This is my first year with pellet stove and bought 3 tons. I'm nervous that i may have underestimated. Should i buy some extra now, or wait till March. Thanks
Underestimated pellet usage
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I think most folks here would say too much is better than not enough. Around here pellets get difficult to get late in the winter, or get pretty expensive. I'd say if you have the room and the cash, pick up extra. As long as they stay dry they'll be fine until next season if they go unused.
MZR800
Member
If you have the room to store them and can afford them i would buy now for sure. The price and availability will only get worse.
Just my 2 cents
Mike
Just my 2 cents
Mike
Well as you know pellet prices have gone up a bit, generally what is the price/availability say, in March, thanks
Buy now. 3 tons is o.k. for smaller houses in warmer climates. But up North it gets Cold and around here its at least a 4 ton average. Especially if you have burned through a lot of pellets so far.
How many bags burned? And how many sq ft are you heating?
How many bags burned? And how many sq ft are you heating?
close to 40, about 2200 sq ft. I probably used the stove unnecessarily when i first got it. I'm still trying to figure out what heat mode works better.
sante fe
Burning Hunk
Nay, We are in the same area ,I burn 3 1/2 - 4 tons a year.Check home depo the week before xmass they go on sale.
Fellow met fan
Fellow met fan
If you have gone through that much already, you will need to get more. Maybe 2 tons worth if you have the room. You burn more during the learning curve... it's natural. But we are just starting December and cold weather will not arrive for another month. You're quite a bit further south than I am, but I'd take the bet that you will still be needing heat at the end of April and maybe a bit into May. That's not saying that what you have left will not help you save a lot on heating costs, but you will save more if you can use your stove all winter long.
Matt
Matt
Well i'm about 28 bags into my first ton, so i'm not doing so bad. i bought a few single bags before my delivery. So i guess i started with about 3.5 tons
nayslayer said:
Bought 3 tons my first year. I would buy extra when ever you can. I buy 5 ton a year now and that just makes it. It might be hard to find pellets in march.
John97
Feeling the Heat
Reading this thread has me thinking...
I am getting my unit installed December 22nd. I am getting three tons of pellets delivered. Two I am paying for and the other is "free" with the insert. Now, I wonder if that is not enough. I live in the Philadelphia area and want to heat the entire house if possible (2800 SF). Perhaps I should get more...
I am getting my unit installed December 22nd. I am getting three tons of pellets delivered. Two I am paying for and the other is "free" with the insert. Now, I wonder if that is not enough. I live in the Philadelphia area and want to heat the entire house if possible (2800 SF). Perhaps I should get more...
a lot depends on if you are using your stove for primary heat, or just to supliment you heat. For me, here in frigid Maine, it has become my primary heat. Didn't think that possible with all the hype about stoves being a space heater. I used to burn 5 tons of cord wood to heat this house. Now with pellets, my first two years were done with 5 tons, but last year, it took 6 tons. I am lucky to have SIB in this area. That guy will do his best to keep you supplied at a reasonable cost. But, to my way of thinking, I go back to my days of cord wood. Keep one year ahead of yourself. Lots of freedom that way to get what you want at the best prices you are able to find. Never a panic mode running from place to place trying to keep up.
nayslayer said:
"a few single bags" is a far cry from an extra 1/2 ton.
IMO, find some decent pellets and get another ton. Home Depot in Newburgh had Stove Chow as of the beginning of this past week, along with a couple of tons of Old Dominion left. If the tons of the OD look to be in good shape, I'd get those (if their still there).
Otherwise, get the Stove Chow....they're a good middle of the road pellet for the early spring.
John97 said:
When temps dip, that Mt. Vernon will eat about 2 bags a day (or more easily) if you are gonna try and heat your whole house. That stove eats about 6.5 lbs an hr on High. So it could possibly eat 4.5 bags a day. All depends on how much you feed it.
But at 2 bags a day (which is an average) , thats 60 bags a Month. So you would make it to the beginning of March (again, just a guess, but 3 ton is not a lot).
What brand of Pellet are you getting? You have found the right place for info and off to a great start.
thedude110
Feeling the Heat
John97 said:
I'm in the same boat. Had an XXV installed in mid-October, bought 3 tons to heat a 3,000 SF house. With a couple of doors closed, I'm really hoping to heat about 2500-2600 SF.
So far, the little stove is doing great work to heat our space (68 downstairs, 66ish upstairs during the day), though the oil has kicked on once in a while upstairs overnight. However, I'm already 20 bags into my 150 (I spent too much time in October playing with the stove and its settings), so I'm resigned to having to order more to get to May 1. My current plan is to wait 'till I'm down to my last ton and then make a judgment call about how much more I need, depending on the date, the futurecast, etc.
I don't mind gritting my teeth and overpaying this first year, but I will definitely look for deals this offseason. My goal is to go into next winter with 5 "bargain priced" tons of clean burning flame throwers.
Better to have too much, but I'm one of those idiots that has to screw up first to learn his lesson.
John97
Feeling the Heat
DexterDay said:
Great American, which people seem to be very happy with. I am thinking that I will stick with getting the 3 tons delivered, because I just read in another thread that a place near me sells Hamers, so maybe I will grab a ton of those on my own.
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