PU-DTSTAT alternatives

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
  • Hope everyone has a wonderful and warm Thanksgiving!
  • Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here

hankyknot

New Member
Nov 11, 2021
2
Nova Scotia
We have a new-to-us Englander 25-PDVC pellet stove and we're looking for a thermostat. The manual says it uses a PU-DTSTAT but I haven't been able to find any in Canada, is there an alternative thermostat that would work with our stove?
 
From your manual--
An external wall thermostat can be used on our pellet units, as long as it is a low-voltage type
that works with millivolt systems.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SidecarFlip
Which equates in my book to the cheapest one you can buy that is digital. I just bought a Honeywell non programmable millivolt digital for 18 bucks at Lowes. If you have 'cal rod' ignition you could go programable or even WiFi. Mine isn't (cal rod ignition). Mine is old school gelled firestarter or hand sanatizer, whichever is cheaper.
 
Which equates in my book to the cheapest one you can buy that is digital. I just bought a Honeywell non programmable millivolt digital for 18 bucks at Lowes. If you have 'cal rod' ignition you could go programable or even WiFi. Mine isn't (cal rod ignition). Mine is old school gelled firestarter or hand sanatizer, whichever is cheaper.
Cal-rod?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Washed-Up
Cal-rod is a type of auto ignition that sits under the burn pot
 
  • Like
Reactions: SidecarFlip
Cal-rod is a type of auto ignition that sits under the burn pot
I just call it by it's correct name, not ignitor. All Cal Rods.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Washed-Up
Just speaking in layman’s terms sir ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mt Bob
Timely thread. Just purchased a honeywell pro1000 heat only thermostat (TH1100DV) from that bald space travelers site, which is listed as 750mv, and will report back if that works on my 25pdv. (though, this cannot start/stop like the OPs pdvc can, only idle/more heat as called for.)

Prices was around 40 bucks.

Any advice appreciated for the install, but looks simple. Remove jumper, install 2 wires between thermostat and controller board and 'go'.
 
Calrod is a GE registered trademark for their tubular heaters. Lots of other companies make tubular heaters. And it is Calrod, one word.
That all depends on where you live at. So tell me, how do you pronounce Detroit? Bet you never knew the correct pronunciation was 'Datwah' .

I'll stick with 2 words. You knew what I meant anyway.
 
The Honeywell th1100dv thermostat works great. Connected to R&W and the two terminals on the board jumper j18. C not used since it's using 2 AA batteries.

A 20 minute job and cycles between idle and whatever the settings are on the fan/blower when heat is called.

I set the feed/blower to 7/9 and it does a good job going to idle when temp is reached and 7/9 feed/fan when the temp falls below the thermostat setting.

A very simple thermostat that has 2 buttons and a display that lights up when the buttons are pressed. Shows room temp normally and setting temp when buttons are pressed. Theres also a slider switch for heat on, which must be in the on position. Turning off returns the stove to idle and won't call for heat.
 
  • Like
Reactions: maraakate
Quick update after the 1st overnight... This works great and I am seeing 2 side benefits.

1. Far smaller 'birds nest' in the burn pot. I suspect because after a high burn, cycling back to idle allows that to burn out completely and the pellets on top don't have to wait as long to get the same amount of air as those on the bottom. Perhaps less ashes, but I don't know yet until I burn a few more bags. Watching the burn pot, when returning to idle after a call for high, the darker pellets on top seem to turn to a coal, then glow and finally disintegrate and disappear. Reducing the thermostat really about 40-50 minutes to get down to the idle temp, but that isn't any different, other that I cycled between 3 and 7 for the feed rate and rarely went down to 1 or 2.

2. Bags lasting longer. Loaded an empty stove last night at 11pm and at 3pm, was still 1/4 of a bag left. I suspect I will get 1 or 2 more hours out of each bag or more and the unit spends a lot more time at idle that I thought it would.

It's also nice to be able to drop the temp a few degrees with a thermostat and know what it will maintain, rather than guessing on a setting for the night. Previously, I'd set a low setting like 3 and on occasion have to bump or reduce the temp and also have a big birds nest in the morning. After running in high/idle with the t-stat, there wasn't the big pile and lazy flame to deal with this morning. Still had to scrape, but was a thiner flat layer I can get under and flip off to the sides in 2 or 3 pieces and maybe ~3/8" thick after 9-10 hours or so vs. the 1.5" inches buildup that made clearing that bottom crust more aggravating, with black/half burned pellets piled high, falling all over the place.

