Thinking of a Pellet-Please Give Advice

[jimmieguns]

Hello All.......

I am considering buying a Pellet stove to supplement my wood burning insert for replacement of oil usage totally.

Unfortunately I am on a severe budget so I was thinking about going with a Lowes/Home Depot special==Pleasant hearth 1750sq ft unit or the Summers (made by Englander,I think)1500 sq ft. unit.

Can anyone help me with advice on these choices or recommend something in the same price rage? They cost 1000-1200 plus install..........also, how much should I expect an installer to charge to put i in. I can either go Up thru ceiling or vent out side of house.

THANKS so much!

 

[imacman]

If you decide to go to the Englander, buy it from this company....many Hearth members have.

They have factory refurbed units (they're refurbed right at the Englander factory) that have full manufact. warranty and free shipping. You can also sometimes find them (AMFM Energy) on eBay for a little less:

(broken link removed to http://www.amfmenergy.com/manufacturer-refurbished-stoves.html)

 

[imacman]

(broken link removed to http://www.ebay.com/itm/TimberRidge-Pellet-Stv-1500sq-S-99864-auto-light-FREE-FREIGHT-to-terminal-/261144820010?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3ccd71b92a)

 

[jimmieguns]

I don't know from experience but I understand that England Stoves have great support. One of the members here (I can't rember his name) is one of the tech support people and I hear GREAT things about him...............That's important I like my US Stove but I have had less than good luck with thier tech people. The other thing is, there seems to be quite a few here on this forum that are very helpfull with that stove. I can't help with a cost estimate, I installed my own. i had about $250.00 in parts and another $30.00 for the building permit. Don't give your insurance company any excuses if, God forbid something happenes.

Hey Gary-- Thanks for your reply. I will look into the Englander guy here. Have you had many issues with your pellet? and if so, what kind of problems? Did you vent thru the ceiling or side wall? thanks.

J

 

[imacman]

.....Did you vent thru the ceiling or side wall?....

In reference to your first post, the straighter the pipe after exiting the stove, the better. Straight up will always draft better, but as long as you don't have too many bends from a side wall exhaust, that will work too.

You might want to run your thoughts on the side wall install by the members here to get an idea if it's OK.....like how many bends, what type (90 degree, 45, lengths of straight pipe, horizontal, vert, etc).

 

[jimmieguns]

In reference to your first post, the straighter the pipe after exiting the stove, the better. Straight up will always draft better, but as long as you don't have too many bends from a side wall exhaust, that will work too.

You might want to run your thoughts on the side wall install by the members here to get an idea if it's OK.....like how many bends, what type (90 degree, 45, lengths of straight pipe, horizontal, vert, etc).

Thanks so much for your reply- I would think the straight up thru ceiling might be more expensive. I will look into. thanks

 

[jimmieguns]

(broken link removed to http://www.ebay.com/itm/TimberRidge-Pellet-Stv-1500sq-S-99864-auto-light-FREE-FREIGHT-to-terminal-/261144820010?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3ccd71b92a)

Hey Bud-- Thanks so much! Great site (AMFM) and they sell the same for less on ebay like you said---- I don't understand the term "ship to freight terminalas I do no know where one might be near me=Long Island(eastern part)........any thoughts on that? have you ever dealt with AMFM?

From your experience would you buy a refirb?

Thanks

J

 

[imacman]

Hey Bud-- Thanks so much! Great site (AMFM) and they sell the same for less on ebay like you said---- I don't understand the term "ship to freight terminalas I do no know where one might be near me=Long Island(eastern part)........any thoughts on that? have you ever dealt with AMFM?

From your experience would you buy a refirb?

Thanks

J

I bought my Englander 10-cpm refurb from AMFM (Andy) and was totally satisfied....great guy to deal with. These units get drop shipped directly from Englander to a local trucking depot near you, or you can pay an additional $75 (I think) to have it shipped to your doorstep.

They are completely gone over by the techs at Englander and are as close to brand new as you can get. Plus, the Senior Tech from Englander is a member on this forum. There is no better Cust. Serv. in the pellet industry.

I would not hesitate to buy from them.

 

[jimmieguns]

I bought my Englander 10-cpm refurb from AMFM (Andy) and was totally satisfied....great guy to deal with. These units get drop shipped directly from Englander to a local trucking depot near you, or you can pay an additional $75 (I think) to have it shipped to your doorstep.

