Pellet Stove Help...please!!!

[autumn]

:question: We are seriously considering a pellet stove but would like to know from people who have had one for a while...how do you feel about yours?

Do you save a decent amount of money using it compared to gas or oil?

Are you happy with it and do you feel it was worth your investment?

Please tell me your thoughts on having one.

We are just trying to get some feedback on the stoves. We would like to use it to help lower our oil costs and for comfort too.....our home is kept at about 64 and its cold....we are looking for some comfort as well as savings.

Thanks!

 

[begreen]

Welcome autumn. Where are you posting from?

A good pellet stove is a great investment. But like any investment, it depends on how it's used. If one sizes the stove correctly and has a good source of fuel at a competitive price, then it is a worthwhile investment. This can vary from region to region. In the Pacific NW, pellet stoves are a great alternative. The fuel supply is good and affordable, especially as compared to oil or propane. In other states, there maybe less expensive fuels. And any stove is only as good as its maintenance. A pellet stove's great preformance will degrade if not cleaned. The cleaning interval can vary from as little as daily to as much as bi-weekly depending on the brand stove.


There are lots of posts on this website talking about various makes and models. Please search for those threads. Try searching for - pellet advantages.

 

[Highbeam]

It would be cool to have a survey choice for "don't own a pellet stove" so that guys like me can view the results without having to select yes or no.

 

[restorer]

Welcome to the Hearth. As you will see from my signature I heat with pellets. My options are rather limited. Heating Oil is $2.60 to $2.80 per gallon, kero is $2.98, NG is not an option and Electricity is way beyond. I heated home and shop with pellets this year exclusively, so there was no extra oil. I burned just under 3 tons at a total of $550.00. When I used NG it cost about $700 for season and minimum of $30 per month off season. Since then the cost has gone up over 70%.

Add to that an increase in temperature of about 5*, a more consistent temperature, and the satisfaction of not having to put up with the utility company's BS. Now I own three stoves and may burn 4 ton next year, but still saving money.

BTW, all my stoves were used, new stoves have one very important advantage, dealer or manufacturer support and a warranty. On mine if they break, I do the work myself.

 

[Kenny1]

Hello Autumn, and welcome.

I'm just on my first year with my pellet stove. So far I am happy with it. Having said that....

You mention wanting to save money vs. oil. There are some calculators around that can help you decide if this will happen.

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/articles/fuel_cost_comparison_calculator/

Please keep in mind that there are some efficiency's to be gained using a space heater vs a single zone whole house furnace (put the heat where you need it).

I did not expect to save huge money by putting in a pellet stove.

As BeGreen pointed out, there is some maintenance with pellet stoves. I fill ours up once a day, give the burn pot a little scrape and wipe the glass if needed. Typically about 5 min. Every ton, I shut the stove down, and do the maintenance cleaning (exchanger, under the burn pot, empty the ash pan, etc.). I'll get the pro's in to do a full clean before next heating season. All in all very simple.

You will need some place to store pellets. I keep 2 tons in the garage.

OK, now for the good stuff.

Our pellet stove is in our basement. Last winter the basement was freezing. This winter, nice and toasty. I like the view of the fire. The stove does not need attention between daily fill ups. It has auto ignition, so it shuts itself off if no heat is needed, and starts up when heat is called for.

So, I'm happy with my P61A so far.

 

[restorer]

OK, who's the negative one and didn't explain? You're probably a Whorehouse Red PE owner.

 

[Xena]

The stove has worked out well for our needs, and we have space to store 3 tons at a time
which enables us to buy and store rather than buy as needed. Additionally, I much prefer
to give my money to the pellet mfg's rather than the oil company. Those calculator things
don't reflect my actual situation so I don't even bother with them. I pay the bills and know
at the end of the month how much has gone out and I have compared to the oil bills from
the year before we got the stove and by end of season we have saved several hundred or
more over oil so I am pleased.

 

[begreen]

zeta, could you post a summary review of the St. Croix? I'd love to hear more about it's daily operation, how it feeds pellets, its strengths and weaknesses, maintenance (normal frequency and annual),, etc. It sounds like a great stove.

I'm partial to the Quadrafires for easy of use and reliability, but they are made on the west coast. Sounds like the St. Croix has done very well for you and may be more competitively priced on the east coast.