# How many tons of pellets to order for a season?



## Polish Princess

I live near North East of St. Louis, Mo.on the Illinois side/ Last year we averaged 3.09 bags per day of pellets during our burning season. Does that sound right? When we 1st purchased we were told 2 bags per day was a good average. Glad I didn't listen we would have been very COLD. What are some of your averages?


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## DexterDay

4 tons.. Plus or Minus, if you use it for your Sole source of heat.


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## imacman

Polish Princess said:
			
		

> .....Last year we averaged 3.09 bags per day of pellets during our burning season. Does that sound right?.....



Every winter is slightly different, but most people go through between 3 and 4 tons each winter.  3+ bags/day DOES sound a little high, but maybe you just want your house warmer than most.

Last winter (the Winter from Hell), I went through 4 1/2.   >:-(


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## heat seeker

Heating most of a 2200 square foot colonial, 76Âº near stove, to 68Âº upstairs, we burned 1Â½ bags/day in the cold weather. So much cheaper than oil...


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## Polish Princess

Our house is 1700 square feet. We have US Stove Pellet Furnace and I set on lowest setting and automatic feed. Anything else I can do? You are burning less in a colder area. I realize the furnace makes a huge difference huh?


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## Polish Princess

Sorry, meant to also add use pellets from Rural King. Probably not the best brand but not sure where else to purchase around here as so few of us have pellet furnaces in my area.
I have read the thread where do you purchase Uncle Jed's? or Somersets? Any other brand I could look for to be more efficient?


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## Don2222

Hello

3+ bags a day is very high! yikes! I use 1-2 bags a day tops with my Avalon Astoria 45k BTU stove at 3 tons a year. 3.5 tons last winter because it was so cold!

What model type and how many BTUs is the Stove are you running? Do you have a pic of the install? How about a T-stat?
How warm is your house?

Maybe we can give some advice on your setup.


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## Polish Princess

I will take a picture but will have to read how to post. It is an American Harvest by US STOVE pellet furnace in the basement and vented up a flu lined chimney. Was installed
professionally to specs. As far as a thermostat I have one upstairs for the electric furnace which is a backup, the pellet is my primary source of heat. I have the setting on the lowest setting which is P-1 and let it feed automatically. Should there be a thermostat installed somewhere else?


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## Don2222

Polish Princess said:
			
		

> I will take a picture but will have to read how to post. It is an American Harvest by US STOVE pellet furnace in the basement and vented up a flu lined chimney. Was installed
> professionally to specs. As far as a thermostat I have one upstairs for the electric furnace which is a backup, the pellet is my primary source of heat. I have the setting on the lowest setting which is P-1 and let it feed automatically. Should there be a thermostat installed somewhere else?



Hello
Yes, a pic will help. Pellet Furnaces do burn a little more but 3.09 bags a day is still a little high since I know some one with a Harmon PF-100 that burns 2 bags a day that lives near me.

So I am guessing you have a setup similar to the diagram below from the American Harvest 6500 manual with a backup electric furnace. If you can find the model # such as 6500 that will help alot too.
The pic can be no more than 1300 pixels. You can tell in MS windows paint

Click on Image Attributes and then click on Image Resize/Skew to scale it down a bit.


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## jtakeman

All depends on the square footage you want to heat, How tight the structure is and how warm you want the said area. Also the colder the region, The more fuel required to maintain the heat in the structure.

Pellet furnaces generally use more fuel on average. But its worth it because they heat the house more evenly. Less cold spots and no over heated area's like a pellet stove.  

2 bags a day is kind of an average many stove dealers use. I hear that number often!


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## IHATEPROPANE

I will burn 5 ton.  My house is 2,200sq feet and I use at as my sole heating source November-April.
The temp is usually 68-72 downstairs and 62-65 upstairs.


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## mascoma

I usually got thru about 6 tons a year in my draft old cape.  
Sole heat source from Sept-May. 
Have 3 of the 8 tons I ordered this spring in the garage and picking the rest up this week.  
Found a deal on Cubex I got excited about and ordered some extra...


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## Polish Princess

My furnace is a Model 6500 American Harvest.and the heating and cooling installer used the schematic. Where would a thermostat be installed? Do I need one? Also, how is it installed as the blowers run almost constantly. I keep thinking we are missing something important to be burning 3 bags a day when many of you live in the very cold states and burn 2 bags. Our house is 1700 square feet and use the pellet furnace as primary heat. Just took some pics will try to send them.


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## jtakeman

That's a lot of pellets for 1700 sq feet~WOW!

How warm do you keep the house and how well is it insulated?

There are wireless stats out there that you can move around to find the best spot for it. You could try one and see of it helps. But they are pricey. A wired stat is much cheaper.

A centrally located stat might help reduce the usuage. Interior wall close to where you spend most of your time. The stat on that furnace will not shut it down. It will cycle to the lowest setting when the stat is made. It will cycle to the higher setting when more heat is required. It should keep the house from getting to warm for you and possibly save you some fuel. Unfortunately that furnace has been known to be a fuel hog. We have heard from a few owners complaining it uses too much fuel. Some of this could be efficiency??? IDK for sure. But I have tinkered on a couple and the vent temps seemed high which leads me to believe they don't extract all the heat they could with the heat exchanger. The better the heat exchanger the more heat that stays in the house. 


Another issue could be the quality of the fuel you are using. What brands are you burning?


