Pellet Stoves. ???

[redsnow]

I've never really been around a wood pellet stove, don't know much about them. I've got an old house, more or less a camp, that I can't keep warm with just a single propane fireplace thing.

Found a guy that had a used pellet stove, said he'd paid over $900 for the thing, he'd only used it 2 or 3 winters, was asking $500, so I bought it for $400. I checked prices online, seems like that was a pretty good deal. I'm to get the chimney pipe and leftover pellets, if he has any.

Just curious, what's good and bad about these things?

[musher]

The bad is that you have to clean them every couple of days. Pellets can also, sometimes be difficult to purchase due to rarity. No electricity means no heat.

The good is that the pellets are cleaner than firewood, you don't need a chimney or as big a safe zone around the stove. You don't have to laid them as often.

They can both burn your house down!

[redsnow]

Hmmm, I've been talking to a couple of friends, not sure if I'll put the thing to use or not? For another $150 I can buy a propane stove, and won't need to tinker around cleaning the thing.

[musher]

Propane will put humidity into the house but wood removes it.

[redsnow]

Talked to one of my buds today, his pellet stove died on him last winter, and said the pellets are getting really expensive. And like you said above, if you're burning it hard, it needs a cleaning every couple of days.

Not sure, probably best for me to just buy a vent-less wall mounted propane heater. I've had one here at home for 20 years, sure does come in handy when the power is out. The first couple that I had were these radiant heaters, where the ceramic tiles would glow red, and put off a bunch of heat. The one that I have now is a "blue flame" type, it's ok, but you can't warm up beside it like you can the radiant heaters that I've had before.

[RdFx]

I have a St Croix pellet stove for last 12 years. Only thing broke was an igniter and it was cheap on line than from a stove store, easy to replace. Only clean ash door once a week, clean smoke pipe twice a year.... but like said if power goes out...but you can use deep cell or lithium battery and inverter to keep going.

[RdFx]

I have a St Croix pellet stove for last 12 years. Only thing broke was an igniter and it was cheap on line than from a stove store, easy to replace. Only clean ash door once a week, clean smoke pipe twice a year.... but like said if power goes out...but you can use deep cell or lithium battery and inverter to keep going.

[redsnow]

Well, not long after I paid the man for his stove, he asked if I'd sell it back to him. I know that he was having money problems when he sold it, so I sold it back to him at cost. Other than pictures, I've never seen the stove, it is/was still hooked up in his house. He needs it more than I do.

After talking to different people, it seems like folks either love their pellet stoves or they hate them. There's no middle ground.

For me at the camp, here we are in November, I'll be lucky if I get to spend 5 or 6 nights between now and the first of the year. Propane would be so much easier.

I have one of those 250 gallon propane tanks, it's pretty much full, figure between the gas fireplace thing, the cook stove and a wall mounted gas stove, that tank of gas will last me 5 years. We're starting to get cold, I'll probably drain the water lines this week, and get it ready for winter. Calling for 18* tomorrow night.

[braveheart]

I was looking at one of them gravity newer pellet stove. It needs no electricity unless working a blower for them. Has anyone been around one of them stoves? I am getting tired of the wood cutting and mess.

[northof50]

Friend have one in Yellowknife NWT and they are great ....once they learned there was 2 fans to run it...they only found this on the second winter. They go through 2 pallets of bagged a winter. Which are delivered to their driveway each fall.