Please give me your real world experience with PE Alderlea T5

[From Away]

I have to buy a new stove because I cannot get parts to rebuild my WS Keystone. I am really confused by the various recommendations made to me, since different dealers are recommending stoves on opposite ends of the spectrum concerning size and btu output. After researching some on the btu output and recommended sq.ft., it seems that it makes even less sense to me. I think I have narrowed it down though. One of them being the Pacific Energy Alderlea T5.

Another member on here recommended I get some real world experience to help make my decision. That sounded like really good advice, so here I am.
Can you give me your experiences with the Alderlea T5?
How do you think it will work for my house?

Here are my house specs...
I am also attaching our house floor plan in PDF format.
#1- I calculated the square footage for the first floor at a measured 682 sq. ft. and that includes the staircase. The ceiling height on the first floor is 7"10".
#2- I calculated the square footage of the second floor at a measured 497.5 sq. ft. and that includes closet spaces. The ceiling height on the second floor is 6'10".
#3- The total sq. ft. for both floors is 1,179.5 sq. ft.
#4- The home is constructed with 2X6 walls and I can only assume it is insulated accordingly.
#5- I live in Central Maine.
#6- Windows on first floor are older double pane.
#7- There is no heat source on the second floor.

Any feedback before I make a decision?

Thanks in advance!
Brad

 

[begreen]

Have you read the stove ratings or looked at past reviews by searching in the titles for the stove model of interest?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

The T5 is a great stove. I've been thrilled with the performance. I don't think I've read a negative review of it, so it's fairly well regarded. It is an easy breather, so I can see where too high of a chimney could be annoying.

 

[kennyp2339]

Any feedback before I make a decision

T5 seams like a solid performer, havent heard of anything bad about them, they did have an issue with there baffles at one point a few years back, but that was taken care of.
The only thing you might experience over the Keystone is a faster warm up from a cold stove since steel reacts much faster then soapstone, and you may need to regulate how much you load on warmer days, but the T5 should last a long time and keep you very happy.

 

[begreen]

T5 seams like a solid performer, havent heard of anything bad about them, they did have an issue with there baffles at one point a few years back, but that was taken care of.
The only thing you might experience over the Keystone is a faster warm up from a cold stove since steel reacts much faster then soapstone, and you may need to regulate how much you load on warmer days, but the T5 should last a long time and keep you very happy.

The baffle issue was back with the very first ones around 1990 when they were made from steel. They have been made of stainless for decades now. The only issues I have seen are from overfiring and they are rare.

 

[From Away]

I just wanted to thank everyone for their help. I wanted to update so as not to leave the posts hanging. I received a phone call from Woodstock today that all of my parts are in and ready for me to pick up on Monday. They truly are great people to work with. I apologize for the redundancy in my posts across the stoves I was considering. I don't want to be "that guy," but it really looked like the parts were not going to be in, and I was overwhelmed with all the information and recommendations. I also felt pressured to make a decision because lead times to order a stove are so long, and all the stoves I inquired about were in stock. I didn't want to miss out on them dragging my feet. Had I known there was still a definite possibility the parts would be in and the stove could be rebuilt in time for the cold, I obviously would have post my inquiries. Patience is the lesson learned here. So thanks to all for your patience dealing with an unlearned, nervous not to have a stove, confused and overwhelmed newbie. Now, just to rebuild the Keystone! I am going to try to take pics. step by step and post the rebuild on here so that maybe it can be a help to someone. But since I am green, it may be more of a what not to do post!

 

[begreen]

Closing this one out. The Keystone is a fine stove. I considered it for our place. Looking forward to the saga of the Keystone rebuild.