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## imacman

j-takeman said:
			
		

> How warm do you keep the house and *how well is it insulated*?..........
> 
> Another issue could be the quality of the fuel you are using. What brands are you burning?



Same thoughts I had Jay.


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## FireManDan

this is my first year burning i have 3 tons right now. My house is just at 1500 and the stove is centrally located in the living room. Im hoping this will do.


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## GrahamInVa

My first season too... My house is 2400 sq ft but i'm not expecting it to heat everything, it would be nice though! I have it centrally located on the first floor and plan on using my existing forced air system to keep the air moving so the heat is move even. Right now I have just over 2 tons. But I plan on picking up at least 1 more ton maybe 2 and see how that goes. Pellets seem to be very plentifully around here and there doesn't seem to be much of a demand. So if i need some more mid winter I don't see it being too big a issue.


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## sinnian

First question people should be asking is how many gallons of oil did you use in the past?  That will help to determine if 3 bags/day is out of the norm for your house's efficiency.

I have a pellet boiler and used to use 800 gallons of oil per year, I use about 5.5 tons of pellets now October to April/May.


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## Don2222

Polish Princess said:
			
		

> My furnace is a Model 6500 American Harvest.and the heating and cooling installer used the schematic. Where would a thermostat be installed? Do I need one? Also, how is it installed as the blowers run almost constantly. I keep thinking we are missing something important to be burning 3 bags a day when many of you live in the very cold states and burn 2 bags. Our house is 1700 square feet and use the pellet furnace as primary heat. Just took some pics will try to send them.



Hello
Make sure if you are burning wood pellets the furnace is set to Pr

This unit comes preset from the factory to burn shelled corn. The display
will show a â€œCrâ€ in front of the heat setting. If burning only wood pellets, this
setting must be changed. To change, press and hold the heat range up and
down buttons simultaneously for approximately 2-3 seconds. The display
will change from â€œCrâ€ to â€œPrâ€.

Also check to see if the mode is set to Automatic

The â€œModeâ€ button is used to switch between manual and automatic mode. When in auto mode, the fans, auger, and
agitator will operate at preset intervals unless changed manually using the buttons mentioned above. When in manual
mode, the draft fan (exhaust) will operate at full speed (100%), so the air must be controlled with the damper just below
the viewing door.

I see NO mention of a thermostat in the 6500 manual. That is odd. You should check with your dealer on that!

Also I found this!!
http://forum.iburncorn.com/viewtopic.php?t=10825&sid=e79557dada69c100c45fe4d572f868ae
Hi all, you may remember me from back in Dec when I posted pictures of our house covered in soot from our newly installed 6300. US Stove has taken responsibility for that issue and has *given us a new 6500 stove* with all the corrections made (according to them). We have had the stove on for less than 24 hours and have gone through 4 bags of pellets and it is 63 outside and the house isn't even to 70 in here. The company says that this stove should be able to heat our home efficiently and that we need to caulk all of our duck work and that should take care of the problem. My husband and I are not convinced. You all have been so helpful in the past. Will just caulking our ducts get it running more efficiently? We need to get down to at least 2 bags a day or propane is cheaper! (and less work!) Unfortunately the number of cold days ahead is slowly dwindling and we won't be able to "test" it out in cold weather until next winter. What are your thoughts?

See all the answers in the link but what hits the nail on the head is this:
*The lowest setting is 5 LBs per hour That is 3 bags a day!!*

My Large Avalon Astoria 45k BTU stove highest setting is 5.5 lbs per hour and the lowest setting is 1.7 lbs per hour

That is YOUR Answer !


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## roadking88

FireManDan said:
			
		

> this is my first year burning i have 3 tons right now. My house is just at 1500 and the stove is centrally located in the living room. Im hoping this will do.



same case here..first year with pellets bought a harman p43 3 tons of mwp..
still have cord of wood in the basement for backup..
gonna be better than burning 4 cords i bet..
fairly new house and well insulated...


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## Stentor

Bought 4 tons for this season. Based on last year, I expect to use a little over 3 tons with a good supply left over. I'll probably cut back my pellet purchases for the 2012-2013 season.


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## Polish Princess

WOW----Most of you are from OH NY CT or NH and burn LESS than I do, and burn from Sept-April or May. I am in Illinois and burn from October-March to beg of April. I have my
6500 set on P1. 

Again it does not have a thermostat which I do not understand. How do I know what the pellet furnace temperature gets up to? Last season it kept our house around 72-74 degrees per the thermostat we have upstairs on the wall that is for our backup electric furnace.That was comfortable but wow 3 bags a day for a short burning season is expensive.

This whole situation makes absolutely no sense to me what so ever. We burned 3.09 bags per day had on the lowest setting of P-1 and seems to feed the pellets fast and seems to waste many. Does it effect the furnace if I manual the feeding of the pellets? U S STOVE is of no help with this kind of situation. 

The only place I have found around me to purchase pellets has been Rural King. Again if ANYONE knows where I can purchase a better grade I live 1 hour NE of ST LOUIS MO on the Illinois side of the Mississippi. If I have a better grade of pellets will that make a difference?


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## Don2222

Hello

The US Stove American Harvest 6500 Pellet Furnace's lowest heat setting is 5 LBs per hour That is 3 bags a day!!

My Large Avalon Astoria 45k BTU free standing stove's highest setting is 5.5 lbs per hour and the lowest setting is 1.7 lbs per hour

There is NO mention of a T-Stat in the 6500 Manual !!

