet Stove Decision: Englander PVDC or Enviro EF2

[gpcollen1]

Background: I have a split level with approx. 2000 sqft. Lowest level, family room, has an Avalon Olympic insert that is just great. That room is 1/2 below ground and really needs to be renovated as it is a bit chilly in the winter without the stove (and it is attached to the garage). So the stove really heats that room (and the floor of the rooms above it) and I have a fan that blows some heat up the stairs to the main level. The main level has the LR, Kitchen, DR and an old addition that I am just redoing/reinsulating now. This addition is approx. 800 sqft. I really need to heat that room (electric heat in the house) and have some additional heat flow through the kitchen and into the other rooms. At the very least, it would be nice to have some of that heat keep the kitchen floor warmer (above the garage).

Question: In looking at the smaller pellet stoves, I got the best deal on the Enviro EF2. Now reading up on the Englander, is there any reason I should not go that route? I am pretty handy and installing this myself. Will be stopping to check out the Englander (or SummersHeat) on the way home today.

Thanks,
G

 

[n6crv]

Hello CTwoodnpelletburner, I would check out the Englander. I just got one of their Wood stove this year and had some questions about it. You could not have asked for better service. That to me means a lot when they help the buyer out. The others might also have good service.
Don

 

[stoveguy2esw]

hi CT,
i cant really do acomparison , because im not familiar with the enviro unit , but if you want any information on the 25-pdvc , let me know, i build them , and currently heat my house with one. feel free to pm me if you like or contact me via my e mail posted on my avatar

mike ESW

 

[Shane]

Both are good stoves. I'd go with the one you can get a better deal on unless you like the appearance of one over the other. Funny story: Got a call from a gentleman with a 25pdv. "I just put in a brand new cup motor (or was it the auger cant recall). Turns out my competitor sold him an enviro auger motor and said it will work on any pellet stove. Little did he know that the englander motor this was replacing turned counterclockwise not clockwise like the enviro. Took me about 2 seconds to deduce that one. Another funny story or not depending on your sense of humor. Walking through big box. Customer: "How do I vent this stove" Clerk: "Take this flex and cut a 3" hole in your wall send it through and put a cap on it. Look the flex says 0 clearance". I bought me pellets and moved along snickering to myself.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

. Another funny story or not depending on your sense of humor. Walking through big box. Customer: "How do I vent this stove" Clerk: "Take this flex and cut a 3" hole in your wall send it through and put a cap on it. Look the flex says 0 clearance". I bought me pellets and moved along snickering to myself.

hopefully folks look at their manuals,and/or , the included DVD which show proper installation (the DVD physically shows it step by step with a simpson through the wall kit. or call us with questions. as for installations , ive seen "professional installations" cleared by inspectors that were pretty much as bad as the one described above. one guy sent me pictures of an install which featured his pellet vent pipe running horizontally for 15 ft across the top of his basement before exiting out. wouldnt burn right, he said , "i had it professionally installed by a company up here that sells stoves" was all he said when i asked what the install looked like, finally after listening to him gripe about "the stoves not working" and "it must be the stove because the install was professionally done" i had him send me pictures. then i had him get me the phone number for the shop that did the work. the "professionals" went back and corrected the installation. i dunno what brand they sold, but i cannot imagine any brand working with a horizontal run that long.

 

[gpcollen1]

Thx for input so far. The PDVC is only $1250 as compared to approx $2000 for the EF2 - a similar unit outputwise. Maybe the unit is not quite as pretty, but if I wanted a pretty unit, I would be spending almost $3000.