Which pellet stove is for me?

[DobieMom]

Hi...newbie to the forum and to pellet stoves! I've read LOADS of great info her but think I need some help choosing the correct stove from folks in the know and have nothing to gain by making a sale

House is ALL electric, 860 sq ft...only heating 720 sq ft. of it. Been keeping thermostats at 62-64 degrees all winter and am tired of freezing to death Living area where stove will go is 200 sq ft, corner install so will blow to the archway/short hall to heat kitchen on one side of the archway with 1 bedroom and bath to be heated on the other side of the archway...ceiling fans in LR, kitchen and bedroom.

Have looked at the Heatilator, Santa Fe and since the Classic Bay 1200 is "only $300 more than the Santa Fe" this one was suggested. I will add that I AM dealing with a very reputable dealer One salesman thinks I should go with one stove while another salesman thinks either of the other 2 would be right as he's not sure 30K BTU's will do me. Budgeting is VERY important to me BUT so is the noise level of operation/fan because I wear hearing aids and they pick up hums and buzzes which are terribly annoying. I've listened to all 3 stoves but of course the acoustics are not the same as home. My big concern about the Classic Bay is 40K BTU's will run me out of the living room even on low...Heatilator dislike was the 'lip' than angles down blowing the air down rather than out. I'm leaning towards the Santa Fe as my choice but would appreciate some input from the folks here before I decide. Thanks!

 

[krooser]

A good dealer is my #1 priority.... unless you can do your own hands-on repairs and diagnostics your dealers service dept. will make owning a pellet stove a breeze or pure hell.

These stove DO require regular cleaning and maintenance... a dealer is only going to service what he SELLS.... if you pick the wrong dealer you are screwed... the manufacturer will not generally help out. This is not like buying a car where it can be repaired under warranty at any dealer!

To me the dealer is more important than the brand of stove...

You have a small home...if you insulation is at least up to R11 in the walls and maybe R19 in the ceiling a 30,000 btu stove should be OK. I heat about 850-900 sq. ft. with a 40K St. Croix and it generally runs on heat setting #3 out of 6 unless it's below zero. It will melt your face at setting #5...

I have a 100+ year old two story that has a fresh remodel/insulation in the living room... the rest either has poor insulation or older R11.

Remember that a pellet stove is a space heater... you will have to move some air around if you have a traditional closed floor plan...

Right now I'm running my stove on setting #3... it's 78F in the living room... 73F in the kitchen (open to the living room) and maybe 70F in two bedrooms downstairs, I have an open staircase from my living room into the second floor... with no heat in the second floor it's 65 to 68F in all rooms... the outside temps are around 18F right now...

 

[Scoop]

Don't know any of those stoves but in my understanding is that all pellet stoves make noise. If you can have a larger unit running at lower heat setting that would oprobably be best fior quietness. If you trust the dealer I would go with their recommendation on what suits you best. If they are wrong and stand behind their product they will switch it out for you. Whatever you get it will be warmer and cheaper to operate than what you have now.

 

[DobieMom]

Thanks Krooser...this IS a reputable dealer...actually the only one that covers this area and DOES stand behind their sales I'm getting input from 2 DIFFERENT salesmen at the SAME dealer My brother bought a pellet stove from them and they have been there for any and all issues he's had. LOL...not me for the hands on repairs...the maintenance I am more than willing to learn and happy to do, not afraid of that! I have small fans and have paddle fans in each room so moving the air isn't a problem. The house was built in 1989, good insulation in the attic and under the house but NOT in the walls. I'd melt in your 78F LOL even 73 is warm for me BUT my brother swears if I had the heat to burn I'd get used to it. I about roast when I go to his house...he has a MUCH larger house than I do and has a Whitfield/Lennox/County???...one they dont make anymore but looks like the bay window Harmon minus the marble on top...38K BTU's. So if I'm understanding you right you're saying a 40K BTU (the Quad Classic Bay 1200) run on low wouldn't make the living room too hot? I'm warm to toasty at 70F It's 32F here now, I'm decked out in fleece and my thermostat (electric heat) is set at 58

Thanks Scoop...I know they all make noise (augur, pellets dropping, etc.) but I don't want one with a fan so loud I have to turn the TV volume so loud they hear it next door Right you are...any stove will save me money over the electric baseboard!

 

[MCPO]

Hi...newbie to the forum and to pellet stoves! I've read LOADS of great info her but think I need some help choosing the correct stove from folks in the know and have nothing to gain by making a sale

House is ALL electric, 860 sq ft...only heating 720 sq ft. of it. Been keeping thermostats at 62-64 degrees all winter and am tired of freezing to death Living area where stove will go is 200 sq ft, corner install so will blow to the archway/short hall to heat kitchen on one side of the archway with 1 bedroom and bath to be heated on the other side of the archway...ceiling fans in LR, kitchen and bedroom.

