Would you do it again?

[Sloleak]

Would you go pellet again now that you know the ins and outs?
Newb here and lots of questions. Long story cut short - Just bought a 2nd place and wont be living there full time for the foreseeable future. It currently has boiler baseboard heat and a old gas insert with venting out the side of the house.

Thinking of replacing insert with pellet insert for a 'quicker' heat up and supplement to the boiler

Id love to be able to get the boiler running before we go, but really dont want to spend money on internet access for a thermostat we can kick on from home.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Considering I've been using biomass for supplemental heat for around 30 years no, I'd say I'd do it again in minute but won't because what I have should outlast me.

Keep in mind that ANY biomass appliance is only a SPACE HEATER and not a primary heat source. Of you attempt to use it as a primary heat source, you'll be disappointed.

 

[Lordtimothy200]

No question, I would do it again and kind of sad I didn't do it earlier. Keep in mind it is not for everyone or every situation.

 

[Washed-Up]

Without question….great heat and I’ve enjoyed and still enjoy learning about different stoves and their operations. Love tinkering on them as well as improving on their efficiency

 

[Sloleak]

House is 1200 sq ft. Kitchen/dining/great room with 2nd story great room(2 beds) directly above.

Reason I'm curious is natural gas is supposed to really go up and of course talking a cold winter.

 

[Washed-Up]

Pellet stoves are not plug and play or maintenance free, they are “space heaters” and pellets come in 40lb bags usually…regular cleanings require good shop vacs and the leaf blower trick is highly recommended a few times a year…just a few things to consider as well

 

[SidecarFlip]

Pellet stoves are not plug and play or maintenance free, they are “space heaters” and pellets come in 40lb bags usually…regular cleanings require good shop vacs and the leaf blower trick is highly recommended a few times a year…just a few things to consider as well

New owners get lulled into the 'plug and play' fantasy of a solid fuel appliance by slick talking salesmen and that is the farthest thing from reality. Like Washed Up posted, they all require regular and consistent upkeep to run properly.

I know with mine, I clean it weekly and when it's down, you will need a backup heat source like a central furnace or you'll freeze your ***** off.

 

[Sloleak]

Bet you have Consumers Energy right?

Consumers for electric, DTE for NG

 

[rich2500]

Wouldn't be with out a pellet stove.

 

[tlc1976]

Yes and I wish I could have a long time ago at the old house, but I had no money or a place to store pellets. Scraped by, burning free wood.

I also grew up with wood heat. So it’s no problem with all the rooms being different temperatures, or large swings in general. I use my stove just like a wood stove, while enjoying the cleanliness and convenience. No fancy controls on mine, also little to go wrong.

I also use it like a wood stove as in I use it as a primary heat source. Open floor plan works well for that. However I don’t RELY on it for that. Nor should anyone else because they’re not plug and play, and require cleaning, maintenance, and repair. I have a boiler on standby for backup if needed.

 

[Mt Bob]

House is 1200 sq ft. Kitchen/dining/great room with 2nd story great room(2 beds) directly above.

Reason I'm curious is natural gas is supposed to really go up and of course talking a cold winter.

Wood pellets have went up, like all wood products, and will continue to go up.

 

[Mt Bob]

Would you go pellet again now that you know the ins and outs?
Newb here and lots of questions. Long story cut short - Just bought a 2nd place and wont be living there full time for the foreseeable future. It currently has boiler baseboard heat and a old gas insert with venting out the side of the house.

Thinking of replacing insert with pellet insert for a 'quicker' heat up and supplement to the boiler

Id love to be able to get the boiler running before we go, but really dont want to spend money on internet access for a thermostat we can kick on from home.

"'quicker' heat" Perhaps. but I can tell you I have experimented with ths, a about 40btu pellet stove, and a 35btu LPG direct vent wall heater. From time turning on the t-stat, (either device) the LPG will heat up the downstairs much faster.

 

[stoveliker]

That feels that way because of the added humidity of a direct vent system I think?

 

[Mt Bob]

I always try to refrain from injecting politics into any discussion on here but you can directly blame the current administration for the spike in fuel cost. Not just NG but everything related to fuel. Propane is making the climb and motor fuel is already getting stupid.

I feel for all those folks with big SUV's and pickup trucks. I filled my wife's Suburban the other day and it was close to 100 bucks. That will be spending a lot of time in the garage this winter and we will be jaunting around in out 40 mpg roller skate.

I read in a financial paper that NG will experience a substantial spike in cost and you can rest assured that your NG supplier won't absorb it. They will tack an energy surcharge on your bill.

Bet you have Consumers Energy right?