That is YOUR Answer ! 

If you switch to a Harman PF-100 or even a HydroFlex 60 you would have a more efficient furnace!

HydroFlex60
http://www.harmanstoves.com/products/details.asp?cat=central-heating&prd=boilers&f=BLRHF60

PF-100
http://www.harmanstoves.com/products/details.asp?f=FURPF100&nav=features


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## sinnian

5 lbs/hour for 50K btu is WAY inefficient


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## Don2222

sinnian said:
			
		

> 5 lbs/hour for 50K btu is WAY inefficient



I must disagree with that statement.

Check the specs for most stoves and you will see why.

Example:

Avalon Astoria

BTUs Per Hr_Heat Setting___LBs/Hr
13,940 _______LOW_______1.7
45,100 _______HIGH_______5.5

The high setting for my 2,000 SqFt fairly well insulated house is only needed when it is -5 to -10 degrees F below Zero 
or zero to 10 above and high wind speeds!

*I use the low setting which is almost 14k BTUs per hour for very comfortable heat most of the time when it is 20 to 30 degrees F outside*

The following chart is a guide for heating the whole house (Split Entry) with the stove installed in the center of the basement with 2 registers with a convection fan and a doorway fan in the doorway to the basement.
Pellet Stove Heat Setting, with the Air Restrictor on 2 and the Convection Fan on 6 (Highest)
Wind Speed +or-5 MPH 
    5   10   20
Outside Temp +or-5 Degrees
v v   Astoria Heat Setting (1-6)  Astoria Heat Setting (1-6)  Astoria Heat Setting (1-6)
0   4   5   6
10   3   4   5
20   2   3   4
30   1   2   3

Example1: Early Saturday morning on 01-30-2010, The wind speed was 20 MPH and outside temperature was 4 degrees. the chart says 6 for the heat setting. At that time, we had it set to 5 when we were asleep and 6 when we woke up for more warmth and comfort!!

Example2:
02-07-2010 at 2 pm, the temperature was 27 degrees F, and the Wind Speed was 9 MPH. Therefore, the chart above puts the heat setting between 3 and 2 (slightly closer to 2) We have it set to 3 for comfort although 2 would be adequate!!


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## DexterDay

Don2222 said:
			
		

> sinnian said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 5 lbs/hour for 50K btu is WAY inefficient
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I must disagree with that statement.
> 
> Check the specs for most stoves and you will see why.
> 
> Example:
> 
> Avalon Astoria
> 
> BTUs Per Hr_Heat Setting___LBs/Hr
> 13,940 _______LOW_______1.7
> 45,100 _______HIGH_______5.5
> 
> The high setting for my 2,000 SqFt fairly well insulated house is only needed when it is -5 to -10 degrees F below Zero
> or zero to 10 above and high wind speeds!
> 
> *I use the low setting which is almost 14k BTUs per hour for very comfortable heat most of the time when it is 20 to 30 degrees F outside*
> 
> The following chart is a guide for heating the whole house (Split Entry) with the stove installed in the center of the basement with 2 registers with a convection fan and a doorway fan in the doorway to the basement.
> Pellet Stove Heat Setting, with the Air Restrictor on 2 and the Convection Fan on 6 (Highest)
> Wind Speed +or-5 MPH
> 5   10   20
> Outside Temp +or-5 Degrees
> v v   Astoria Heat Setting (1-6)  Astoria Heat Setting (1-6)  Astoria Heat Setting (1-6)
> 0   4   5   6
> 10   3   4   5
> 20   2   3   4
> 30   1   2   3
> 
> Example1: Early Saturday morning on 01-30-2010, The wind speed was 20 MPH and outside temperature was 4 degrees. the chart says 6 for the heat setting. At that time, we had it set to 5 when we were asleep and 6 when we woke up for more warmth and comfort!!
> 
> Example2:
> 02-07-2010 at 2 pm, the temperature was 27 degrees F, and the Wind Speed was 9 MPH. Therefore, the chart above puts the heat setting between 3 and 2 (slightly closer to 2) We have it set to 3 for comfort although 2 would be adequate!!
Click to expand...


He did not mean your stove Don... He meant the US Stove, its rated at 50,000 and if I remember. You were the one who pointed out, that its minimum feed rate is 5 lbs an hour. He was not stating every 50,000 BTU stove. Mine is 47,500 also and its max is 5.5 lbs an hr. Both of our stoves "Are" efficient. The US Furnace in question is not.


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## Don2222

Hello

Well, I am not saying the 6500 is inefficient. What I am saying is that because it has a BTU range of 50,000 to 105,000 it is WAY OVERSIZED for a 1,700 SqFt home!!

It is just way to big for the Polish Prince's house!!

The Harman HydroFlex 60 Hot Air or Hot Water boiler that provides up to 60,000 BTU is much more compatible furnace for that size home!!

The hydroflex has no min lbs per hour so it can be sized correctly for this size house 
Plus it can heat your hot water too!

I would still check with someone who has experience with this setup before seriously considering how it does actually work.

