I have a Whitfield Advantage II pellet stove that was installed in late 1995. The stove exhaust pipe runs through the damper and about 3 feet into the chimney. I recently had the crown replaced on the chimney and need to have the chimney relined. My plan is to have a stainless steel exhaust pipe run to the top of the chimney with a new cap. The company that I contacted to do the work told me that the Whitfield requires a 3" pipe but new stoves require a 4" pipe. He suggested that given the cost of the pipe, I might want to consider replacing the stove now, since the stove is so old, to save me money down the road of installing a new 4" pipe. He mentioned that some of the Whitfield parts are no longer available so future repairs may not be an option.
If I opt to replace the stove, I would go with a Harman Accentra 52i insert. One concern that I have is whether the Harman is too big for my house. I have a 2300 sq ft (including the finished basement) rancher. I generally keep the Whitfield on the lowest setting, except when temperatures drop below 30 degrees during the day. Should I be concerned about this?
The Whitfield has been a rock solid stove so I'm a bit torn about whether to replace the stove. I also like the simplicity of the Whitfield stove. While the Harman is a lot more advanced with lots of bells and whistles, I do worry that those bells and whistles will result in expensive repairs in the future.
I'm hoping to receive some advice on whether it makes sense to replace the Whitfield now. Are Whitfield parts that difficult to find? Will the Harman be as reliable?
Thanks in advance for your help!
If I opt to replace the stove, I would go with a Harman Accentra 52i insert. One concern that I have is whether the Harman is too big for my house. I have a 2300 sq ft (including the finished basement) rancher. I generally keep the Whitfield on the lowest setting, except when temperatures drop below 30 degrees during the day. Should I be concerned about this?
The Whitfield has been a rock solid stove so I'm a bit torn about whether to replace the stove. I also like the simplicity of the Whitfield stove. While the Harman is a lot more advanced with lots of bells and whistles, I do worry that those bells and whistles will result in expensive repairs in the future.
I'm hoping to receive some advice on whether it makes sense to replace the Whitfield now. Are Whitfield parts that difficult to find? Will the Harman be as reliable?
Thanks in advance for your help!
