Hello, I just found this site while searching and reviewing info. for pellet stoves. I have a 100 year old farm house that isn't insulated very well. It is 1900 square feet. I would like to know the good, the bad, and the ugly on pellet stoves. I'm not very mechanically inclined as far as working on a stove myself. What I would like to know from some of you that have pellet stove experience is which stove would be the best for my set up for the money. Also if price wasn't an issue what stove would be the best. I am really interested in dependability/ low maintenance. The more that I read the more confused I get! Any help would be appreciated. I live on the Eastern Shore of Md. Our winters fluctuate and as anywhere some winters are colder than others. I would rather be over stoved than under stoved if that helps.
want to buy a new pellet stove and need info.
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A good Harman dealer and a P68.
(broken link removed to http://www.harmanstoves.com/Products/P68-Pellet-Stove.aspx)
MikeNH
Burning Hunk
This is kinda like asking what the best car to buy is, but if you're in a poorly insulated house and money isn't a factor (hypothetically or otherwise), and you would rather be over-stoved than under-stoved, without knowing any other details, I would start by looking at a Harman P68.
Good
1) saves me tons of money on heating costs $1,500-$2,000 per year.
2) keeps my home significantly warmer then when heating with HHO, happy wife ....
Bad
1) they are not plug and play, they require frequent (2-3 times daily) checks on pellet levels, ash levels, weekly quick cleanings and monthly deep cleanings.
2) level of satisfaction can be very dependent on the pellets that you buy, always buy a few bags to test in your stove before committing to a ton.
Ugly
1) you need to be minimally handy to maximize savings, depending on a dealer for all service and cleanings will take a large bite out of savings and make the rest of the time spent tinkering seem like a waste of time.
I love my Lopi Leyden produced by Travis industries! solid stove and company! Burning problem free since 2008, not one issue to date burning 3.5 to 4 tons annually. Good luck!
1) saves me tons of money on heating costs $1,500-$2,000 per year.
2) keeps my home significantly warmer then when heating with HHO, happy wife ....
Bad
1) they are not plug and play, they require frequent (2-3 times daily) checks on pellet levels, ash levels, weekly quick cleanings and monthly deep cleanings.
2) level of satisfaction can be very dependent on the pellets that you buy, always buy a few bags to test in your stove before committing to a ton.
Ugly
1) you need to be minimally handy to maximize savings, depending on a dealer for all service and cleanings will take a large bite out of savings and make the rest of the time spent tinkering seem like a waste of time.
I love my Lopi Leyden produced by Travis industries! solid stove and company! Burning problem free since 2008, not one issue to date burning 3.5 to 4 tons annually. Good luck!
You may want to consider improving your insulation situation as that may provide the most bang for your buck. good luck!
Thanks for the responses. I guess what I really ment when I said that the house wasn't really insulated well is that it's drafty. The insulation is o.k., it's mainly the older windows and doors. I currently have hot water baseboard oil heat and it keeps the house nice and warm but I use a lot of heating oil and it's pricey. How does the P43 compare to the P68? Do you think the P43 would be enough? The local store in town sells the Harmons and the Quadrafire pellet stoves. I really thought that I was more interested with the Harmons after reading the reviews. They were really pushing the Quadrafire Classic Bay 1200. So I thought that based on what they had said that I would go with that but I really read some mixed reviews on the Classic Bay 1200. There were probably just as many or more bad reviews or issues as it was good. I don't know??? With some of you out there that have the experience please give me your thoughts on both stoves and which would be the better one of the two. Also the P43 compared to the Classic Bay 1200. Thanks again for all of your resposes. I really appreciate your help!
Hoot23
Minister of Fire
If you take care of your stove, it will take care of you. They are easy to maintain. Learn how to clean whatever stove you choose, well. And feed it, you'll be all set.
p61 or a p68.
p61 or a p68.
The Grintch
Burning Hunk
Buy the biggest (max BTU output) and beat quality stove you can afford.
Due to the age and insulation of a old house you may want to have an OAK installed.
And put as much insulation in your attic and walls as you can.
Due to the age and insulation of a old house you may want to have an OAK installed.
And put as much insulation in your attic and walls as you can.
Hoot23
Minister of Fire
I heat 2100 sf with the 61. I have an open floor plan and the heat travels up the stairs pretty well. You wanna make sure you have enough stove if you want to use it for your primary source.
Placement in your home is everything.
Placement in your home is everything.
The Grintch
Burning Hunk
This is all new to me so fill me in... You said that I may want to have an oak installed. What is an oak??? Thanks in advance!
Bioburner
Moderator
I would suggest spending the money on insulation first. A Harman p-68 would be a good choice as they are known for less maintenance then other stoves and big enough so you should be comfortable. One word of wisdom is you can always turn the temp down if you get to hot but if your stove is on high and you are still cold you won't be happy.
You say you are not very mechanically inclined. OK, are you willing to get dirty to save a little money? Are you willing to learn how to clean it and trouble shoot when you have problems? I would never put myself in a position of having to depend on a dealer . To many times a fellow that isn't mechanically inclined will become a {Cash Cow] and your theory of saving money will evaporate. This is why you can buy good but dirty stoves cheap on Craigs List.
