# My experience with a pellet stove vs. wood burning insert vs. pellet furnace



## a5t1 (Dec 27, 2013)

I wanted to give my viewpoints after owning a pellet stove (Harman P38), a wood burning insert (cw2500) and a pellet furnance (pf100). Just my experience, I'm not an expert. The following is just what I think, no need to flame 

First off let me preface this by saying I purchased all appliances used and I paid about the same for the P38 and the pf100. The cs2500 was significantly less expensive and my expectations were adjusted.

Summary of experience with pellets - IMO pellets are best suited for a heating solution when you don't have NG available. Pellet appliances don't require much, just a regularly scheduled cleaning for almost seamless operation. Our P38 would burn 12-14 hours on its own (about 1 bag). The furnace can go almost 72 hours (3-4 bags). (We live in the UP for climate reference). I've been fortunate to not have any significant issues nor require expensive replacement parts for the appliances we own. 
The difference between the furnace and the stove is amazing. Our pf100 is heating a larger, older home than the p38 did and the pf100 is consuming about the same amount of pellets that the P38 did. We are also getting constant heat through out the house. The P38 wouldn't be able to do that without using extra fans, open doors, etc. In short, I would trade the ambiance of the stove for the efficiency of the furnace any day. Is the pf100 worth the $5500? Hmmm, that really depends on your income and point of view. I paid less than 1/3 of that price and I'm very happy with it. Of the three, the pf100 is my favorite when it comes to needing even heat in the house and minimum upkeep.

Wood burning - The EPA stoves are pretty amazing when you think of their efficiency vs an open fireplace. Granted our CW2500 is very inexpensive and has its limitations due to a smaller firebox. Of the three appliances we've owned, this one provides the best ambiance, hands down. Although burning wood has it's own "gratification". If you get your wood for free, you are still spending a significant amount of time splitting, stacking, hauling and loading. Also, wood is a constant mess. There's a mess where it's stacked near the insert; there is a mess where I cut and split it. 
When I was researching wood vs pellets the argument of power came up. Yes, the pellet appliances require power to burn. However, the wood appliance really need power to get the heat out of them using a blower. I think it's a wash. 

In summary, the wood burner can't be beat when it comes to ambiance. There is nothing like a fire going in the living room with the secondaries burning. 

The pellet appliances can't be beat when it comes to efficiency. They heat up SO much quicker than wood, dump in a bag and you'll have hours of unattended heat. If anyone is considering a pf100, let me know. I have nothing but good things to say about it and will be happy to expand on it.

Happy New Year to everyone, just wanted to share my experience.


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## Lake Girl (Dec 27, 2013)

Nice to be able to look from three perspectives  Were they all in the same home at different times?


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## Bioburner (Dec 27, 2013)

Natural gas went up 25% last quarter so things are starting to even up. Some of the gas stoves can be very nice. Heres a picture of the backup. An imported Dovre from CL that really helped the budget


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## Lake Girl (Dec 27, 2013)

That one's not in your sig  - recent acquisition?


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## Bioburner (Dec 27, 2013)

Lake Girl said:


> That one's not in your sig  - recent acquisition?


Last spring. If I try and change signature I don't think it will allow much with the rule change this fall.


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## SolarBrian (Dec 27, 2013)

Interesting comparison. Thanks for sharing.

I'll disagree with you on "However, the wood appliance really need power to get the heat out of them using a blower. I think it's a wash.".   It probably depends on the insert, but mine still throws out enough heat to be useful without power, versus no fire without power with a pellet stove.


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## BrotherBart (Dec 27, 2013)

Different smoke for different folk.

Thanks for the real life comparison.


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## Madcodger (Dec 28, 2013)

Very nice overview, and helpful for those selecting among the three.


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## a5t1 (Dec 28, 2013)

The P38 was in a ranch style home, ideal placement as the stove was at the far end of the home. 

 The pellet furnace and wood burner are in the same home - an 1890s farm house.

SolarBrian - Fair enough.  Again, our cw2500 is really a budget model and needs the blower to throw heat.  I'm sure the higher end models fair better.

Just wanted to share my limited experience, hope it's helpful.


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## exoilburner (Dec 28, 2013)

Nice write-up a5t1.  Thanks


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## MikeNH (Dec 28, 2013)

This was a nice writeup thanks.  We had NG in our old house in Nashua and loved it.  It was very cheap to heat that house.  I like your points about wood as well.  I've always told people that wood heated me 5 times...cutting, splitting, stacking, hauling, burning.  Six times if you count how steamed I used to get at the black flies, then the deer flies.


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## Bioburner (Dec 28, 2013)

Seventh time, Infared heater on your back at the chiropractor.


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## a5t1 (Dec 30, 2013)

Glad some people found it useful.  It's been 0 here and the house is at 71.  Although we're burning about 3 bags every 24 hours...


