Royal Penn (Penn Royal)

[noodlestsc]

Hi everyone. In my search for a new or used wood stove or insert for my regular masonry fireplace, I have come across your forum and have been able just through search find a whole slew of my questions answered.

But now I need some help that doesn't seem to be in any past talks.

I know cheap isn't always the way to go, but in an effort to keep the purchase cost down, along with shopping new stoves and inserts I have been browsing craigslist alot. I came by a stove insert made by a company called Royal Penn (or Penn Royal, I'm not sure.) Now I can't find anything online about them (I'm assuming they went out of business or were purchased by someone else) nor can I find any forum topics on here.

Does anyone have any insites into this manufacturer of stoves? The model I'm looking at is a 3421 and I have attached a picture or it.

Yeah I know it looks like I need to give it a good cleaning and a new shot of high temp paint, but I'm not going to pull the trigger on the unit I can find some info on it (or if the info I find is that it's a bad purchase.)

Can anyone help me out here?

EDIT: There is a UL tag on it, so it is not pre-UL

Thanks.

 

[swestall]

Today's modern, EPA approved, stoves/inserts are truely worth the price. It takes a lot of work to install a new unit in place. The insert, the liner, etc. AND, most importantly, the new units provide a significantly greater heat ouput to you for the investment. If on a budget, you might go to a local dealer and see if they are going to be selling off any floor units at reduced prices. This is an investment you will live with for a long time, my suggestion would be to go for the most efficient, clean burning insert you can get. (Not sure if the one in that picuture is it)

 

[begreen]

It's hard to recommend an old smoke dragon. The stove sure looks stout, almost like it was built for coal. I'm curious about the upper controls on the door, do they functional or just for looks? It looks like an early attempt to add secondary air. Is there a baffle above the firebox?

Note, if the old Penn has an 8" liner requirement, the installed liner will be oversized for most EPA inserts (in case you intend to upgrade later) and more expensive to buy, insulate, and perhaps harder to install.

 

[noodlestsc]

Thanks for the responses. Most likely I am going to pass on this one and just pick up one of the Century Hearth stoves at Lowes and put it into the fp opening. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I have heard nothing but good things about the Century's.

One other question and this is a hijack to my own thread, but how accurate are the sqft ratings on these stoves? I am not looking for whole house heat, just the 3 rooms on my first floor.

I'll most likely go with the 1,000sqft Century model because I think the 2,000sqft model might make the room it is located in way too hot.

 

[begreen]

I'm not sure if they have fixed it or not, haven't been to a big box store in awhile, but there were some weld failures in some of the century/dutchwest inserts that were fairly serious. When looking at the inserts, pull off the grille and see if the entire firebox is top suspended or if there are bottom supports.

While at home depot look at the Englander 13NC-I http://www.englanderstoves.com/13-nci.html for an alternative in the low price range.

 

[noodlestsc]

I will certainly check out the unit for faulty welds (I'm a large public contractor, I should be able to spot a shotty weld)

The HD's around my area don't sell woodburners in their stores (very odd), they only sell electric and gas inserts. I have looked at the Englander online but the problem arrises that it's hard for me to make time to be home for a delivery.