Specifications

Fuel:     Bio-Mass Pellets
BTU Range:     0-60000
Heating Capacity:     2000+ Square Feet
Hopper Capacity:     160 Pounds
Flue Size:     3"
Outside Air Size:     2-3/8"
Weight:     525 Pounds
Depth:     33-1/4"
Minimum Floor Protection:     36.875" x 17.125"
Height:     57"
Width:     21-1/4"
Feed Rate:     0 to 7 pounds per hour


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## DexterDay

Don2222 said:
			
		

> Hello
> 
> Well, I am not saying the 6500 is inefficient. What I am saying is that because it has a BTU range of 50,000 to 105,000 it is WAY OVERSIZED for a 1,700 SqFt home!!
> 
> It is just way to big for the Polish Prince's house!!
> 
> The Harman HydroFlex 60 Hot Air or Hot Water boiler that provides up to 60,000 BTU is much more compatible furnace for that size home!!
> 
> The hydroflex has no min lbs per hour so it can be sized correctly for this size house
> 
> Specifications
> 
> Fuel:     Bio-Mass Pellets
> BTU Range:     0-60000
> Heating Capacity:     2000+ Square Feet
> Hopper Capacity:     160 Pounds
> Flue Size:     3"
> Outside Air Size:     2-3/8"
> Weight:     525 Pounds
> Depth:     33-1/4"
> Minimum Floor Protection:     36.875" x 17.125"
> Height:     57"
> Width:     21-1/4"
> Feed Rate:     0 to 7 pounds per hour



I still agree with j-takeman. The exchange system is not right. For 3 bags on its lowest setting. Only heating above 70 degrees. 3 bags a Day should feel nuclear.. Even the owner agrees that it feeds to fast and that its "Wasting" Pellets. For 72 Degrees and a "Minimum" of 3 bags a day... That just sucks. In the shoulder's, I may not even burn a half a bag a day. If my stove was left on High (47,500 BTU's) this house would MELT. I use the lowest setting and keep 2,180 sq ft at 76 in the Dead of Winter. Only hit Med when its below 0* outside.. I have NEVER used more than 2 bags a day. Never. Just seems wasteful. IMO. US Stove used to be a Good co. Ask many dealers and you will find that many Mauf have went to the wayside. I know 2 dealers that do not like Breckwell anymore. Us Stove, AES (Magnum Line), just to name a few. Years ago (A decade) these stoves were "Top of the line". Now that the technology has passed them and the current owners do not want to put money into there investment, they are just "settling". Which in this economy. Many companies are doing it. Car Manuf are getting bad at it.. The "Bail-Out" was a joke. 

I apologize to the OP and any US Stove owner who has a good one and has had great luck with it. K-Dog on here has one and loves it. They are out there. 

Many companies sell out. But there are a few that go above and beyond. A thread was started not to long ago, talking about another stove Manuf. How there facility was amazing and the workers put forth the extra effort needed to make a Stove that will have a name in this market for YEARS to come. 

I have a Fahrenheit Endurance Pellet Furnace that I am going to put up for sale this Fall.  It is a Great Unit. Never had it Fully ducted in the basement. Have it in the garage now. Done a lot of testing out there. For only a 50,000 BTU Max Furnace, it KICKS out the heat. I paid $2,000 for it last Spring. With all Flue and Ductwork. It was only used for 1.5 seasons. Small in BTU;s. But more than makes up for it inefficiency. IMHO. Your stove could have an 100,000 BTU Input. But if it can only effectively Exchange 30,000 BTU of Output, then your throwing your heat out of your flue.

Which brings me to a great question. What is your vent set-up and how "HOT" is your flue gas when it comes out?


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## Don2222

DexterDay said:
			
		

> Don2222 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hello
> 
> Well, I am not saying the 6500 is inefficient. What I am saying is that because it has a BTU range of 50,000 to 105,000 it is WAY OVERSIZED for a 1,700 SqFt home!!
> 
> It is just way to big for the Polish Prince's house!!
> 
> The Harman HydroFlex 60 Hot Air or Hot Water boiler that provides up to 60,000 BTU is much more compatible furnace for that size home!!
> 
> The hydroflex has no min lbs per hour so it can be sized correctly for this size house
> 
> Specifications
> 
> Fuel:     Bio-Mass Pellets
> BTU Range:     0-60000
> Heating Capacity:     2000+ Square Feet
> Hopper Capacity:     160 Pounds
> Flue Size:     3"
> Outside Air Size:     2-3/8"
> Weight:     525 Pounds
> Depth:     33-1/4"
> Minimum Floor Protection:     36.875" x 17.125"
> Height:     57"
> Width:     21-1/4"
> Feed Rate:     0 to 7 pounds per hour
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I still agree with j-takeman. The exchange system is not right. For 3 bags on its lowest setting. Only heating above 70 degrees. 3 bags a Day should feel nuclear.. Even the owner agrees that it feeds to fast and that its "Wasting" Pellets. For 72 Degrees and a "Minimum" of 3 bags a day... That just sucks. In the shoulder's, I may not even burn a half a bag a day. If my stove was left on High (47,500 BTU's) this house would MELT. I use the lowest setting and keep 2,180 sq ft at 76 in the Dead of Winter. Only hit Med when its below 0* outside.. I have NEVER used more than 2 bags a day. Never. Just seems wasteful. IMO. US Stove used to be a Good co. Ask many dealers and you will find that many Mauf have went to the wayside. I know 2 dealers that do not like Breckwell anymore. Us Stove, AES (Magnum Line), just to name a few. Years ago (A decade) these stoves were "Top of the line". Now that the technology has passed them and the current owners do not want to put money into there investment, they are just "settling". Which in this economy. Many companies are doing it. Car Manuf are getting bad at it.. The "Bail-Out" was a joke.
> 
> I apologize to the OP and any US Stove owner who has a good one and has had great luck with it. K-Dog on here has one and loves it. They are out there.
> 
> Many companies sell out. But there are a few that go above and beyond. A thread was started not to long ago, talking about another stove Manuf. How there facility was amazing and the workers put forth the extra effort needed to make a Stove that will have a name in this market for YEARS to come.
> 
> I have a Fahrenheit Endurance Pellet Furnace that I am going to put up for sale this Fall.  It is a Great Unit. Never had it Fully ducted in the basement. Have it in the garage now. Done a lot of testing out there. For only a 50,000 BTU Max Furnace, it KICKS out the heat. I paid $2,000 for it last Spring. With all Flue and Ductwork. It was only used for 1.5 seasons. Small in BTU;s. But more than makes up for it inefficiency. IMHO. Your stove could have an 100,000 BTU Input. But if it can only effectively Exchange 30,000 BTU of Output, then your throwing your heat out of your flue.
> 
> Which brings me to a great question. What is your vent set-up and how "HOT" is your flue gas when it comes out?
Click to expand...


