Pellet Stoves

[TOMLESCOEQUIP]

I'm thinking of installing a pellet insert in my wood burning fireplace. I currently have a heatilator insert that was built into the original masonry fireplace when our house was built

(it is the firebox & has a standard damper & a standard size opening).


The Amish mason who installed the original unit was a great mason, but not a PEH installer. He bricked over the duct work in the firebox that should have been hooked up to provide outside air for combustion, & also replaced the metal fan grates (for intake & output air to the built in circulation fan) with fancy brick work with gaps in between........

Looks much better than the black tin grates that came with the heatilator kit, but cuts the cfm of the air the fans can move by probably 50% or more.

I have glass doors on the FP now, but still go thru way too much wood for the heat value I'm getting out of it. I burn hardwood cutoffs from a local lumber mill, clean square sawed 4x6x12 to 8x8 x16 inch chunks........some smaller, but you get the general idea.

I used to buy a large tandem dump truck load heaping from the sideboards delivered for $175, & went thru about 3 loads a year. Now the same load is over $300. Plus we still use nat gas as we aren't there to feed the fire 24-7.

It got me thinking about capping of the fireplace with a pellet insert & being able to dump a bag of pellets (or corn) in it & letting it do its thing. Since I'm spending about $1000 a year now on wood, having to buy pellets wouldn't make the difference in cost too bad for me, since I don't have access to free firewood.

Anyone know anything about what brand to buy or have any experience with these ??

Thanks.............

Tom

 

[sleeper]

Tom,

I had two pellet stoves in my previous house.....a fireplace insert on main floor and a free standing in the basement. I also had a wood burning stove in the finished part of my basement.

I had a Breckwell insert upstairs that was an excellent unit. Never had a problem with it in the seven years I used it. Downstairs I had a Quadrafire Castile free standing unit. That one was a piece of crap. The fire box rusted badly in the off season (first year).....the company didn't even want to talk to me about it. Their customer service sucked and I would not recommend purchasing any Quadrafire product. My neighbor has the same unit that is two years old and has been dealing with problems since the day he bought it. Every stove retailer in my area pushes these things........again, I would stay away from them regardless of what the salesperson says.

I gave the Breckwell insert to my neice when I sold my house and it is still running trouble free (11 years old now).

Pellet stoves are nice because you can load them and forget about them. They do burn a lot of fuel when run on higher settings. One disadvantage is you can't run them when the power goes out (unless you have a generator). I found that I used my wood burner more than the pellet stoves. The pellet stoves need more frequent cleaning (not a big deal but becomes a pain in the butt after a while).

Good luck and happy hunting.

 

[TOMLESCOEQUIP]

Update:

Just grabbed a couple pellet stoves today at my local Lowes........Bought 2 of their original $1196.00 stoves at 50% off........

They just reduced their winter heating inventory by 50% today........So if anyone else needs anything ........go get it fast !!

Applies to fireplace, gas logs, wood stoves, pellet stoves & venting etc.

Tom

 

[Cityboy]

Tom,

What brand stove did you get? I'm in the market for one too. Filling my 1000 gallon LP tank is getting more and more expensive.

 

[TOMLESCOEQUIP]

Tom,

What brand stove did you get? I'm in the market for one too. Filling my 1000 gallon LP tank is getting more and more expensive.

CB.........I bought this one.......I think they're built for Lowes.

They have the larger one @ 50% off too.........works out to about $997 for the big one.

Our local Rural King farm store has pellets for $4.00/bag...$200/ton.

Tom

 

[TOMLESCOEQUIP]

More info: Summers Heat Stoves

 

[Junkman]

CB.........I bought this one.......I think they're built for Lowes.

They have the larger one @ 50% off too.........works out to about $997 for the big one.

Our local Rural King farm store has pellets for $4.00/bag...$200/ton.

Tom

That is a good price. The best that I can find around CT/MA is $239 a ton, and most are averaging $280- 300 a ton..... A friend told me that pellets are going to skyrocket in price, since they are starting to make ethanol out of wood products and are not going to be continuing to use corn.

 

[mbsieg]

Local Wally-kill-the-economy-mart. Has them for 3.40 bag. Heartland pellets the good ones!!! Been heating my house all winter for $3 a day!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[DaveNay]

That is a good price. The best that I can find around CT/MA is $239 a ton, and most are averaging $280- 300 a ton..... A friend told me that pellets are going to skyrocket in price, since they are starting to make ethanol out of wood products and are not going to be continuing to use corn.

Hmmm...all the wood shavings vendors (horse bedding) say the shavings are getting expensive and back ordered because the pellet manufacturers are using the wood for heating.

Dammed if you do, dammed if you don't.

 

[Junkman]

In Ct, they are $5.20 a bag........ must be the transportation!!!!!! Last fall, they were cheaper by the bag then by the ton...... they store manager is a math genius.....