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Pellet Stoves/Inserts - What's good? Larger size

budget76

budget76

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Hartford, CT
Shopping around for alternate heating source for the house to the oil burning furnace. Previously asked about wood stove insert viability, now looking at pellets. What's good vs shit in the pellet stove insert world, are they all relatively the same if I'm looking at a 5-10 year life before I move?

heat desire: stove in 1000ft finished basement with open stairs to 2200ft main living area. would like to add a passive floor vent or two to let heat rise and heat 1200-1500ft of the main living area

have 30" wide x 24" tall x 24" deep opening in the downstairs fireplace.

Until the baby wood was the play. I have a bunch so its free except labor, and requires no electricity. BUT the wife ain't gonna be as comfortable using it as she would loading a bag of pellets, and the house isn't gonna be able to be kept at 62* like last year with the baby. Main source of heat is a large oil burning furnace, I figure I'll burn 500-750gal this winter easily @ $4-6/gal.

yeah pellets aren't as cheap as they used to be. I see theres a 26% tax credit for purchase+install in 2022 which helps a lot with the up front cost of the unit itself.

options to look at? not ruling out wood, but there's a large appeal to simplicity and confidence in use for the wife vs a wood burner
 
I like my HearthStone insert(Clydesdale):
www.hearthstonestoves.com

Clydesdale - HearthStone Stoves

HearthStone's classic insert with TruHybrid™ technology. [...]Read More...
www.hearthstonestoves.com www.hearthstonestoves.com

Quality is nice. The fan works awesome... except when the power is out.

I can't comment about how it works in larger spaces... it is rated for 2000 sq-ft. It burnt us out of the 700 sq-ft house more than once; we had to throw open the dutch doors to ~30 degree outside temps to cool it down:shaking:

I opted for full wood because I wanted a reliable heat source if the power went out. I got a nasty scare with a propane insert when the power went out; smelt like the house was going to catch fire.:eek:

I would 100% get another for my current house. But it is a pretty penny:emb:
 
passive vent is so so, find a way to get a fan to move the heat
 
I would consider the Enviro M55 Insert. Its a multi fuel stove, that will let you burn grains as well as pellet. At 55,000 btu it will heat at least 2500 sq ft.

Enviro -Product

enviro.com
As a installer/service person i love the mounting system for this unit. There is a frame that holds the outer surround that gets bolted into the fireplace. Then the unit itself rolls in on bearings in a track. There also is a service track kit, that allows you to pull the unit fully out and service it.
 
I had a pellet stove I loved. It was 20 years old when I sold it and it looked & worked like new. Only service was one igniter and regular cleaning. It lit all by itself itself so it didn’t run all the time. Heated the whole 1100 sq foot house to 70° by itself with a gas furnace set on 60° as a backup. Had to put in a new bag of pellets on every 3rd day, clean the ashes out once a week. I can’t remember the brand name it was, looks like the name changed or got bought out. Tractor supply has the updated model by comfort built for $1,900. My old one was $1,200 new.

 
Lopi (insert) is what I have. Been running it for ten years now. Noise is gong to be an issue you'll want to consider. The cheaper models are noisy as fuck.
 
skinanbones said:
I would consider the Enviro M55 Insert. Its a multi fuel stove, that will let you burn grains as well as pellet. At 55,000 btu it will heat at least 2500 sq ft.

Enviro -Product

enviro.com
As a installer/service person i love the mounting system for this unit. There is a frame that holds the outer surround that gets bolted into the fireplace. Then the unit itself rolls in on bearings in a track. There also is a service track kit, that allows you to pull the unit fully out and service it.
Click to expand...
this would fit my opening and if you're a service guy recommending, it must not be junk. gonna see if I can find them in my parts, thanks. Edit: oof, $6k ain't cheap. I'm sure its worth it, might be on the high end of me justifying it tho

any brands specifically to avoid? or are they kind of the "lower end replace more parts, higher end parts last longer"


Good info on the noise. Odds are we'll be upstairs and it'll be downstairs, so not a major concern there. Bummer I can't shove one in the main floor fireplace, but its' design definitely doesn't allow anything like an insert to fit (L shaped with a support post in the center corner that faces the room)
 
That M55 would go upstairs as well. It can be installed as a zero clearance fireplace with steel framing around it. Just close off the one side with steel and either leave it or stone or brick it.
Personally anything under $3000 is going to be noisey, inefficent, and probally last 5 years or so when trying to heat a large sq footage.
If your staying in that house for awhile. The savings on the cost of heating with oil or propane should pay for the unit within a few years.
Also that m55 might go 6 or 8 years before you need to buy anything for it. I have units out there that i have install from Enviro that are 20 years old and still running like new
 
budget76 said:
this would fit my opening and if you're a service guy recommending, it must not be junk. gonna see if I can find them in my parts, thanks. Edit: oof, $6k ain't cheap. I'm sure its worth it, might be on the high end of me justifying it tho

any brands specifically to avoid? or are they kind of the "lower end replace more parts, higher end parts last longer"