They are completely gone over by the techs at Englander and are as close to brand new as you can get. Plus, the Senior Tech from Englander is a member on this forum. There is no better Cust. Serv. in the pellet industry.

I would not hesitate to buy from them.

Wow- great info and referral ! Do you know his name on the forum so I may discuss with him? If so many thanks. What sq ft and pellt/multifuel is yours? do these kind of machines need frequent cleaning?

 

[imacman]

His name is Mike Holton. He goes by "stoveguy2esw".

My 10-cpm is a 2200 sq ft multi-fuel unit. As for cleaning, that is the MOST important part of owning one. Dirty stoves result in poor burning and poor heat output. Most people on the forum do a quick firebox/ashtray cleanout once a week, and a more serious one after 1 ton of pellets. It's all spelled out in the owners manual.

Here's the manual for the 1500sq. ft one you were interested in:

http://www.englanderstoves.com/manuals/25-PDVC.pdf

 

[jimmieguns]

All pellet stoves need frequent cleaning. It is the single most important issue. I clean mine once a week. Your stove will require more time than just filling up the hopper. I have a good shop vac that I use on a weekly basis. After the stove is completely cooled down of course. Every stove company has a procedure on maintenance and it is important that it is followed. A dirty stove is a VERY unhappy stove. It will drive you nuts wondering why there is less and less heat coming from it. It may sound like quite a task but if you are meant to have a pellet stove it becomes a labor of love. Think about it.......you are a lot warmer and you are spending lees money for just a bit of your time.

Yes- I agree with regular maintainance. My wood insert works best with some ash held below for added insulation, i guess- I would say I empty it now every 3-6 fires so not much diff than a pellet in a way. Would have to see ofcourse. What model (sq ft) do you have? Where did u buy from? thanks!

J

 

[jimmieguns]

His name is Mike Holton. He goes by "stoveguy2esw".

My 10-cpm is a 2200 sq ft multi-fuel unit. As for cleaning, that is the MOST important part of owning one. Dirty stoves result in poor burning and poor heat output. Most people on the forum do a quick firebox/ashtray cleanout once a week, and a more serious one after 1 ton of pellets. It's all spelled out in the owners manual.

Here's the manual for the 1500sq. ft one you were interested in:

http://www.englanderstoves.com/manuals/25-PDVC.pdf

Cool- thanks for his details and your routine. I can handle your routine when I am saving a ton on oil and KNOW I am maing a difference in the efficiency and lifespan of my unit. Please sending me important info stuff I should know! You are a good dude.

-J

 

[jimmieguns]

Thanks..will do.....thanks for all the info tonight---- I will "like" and plus your helpfulness..

J

 

[slvrblkk]

I bought my Englander 10-cpm refurb from AMFM (Andy) and was totally satisfied....great guy to deal with. These units get drop shipped directly from Englander to a local trucking depot near you, or you can pay an additional $75 (I think) to have it shipped to your doorstep.

They are completely gone over by the techs at Englander and are as close to brand new as you can get. Plus, the Senior Tech from Englander is a member on this forum. There is no better Cust. Serv. in the pellet industry.

I would not hesitate to buy from them.

X2 on all of this....bought my EP from AM/FM too.....easy and smooth transaction.....I had mine dropped at the house....I paid $50 to drop it at the house, not sure if that price changed or not......

I used to have a PDVC before my EP but wanted something with an ash pan and a single auger system. Currently, my Father-in-Law installed my old stove and is burning it. There definitely is a bit more "daily" cleaning involved with the PDVC but it's a great little heater......

 

[DexterDay]

Another AMFM customer here. $50 shipped to my door

My one recommendation, would be to buy the 25-PAH (cheapest of the new generation). Its a single auger and does both on/off and high/low.

With it being Top feed and a Very large hopper, the daily maintenance will be less than the little PDVC. This isn't a replacement for cleaning, but for busier lives, will aloow some day to day lee-way. IMO

 

[Harman Lover 007]

Welcome to the Forum Jimmie. I'm a Harman guy but that being said, from what I've seen here, the Englander customer service is second to none. Mike is on here all the time helping folks out. I have a friend (non forum member) who has an Englander and was having some trouble with his 4 year old stove. Mike emailed him back and solved his problem.