Should I buy a new catalytic combustor if I'll only use it one year?

[Matthew]

I have a cheap landlord. I opened up my stove this week and found out there is no catalytic combustor present within. My landlord said he would split the cost with me and a combustor for my stove costs $200.00 so I'd pay $100.00. I'll be heating mostly by wood this winter (at least one cord) and wonder if I should spend the $100.00 or not? In my conversation with my landlord he also indicated I will be evicted at the end of my lease because he wants to sell the house, if not to me then to somebody else.

I guess it boils down to, will I have to buy more than and extra $100.00 of wood if I don't buy the combustor? I have an old DutchWest FA455 (sequoia).

 

[Todd]

You can buy one here for $85.

www.stovecombustors.com

 

[jpl1nh]

JeeZ..not only is he cheap, but he's not very smart either. He'd prefer to allow you to fill his chimney with creosote rather than get a combustor. Buy the $85 combustor Todd references, ask him to pay for it all and still save him $15. Or he can pay for the cost of a chimney cleaning at season's end. Some people... Another way of looking at it is that the combustor can reduce your wood use by up to a third. Cord of seasoned wood $200-250 here in NH these days, so even if you only get 25% savings thats $50 plus in wood saved vs splitting the $85 with him so you're ahead. Plus you have peace of mind cause your not filling the neighborhood with smoke and depositing layer after layer of creosote, (though one cord of seasoned wood burned hot probably wouldn't do the chimney in) Speaking of which, wonder what kind of shape Mr. Cheapo's chimney is in now?

 

[Matthew]

Todd,

thanks for the information on www.stovecombustors.com. I looked up my model and got a new combustor. Reviews on this newer kind of combustor looks good too.

 

[JimWalshin845]

Tell him you'll split the $200 cost and you'll do the install. Buy the $85 one and then tell him to give you the $100. Return the Cat and spend the $185 on a cord of wood.

 

[mtarbert]

If the Landlord is offering to pay half for the replacement of the catalast (imho) he is doing you a big favor. You failed to mention if the stove is the primary source of heat in your unit.If it is not then the only person who benifits from the stove is You.
Deal honestly with everyone . But. if there is an oil burner or electric baseboard heat . The only one that benifits from lower heat bills is You.
Mike

 

[JimWalshin845]

author="mtarbert" date="1197153365 You failed to mention if the stove is the primary source of heat in your unit.If it is not then the only person who benifits from the stove is You.

Matthew Posted: 06 December 2007 01:38 AM

I’ll be heating mostly by wood this winter (at least one cord) and wonder if I should spend the $100.00 or not?

Mike,

He already told us it would be the primary.

 

[swestall]

Why don't you just report him to the EPA and watch what happens?

 

[Matthew]

Tell him you'll split the $200 cost and you'll do the install. Buy the $85 one and then tell him to give you the $100. Return the Cat and spend the $185 on a cord of wood.

Gee Jim, that's a pretty good idea. That will give me a $100 credit. Sort of like playing lowball, but I do have a signed contractual agreement which states the landlord will be responsible for those kinds of repairs. I am having the chimney inspected/cleaned as well on my own dime (not that I care if the house burns down since my lease won't be renewed, but because I don't want to lose my stuff, some of it is irreplaceable).

mtarbert, yes honest dealings are the right way to go, but sometimes you have to do what you can to fight dishonesty. I have a contract with my landlord which says he will pay for these things (and in the case of the chimney sweep it would actually be in his best interest). The only reason my next rent payment isn't going into an escrow account at the county courthouse (we can do that in my state until the landlords shows he is upholding his end of the contract) is because the house is going up for sale and I don't want to make the landlord upset as my wife and I will probably put in a bid for the house at a lower than market price and I would like to make my chances of that offer being accepted as high as possible.

 

[Matthew]

author="mtarbert" date="1197153365 You failed to mention if the stove is the primary source of heat in your unit.If it is not then the only person who benifits from the stove is You.

Matthew Posted: 06 December 2007 01:38 AM

I’ll be heating mostly by wood this winter (at least one cord) and wonder if I should spend the $100.00 or not?

Mike,

He already told us it would be the primary.

To clarify there is also a heat pump in the house, but my lease agreement says he will be responsible for maintenance, except for lawn care, light bulbs and a couple other small things only the insane would ask to be paid for.

 

[JimWalshin845]

Hey Matt,

This may be a little premature, but it seems you like the home you and your wife are now in and may want to stay there. Talk with your attorney and/or a seasoned Realtor about putting in a bid with a right of first refusal. Unless the landlord is selling it as a 'rental investment property' very few people will want it as they will have to wait to move in because you have a binding lease.

There are good and bad landlords as we all know. But, when a landlord more than doubles the price of a repair that he is suppose to make and he is gracious enough <cough> to split the deal with you, we sorta know which end of the stick he is on.

Good luck!

 

[JimWalshin845]

Why don't you just report him to the EPA and watch what happens?

Please fill me/us in here. Is there a law that states you cannot burn a Cat stove when the Cat is defective?

Thank you in advance!

 

[swestall]

Yes, it is illegal to burn the stove without the CAT installed. Just like a car, you can not modify the stove to operate without the EPA approved device that was installed in it: installed to enable it to comply with the emissions standard that it is registered to have.
I don't have the standard handy, someone please provide them with the link to it.

 

[Gunner]

Tell him you'll split the $200 cost and you'll do the install. Buy the $85 one and then tell him to give you the $100. Return the Cat and spend the $185 on a cord of wood.

That'll show him....provided he doesn't come by and realize your belching smoke out the stack, and the fact that your a liar and a cheat.