Good info on the noise. Odds are we'll be upstairs and it'll be downstairs, so not a major concern there. Bummer I can't shove one in the main floor fireplace, but its' design definitely doesn't allow anything like an insert to fit (L shaped with a support post in the center corner that faces the room)
Click to expand...
I have a cheap home depot type downstairs. I can hear it upstairs. The fans make high pitch sounds. It's intolerable but the grand kids don't mind. When it gets too hot the controller stops working so I can't run it on high. I've never had anything else but I'm very happy with the Lopi I have up stairs. It sets right below the TV . I'd just check the reviews and consumer reports on the higher end units.

Things to consider.

Hopper size
Autolight
Noise
Remote thermostat.
Quality door (nice and heavy with good easy to maintain seal)
Easy to access parts for maintenance/cleanig
 
Fab one up....I know I know, not an insert.... Yada Yada yada....Yada..... and yes my work and handles burning stumps/3' long rounds like a champ!!!! :smokin::usa:

Did get her a wee bit warm a time or two...:flipoff2::lmao:


Shop had never been warmer before that stove was installed. And yes I've cooked a few meals off that one as well...lol had to use ladder to get up top...
 

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skinanbones said:
That M55 would go upstairs as well. It can be installed as a zero clearance fireplace with steel framing around it. Just close off the one side with steel and either leave it or stone or brick it.
Personally anything under $3000 is going to be noisey, inefficent, and probally last 5 years or so when trying to heat a large sq footage.
If your staying in that house for awhile. The savings on the cost of heating with oil or propane should pay for the unit within a few years.
Also that m55 might go 6 or 8 years before you need to buy anything for it. I have units out there that i have install from Enviro that are 20 years old and still running like new
Click to expand...
need to read up on the rebate to understand what $$ I'd actually get back, but this makes the price a fair deal more palatable if its really 26% off retail price
1661780401109.png
 
Also - I'm seeing $300-400/pallet (ton) of pellets. I'm sure they have gone up this year, but i swear I remember seeing $200/ton. is $300-400 what they were the past couple years, or a little inflated for 2022
 
i am not sure about the rebates as i am in Canada and we don't have anything like that currently in place
 
Last few years it's been $200-250 ton of you shop around,learn to spot a good pellet.

Bags loose not bloated
Pellets hard and snap when you break them
 
budget76 said:
Also - I'm seeing $300-400/pallet (ton) of pellets. I'm sure they have gone up this year, but i swear I remember seeing $200/ton. is $300-400 what they were the past couple years, or a little inflated for 2022
Click to expand...
Last year in the fall I bought a pallet of pellets for $220. That's 50, 40# bags of hardwood pellets. So roughly $4.40/bag. I just checked today and they are $6.50/bag or $325 a pallet. Let's go Brandon
 
Quick & Dirty said:
You could also consider coal. Looks like $459/ton in CT. Anthracite has 1.5x the BTU per ton as wood pellets, so cheaper per BTU and don't have to fill the hopper as often. Burns much hotter than pellets, so don't run it in a pellet stove.
Click to expand...
What's the safety factor a pellet stove gets built with and what ratio of coal to pellets will come in just under that? :flipoff2:
 
Quick & Dirty said:
You could also consider coal. Looks like $459/ton in CT. Anthracite has 1.5x the BTU per ton as wood pellets, so cheaper per BTU and don't have to fill the hopper as often. Burns much hotter than pellets, so don't run it in a pellet stove.

Blaschak Anthracite Coal (1 ton pallet) Pea in CT | Blakeslee Wood Pellets

woodpellets.net woodpellets.net
Click to expand...
you raise a valid thought. Current stove is a wood/coal hybrid, and i've been burning through about 30gal of free coal I got (5gal buckets, sue me on the measurement :flipoff2:) that shit definitely burns HOT, but on the current stove the ash doesn't clear and it winds up suffocating after a while. no way to shake it down
 
bumping back up, looking for a pellet for a cabin. Wondering if it's worth the time to look at mutli fuel stoves or no. I don't know much about it other then there are grain, corn, etc other fuels that some can burn.
 
Cant go wrong with any of them, just buy pellets by the pallet. It’ll save some money.
 
Weasel said:
bumping back up, looking for a pellet for a cabin. Wondering if it's worth the time to look at mutli fuel stoves or no. I don't know much about it other then there are grain, corn, etc other fuels that some can burn.
Click to expand...