Hi Dexter
Just curious why you are getting rid of your pellet furnace?
Do you have better control with 3 separate stoves?


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## DexterDay

Bought the furnace because we were looking at putting something in the basement for to help heat our daughters room. She was born this May, but one can never be to prepared. 

I bought it, because I had read really good things about it. That, and the price was right.

Well a couple months later. A Forummember here posted his Englander 30-NC For Sale in the Articles For Sale section. I got the stove, and needed Simpson Flue (Internal/Double wall and External/ Triple wall), and all accesories, for $800. Being able to get wood for free and also having a Fireplace, really is what did it. Yes Cutting/Splitting/Stcking wood is Harder than going to a Hearth Shop (Or HD, Lowes, Menards, TSC), but it can be done for cheaper. Also wanted to try my hand at the Englander 30. Lots of talk about it in the "Hearth Room".

I bought that in the begining of April. So I have onlu used the Quad for 3 heating seasons. The Englander 25-PDV is in my Shop. Which is not in my house.

The Englander 30 is going to be installed in the end of Sept, begining of Oct. Fill you in more then. But for the last 3 yrs. Me and the Quad.

So the Fahrenheit has to go. Cant have 4 woodburning items in my hoouse (30, CB 1200, and Fireplace)


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## sinnian

Don2222 said:
			
		

> sinnian said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 5 lbs/hour for 50K btu is WAY inefficient
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I must disagree with that statement.
Click to expand...


My statement was based on my experience with my pellet boiler in which I burn, on average, 3 pounds per hour for 85K btus heating a 2200 sq ft home.


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## SmokeyTheBear

sinnian said:
			
		

> Don2222 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> sinnian said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 5 lbs/hour for 50K btu is WAY inefficient
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I must disagree with that statement.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> My statement was based on my experience with my pellet boiler in which I burn, on average, 3 pounds per hour for 85K btus heating a 2200 sq ft home.
Click to expand...


Unless you have one of them fancy nuclear pellet burners or magic pellets you are not getting 85,000 BTUs on 3 pounds of pellets in one hour.  Just ain't happening.


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## sinnian

Meant up to 85K (and of course not on 3 lbs/hour).


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## SmokeyTheBear

Now the question becomes one of where did the heat produced go when Polish Princess was burning the 5 pounds an hour.

Another question that spring to mind is what is the heat loss of the building that Polish Princess is heating. 

I can't remember what all of the controls are on that unit maybe a bit later I'll see if I can find the manual.  But I seem to remember that the control board can actually be programed for different fuel loads than what is preprogrammed from the factory.

It is possible that a lot of the heat is going up the flue or is being stuck in the room with the furnace.


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## SmokeyTheBear

I haven't found all of the information on that unit yet but what I have found indicates that there is an optional thermostat (this must cycle the unit in a high/low fashion because that furnace is manual light).

On top of that it is possible to send a lot of the heat up the flue if it is operated in what they are calling manual mode if you have the damper open too much as the combustion fan runs full out and you must play with the damper.

Somewhere there was information on fuel feed rates and USSC controllers.

Over on iburncorn.com in the OLD FORUM section is information on the USSC controllers some of it is hard to read.


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## Vinelife

I usually use around 5 tons.  Sole heating in winter is pellets from Oct-Mid May.  All Somersets this year.. nice and warm and even burning.


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## AVIVIII

I might have missed in in the bickering about input and output BTUh vs. LB/hr,

But I dont think any has given the obvious PIG response to the OP's question yet....

*As many as you can possibly fit in your house/garage, with absolutely no regard to aesthetics, ability to use the space as originally intended, wife's complaints, children's college funds and passenger vehicle's suspension.*


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## Harman-p68a

I just stacked 4 ton of Currans blend hopefully that will get me through with some fuel oil also.last season I used 3 ton of currans super premium softwood and about 1 to 1.5 ton of various other shoulder pellets. Would have lover to be able to have gotten softwoods again but no one around here wants softwood the old hardwood stigma but we will see how the blends do hopefully 4 ton will do it along with some oil not going to have time for chasing pellets with a newborn in the house this winter............+..


