So I guess a pellet stove needs ac power? So what do you do for heat when the power goes out? I suppose you would have to have a backup battery and or maybe a small generator to run it. Are any of the stoves capable of running from DC power?? I thought I might replace my wood burner with a pellet but this has always been a major point to having one, HEAT and cooking.
What do you do without power
- Thread starter GeorgeOrwell
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You COULD run off DC with an inverter, think like one in a camper. A small inverter genny would do the trick as well.
Projected time off grid is what you would need to come to grips with. If I were going there it would be a small genny with a propane kit on it.
Projected time off grid is what you would need to come to grips with. If I were going there it would be a small genny with a propane kit on it.
I have a bank of deep cycle batteries and use a pure sine wave inverter, turn the igniter off and I can run for approximately 2days
A backup generator is what I use
I have yet to see a pellet stove you can cook on
does not radiate heat like a wood stove.
I have yet to see a pellet stove you can cook on
does not radiate heat like a wood stove.
BigJohnfromCT
Feeling the Heat
Three minutes without air, three days without water and three weeks without food. How long can one exist in three degree temps? I would not worry about cooking. Get that inverter genny, keep warm and relax.
ARC
Minister of Fire
Thelin and EasyFire products have DC battery back up built in. With the proper inverter any pellet stove can have battery back up.
hinkle
Member
same here, use a Yamaha inverter to run the stove and the fridge, if it is summer time. I think we had the stove, fridge, and an IR heater all at the same time. Power was out for 5 days I think, no issues.
I have a Westinghouse iGen 2500. Got it for my camper, but works well for the stove. I did install a transfer switch this past year for the next time the power is out though. Since I am on a well, going without water for days is a pain.
I have a portable 2.5 kW generator that gets dragged out when this happens. Fridge, duct fan (for moving basement wood stove air), and some lights, microwave, and importantly the espresso machine get plugged in. The latter two not at the same time...
Yes. How much power do you need? I grew up in a house with a 30amp service. If you manage your power you can get many things working, just not simultaneously.
Not much. It's the starting of the fridge that should not be coincident with the microwave or the espresso machine. The fridge runs on 300 W. The microwave is 1.5 kW, the espresso too. The fan is 26 W. And any lights are LEDs, so peanuts.
So 2 kW max. In fact, I switch off the fridge for 5 hrs at a time if power is out in summer (when I don't need constant power for the stove duct fan).
I can live bare bones for a while if I have to.
So 2 kW max. In fact, I switch off the fridge for 5 hrs at a time if power is out in summer (when I don't need constant power for the stove duct fan).
I can live bare bones for a while if I have to.
I also have a whole-house backup generator. Power goes out
within a minute. its fired up and running the whole house
Heat, lights, water, fridge, freezer, I think you get the idea
After 4 weeks without power in1998 (ice storm) we installed
our first system. just replaced it last summer with a new unit
an upgrade
within a minute. its fired up and running the whole house
Heat, lights, water, fridge, freezer, I think you get the idea
After 4 weeks without power in1998 (ice storm) we installed
our first system. just replaced it last summer with a new unit
an upgrade
bogieb
Minister of Fire
Last winter I was without power for 3 days (first extended outage in the 10 years I've been here). I was able to use my Ryobi power station, with six 40v 6.0 ah batteries to keep a stove going. NO, the batteries did not last for 3 days, but I had a neighbor that didn't lose power so I was able to recharge batteries as they died. I loved it because I could hot-swap each battery. The gas-powered generator that I had bought brand new (and still in box) would not start so I HAD to use the battery method.
Since then I've gotten a couple of smaller Bluetti (AC180's) and an Eco Flow (Delta 2 Max) battery station along with some portable solar panels. I used them all summer to run various appliances and charged by solar panels so I am well practiced at it. I also got a new duel fuel generator, but as with the gas one I am not expecting that to work when I actually need it. If it does work, then great, I can use it during the day and then the battery stations at night.
Since then I've gotten a couple of smaller Bluetti (AC180's) and an Eco Flow (Delta 2 Max) battery station along with some portable solar panels. I used them all summer to run various appliances and charged by solar panels so I am well practiced at it. I also got a new duel fuel generator, but as with the gas one I am not expecting that to work when I actually need it. If it does work, then great, I can use it during the day and then the battery stations at night.
First step is to figure out how much power your pellet stove uses, I track mine so I know what I need to bring to the party when power goes out on all my essential appliances.
This is my pellet stove usage for last week:
This is my pellet stove usage for last week:
| DateTime | Name | Avg Wattage | kWh |
1/15/2024 0:00 | Pellet Stove | 43.793 | 1.051 |
1/16/2024 0:00 | Pellet Stove | 35.721 | 0.857 |
1/17/2024 0:00 | Pellet Stove | 44.148 | 1.06 |
1/18/2024 0:00 | Pellet Stove | 42.475 | 1.019 |
1/19/2024 0:00 | Pellet Stove | 41.468 | 0.995 |
1/20/2024 0:00 | Pellet Stove | 42.482 | 1.02 |
1/21/2024 0:00 | Pellet Stove | 35.502 | 0.852 |
BigJohnfromCT
Feeling the Heat
bogieb
Minister of Fire
Oooohhh, I was supposed to take it out of the box first?
Smart-azz.I couldn't figure out what was wrong but I'm not mechanically inclined so tinkering with it is not a good idea. Tried to fix a leaf blower and ended up with a bucket of parts that went to the dump because I couldn't get it to go back together. Not sure it is worth the money to have a small engine repair shop look at it either (it is a small one and was very cheap when I bought it) - so instead, it is just sitting in my garage looking all shiny and sh*t
.
BigJohnfromCT
Feeling the Heat
I'm very sorry but I just can't let this go. Please help me understand. So you took it out of the box. Tried to start it with no luck so you put it back on the box and didn't try to return it. Have I got this right? 🤔
bogieb
Minister of Fire
Where did you get that idea? I took it out of the box, put in the correct fuel (40:1 I believe - I had to go buy it special) tried several times throughout the outage event. I bought the unit several years ago so it was not returnable (and left it in the box at that time).
I also tried to start it during the summer, but still no luck. As I stated, it was cheap (IDK, $100-150) and small (just enough to run my FHW system), so I'm not really motivated to spend $90/hour to have someone look at it.
I have 1250watt Inverter/Charger and 1k Generator for when that runs out. Have never been without power longer than 10 hours (2011 Moved in). AIMS 1250 and two 100ah Batteries. One more year and will replace batteries with 200ah LI Batteries. (Generator is Sportsman 1k). http://www.sportsmangenerators.com/gen1000i.html We have 7k Generator for Home (Well & things). Only have had to test it. Never actually used yet. When we used it for 10 hours only had 1 Battery (100ah), stole 30ah battery out of vehicle. So I hope to get 12 hours out of both 100ah Batteries. 24 hours out of new ones.
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Its not hard to do basic troubleshooting. Fuel, air, spark type of stuff. See if you have spark. A 2 cycle is a pretty simple engine. What do you have to lose if you tear it apart? Its not working now, if its not working later, nothing lost.
If you have spark, its probably fuel related. Either its not getting enough or its getting too much.
Ask questions here. Take lots of pictures.. Our advice is worth what you have to pay for it!
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