Pellet stoves

[Daveboone]

We have been burning pellets for almost 20 years. We start the stove as soon as we need to heat, and kick in the boiler about thanksgiving through easter, when its coldest. We put our own stove in, which is easy enough BUT...make sure to meet local codes, and be sure to connect you vent properly.

We have burned many brands of pellets. Our last stove ( A Breckwell) was awesome, and burned any brand we poured in it without a hitch. Our new stove (Jamestown) puts out more heat, but is finickier- I think the auger motor isnt as strong, and binds on dust and long pellets. Even though premium pellets meet the same BTU ratings, as mentioned, they do vary in quality, which i find more affects stove function than heat output. We do have a preference for soft wood also...lighter ash, doesnt need cleaning as much. Be aware- many folks dont care for the pellet hauling, dust and clean up that you still have, even though tremendously less than burning wood.

[genesee_mohican]

If you have a small wood lot and can cut your own wood, then a face cord will end up costing $5-10 in gas, plus your time. It's a lot cheaper than gym membership.

[ELMER J. FUDD]

I have used only about 130 gallons of oil this year. Assuming I burn what's left it will total 220 gallons for the season. I installed an englander wood stove. The wood was from oaks on my property. It was 88 degrees in my living room this morning. Ridiculous! I'm planning an air vent hooked up to the stat on the other end of the house. I agree that getting up to check, adjust, and load sucks. I'm learning how important it is to have consistent wood. Usually I wake up and there are just enough coals to ignite some new wood.

[josephmrtn]

sitting on the couch in front of ours right now... we burn New England Pellet (PelletHeat.com, have a location in Schuyler NY as well as one in Deposit NY and one in Jaffrey NH) or Instant HEAT pellets from TSC those are the two best brands we have found... (i THINK they are softwood or a blend)