When at high, the temp on the magnetic door thermometer indicator reads 550 degrees, just before the "overburn" zone at the 7 setting for me. I am going to guess this will be outside temperature dependent and this might need to be adjusted on warmer or colder days so that the stove doesn't get too hot but reaches the max. I'll see about that over the coming weeks.

I'd recommend this or any decent brand thermostat as an inexpensive add on for those looking to get the most efficiency and ease out of these value stoves.
 
  • Like
Reactions: maraakate
Yeah, I like the mechanical ones with regards to it's simplicity, but when I got an older honeywell 5-2 day programmable for free it's been helping out on reducing how much pellets are being used overall.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sam08861
Does your stat have a programmable range for the temperature differential? Mine doesn't so if I set it to say 75F and it drops to 74F it will cycle on again. Ideally, I'd like to have it drop 2 or 3 degrees F before kicking on again. I know there's some millivolt stats out there that have this ability, but haven't done research on which ones have the best cost-reliability ratio.
 
totally off topic....

Btw, cool avatar maraakate!

Might I ask what tangential turntable is that? I'm assuming track selectable with remote?

I have an old luxman that I can play, cue and stop, but not select tracks via a remote control (or voice, since I got a remote hub that links to google/alexa).
 
Since yours is more basic, I doubt it has that ability. However, I was looking at this one a while back which kind of has it (you can set hi/med/low to adjust the differential between 1.90F/0.75F/0.50F respectively.

 
  • Like
Reactions: sam08861
totally off topic....

Btw, cool avatar maraakate!

Might I ask what tangential turntable is that? I'm assuming track selectable with remote?

I have an old luxman that I can play, cue and stop, but not select tracks via a remote control (or voice, since I got a remote hub that links to google/alexa).
Hi Sam,

It's actually a prototype LaserDisc, back when they were still calling it 'Selectavision'. I collect LDs as one of my hobbies. I like turntables as well... have a 1962 Empire 298 with a Denon DL-110 running into a 1965 HH Scott LK60. I have no experience (repair or usage) with tangential turntables. If you haven't been on audiokarma forums yet, check them out as someone over there might be able to help you fix it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sam08861
Does your stat have a programmable range for the temperature differential? Mine doesn't so if I set it to say 75F and it drops to 74F it will cycle on again. Ideally, I'd like to have it drop 2 or 3 degrees F before kicking on again. I know there's some millivolt stats out there that have this ability, but haven't done research on which ones have the best cost-reliability ratio.
It does not have a programmable range, as I opted to get the simplest heat only non programmable kind from a well known brand with tons of reviews for reference.

From the user manual included in the package, though it looks like there are a few other models in the same range that are 5/2 programmable but since those had cooling and other complexities, I avoided them.

Now that I know how it works, I'd be more inclined to get a programmable version or one with wifi to be able to check on it like I can my nest E thermostats for the central furnace. (though these days, I'm checking mainly for temps and humidity in various rooms, now that the p-stove is running)
 
From what I understand, the WiFi enabled stats absolutely require the 24VAC transformer. I may be wrong on this, but from some of the threads on here it appears that most (if not all?) require it to operate.

Yes, I was a bit intimidated wiring up the millivolt stat, but as you found out you really only need to connect the heat to R and W on these stats so it can do the call for heat.
 
Hi Sam,

It's actually a prototype LaserDisc, back when they were still calling it 'Selectavision'. I collect LDs as one of my hobbies. I like turntables as well... have a 1962 Empire 298 with a Denon DL-110 running into a 1965 HH Scott LK60. I have no experience (repair or usage) with tangential turntables. If you haven't been on audiokarma forums yet, check them out as someone over there might be able to help you fix it.
Ah, I see. I used to use a 'video disc' removed from it's case as a platform to dial in the anti-skate with an old stylus.

Cool setup! I am on AK quite a bit with the same username.

My tube setup is a Fisher 500b, Dual 1229q/Shure V15 III through Wharfedales of the same era as the receiver.
 
  • Like
Reactions: maraakate