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## Don2222

SmokeyTheBear said:
			
		

> I haven't found all of the information on that unit yet but what I have found indicates that there is an optional thermostat (this must cycle the unit in a high/low fashion because that furnace is manual light).
> 
> On top of that it is possible to send a lot of the heat up the flue if it is operated in what they are calling manual mode if you have the damper open too much as the combustion fan runs full out and you must play with the damper.
> 
> Somewhere there was information on fuel feed rates and USSC controllers.
> 
> Over on iburncorn.com in the OLD FORUM section is information on the USSC controllers some of it is hard to read.



Hi Smokey

Where the 6500 is running manually on Low and is using 3 lbs per day, adding a thermostat to cycle the furnace to high would only use more pellets per day! Not a good option here. Sounds like 3 bags a day on low is the best with that equipment unless there is any more newer efficient control boards

See pic below of my new Pharox Orange Fire Glow LED stove light for that summer time Ambiance


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## SmokeyTheBear

Don2222 said:
			
		

> SmokeyTheBear said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I haven't found all of the information on that unit yet but what I have found indicates that there is an optional thermostat (this must cycle the unit in a high/low fashion because that furnace is manual light).
> 
> On top of that it is possible to send a lot of the heat up the flue if it is operated in what they are calling manual mode if you have the damper open too much as the combustion fan runs full out and you must play with the damper.
> 
> Somewhere there was information on fuel feed rates and USSC controllers.
> 
> Over on iburncorn.com in the OLD FORUM section is information on the USSC controllers some of it is hard to read.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hi Smokey
> 
> Where the 6500 is running manually on Low and is using 3 lbs per day, adding a thermostat to cycle the furnace to high would only use more pellets per day! Not a good option here. Sounds like 3 bags a day on low is the best with that equipment unless there is any more newer efficient control boards
> 
> See pic below of my new Pharox Orange Fire Glow LED stove light for that summer time Ambiance
Click to expand...


Don,

If I can find it I believe that the controller can be dropped below the 5 pounds hour feed rate it is also possible that when the optional thermostat is used there is another lower low firing rate.  The manual is next to useless as it talks about thermostatic operation but there is no further information and the device is manual start and only doesn't appear to have a hookup for a thermostat.  Funny that?   We know it isn't on/off so if the thing is going to be controlled by a stat there must be a way of throttling it down if the feed is set to 1.  Usually in high/low operation the high setting is set by the firing rate control setting and the low is the controller's lowest setting (which frequently can be trimmed to less than firing rate 1.     

There is insufficient information to determine all of the operating modes of the furnace (there were multiple controllers used on the 6500) and since it seems that US Stove isn't stepping up to the plate (or at least that is the impression given) we may never know.

My memory sometimes gets things twisted different controller but the same device but ISTR reading about just how adjustable the USSC controllers actually are.  It wasn't on here and it wasn't in the USSC manual for the 6500.

Whether the heat is being wasted or the OP is burning too much or not once again there is not enough information.    It is possible to have a nice small place and consume a lot of fuel to keep it somewhat tolerable.


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## Polish Princess

I talked to tech support at US STOVE yesterday and expressed my disappointment in burning 3 bags per day. They walked me through how to lower the auger speed manually. 
Tech Support walked me through the steps to adjust the pellet rate. The Model 6500 is preset to burn 6.50 lbs per hour. I did the math and 6.50 X 24 hrs=156 lbs/40lbs=3.90 bags.


Steps to adjust
â€¢    Press ON button
â€¢    Press Heat Range and Aux button at same time----Should say 6.50 which means is set to burn 6.50 lbs per hour â€”
â€¢    Press the AUX DOWN button to
       4.50 lbs per hour. If still too fast and too much waste in burn pot----LOWER again by .50 until reach desired amount of distribution.

I am going to try this. Also purchased I think a better grade of pellets. 

Maybe this will help someone else. Also in reading the thread someone mentioned adjusting the damper is that correct?


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## jtakeman

Thanks for sharing that info! I am sure it will help other USSC owners.


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## SmokeyTheBear

Polish Princess said:
			
		

> I talked to tech support at US STOVE yesterday and expressed my disappointment in burning 3 bags per day. They walked me through how to lower the auger speed manually.
> Tech Support walked me through the steps to adjust the pellet rate. The Model 6500 is preset to burn 6.50 lbs per hour. I did the math and 6.50 X 24 hrs=156 lbs/40lbs=3.90 bags.
> 
> 
> Steps to adjust
> â€¢    Press ON button
> â€¢    Press Heat Range and Aux button at same time----Should say 6.50 which means is set to burn 6.50 lbs per hour â€”
> â€¢    Press the AUX DOWN button to
> 4.50 lbs per hour. If still too fast and too much waste in burn pot----LOWER again by .50 until reach desired amount of distribution.
> 
> I am going to try this. Also purchased I think a better grade of pellets.
> 
> Maybe this will help someone else. Also in reading the thread someone mentioned adjusting the damper is that correct?



If the stove is going to be used in manual mode you have to use the damper as the combustion fan will run full speed, in automatic mode it runs in lock step with the feed rate.   The run mode is not related to the feed rates.

I'm glad you got some help from USSC I was fairly certain the actual feed rates could be changed.

Did you also inquire about thermostatic operation?


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## VanderLaan

Polish Princess said:
			
		

> IAlso purchased I think a better grade of pellets.



Hope your solution works out for you.  I am up here in Springfield.  Care to share the details (cost/brand/location)?


