two pellet stoves?

[DDJR]

I have an eco choice heatilator cab 50. Needs a new motherboard, which I will be getting very soon. I have the opportunity to get a piazzetta Sabrina,(for a great price) which looks pretty nice. Is it really over kill to have two pellet stoves on the first floor of our two-story 2400 square foot house? Our house is set up pretty poorly, space wise. We have very tall ceilings on the first floor, and low doorways so the heat all kind of gets trapped in the room the pellet stove is in. I've been using a fan mounted in a doorway pointing down to move the hot air from the ceiling area of the pellet stove room to the rest of the house, and I've opened up a doorway so there is no wall anymore. That has helped a lot, but still... Two stoves? I have one facing north on the street side of the house, id put the other facing south on the other side, both at opposite ends of the house. I think I really just like the idea of having both stoves blazing. Would I use less pellets with two stoves going on low, as opposed to one stove running on high? And what I heat the whole house better having two heat sources rather than the one? Either way, I'm happy with just one but of course I would like to have things better. What do you guys think?

 

[3650]

I have two stoves in a 1200 sq ft house. It's a good idea to have a backup.

 

[h2ochild]

During really cold outside temperatures, our 2 stoves are really great for keeping areas evenly heated. But...we do use more pellets during moderate temperature times than if we just had one. It also allows shutting down a stove for cleaning, and allowing one heater to carry on.

 

[Don2222]

Hello
One stove (P61a) heats our home fine, but then I got the Quad Countor really cheap for the shed. Then I saw another P61a wicked cheap for the garage, I could not pass it up! Now last year I spun around and found a Harman Advance for the new workshop for a sweet price. All the stoves were used and needed some parts but if you burn a new stove for one day it is used too! So if I use them only when needed they will last along time!

 

[DDJR]

I think I'm going to get the piazzetta. And run them both in the house. I'm interested to see if 2 stoves on low burn less/more pellets than 1 stove on high. Unless anyone wants to talk me out of it?

 

[3650]

Go for it!

 

[bogieb]

Have two stoves myself. Granted, my P61 is in the basement and the P43 on the main floor - but the square footage is only about 1500 sq/ft. The P61 can keep 2/3 of the main floor warm if I need it to (lots of fans, but can be done), and the P43 can keep the main floor warm by its lonesome if needed to.

I say you can't go wrong if the price is right. I don't know if you will save pellets; I'm probably using the same amount with two as when I just had the P61 and it was running nearly 3 bags/day in really cold weather. But, I don't know that for sure since I never ran just one stove for an entire season.

 

[rona]

Its better to have two stoves running on medium then one going wide open. When stoves run hard they will loose more heat out the exh then if run on medium. I notice the snow below the exh pipe stays the same height on medium but on high that snow melts. That tells you the convection tubes can't absorb the extra heat so it is wasted.

 

[Bioburner]

Most stoves are not meant to run at full throttle and most efficient on the lower heat settings. Most stoves do not ramp up the room fan when the exhaust temps raise or are limited to a small fan. Harman could use bigger fans IMO. The Bixby has a nice big German room fan that when on lower heat settings except for when its about to drop a biscuit ramps up is very quiet. Hestia uses Pabst motor fans on both the exhaust and room. Nice if you want to monitor fan speeds.
I have three in the house. The Bixby for hot air and burns corns better than the rest(basement dweller with it pointing up to the upstairs stairwell), the Harman is heating the basement floor slab and DHW and gets going when things get cold and for tomorrow AM when will be seeing -18 or so the pretty Italian Elena will be making the kitchen dining area upstairs very homey and warm. All stoves were bought used and paid off when the propain hit over $3.50.
Burning $110/ ton corn still beats propain at under a buck.

 

[DDJR]

I like the idea of two stoves. More even heat. The piazzetta is here. $250! Delivered!! I told you guys I could get it for a great price. It's black, so I'm going to paint the sides a pretty color to help in convincing my wife of this. Nice looking stove. I like the idea of not having one stove blasting, and a separate fan humming the heat around... anyone have any tips/warnings for the piazzetta? (I have read the post by pascal maertins)

 

[Bioburner]

Fill, fire , enjoy. Your probably going to spend more on the venting unless you have been scrounging.
Paint can be a very cheap improver. I have done some minor paint highlights that can really be nice.
I did a forest green front on the Elena

 

[DDJR]

Bioburner, hey I like that! Looks great, reallygreat! I'll do that for sure. How much do you think venting will run?