Have looked at the Heatilator, Santa Fe and since the Classic Bay 1200 is "only $300 more than the Santa Fe" this one was suggested. I will add that I AM dealing with a very reputable dealer One salesman thinks I should go with one stove while another salesman thinks either of the other 2 would be right as he's not sure 30K BTU's will do me. Budgeting is VERY important to me BUT so is the noise level of operation/fan because I wear hearing aids and they pick up hums and buzzes which are terribly annoying. I've listened to all 3 stoves but of course the acoustics are not the same as home. My big concern about the Classic Bay is 40K BTU's will run me out of the living room even on low...Heatilator dislike was the 'lip' than angles down blowing the air down rather than out. I'm leaning towards the Santa Fe as my choice but would appreciate some input from the folks here before I decide. Thanks!

*IF* you are not the handy type and/or product knowledgeable but you are absolutely certain your local dealer is reputable/trustworthy (this covers a lot) then he would be the one to go with.
Obviously noise levels are of prime importance to you so *you* only should decide which stove is the quiet enough.
A small all electric home like yours should be adequately insulated so you could get along fine even with 38K BTU heater.

 

[cncpro]

If you can have a larger unit running at lower heat setting that would probably be best for quietness.

I agree with that theory.

My CB1200 is quite noisy on high settings to the point that if my lovely wife is sleeping I often get scolded for having the surround sound turned up too loud. I make it just loud enough to hear all the dialog over the stove but then the shootout starts and the bass begins traveling through the whole house.

Don't forget that if you get a thermostat controlled stove you can keep the temp the way you like it regardless of the size of stove although some stoves cycle between high and low from the thermostat and others cycle between on and off with thermostat. The CB1200 turns off and restarts based upon input from the thermostat. In my opinion the ultimate situation is a stove that can run hi/lo or on/off from thermostat. I believe there are some that do this but not sure which ones.

 

[krooser]

Thanks Krooser...this IS a reputable dealer...actually the only one that covers this area and DOES stand behind their sales I'm getting input from 2 DIFFERENT salesmen at the SAME dealer My brother bought a pellet stove from them and they have been there for any and all issues he's had. LOL...not me for the hands on repairs...the maintenance I am more than willing to learn and happy to do, not afraid of that! I have small fans and have paddle fans in each room so moving the air isn't a problem. The house was built in 1989, good insulation in the attic and under the house but NOT in the walls. I'd melt in your 78F LOL even 73 is warm for me BUT my brother swears if I had the heat to burn I'd get used to it. I about roast when I go to his house...he has a MUCH larger house than I do and has a Whitfield/Lennox/County???...one they dont make anymore but looks like the bay window Harmon minus the marble on top...38K BTU's. So if I'm understanding you right you're saying a 40K BTU (the Quad Classic Bay 1200) run on low wouldn't make the living room too hot? I'm warm to toasty at 70F It's 32F here now, I'm decked out in fleece and my thermostat (electric heat) is set at 58

Thanks Scoop...I know they all make noise (augur, pellets dropping, etc.) but I don't want one with a fan so loud I have to turn the TV volume so loud they hear it next door Right you are...any stove will save me money over the electric baseboard!

It sounds like you have a good dealer....

Having your stove on a T-stat will help with not having to deal with the constant whirr of the fan... some stove are quieter than others. Harman always makes that claim... I'm sure some Harman owners will chime in... but they do come with a price.

My old St. Croix has a room fan speed control... we turn it down when watching TV... and turn it wide open during the overnight hours.

I can relate to your 58F temp setting right now... I'm a trucker, and I'm gone during the week.... I like the house warm. My wife is a tightwad and would sit and freeze at 60F when I was gone... she didn't want to pay the NG company anymore than she had to. Now we have a nice toasty warm house and save a lot on our heat bills especially during Jan/Feb....

All stoves like to soot up when run constantly on low... a T-stat would help stop this as the stove will fire up and down based on how much heat it needs to produce.

I have a new t-stat sitting in my kitchen... I've had it for two years and have been too lazy to hook it up... maybe this week.

 

[slls]

The CB 1200 won't run you out, it has a thermostat like a furnace or boiler.
I run mine 70 deg 24-7 on medium heat and high fan, perfect combo.

 

[DobieMom]

Thanks to everyone for the input...MUCH appreciated

I like the CB 1200 for the beauty and nice to know it won't run me out! How many sq ft are you heating slls? I'm concerned over the report of it being loud.

I like the Santa Fe for the size, looks and money...just fear it might not do my 720 to 860 sq ft with 30K BTU's.....gawd I hate major decisions

 

[ablejoy]

I have the quad and I run on medium on t stat when temps drop below 30 degrees. The house is open floor plan lots of windows about 2000 sq ft. Heating about 1600 sq ft and inside temps are 70 - 72.
Tonight its going down around 6 - 13 degree I can still keep the house at 66 - 68 degrees on medium. Some day want to step up to a larger stove. We are use to the fan noise not a problem for us.