Anybody have one? What kind? Price? Problems? Benefits? If you had to do it all over again, what would you do?

-- paul (primrose@centex.net), August 11, 2001

Answers

Last fall we purchased a wood pellet burner from Home Depot. It cost around $900. My husband installed it in one afternoon without much effort. Pellets cost us between $139 - $159 per ton depending on the brand and time of year. (Later in winter, prices went up! This year we are buying three ton early.) You also need to buy gel starter for igniting the pellets. That ran around $3 a bottle and we used 4 or 5 of them.

We decided to purchase a pellet stove after much consideration. We wanted an alternative heat source as oil was getting much too costly. An outdoor wood burner was my first choice, but I knew that they were alot of work. We needed something that I could handle by myself if need be. The same applied to an indoor woodburner, and I also did not want to deal with the clean up.

I'm very happy with our choice. It only took 2 1/2 ton of pellets to heat our 900 sq ft, 1 1/2 story home. (We supplemented that with 200 gallons of heating oil used on the colder nights)

I would definitely do it again. There is very little involved with the operation of the stove. I cleaned out the burn pot each day and vaccumed out the dust once a week. Filled the hopper each morning and evening, and checked the chimney for needed cleaning once per week.

The only concern I had with using the pellet stove was the need for electricity to operate. Fortunately, in our neck of the woods, the power does not fail too often. We are looking into generators, but I'm not sure that's the solution. ('nuther story!!) Some models do have battery backups as an available accessory.

Next time however, I would look in the classifieds for a used unit before I bought. I met several other pellet stove owners who had purchased used stoves after ours was already in use. Wish I had thought to do that myself!

-- Mary - PA (zoots25@hotmail.com), August 11, 2001.

Thanks Mary. Could you give me the brand and model of your stove?

-- paul (primrose@centex.net), August 12, 2001.

Check out the archives, there is no end of discussion about pellet & corn stoves

-- hendo (redgate@echoweb.net), August 12, 2001.

Am aware of and have read the archives, but, to quote Preacher Dylan, "The times, they are a changing."

-- paul (primrose@centex.net), August 12, 2001.

Paul, I consider pellet stoves to be an expensive waste of money. For the same amount you can get a regular woodburner that you can get fuel for right off your own land, and can buy in fairly cheaply if you have no timber.

I know far more people who have bought and abandoned them than folks who are happy with them. I have a friend who bought one last year, and decided the very first season it was a waste.

Remember with a pellet stove, no electricity - no heat.

-- Sojourner (notime4@summer.spam), August 12, 2001.

Paul, We have an Englander 25-PVDC. It's not fancy but it does the job. Good luck, Mary

-- Mary - PA (zoots25@hotmail.com), August 12, 2001.