Yep. Many people are not paying attention to the economy and inflation. Much money has been borrowed, because rates are so low, I predict a crash starting first of the year, but the professionals that know such things,say end of 22. So many went into debt for campers,new vehicles,other toys, second/vacation homes,etc. Now,not all are bad,many full and mostly full time motorhome/large rv people have and are upgrading, but they have income that will not change,and their expenses are pretty much fixed.They are taking advantage of the low interest,also. By end of 22, we will see "fire sales" of toys,2nd homes, and vehicles.Many will lose their items,yet still have payments,for the loss.
BTY there also is a huge open market for used vehicles,because smart people are not upgrading. Things are going to get quite scary.

 

[Mt Bob]

That feels that way because of the added humidity of a direct vent system I think?

Direct vent ads zero humidity. Unvented adds humidity.

 

[johneh]

Go pellets now with what I know IN A HEARTBEAT
without question . It is sooo nice to get up to a warm house
in the coldest weather. I can get a cup of coffee, watch the morning news
before topping up the wood furnace. The propane side of the wood
furnace is on stand by if we take a trip

 

[SidecarFlip]

BTY there also is a huge open market for used vehicles,because smart people are not upgrading. Things are going to get quite scary.

Maybe for some, not for me. I don't have any payment books and the farm is paid off. My 2 rentals are always occupied and pay for themselves and they are almost paid off too. Only the farm has a payment (for new equipment upgrades but the farm is a separate entity and it's income more than covers it's liability. Been extremely careful about extending myself and always have been.

Whatever happens, it will have little impact on me (us).

 

[SidecarFlip]

That feels that way because of the added humidity of a direct vent system I think?

Just the opposite young man.... it's ok, we all knew what you meant.

 

[stoveliker]

Direct vent ads zero humidity. Unvented adds humidity.

Ok.my bad. Mixed up terminology.

 

[Jeremy6500]

I run 2 pellets stoves for primary heat all winter. One at each end of the house. Definitely not as low maintenance as a gas furnace, but I like it and I like to tinker with stuff.

I also have a number of electric space heaters that I keep around for emergencies along with a generator.

 

[mtnbiker727]

We have a propane fireplace in one end of the house, which if we were staying here, I would replace with a pellet stove... That primarily heats the "back room," which is our bedroom since the kids have the two bedrooms. Our P68 is in the basement, which heats the basement, the kitchen, and the living room. Our kids each have an electric space heater in their rooms that we turn on at night because we shut their doors at bedtime. The pellet stove is directly below their rooms, but there's a drop ceiling, which is a super good insulator... I've moved some of the tiles, but it still doesn't allow the heat up. If the owner hadn't drywalled over the chimney in the living room I would have put the stove there, which would make way more sense... but we don't own this place, so it is what it is. The house was built with an oil forced hot air furnace, which I hate, and my wife has bad allergies, so it NEVER gets used. It's not an option unless she wants a migraine, literally every day.

None of that is ideal, but the pellet stove saved us from using electric baseboard and one electric space heater. Importantly, it's cheaper for us, and we are WARM.

So yes, I would definitely do it again. In our future house, we will use our pellet stove like a wood stove, plop it in the middle of an open floorplan house, and use it as our primary heat (with hot water baseboard as backup).

 

[clancey]

Sounds like a good plan and some people really are affected by oil heat so I feel for her and so glad you have your pellet stove for now and it works between the other options...good for you..clancey

 

[bbechtel16]

I'm sorry to say NO I wouldn't. Mind you I look at this from a cost and convenience standpoint. When we bought our uninsulated house built in 1900 with an old oil boiler, oil was $3/4 a gallon (D in the white house), and I was kind of freaking out. We didn't have the cash at the time to have it insulated, but we got 0% on a nice Harman pellet mill. The stove and the ambiance is great, but we have kids and both work full time, me running a semi truck under my own authority, and she won't touch the stove.

Then there's the true cost per BTU. People just assume oil is the most expensive way to heat, and that pellets are cheap. Not really. I only burn the pellets when it's significantly cheaper per BTU. There are plenty of calculators to compare heat sources online. I've been sitting on a good buy of 4 ton of Hamer's in my garage for several years now, letting the pellet mill dormant. I just fired it up tonight since oil has shot up since we have a D back in the white house... Pellets are expensive. I just took a quick look for decent brand pellets in my area and came back $300-$320 a ton...crazy. I like to buy at $250-$270. Wood is cheaper even if you pay someone to drop it off at your house, but less convenient. I like the idea that wood requires zero electricity also. It's a lot to consider.

 

[Sloleak]

It's a lot to consider.

This is true, the first gas bill will be in a couple of weeks and get an idea what costs will be just keeping a low temp. All forms of heating seem to have their plus and minus. The most simple thing would be to get a higher btu gas insert - but then I would be tag teaming the gas meter. Wood would probably be a no-go as they abandoned the old chimney and moved the insert over 3 or 4 feet-unknown why this was done. Pellet is a little more labor intensive but is an alternate source - cheaper to run than a gas insert? ?? And there is the current Tax Credit as well.

 

[Lordtimothy200]

If you are anywhere near corn country it is worth it to have a multi fuel stove. Then you have options for fuels.