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## Polish Princess

Smoky The Bear I did not ask about thermostat but notice in my manual it says optional thermostats. I have said all along there should be a thermostat to turn the blowers on and off. I'm thinking like a gas or an electric furnace turns on and off. I am I correct in my thinking or does a thermostat on a pellet furnace have a different function. 

Also, I don't know what you mean lock step and feed rate.


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## Polish Princess

We have a US Stove Model 6500 purchased at end of last season floor model started at $4999.99 . Thenwas discounted to $2999.99. I kept watching the price found one on display at a Tractor Supply .Tractor Supply would not match the online price of $1999.99 so I contacted Rural Supply in Litchfield and they didn't have any left so they called the Vandalia Rural King.The Vandalia Rural King had a BRAND NEW end of season floor model for $1499.99 so we bought it last April. Of course that is only the furnace not flu piping or installation. But from $5k to $1.5K feel we did okay.

We are now trying to tweak it and slow down our burn rate from 3 bags per day to the normal 1-2 bags. We love the feel of burning wood and the warmth of it.
The reason we went with US Stove was because we had a wood burning US Stove for 20 years before going to pellet last season. Until I happened to find this sight I had no idea the different types of pellet furnaces but have also learned in our area it is very difficult to find someone that sells pellet furnaces other than the box stores or find someone that can service them. Also, the pellets the other people out East talk about burning we cannot purchase in our area.

 We live 45 minutes South of Springfield, IL


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## SmokeyTheBear

Polish Princess said:
			
		

> Smoky The Bear I did not ask about thermostat but notice in my manual it says optional thermostats. I have said all along there should be a thermostat to turn the blowers on and off. I'm thinking like a gas or an electric furnace turns on and off. I am I correct in my thinking or does a thermostat on a pellet furnace have a different function.
> 
> Also, I don't know what you mean lock step and feed rate.



Thermostat operation of a pellet stove is usually in one of two modes.

One is called on/off in this mode the thermostat controls the starting and stopping of the fire in the stove.  Your 6500 doesn't have an igniter so that mode can't be the one.

The second mode is called high/low and usually operates in low or maintain fire mode when the thermostat isn't calling for heat and in the selected firing rate (or high) when the thermostat is calling for heat.  Your 6500 is likely to be able to operate in that mode if what the manaul says about it being controllable by a thermostat.

The 6500 can run in two modes of operation one of these modes is automatic, in this mode the convection (room) blower and the combustion blower operate together and vary according to the firing rate selected.  In manual mode the combustion blower runs at full speed and the convection blower is tied to the firing rate.

In manual mode you must adjust the burn air using the damper otherwise the burn pot can run out of fuel and the fire go out, in automatic mode you pull the damper wide open and the blower controls the combustion air.


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## Polish Princess

SmokeyTheBear

 I talked to US Stove about a thermostat. They have one I can purchase and said to install it behind the circuit board. Of course when they talk to me they make is sound very easy to install. Also, either they have had complaints about not helping customers or they are slower this time of year but they have been very helpful.

If I have this straight to help me with my original problem of burning 3.09 bags of pellets per day 

1) Need to install a thermostat 2)Adjust pellet from US Stove preset rate of 6.50 lbs per hour to 4.50 lbs per hour. 3)Adjust damper to keep fire going---Does that sound about right?

With the furnace in manual mode you said the combustion blower runs full speed, does the convection blower shut off and on?


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## SmokeyTheBear

Polish Princess said:
			
		

> SmokeyTheBear
> 
> I talked to US Stove about a thermostat. They have one I can purchase and said to install it behind the circuit board. Of course when they talk to me they make is sound very easy to install. Also, either they have had complaints about not helping customers or they are slower this time of year but they have been very helpful.
> 
> If I have this straight to help me with my original problem of burning 3.09 bags of pellets per day
> 
> 1) Need to install a thermostat 2)Adjust pellet from US Stove preset rate of 6.50 lbs per hour to 4.50 lbs per hour. 3)Adjust damper to keep fire going---Does that sound about right?
> 
> With the furnace in manual mode you said the combustion blower runs full speed, does the convection blower shut off and on?



If you run the stove in manual mode the convection blower runs at the rate set by firing rate of the stove this is also true when running in automatic mode.  It doesn't cycle in either mode unless there is a thermostat hooked up.

The only time you should need to operate the damper is to have it fully open when running in automatic mode(combustion blower follows firing rate) or adjusted to keep a proper flame in manual mode( combustion blower runs at full speed).  In manual mode there will be different damper settings for each firing rate.

I don't have any real information on how the stove actually operates when the thermostat board is installed.

Personally I can't see anyone running a furnace without a thermostat but I guess that is just me.

As for the actual firing rate you finally get the low end set to, I suspect it will take some trial and error.  If memory serves the high rate is also adjustable as well.

So far my memory hasn't failed me on this unit but it could.


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## Polish Princess

Okay here I am again with questions about adjusting our US Stove Model 6500. Adjusted the feed rate as the tech from US Stove said to do

    Steps to adjust
â€¢  Press ON button
â€¢  Press Heat Range and Aux button at same timeâ€”â€”Should say 6.50 which means is set to burn 6.50 lbs per hour â€”
â€¢  Press the AUX DOWN button to
    4.50 lbs per hour. If still too fast and too much waste in burn potâ€”â€”LOWER again by .50 until reach desired amount of distribution.

