pellet stove for small space in a small town

[anavr]

I have a small living area space (550sqft). The rest of the house is a strange shape so I'm not expecting the stove to heat any other rooms. The purpose of the stove is to create ambiance and heat the room (which is usually cold) so we can enjoy it. We have decided on a pellet stove.

Our small town (Jackson WY) only has one local rep for Quadrafire (with lots of install experience) and another for Napoleon (who has installed only a couple)... someone who is not a "do it yourselfer" should probably pick a stove with a local rep to service it. The cost for the small Quadrafire installed is about $4,000 (with logset/remote/vent/labor/freight). Napleon NPS40 $2,500 (with stove/vent/install). A town, 3 hrs away, will install the smallest Harman P38 (manual light) for $2,500.

My research indicates that local representation is very important for service or problems and Harman is the best & cleaning is easier.

1) QUIETEST? Small room would prefer a quiet stove… I have read that top loading clinking pellets are more audiable than Harmon’s bottom load… but does the manufacturer and model make a difference in top loading?

2) HARMAN? Since Harman is the best and in this case one of the least expensive, should I take a chance on this one even though I won’t have a chance to see it/hear it prior to purchase and the rep is 3 hrs away? This Harman model is also a manual light… is this a big inconvenience?

3) VENTING? Is there any reason NOT to vent directly horizontally back from the stove to the outside wall. Someone suggested that going vertical before exiting the house wall is better. Why? Venting directly out the back looks better especially for a small space.

THANK YOU!

 

[DiggerJim]

I have a small living area space (550sqft). The rest of the house is a strange shape so I'm not expecting the stove to heat any other rooms. The purpose of the stove is to create ambiance and heat the room (which is usually cold) so we can enjoy it. We have decided on a pellet stove.

Our small town (Jackson WY) only has one local rep for Quadrafire (with lots of install experience) and another for Napoleon (who has installed only a couple)... someone who is not a "do it yourselfer" should probably pick a stove with a local rep to service it. The cost for the small Quadrafire installed is about $4,000 (with logset/remote/vent/labor/freight). Napleon NPS40 $2,500 (with stove/vent/install). A town, 3 hrs away, will install the smallest Harman P38 (manual light) for $2,500. I'd go with the Napoleon. You can buy an awful lot of service for the $1,500 and it doesn't sound like you're going to be using this one in 24x7 major heat mode so the wear & tear won't be that taxing on the stove - good for longevity. The 3 hr to the Harman dealer makes it a one-time visit he'll do for the install but you'll most likely be on your own for service, or paying 3 or more times as much since he'll have 6 hrs round trip to service your stove. A service visit could easily cost you more than your winter's supply of pellets.

My research indicates that local representation is very important for service or problems and Harman is the best & cleaning is easier. Best & easier are relative. None of these is particularly hard to clean. Harman's been sold and no one knows if the new stoves will have the same quality & longevity of the old ones with the new owners (who also happen to own Quadrafire by the way, so it may be a moot point). Regardless, I might put the Quad & Harman on the same level for "best" and "easiest" with the Napoleon not far enough behind to affect my decision. YMMV.

1) QUIETEST? Small room would prefer a quiet stove… I have read that top loading clinking pellets are more audiable than Harmon’s bottom load… but does the manufacturer and model make a difference in top loading? You need to listen to them to decide. Top loading makes little "tinks" kind of like ice settling in a glass, no biggie. The blowers will be more noticeable so you'll want to get a sense of those to decide.

2) HARMAN? Since Harman is the best and in this case one of the least expensive, should I take a chance on this one even though I won’t have a chance to see it/hear it prior to purchase and the rep is 3 hrs away? I wouldn't. I expect the noise is going to be your biggest determining factor in this selection. The room size and the casual use of the stove point to making its "liveability" a priority I would think. This Harman model is also a manual light… is this a big inconvenience? Not really if you're leaving it on. Maybe if you turn the stove on & off during the day/week. It's not hard (spread some starter gel, light it, close the door) but it's not as easy as press the button. More effort definitely, but maybe not a real big deal for you.

3) VENTING? Is there any reason NOT to vent directly horizontally back from the stove to the outside wall. In your case, not really. Someone suggested that going vertical before exiting the house wall is better. Why? You can recapture a bit (not tons, just some) of the heat that's warming the stove piping if it's inside the house. Probably not noticeable for your situation. Venting directly out the back looks better especially for a small space. Agree. You can go straight out the back but I'd go with straight out the back and then doing a short 3 - 5' run vertically up the backside of the house to get a good natural draft which is good in the event of a power outage shutting your stove down. There's also the benefit of avoiding smoke staining of the side of the house you might get with a straight pipe - or might not, it depends on the way the winds blow vs. your vent outlet. Bottomline I'd go with the Napoleon with a straight thru the wall vent to a short vertical up the side of the house.

THANK YOU!

 

[anavr]

Very informative and helpful...
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME
One last note, with regarding to venting the pellet stove.
The house has vinyl siding... does this make a difference in the shape of the vent and piping on the exterior of the house?

 

[DiggerJim]

Very informative and helpful...
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME
One last note, with regarding to venting the pellet stove.
The house has vinyl siding... does this make a difference in the shape of the vent and piping on the exterior of the house?

Not really. The vent goes through the wall in something called a "thimble". It's got an air space to keep the wall, siding, etc. from getting any heat damage (or fire). But, you might find it gets discolored from the smoke easier so will want to go with a vertical section outside before terminating the vent. People have mixed results with siding getting stained when doing a straight thru the wall vent - some do, some don't it depends on how the air/wind flows around your vent termination. However, I've not seen anyone with a vertical run outside getting smoke staining. It's harder to get off of vinyl siding so you might want to keep that in mind when deciding whether to go straight out or straight then up.

 

[anavr]

again... thank you very very much!
Your insight and been most appreciated and helpful!