First, agree with others about insulating (and I'll add air sealing, given your mention of drafts). Doing some reasonable things to hold on to heat generally makes more sense than just burning more of something to make more heat. Pellets can help save money, but they're far from free. Search on here for many discussions about this if you wish, including some discussion of air sealing in this recent thread: https://www.hearth.com/talk/index.p...Convection-Air-Currents-in-Your-House.118583/
As for "What stove to buy" the comparison to asking what car to buy, above, is appropriate. I have two stoves - a rather expensive Quadrafire Mt Vernon AE that I can run for a week without doing anything but dumping in more pellets every day or two, and that is controlled by a thermostat that makes it similar to a furnace in terms of convenience. It heats the main floor of the house and the furnace rarely comes on, and I like that it needs minimal attention. I also have a much older Whitfield Quest that cost a tenth as much, used. But I must light it each morning manually, vacuum it out every other day, and it burns more pellets in a given day than the Quad because it can't shut down and restart based on room temp. VERY different pellet stoves, but I love 'em both. The Quad is great for a week of "set it and forget it", but the little Whit is like another pet - I enjoy tending to it during the day, even if not necessary, as it's in my office. I frequently stand and stare at it when on calls, much like a fireplace or wood stove.
Finally, any of these stoves require MUCH more maintenance than a furnace in your house, but less tending through the day than a wood stove. If you're willing to spend 15 min / week on cleaning, and about 30 - 45 min / month on more extensive efforts - regularly and reliably - a pellet stove might be a great investment if either you and/or the dealer (whom you will pay to do so) is also willing to tear the stove down for extensive cleaning once / year. But if any of that is a problem, you are not a good pellet stove candidate.
My advice if still interested: Go visit 2-3 dealers, see what you like in your price range, and then come back and ask about specific models. Good luck, and welcome.
As for "What stove to buy" the comparison to asking what car to buy, above, is appropriate. I have two stoves - a rather expensive Quadrafire Mt Vernon AE that I can run for a week without doing anything but dumping in more pellets every day or two, and that is controlled by a thermostat that makes it similar to a furnace in terms of convenience. It heats the main floor of the house and the furnace rarely comes on, and I like that it needs minimal attention. I also have a much older Whitfield Quest that cost a tenth as much, used. But I must light it each morning manually, vacuum it out every other day, and it burns more pellets in a given day than the Quad because it can't shut down and restart based on room temp. VERY different pellet stoves, but I love 'em both. The Quad is great for a week of "set it and forget it", but the little Whit is like another pet - I enjoy tending to it during the day, even if not necessary, as it's in my office. I frequently stand and stare at it when on calls, much like a fireplace or wood stove.
Finally, any of these stoves require MUCH more maintenance than a furnace in your house, but less tending through the day than a wood stove. If you're willing to spend 15 min / week on cleaning, and about 30 - 45 min / month on more extensive efforts - regularly and reliably - a pellet stove might be a great investment if either you and/or the dealer (whom you will pay to do so) is also willing to tear the stove down for extensive cleaning once / year. But if any of that is a problem, you are not a good pellet stove candidate.
My advice if still interested: Go visit 2-3 dealers, see what you like in your price range, and then come back and ask about specific models. Good luck, and welcome.
For 1900 sqft that's drafty, I think that's asking a lot from a P43. I think the P68 would be a better choice. Don't forget to figure in the install/supplies in your initial investment. It can add up. A simple out and up would be the easiest and cheapest. Can also be vented through an existing chimney. Don't forget about a hearth pad for under the stove. And figure in a place to store your pellets.
AddictiveStew
Burning Hunk
I have an 1800 sq feet 100 year old farmhouse and now that it is 15 degrees outside I find myself wishing I had a P61 or P68. I currently have an Englander 25-EP, which is supposed to work up to 2000 sq ft. This is enough to heat the house when it is 30 or above, but once under 30 degrees the oil heat kicks on occasionally to help. Good thing is, it doesn't run for very long! I've used maybe an 1/8 of a tank of oil over the past two months. 
Make sure you insulate in the attic first if you haven't already. I had no insulation in mine. What a difference! Also make sure you winterize everything and run a bead of caulk around all windows. I cut down on drafts big time doing this. Best of luck to you.
Make sure you insulate in the attic first if you haven't already. I had no insulation in mine. What a difference! Also make sure you winterize everything and run a bead of caulk around all windows. I cut down on drafts big time doing this. Best of luck to you.
MikeNH
Burning Hunk
Straight Heat - if you're not in a rush for this, spend some time here reading different posts. Start making a list of your "Must-haves" and "wants" for features, specs etc as you learn more about different models. In the meantime, if you have attic access, you could check out your insulation up there to start with. It's probably the easiest place to start fixing any heat loss issues. I have a P61a that heats an 1850 sq/ft colonial that's pretty tight, and it will keep us comfortable on the coldest nights with no problem. We had good insulation everywhere but in the attic. This year I cross-insulated the attic, going from R25 to R55 up there and it's helped out a lot.
