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old mark (1000+ posts) Thu Dec-11-08 02:46 PMOriginal message Our new pellet stove was installed this morning. Started burning at about 12:30, and now, at 2:41, thw whole 3 storey house is warmer than with the gas furnace. we bought 2 tons of wood pellets on Saturday. Very early to predict how it will go, but it is very nasty outside today, rain all night and all day, to turn to freezing rain and snow overnight. Just a small flame area in the stove is heating the entire house, and takes the dampness right out of the air.I wanted one of these for years, and I'm very glad we were able to get one - they are selling out in many areas, and prices will go up in January.
NMDemDist2 (1000+ posts) Thu Dec-11-08 07:40 PMResponse to Original message 1. nice! I wish my house was a little bigger and I'd still have one. there was one installed when we bought the house, but it was HUGH!!111! so we sold it back to the old owners.I had several of the econoHeaters but they all cracked when we took them off the walls to paint this week, so we're gonna get a couple oil filled radiators I guess
old mark (1000+ posts) Sun Dec-14-08 07:45 AMResponse to Original message 2. Been pretty cold and wet this weekend, but this little stove has done a fine job. We shut down the gas furnace after the first day.A few adjustments and a learning curve, but I think we got the hang of it and is somehow more pleasant than the old heat, if that makes sense.Got an Enviro Empress (Black enamel)
conscious evolution (1000+ posts) Sun Dec-14-08 08:28 AMResponse to Original message 3. Can you use wood chips in those? Or do you have to use specially made pellets?If you can use woodchips you might be able to get freebies from tree surgeons.They usually have to pay to dispose of them in many areas and are glad to give them away.
murray hill farm (1000+ posts) Wed Dec-17-08 11:15 AMResponse to Original message 4. What do the wood pellets cost? How does it compare to buyng wood? If you have a pellet stove, could you use wood in a pinch? Are the pellets easy to get locally?
sandnsea (1000+ posts) Mon Dec-22-08 01:47 AMResponse to Original message 5. A friend has a pellet stove They've had it for years, have a 2 story home. They love it. I think he's even replaced an older one. He's got some kind of hopper system for it so it automatically loads pellets. Hope you have a toasty holiday!
old mark (1000+ posts) Sun Jan-25-09 09:12 AMResponse to Original message 6. Been away for a while, but I'm back again.... Pellets only in most pellet stoves. There are 2 blowers in it, one forcing the exhaust gas up the chimney pipe, the other circulating the gasses released by burning pellets into a re-burner. There are almost NO solid waste products leaving the stove, and only a powder fly ash remaining after the burning is complete. The stove has a bin incorporated and has a screw conveyor that supplies a few pellets at a time to the burning chamber - the flame is very small compared to wood stoves, but the heat output is great and waste and polution minimal.Wood pellets are processed sawdust from wood industry sources, compressed into small dry hard pellets that look like rabbit food.The ones I have seen come in 40 pound yeavy plastic bags, and sell for about $5 to $6 a bag. We got 2 tons in December - 100 bags - at around $575. We will probably need maybe 30 more bags till heating season is over, and can either get them from our supplier or from various outdoor/garden places, even Walmart ($5.75 per bag.)We have had very cold weather so far this winter - many zero or below days - and we are using a little over 1 bag per day. have to clean out tha stove every 3 or 4 days, takes all of 10 minutes.We are using the gas furnace as a backup - have the thermostat set to kick in if the basement temp gets too low to avoud freezing pipes - and it has been working sporadically maybe 12 hours total since mid December.Very happy with this little stove.
HarukaTheTrophyWife (1000+ posts) Fri Jan-30-09 09:02 PMResponse to Reply #6 7. The pellets should be much cheaper around May-June I heard
old mark (1000+ posts) Thu Feb-12-09 07:11 AMResponse to Original message 8. Update: We used the pellet stove every day last month - January - through some very cold weather, single digit and sub zero days and nights, and snow and ice storms. We used the gas furnace only as a backup, with the thermostat set at 64.Our bill for gas used in January ws $52.Gas heat normally runs between $12-$18 per day.The pellet stove used slightly over 1 bag per day, maybe $6.50 maximum.Now with moderating temps, cost of pellets is down to $5.70 per day or less.We have used the gas maybe one full day so far in February.
NMDemDist2 (1000+ posts) Thu Feb-12-09 10:44 AMResponse to Reply #8 9. sounds great. does the house have hot and cold 'spots' or is the fan/blower effective to keep the house fairly consistent? do you have ceiling fans you use with it?
old mark (1000+ posts) Thu Feb-12-09 05:02 PMResponse to Reply #9 10. We had a ceiling fan installed and forgot to use it till last week. The house does have cold spots, but most of the time they are not as cold as when we were using the gas furnace. The stove heat feels different - very comfortable. It spreads even up to my studio on the third floor.Only negative is that is sometimes goes out when set on low heat settings - we are still learning the quirks of the thing.We have really enjoyed it so far and we are really pleased and amazed by it.
Well now, that was a nice little vacation from the usual and habitual primitive bitchery and whinery about this and that and all other things.
Just wait till they lose power.
