Stove only used on the weekend

[JKC]

Hi,
I am looking at a Castle's Serenity wood pellet stove and other options. I am looking to heat my shop that is around 6oo square foot. I would only use it on the weekends. My concern is it setting unused for so long. Is there any one that uses a stove in this way and if so have you had any problems.

Thanks

 

[Bioburner]

I have a shop stove that sits for some extended times. Try to clean as soon as possible to keep the ash from possibly hardening and the stove has a weak starting system so trying to keep its igniter clean as possible.

 

[dlstech]

If you don't have to light it daily, a wood stove would be much cheaper if you had access to free or reasonably priced wood. My uncle has one in his 1500sf shop that not insulated and it does a pretty good job at keeping it warm. He only paid like $600 for a brand new stove.

 

[doghouse]

(broken link removed to https://amfm-energy.myshopify.com/collections/timber-ridge-brand-new-factory-seconds-or-manufacturer-refurbished-stoves/products/55trp10-epa-certified-pellet-stove-1555101501)

Less expensive.

 

[alternativeheat]

The Serenity has been featured on sale at Ace Hardware and also TSC more than once over this past fall early winter, the lowest I saw was $699 and usually $799. As far as I know the sales are gone at the moment and may not show again till fall. But that is a good stove for that price. I think the trick in a shop stove ( regardless of brand name) that is only used on weekends is keep the moisture and any potential critters out of it.

 

[rich2500]

just clean it out after weekend use and you will fine, You won't find an easier stove to clean then a Serenity

 

[Deezl Smoke]

What Rich said.
I'll ad, to use a pellet that has low ash and that is has no chemical binders added in the pellet pressing process. I am using a 100% douglas fir pellet in my Sereenitys and after a couple ton thru them, cleaning them at somewhat random, but reasonable intervals, I pulled the exhaust fan to have a look. There was noting to clean. Fan, piping, everything was just a light brown dust color. No build up whatsoever.
Buy the right pellet, and when you shut it down for the week, let it shut all the way down, and open the door and pull the burn pot. Vacuum out what it sitting in the area below the pot at minimum if you are in a hurry, and you should be good to go. If you can spend an extra 1 or maybe 2 minutes, pull the ash pan and vacuum it out and the ash below it and you should be a long time happy Serenity owner like so many of us.

 

[JKC]

Thank you for all the help.Keeping the moisture and any potential critters out of it is my main concern. All my tools rust and have to be cleaned and waxed to help prevent that. The electronics in the pellet stove was my concern. Kind of a side note be careful of the 799 price on the Serenity. When I put that in the cart it added a 109 dollar shipping charge even if you pick it up at the store.

 

[alternativeheat]

Stop in at your health food store if you have one, they should have essential oils,and pick up a bottle of 100% peppermint. Soak some cotton balls in that and put one in the stove and one under the shrouding, that should nix the critters from getting at your wiring or in the venting etc.. It's really powerful stuff though, so wear some rubber gloves or you will smell like a peppermint patty for a week LOL ! And running the stove might actually help out your moisture situation in the shop, a stove is a great dehumidifier. You could let it run on some overnights too, it's not like having to be there to feed a wood stove. If you want to work out there on Sat for instance, run it overnight Fri night and be greeted with a warm shop and warm tools Sat. They auto start, so set it to heat maybe 60 deg or so, it's not going to take lots of pellets to heat 600 sq ft anyway, so you burn an extra bag here and there.

Just rambling out loud.

 

[GT_Sharp]

Just for comparison sake; I have a Serenity sitting in my 16' x 40' shop/garage. It has a overhead door at each end and a regular entrance door. Concrete floor and 3.5" of insulation in the walls and 6" in the ceiling. I use it everyday during the colder months as I'm in the shop everyday. I clean it and light it in the mornings, run it on setting 1 and turn it off when the day is done. The average winter temp here is 20 sumpthin' and the shop is between 54 and 60 degrees in the mornings when I walk in. The last couple nights have hovered around zero so let the stove run all night on setting 1. I have smoke alarms that go off in the bedroom if anything goes amiss. This morning the stove read 69 and the wall thermometer read 65 so feel that it maintained really well. In the fall and spring I still run it manually and just shut it off and fire it up more frequently during the day. As far as moisture problems, it's a pretty dry climate here. Get a lot of melted snow from the vehicles but vaccum that up asap. Haven't had any issues.
I really like my Serenity! It's only the 4th different brand pellet stove I have any experience with but it is so easy to maintain and clean that it ranks #1 with my limited experience.

 

[JKC]

GT Sharp. That ia a close comparison. on average how long dose the 40lb hopper last you?

 

[GT_Sharp]

GT Sharp. That ia a close comparison. on average how long dose the 40lb hopper last you?

On the average I'd guess-ta-mate a 40lb. bag lasts about 24 hrs. of burning on setting 1.