 

[bags]

If you can do two stoves I vote for that. It opens up more options for heating, back up if one goes down, etc;

In the warmer heating seasons you do not have to run both at the same time anyway. Use one that will cover you fairly well and then when the cold kicks in fire the other and let them both work less. Pellet consumption will likely be equal using two moderately than one full bore. Kind of averages out but the benefits out weigh the single stove. They are heating opposite sides of the house with more even heat than one stove could do. Also you can fire the other while cleaning or maintaining the latter. Plus you can prolong the noise in the TV room and still stay warm.

Aaaand, you have a back up if one acts up to at least continue to heat with. Use them like dueling banjos in a sense. Da da dah da dah da,,, Bada bing bing bing , chorus together and rolling well. Makes ya want to squeal like a pig, Huh? Never mind...... The pigs on the feet will be happier at least.

 

[bogieb]

I like the idea of two stoves. More even heat. The piazzetta is here. $250! Delivered!! I told you guys I could get it for a great price. It's black, so I'm going to paint the sides a pretty color to help in convincing my wife of this. Nice looking stove. I like the idea of not having one stove blasting, and a separate fan humming the heat around... anyone have any tips/warnings for the piazzetta? (I have read the post by pascal maertins)

Great deal you got there - enjoy!

 

[Bioburner]

Bioburner, hey I like that! Looks great, reallygreat! I'll do that for sure. How much do you think venting will run?

Depends if you need to give the stove a minimum amount of rise to help draft in a power out. I did a elbow off the adapter and a two foot piece out thru the wall thimble and a cap. Wall thimble is -$50, $20 for the pipe and can't remember price of a elbow but not cheap. Duraleak, sorry Duravent and a roll of self bonding silicone to wrap all joints, I repeat all inside joints. -$6
The fire chamber of the Elena helps with a natural exhaust flow and the stove is supposed to have a OAK.

 

[womaus]

Tractor Supply has the 3" Duravent Kit for pellet stoves (not for mixed fuel use) less than most others. Currently $180.00

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/dura-vent-3-in-pelletvent-installation-kit?cm_vc=-10005

I had a couple of 12" pipes left over from my own install, along with the thru-wall unit (I had the Harman wall vent with integrated OA on hand).

Gives me a horizontal out through the wall, the clean out T on the outside of the house, and a not quite 36" rise. No issues with smoke in the house if the plug is pulled. Only had to wrap two connections with that scenario, and the stove is up as close to the wall as code will allow.

 

[Bioburner]

Problems with those kits is greater possibility of some one installing a joint inside the wall thimble and seems to always end up with extra pieces.

 

[womaus]

Problems with those kits is greater possibility of some one installing a joint inside the wall thimble and seems to always end up with extra pieces.

6" connector off of the stove then the 12" through the wall gave me perfect distance off the house to use the bracket without needing shims. The vertical rise is plumb, just needed to move the stove 1/2" more away from the inside wall.

I'm thinking I was lucky here...older house, original cedar shake siding, real 2X4 construction, horsehair walls. Everything just worked.

 

[DDJR]

I'm going for it. My wife seems OK with it so far. I'm sure after I pretty up the stove like bioburner did she will warm up to it much more.

 

[doghouse]

You will burn more pellets.

 

[DDJR]

Dog house, are you sure? Why do you say that? Burning more pellets is counter to what I want to do, wich is to save money. What is your take on this?

 

[chken]

I like the idea of two stoves. More even heat. The piazzetta is here. $250! Delivered!! I told you guys I could get it for a great price. It's black, so I'm going to paint the sides a pretty color to help in convincing my wife of this. Nice looking stove. I like the idea of not having one stove blasting, and a separate fan humming the heat around... anyone have any tips/warnings for the piazzetta? (I have read the post by pascal maertins)

Incredible price! I hope it works well for you. Pascal's primer is the best place to start on all things Piazzetta. If you have any questions, start a new thread. Personally, I think the Sabrina works better when it's on P3, the middle setting and up, as opposed to the lower two settings. As Pascal will tell you, it has a cleaning cycle which will try to burn off the excess in the pot a bit on P3 and above. Also, the Piazzetta's will burn anything if tuned correctly, but like any stove the better pellets you use, the more you'll like it. Especially since its ash pan is small, using less ashy pellets will make you happier.

 

[Lake Girl]

DDJR, congrats on the new stove. If your Honey grumbles a bit initially, she'll appreciate the fact that there are less cold spots in the house. Pellet increase will not likely amount to a substantial increase if any. Great price on the stove ... how come I never find any deals like that

 

[Lake Girl]

Here's my "deal" on kijiji .... 1993 Enviro EF3 wants $1100

Wait ... just found a US Stove window/wall unit that was recalled ... listed for $1100. Sent them a notice of the recall.

 

[Bioburner]

Sent them a notice of the recall.

Nice of you. They will get some of their $$$ back or get a real world check on the stoves value.