I agree with other comments about a P43 in your situation - you might be asking a lot from it. I was going to go with a P43 but opted for the next model up for the same reasons other posters have stated here...I would rather have too much stove and turn it down than have one that was struggling to keep up. It's paid off. We only burn oil on the 1st of every month when I turn on the furnace for 20 min to make sure it still works. My neighbor has a pretty large 150 year old drafty as anything farm house and she heats most of it with a P68. The thing is an awesome beast.
I agree with other comments about a P43 in your situation - you might be asking a lot from it. I was going to go with a P43 but opted for the next model up for the same reasons other posters have stated here...I would rather have too much stove and turn it down than have one that was struggling to keep up. It's paid off. We only burn oil on the 1st of every month when I turn on the furnace for 20 min to make sure it still works. My neighbor has a pretty large 150 year old drafty as anything farm house and she heats most of it with a P68. The thing is an awesome beast.
Thanks for all of the replies! I'm going to continue to read previous posts. I'm sure that I will have some more questions. Thanks again. You all have been a big help! What a wonderful site!
DV
Feeling the Heat
I've got a Drolet Eco 65. I'm on the other side of the bay from you. Its more stove than I need but it nice to not have to crank it up. Do a search on this forum for more info.
I'm using a St.Croix Hastings downstairs and a Cumberland MF3800 upstairs in a raised ranch. Toasty warm, couldn't be happier.
Micmann
New Member
My P61 keeps my 1500sqft cape warm. I went oversize because it's a basement dweller and needed more heat to make the rise through the house. Some would say it's too big, but i can easily turn it down and then crank it on the really cold days. If you go too small you will be running to lean on the cold days.
That said when I installed my stove 12 years ago my basement was not insulated, just bare concrete walls. i was cranking the heat the first few months with it and realized i was wasting money tying to compensate for the cold walls just to get it warm. I insulated the walls and the difference was huge! Turned the stove way down and still got plenty of heat. I say this because I think you may be in a similar situation. People generally install stoves to swap to a less expensive heating source. However, unless your keeping the heat you generate (whatever the source) in your home your dollars are going to go out. A cheaper heating source becomes treating the symptom of a expensive home to heat without treating the root cause. A good Harman stove, OAK, venting and installation is going to run you into the thousands of $$$'s plus fuel each year. A good investment yes, but it only becomes a wise investment if you make those dollars work. If cost is not a major factor spend what you can and as much as you can on windows, doors, sealing and insulation. Otherwise you'll be like I was wasting fuel trying to heat what can't be heated, the outside cold. Only you know what your home is like. Harman would be my definite suggestion of the way to go as far as stoves. The P68 would probably be good, but sealing up the draftiness might be a better start and will be a real cost savings in the end.
That said when I installed my stove 12 years ago my basement was not insulated, just bare concrete walls. i was cranking the heat the first few months with it and realized i was wasting money tying to compensate for the cold walls just to get it warm. I insulated the walls and the difference was huge! Turned the stove way down and still got plenty of heat. I say this because I think you may be in a similar situation. People generally install stoves to swap to a less expensive heating source. However, unless your keeping the heat you generate (whatever the source) in your home your dollars are going to go out. A cheaper heating source becomes treating the symptom of a expensive home to heat without treating the root cause. A good Harman stove, OAK, venting and installation is going to run you into the thousands of $$$'s plus fuel each year. A good investment yes, but it only becomes a wise investment if you make those dollars work. If cost is not a major factor spend what you can and as much as you can on windows, doors, sealing and insulation. Otherwise you'll be like I was wasting fuel trying to heat what can't be heated, the outside cold. Only you know what your home is like. Harman would be my definite suggestion of the way to go as far as stoves. The P68 would probably be good, but sealing up the draftiness might be a better start and will be a real cost savings in the end.
Proud Sub Vet
New Member
Wow a member newer than me! Well... WELCOME! I have a 25 year old home (2,300 sq. ft.), well insulated, good windows... but with electric baseboard heat, electric hot water heater, stove, dryer... and have a 'balanced' electric bill of $400 per month, so I definitely feel your pain - ouch 
I'm getting the new Harman 52i (insert) which is scheduled to be installed during the first week in January. I did as much research as I could (and received invaluable information from here). Yea it's a big initial investment (about $5,600 for me including delivery, installation, chimney liner, rail kit and 4 tons of Barefoot pellets - which have really nice reviews), so my advice is if you can afford the initial bite, go for the higher BTU units (Harman / Quad), get the BETTER pellets (even though the word is that Harmans can burn any grade of pellet) and start enjoying to be warm at a much lower cost
I'm getting the new Harman 52i (insert) which is scheduled to be installed during the first week in January. I did as much research as I could (and received invaluable information from here). Yea it's a big initial investment (about $5,600 for me including delivery, installation, chimney liner, rail kit and 4 tons of Barefoot pellets - which have really nice reviews), so my advice is if you can afford the initial bite, go for the higher BTU units (Harman / Quad), get the BETTER pellets (even though the word is that Harmans can burn any grade of pellet) and start enjoying to be warm at a much lower cost
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