Something's Cooking My Basement!

[pcchris]

There's a reason this post is in the Chef's Lounge...it has NOTHING to do with PC! Anyway, my DH installed one of those wood pellet stoves in our basement last week. Does anyone have one of these darn things? I don't know how they are supposed to save you money with your energy bill if you have to dump a whole bag of pellets in EVERY DAY!
If anyone else has one, will you tell me if yours goes through an entire bag of pellets every day, or is mine just a piece of junk?!!? ARGH!!!!!!! Thank you.

 

[cat]

Hmm....never heard of a wood pellet stove!

Did you do research on it before you bought it? Can you ask someone at the place you bought it at?

 

[pcchris]

Nope...I didn't even know DH was buying one. He just came home with it and installed it. Now I am the one who has to keep it going. Typical in this house. Grrr..................

 

[nikkijo]

Hey Chris~ I used to work at a place that sold them. The thing I personally do not like about pellet stoves is that you are dependent on the price of pellets. The price has been increasing every year, this is why I like wood stoves.

Now that I'm done with that, on some pellet stoves they have an adjustment where you put the pellets into as to how fast it drops the pellets down. I would call the store he bought it at and ask if this can be done and how. Next time tell your DH to call me and I'll help him with the purchase I know some of the good places to go around here.

 

[Teresa Lynn]

We love ours The kids & I all have asthma, (so with this we have no dust or smoke)
When we built our house not putting in a fireplace was NOT an option with our builder..... Didn't matter that it was custom home and we were designing it he was forcing us to install one for resale value. We agreed on a pellet stove it has an old fashioned look (I don't like how it looks versus a fireplace) but it is pretty to watch the fire thru the glass.
We buy pellets by the pallet 1 pallet lasts us 2 years
this year they were $6.00 a bag 1 bag lasts me all day here in texas.

 

[pcchris]

I like it because my floors are warm now, and my dungeon, whoops, mean basement is warm too...but I don't know how he thinks we're going to save money on the energy bill. I think he's whacked. Our pellets were 3-something a bag...we bought a whole pallet too...actually 2 pallets from that ORANGE home store. So, I guess a bag a day is the norm...hmmm...how is that saving money?!?!?!? I don't get it!!!

 

[yummy4tummy]

I have the best of both worlds. I have a wood stove in my living room and a pellet stove in my MPR (multi-purpose room). You can adjust the feed on them. Do you have a thermostat? Also it does depend on what the ash content of the pellets is. A good quality pellet (hard wood, just as a regular wood stove) burns hotter and cleaner (less than .25% ash) and you tend to use less. A pine pellet is a softer wood which tends to cause a lot of ash. All bags should have the ash content listed on them so that should eliminate the guess work.

As far as $3 something a bag, you got a great deal compared to what we pay here. Pellets were a scarce commodity here a few months ago. Lowe's ran out in the very beginning of winter (fortunately we got our ton but that in itsself was a freak and a big ordeal). They would never have any in stock, when they did get some it first come first serve (understandibly) and would sell out within an hour.
We ended up having to buy another 20 bags to the tune of $5.75 per bag (and they were crappy pine pellets). People on Craigslit were gouging people around here by selling pellets from $8-$12 a bag.

Just read the label. Even if it says Premium pellets they may not really be "Premium". I hope this helps.

 

[Teresa Lynn]

We don't use ours every day we just use it when I'm cold but that can be all day somedays. It does help us though especially when it's windy. Our electric bill stays between $600-$700 year round.
I'd be thankful for the price you got per bag. The onl;y place here to get them are Tractor Supply and a fireplace store.
Teresa

 

[janetupnorth]

I have a wood burning stove, spent a lot of time chopping, splitting and stacking wood this summer, but we do save over gas. I looked at pellet stoves but never got one...many up here have put them in and like them. Shop around on the price, the Orange Store is usually the highest around here. I think you are in the area where you can get them cheaper. Try Farm n' Fleet or Fleet Farm if there is one by you, sometimes they carry them...