Pellet stove
- Thread starter donbrown
- Start date
I run two of them in my house, one upstairs and one down. Word of caution I would have is that you can get too big of a stove, and then you have to turn it way down in order to keep from getting too hot, that is why I chose one on each floor. I can fire my basement one up and heat the whole house until it gets close to 10 degrees. Brand is important, I have a Breckwell and a Whitfield. Money well spent up front gets you a good auger and fan motors. OH, when the electricity goes out so does your heat so a back up inverter is a good idea if you think its necessary. Lastly, quality of pellets..you buy cheap ones and you get to clean the ash pan every other day, once again spend the money wisely. Thats about all I know, Heres a link that might help you
http://www.woodpelletstoves.net/manufacturers/
http://www.woodpelletstoves.net/manufacturers/
I have an older Whitfield in my house and it's paid for itself several times over. Heat the whole house with it. Like said above, get the "Premium" pellets for less ash and cleaner/hotter burn. Some people around here will mix in corn with their pellets, but corn has a tendency to leave "clinkers" in your burn box and I don't like that.
They have a powered intake and exhaust so it does need some clearance from a wall for the intake, as well as a a few inches for heat concerns but for the most part you can touch them anywhere but the front when it's running. You'll want to use the triple wall pipe for exhaust and a "through wall thimble??", the exhaust pipe does get hot. There will be a considerable amount of ash coming from the exhaust as well, so light colored siding/gutters does not fare well and should be washed often to keep clean. A minute with the shop vac every once in a while is about all I do for maintenence during the winter, I'll oil the motors and clean the fans good after every season. Parts aren't cheap.... I broke the glass in mine last year and it cost $400!!! It's the one piece glass with 2 bends in it and the newer ones have gone to a 3 piece glass which is a much better idea. I had to a put a new control board in this year and that was $300, but the motors are all still original and I think as long as they stay oiled and clean they last quite a while. I can keep my house about 73 all winter and heat for less than it would cost to keep it at 68 with LP, and with this I get a nice warm floor.
I'd put one in my garage, but until they make a hanging unit..... I just don't have the room. The thought has crossed my mind to put one in the enclosed trailer though....
They have a powered intake and exhaust so it does need some clearance from a wall for the intake, as well as a a few inches for heat concerns but for the most part you can touch them anywhere but the front when it's running. You'll want to use the triple wall pipe for exhaust and a "through wall thimble??", the exhaust pipe does get hot. There will be a considerable amount of ash coming from the exhaust as well, so light colored siding/gutters does not fare well and should be washed often to keep clean. A minute with the shop vac every once in a while is about all I do for maintenence during the winter, I'll oil the motors and clean the fans good after every season. Parts aren't cheap.... I broke the glass in mine last year and it cost $400!!! It's the one piece glass with 2 bends in it and the newer ones have gone to a 3 piece glass which is a much better idea. I had to a put a new control board in this year and that was $300, but the motors are all still original and I think as long as they stay oiled and clean they last quite a while. I can keep my house about 73 all winter and heat for less than it would cost to keep it at 68 with LP, and with this I get a nice warm floor.
I'd put one in my garage, but until they make a hanging unit..... I just don't have the room. The thought has crossed my mind to put one in the enclosed trailer though....
I like Lignetics pellets. They burn clean.
I wouldn't own a pellet stove, if I couldn't buy and transport a ton at a time. There too expensive by the bag. A ton runs $250 around here.
Pellet stoves are great. But, you need to check with your local air pollution laws down there. Some areas don't allow pellet stoves to run during "smog alert" days. Pellet stoves burn clean, but when they start up, they can smoke like a cold 2 stroke for several minutes, resulting in a call the the pollution board from the noisy neighbor.
Is there somewhere to buy pellets in LA?
Oh yha, I bought a Quadra-Fire Castile, works great. I just run it on medium, and let the central aire system regulate the temp. Cuts my heating bill in half, overall.
I wouldn't own a pellet stove, if I couldn't buy and transport a ton at a time. There too expensive by the bag. A ton runs $250 around here.
Pellet stoves are great. But, you need to check with your local air pollution laws down there. Some areas don't allow pellet stoves to run during "smog alert" days. Pellet stoves burn clean, but when they start up, they can smoke like a cold 2 stroke for several minutes, resulting in a call the the pollution board from the noisy neighbor.
Is there somewhere to buy pellets in LA?
Oh yha, I bought a Quadra-Fire Castile, works great. I just run it on medium, and let the central aire system regulate the temp. Cuts my heating bill in half, overall.
If you have resources for fuel they are a great deal, if not they are still a good deal but are subject to markets on fuels like anything else. There was a time last year when it would cost you more per BTU than a standard furnace. I have millions of acres of corn around me and a coop right down the road. I also am fortunate enough to rent land to a farmer that lets me take a pick up load twice a year for free.
I bought 15 corn/pellet stoves from a outfit going out of business a couple years back and re-sold them. They were a higher end stove, brand was St Croix. 3 of the people that bought them were disgusted with there Tractor supply stoves....american harvest i think. Stay away from those. I also bought some Bixbys and sold them. Never got to run one of those but they sold quick to. I would highly reccomend a St. Croix and second reccomend the bixby. Bixby has alot of moving parts is the draw back.
I bought 15 corn/pellet stoves from a outfit going out of business a couple years back and re-sold them. They were a higher end stove, brand was St Croix. 3 of the people that bought them were disgusted with there Tractor supply stoves....american harvest i think. Stay away from those. I also bought some Bixbys and sold them. Never got to run one of those but they sold quick to. I would highly reccomend a St. Croix and second reccomend the bixby. Bixby has alot of moving parts is the draw back.
People run the stoves in the mountains. I know people running them in the suburbs of the city but they don't broadcast it.
I have an "older" home with a brick fireplace so I can burn wood / pellets . New homes require a large fee to the city to install a fireplace.
A bag goes for $5.50 for 40 pounds. No discount if buy a pellet ... a ton.
Thought about a gas fireplace? I have a regency and love it. Tons of heat. Cheap to operate and no mess.
I rented a house with a pellet stove over one winter, worst experience of my life. Pellets are a hassle, messy, heavy and expensive if you use them as your only source of heat. The stove was a hassle, heat output sucked buying, transporting and storing bags of pellets was a pain.
Go gas or just get a good wood stove. I heat my home all winter on a regular old quadrafire wood stove. Works 10x better than that stupid pellet stove I had to deal with.
Go gas or just get a good wood stove. I heat my home all winter on a regular old quadrafire wood stove. Works 10x better than that stupid pellet stove I had to deal with.
Yep, bought one thinking it would be great because it would go all day long versus coming home at 6 and trying to get house warmed up with old wood stove. Not the same heat and pellets went through the roof. Just as well turn thermostat on and not pack pellets in the basement. 1 ton every 25 days. Wood heat is the best but dirty and dusty. My mom says you get heat twice. Once getting it and once burning it. No big savings. You pay it one way or another.
Similar threads