When I adjusted per the instructions above, my furnace did not say 6.50 it said 7.36 so I lowered to 4.50 and it did slow down the rate of pellets fed into the burn box but now I have a new problem.

Lots of unburned pellets around the burn box, they look like I opened a bag of pellets and threw them in there instead of the hopper no scorch or burn on them at all.  They just seem to bounce out. We are sure we are on the right track because had very little ash. 
We burned from yesterday at 5 pm until this morning at 8 am and only used about 1/2 bag (far cry from burning 3.09 bags per day last winter) Just wanted to knock the chill off as was 45 degrees outside and 70 degrees inside. Was very comfortable.


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## SmokeyTheBear

Can you take a picture of that burn pot and cradle area and post it so we can see what the setup is in that unit?

Are those unburned pellets broken pieces or complete pellets?   If they are pieces then slowly reducing the air is likely to keep them in the burn pot.


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## Polish Princess

I will take picture but not sure how to post.I read the directions on the forum home page is there an easier way to post the pics?

They are probably broken pieces because are left over from last season. How do i reduce the air?


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## SmokeyTheBear

Polish Princess said:
			
		

> I will take picture but not sure how to post.I read the directions on the forum home page is there an easier way to post the pics?
> 
> They are probably broken pieces because are left over from last season. How do i reduce the air?



You close the damper a bit while watching the pellets drop into the burn pot.  It is possible that the air flow is a bit too high for the smaller pieces and that they are being blown back out.

As for the pictures, if you have a photo bucket account you can upload them to there and put a link to them in one of your posts.


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## Polish Princess

I just loaded the pics into Picasa but don"t know how to get them on the forum


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## teetah222

Planning to get 3 ton again this year.  Burned through 2.5 in the house last year and used some for my camping and outdoor fires in the spring last year.  Still have 3/4 of a pallet left, so 3 ton on top of that should be plenty.


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## Polish Princess

Hope this is it

https://picasaweb.google.com/107900...authkey=Gv1sRgCP-1_a3miPX1wgE&feat=directlink


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## GrahamInVa

Polish Princess said:
			
		

> Hope this is it
> 
> https://picasaweb.google.com/107900...authkey=Gv1sRgCP-1_a3miPX1wgE&feat=directlink



Helped you out a bit.


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## aburress1223

We have a 2100 sq. ft. tri-level.  We use pellets all we can, in very cold winters, such as last year we supplement with heat pump or electric on upper two levels.  In cold weather pellets usually are 70-80% of our heating source. I have found that tri-levels are hard to distribute warm air in.  Our pellet usage last year was 3.5 tons.


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## Indiana

Went through 5 ton last year here in central NJ.  Heating a 2500 sq. ft. 4br colonial.  I kept the house at 72 degrees with only my  Englander 10-cpm.  The propane co. called and wants to know how we opperated on 400 gal of propane for 15 months.  KMA propane Co.


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## imacman

Indy3 said:
			
		

> ....The propane co. called and wants to know how we opperated on 400 gal of propane for 15 months.  KMA propane Co.


  ;-) 

So, what was the final impression of the 10-cpm after last winter?


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## Indiana

imacman said:
			
		

> Indy3 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ....The propane co. called and wants to know how we opperated on 400 gal of propane for 15 months.  KMA propane Co.
> 
> 
> 
> ;-)
> 
> So, what was the final impression of the 10-cpm after last winter?
Click to expand...


The best thing we ever did for our family.  The fire is cozy. The heat in the whole house is warm and the cost is minimal.  A little inconvinent, but for saving $3K a year or more, I'll do it.


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## Polish Princess

GrahamInVA

thank you for helping me.

How did you get the pics in the forum?


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## SmokeyTheBear

Things look pretty good in the burn area, the stirrer will kick a bit of stuff around.

The pop corning outside of the burn pot is frequently caused by a bit too much burn air and as I mentioned earlier you can take care of that by closing the the damper slowly while watching the flame and the action in the burn pot.

I think all Graham did was post the direct links Picasa  used for each picture.


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## Millsk

Haubera said:
			
		

> Planning to get 3 ton again this year.  Burned through 2.5 in the house last year and used some for my camping and outdoor fires in the spring last year.  Still have 3/4 of a pallet left, so 3 ton on top of that should be plenty.



How do you use pellets in camp fires? In addition to normal wood? Just throw a bunch in? I'd imagine they'd burn fast.

This is my first year, I have 2 tons of Spruce Pointe, two tons of HD junk (not dilevered yet) and 1 ton of corn.


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## Polish Princess

Okay ,I just found out I have the burn box in backwards.

 For those that have a model 6500 the manual does not show how to install. Page 12 shows the ash cleanouts and if look
closely see the high part of the burn box towards the door. 

No wonder pellets bouncing out and I also think is the fact as Smokey mentioned broken pellets and too much air.  Thank you for helping me.


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## Fahsha

I know this is an old thread. But if you're burning 3+ bags/day wouldn't that mean that you'll use 9 ~ 10 tons of pellets/year. I understand shoulder season will burn fewer pellets.


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## chuckster

IHATEPROPANE said:


> I will burn 5 ton. My house is 2,200sq feet and I use at as my sole heating source November-April.
> The temp is usually 68-72 downstairs and 62-65 upstairs.


That sounds exactly like what I burn to keep the same temp as you except I put a thru the wall fan thru my downstairs ceiling to the upstairs which brings the temp in the upstairs bedroom up to about 68 degrees.


----------