 

[JimWalshin845]

author="Gunner" date="1197175443
That'll show him....provided he doesn't come by and realize your belching smoke out the stack, and the fact that your a liar and a cheat.

In most cases, landlords have to maintain ALL appliances in good working order at the landlords own expense. It appears Matt's slum lord is not doing that.

Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire.

 

[Matthew]

Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire.

I agree. A deal is a deal and if one end is not going to fulfill their contractual obligation then as far as I'm concerned I will use ANY means to make the score even. I have been a landlord and I will tell you one thing: if I ever had a tenent which caused no problems and always paid their rent in full and on time for 9 straight months, and never asked for anything in those 9 months except a cat and a chimney cleaning (so my house won't burn down); there is no way I would ever say no to the $250 it would cost to do that. Expecially if I had a contract which stated I would do those repairs. Seriously $250 mainenance over a one year time period on a house, that is one lucky landlord even if he followed his contract and paid all of it.

Jim,

First right of refusal contract...... Tell me more (I'll search it out myself as well). My landlord is not the brightest bulb in the shed, and he told me the house will go on the market once my lease is done (last day of March). He has this price in his head he wants, got it from an appraisor at one time. There is a $50,000 difference between what they owe and what they think it should list at (the house was for rent or sale when I rented it, as a for sale by owner). I know they are struggling financially because he was wining and complaining to me about how they can't afford the payment on the house once their ARM readjusts come spring, and how my rent just covers the carrying costs on the house so they can't really afford to pay for a cat or chimney cleaning (their logic not mine). Then they go on to tell me this is in addition to their three kids all in college at the same time and how the airlines cut their saleries big time and he was forced to come back at a much lower wage, ect, ect, ect.......

Also when I rented the house they had just evicted a buyer who couldn't make their payments (land contract deal). They are too cheap to pay a realtor (actually complained to me they they might have to pay for one LOL).

So in short it would be nice to get the house at a decent price, I figure make an offer once I have another option lined up (I'll move as soon as I find a house now as my lease ends in March). Problem is I actually think, from talking to them, that they will still want their appraisors price even if I give them an AS IS sales agreement saving them from listing with a realtor, paying for an empty house, and not having to do a few thousand dollars worth of repairs, ect....... so I'll probably have to live elsewhere....

One thing for certain, wherever I go I'm taking my new Cat!

 

[R&D Guy]

Why don't you just report him to the EPA and watch what happens?

I wouldn't do that!

If the landlord is cheap, which it sounds like he is, then that may force the landlord to disable the unit. That is the cheapest way for him to solve the problem, and I'm sure its an option the EPA would give the landlord. Just like the Department of Ecology; if your car doesn't pass emissions they give you 3 options: 1. Fix it. 2. Spend X amount of dollars trying to fix it. 3. Stop driving the car. I'm sure he will have hard feelings against you for playing hard ball too.

The other thing to consider is that you call the EPA and tell them the unit is defective - and to your surprise they actually send someone out to inspect it a few weeks/months later and W'OH, your burning the same unit you've already told them is defective and they leave after giving YOU, not your landlord a nice big fine.

Personally I really like the option someone suggested where you buy the $85 one and your landlord pays you $100. Everyone walks away feeling like they got a deal, and your landlord doesn't feel like your out to get him.

My $0.02

 

[swestall]

Matt, right now there are so many houses on the market and so few people to buy them. You have your choice of houses at well below market. I would recommend that you begin looking for your dream house, get prequalified for a mortgage and ride this one out. By thisMarch and even more so as November approaches, this housing market is going to be full of real deals. You might take advantage of that and leave your present landlord with his own problems to deal with. Once you find that ideal house, you will quickly forget your other interest here. And, if you love wood heat, you can search out one that has a modern installation of chimney so you will be sure to have no problems in the house you actually own. You might even get a great stove in the deal.

 

[Matthew]

Yup I'm going to wait until the right house at the right price before I buy. I still need to meet with my financial advisor so I have a firm number as far as how much house I can afford, but after that I'm going to start looking. If I can't get the house I'm in (unlikely, but possible, the wife likes it), then I plan to just rent a storage locker and a one bedroom apartment until I find the right house. I've found you can always get a better deal when you have time on your side, and are flexable.

 

[Bill]

I owned rental property for 30 years, but not anymore, and this is a typical tenant whine. No where, where I owned property was the landlord responsible for wood burners, furnace yes, wood burner no. I wouldn't allow a tenant to have a wood burner, I would take it out. I am not even sure my insurance company would of liked it at all.

But from the outside looking down give the landlord a break, he's got some big expenses with the kids in college, which can cost a bundle now days. I don't think he would be trying to sell the property if he didn't need the cash. Also you didn't know you could get a cat for $85 bucks, and maybe he didn't either. So be honest and tell him you will split the 85$ with him. Then tell him if the price is right you would like to purchase the house. Don't expect him to give it away, but get an appraisal and work from there.

 

[Rhone]

I have to suggest you are probably best footing half the bill for a new combuster. You have a heat pump, they run on electricity, almost all rental properties YOU pay for the electricity. If Matthew tells his landlord no about half the cost for the combuster his landlord can say fine and walk in with a sledge hammer and destroy the wood stove. Matthew is then stuck using electricity for heat and is gonna pay way more. I too am surprised as Smokey there's a landlord that lets tennants heat with wood. So, my $0.02 split the bill you don't want to risk them forcing you to use the electricity but at the same token I think most landlords would've paid for it but Smokey brings up good points.

 

[JimWalshin845]

As a Realtor, and a past landlord, if you advertise a wood stove or fireplace as an appliance you must maintain it as a landlord.

Anyone want to whine here be my guest, but when you are taken to court you will loose!