I have a multi fuel, but in almost 20 years I've just burn wood pellets. This year they went up in price to $270 a ton, before they held in at $200 - $225 a ton. Better than $7 propane though :eek:
 
I've got a multi fuel stove/insert. It's an older one that is all analog contols. Have burned wood pellets, corn and cherry pits in the past.

When pellets got above $230/ton it's about the same price to run the furnace so we haven't used it much the last few years.

I have no doubt a newer stove would be way more efficient. If/when this one dies I'll replace it with an actual wood stove. Pellets a nice, but they are almost as much work as regular wood. Already do wood to heat the shop.
 
I thought about wood but just yanked the old chimney out, bit worried about insurance not liking the wood stove and if I decide toe AirBNB it operator error with a wood stove.

I am guessing I'll mostly burn wood pellets but the option might be nice, then again if it's never used. Yeah a pallet is an option for me.
 
Next question is the turn down rate, it's not a very big place ~1ksqft but most of the ones with larger hoppers are 1800 - 2200 sqft. I'd think you could just turn the stat down and be okay but also know on some of the higher output equipment the rate the produce any heat is too much for the space.
 
arse_sidewards said:
What?

You don't gotta split and stack your pellets.
Click to expand...


You load the pallet of pellets into the back of the truck 9 times out of 10 a fork truck will do this. I don't know about you, but I stack mine pretty much how they are on the pallet. Have to unload it at home then move them again into the house and into the stove. I store mine in the garage, only keeping a few bags in the house. So at minimum I'm moving them 3 times.

I don't pay anything for wood other than time and fuel for the saw and splitter. Often times we'll pull the splitter out to the woods and split as it goes into the truck/trailer.

Yes it's not as easy as opening a bag and dumping them in the hopper. A modern, efficient stove can go 12hr easily. My current pellet stove (being an insert) only holds 50ish pounds. Gets about 15 or so hours before the hopper develops a funnel and stops feeding the auger. Once that happens you either have to dump more in or stir the sides up. In either situation you're checking the stove a few times a day. Fwiw, corn and cherry pits don't have the funnel problem nearly as bad.

For me and my situation they seem like the same amout of work. On the weekends I keep a fire in the shop Friday night till Sunday night so I know the difference between the two.

A newer more efficient pellet stove might change my mind. I like the fact that mine only has two knobs, auger speed and blower speed. It's simple and basic, can run it off generator or inverter in the truck no problem.
 
toomany said:
You load the pallet of pellets into the back of the truck 9 times out of 10 a fork truck will do this. I don't know about you, but I stack mine pretty much how they are on the pallet. Have to unload it at home then move them again into the house and into the stove. I store mine in the garage, only keeping a few bags in the house. So at minimum I'm moving them 3 times.
Click to expand...
Around here anywhere that sells pellets in bulk will leave of them where you want with a truck mounted forklift. Most people leave them outside with a tarp and bring a bag in when they get home from work every day. Pretty damn easy compared to wood.
 
We had a gas fireplace and gas furnace (propane) when we bought our place 19 years ago. First winter we filled the propane tank 3 times. Next summer ripped the fireplace out and put in a pellet stove. Pellets were like $60/ton, so the stove paid for itself the first couple years. Our stove (Avalon Astoria) holds approx 100lbs in the hopper (~3 bags). It runs on a thermostat. We have a very broken up floor plan in the house, but only heat with the pellet stove (with furnace set at 60 as a backup). Hooked up a programmable thermostat. Turn heat down during the day, and up an hour before we get home. During the really cold part of the year (Nov-Feb/March) it gets a bag in the am and another when I get home. The rest of the winter, 1 bag a day. We get -30 quite a bit, so it runs almost constantly during the cold months. I usually use 6-7 tons.

I have replaced a bunch of things on the stove over 18 years (an igniter every 2 years, exhaust fans every 4-5 years, burn pot and cleaning rod every 4-5 years) but it keeps working. I have considered an inverter and battery to run it during power outages, but ours are usually short, so the generator works fine.


Priced pellets local this year and they were between $300 and $440/ton.
It was cheaper for me to buy them out of state and trailer them in this year.
 
arse_sidewards said:
Around here anywhere that sells pellets in bulk will leave of them where you want with a truck mounted forklift. Most people leave them outside with a tarp and bring a bag in when they get home from work every day. Pretty damn easy compared to wood.
Click to expand...

We don't have anything like that here. The best you'll get is the dedicated stove store will "store" your pellets for you till you need them. I.E, but a few tons at once but only take 1 or two and come back later in the season for the rest.
 
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