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## CBL (Dec 30, 2013)

I'd love to splurge on the PB105 to run the baseboards on, but @ $7000 + installation + having to figure out how to drag a 900lb boiler into the basement, I'd be well over $8k installed and running (I've never seen one on the used maket at a reasonable price). Also knowing the possibity of NG being extended into my neighborhood in the near future, I'd rather have that money on hand to do a high efficiency wall mount NG boiler conversion to get some space back in my basement.


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## Bioburner (Dec 30, 2013)

Better keep an eye on NG prices. 25% increase last quarter and still rising! Reminds me of when everyone was saying how cheap electric heat was so everyone got baseboards then it went up. Coal fired power plants being shut down because of EPA and NG replacing so now supply is going down and price up.


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## pelletizer (Dec 30, 2013)

Folks tell me NG is the next cheapest thing to pellets?
They say and not sure if its true.

Most expensive to least expensive.

Electric heat
Oil heat
NG
Wood pellets.

Not sure were wood would fall in as some folks cut from their own wood lot.
A wood boiler wood be nice though and there must be other comparable brands on the market less than a PB105 ?
Not sure as I have not researched it.


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## PoopieBritches (Dec 30, 2013)

CBL said:


> I'd love to splurge on the PB105 to run the baseboards on, but @ $7000 + installation + having to figure out how to drag a 900lb boiler into the basement, I'd be well over $8k installed and running (I've never seen one on the used maket at a reasonable price). Also knowing the possibity of NG being extended into my neighborhood in the near future, I'd rather have that money on hand to do a high efficiency wall mount NG boiler conversion to get some space back in my basement.


 
Don't know anything about this,but just stumbled acroosed listing on c'list. Sounds good though.
http://westernmass.craigslist.org/app/4253811050.html


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## CBL (Dec 30, 2013)

PoopieBritches said:


> Don't know anything about this,but just stumbled acroosed listing on c'list. Sounds good though.
> http://westernmass.craigslist.org/app/4253811050.html



If I had forced air heating I'd be all over that... But I was speaking specifically to the PB105 (which is what i would need to heat with HW baseboards) and not really seeing them for sale used locally...


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## Lake Girl (Dec 31, 2013)

pelletizer said:


> Not sure were wood would fall in as some folks cut from their own wood lot.
> A wood boiler wood be nice though and there must be other comparable brands on the market less than a PB105 ?
> Not sure as I have not researched it.



We had an outdoor wood boiler until it sprang a leak.  They do not burn as efficiently as pellet boilers/stoves so produce a lot more smoke.  Some cities/towns are starting to ban or restrict their use in residential areas due to air emissions.


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## Mooselook (Dec 31, 2013)

Bioburner said:


> Natural gas went up 25% last quarter so things are starting to even up. Some of the gas stoves can be very nice. Heres a picture of the backup. An imported Dovre from CL that really helped the budget


That gas stove looks exactly like a Waterford wood stove I bought in NH in 1990. Same color finish as well. It's still running in a cottage in Maine.


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## moey (Dec 31, 2013)

pelletizer said:


> Folks tell me NG is the next cheapest thing to pellets?
> They say and not sure if its true.
> 
> Most expensive to least expensive.
> ...



Ground source heat pumps are actually the cheapest. If your building a new house and have some property to dig on the installs do not run that much more then a conventional system.


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## Snowmobileaddict (Dec 31, 2013)

pelletizer said:


> Folks tell me NG is the next cheapest thing to pellets?
> They say and not sure if its true.
> 
> Most expensive to least expensive.
> ...




Where are you in New Hampshire that NG costs more than pellets?  From what I have read residential heating NG is going for $.85 per therm in NH.  That means $.85 per 100,000 btu.

Considering pellets are about 320,000 btu per 40# bag, for pellets to cost less than NG in New Hampshire, you would have to be paying about $2.70 per 40# bag.

Unless you have your own mill and fiber supply chain.  Then you might be fueling your heating appliance for free.


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## pelletizer (Dec 31, 2013)

moey said:


> Ground source heat pumps are actually the cheapest. If your building a new house and have some property to dig on the installs do not run that much more then a conventional system.



Ahh yes I forgot that, yes I have heard that if building a new home and in for the long haul (staying there) Geothermal is a very good choice!


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## pelletizer (Dec 31, 2013)

Snowmobileaddict said:


> Where are you in New Hampshire that NG costs more than pellets?  From what I have read residential heating NG is going for $.85 per therm in NH.  That means $.85 per 100,000 btu.
> 
> Considering pellets are about 320,000 btu per 40# bag, for pellets to cost less than NG in New Hampshire, you would have to be paying about $2.70 per 40# bag.
> 
> Unless you have your own mill and fiber supply chain.  Then you might be fueling your heating appliance for free.



Hi Snowmobileaddict,

Its just what folks tell me, not me stating it and have never researched it as NG is not available to me.
I live in rural Pellet County NH (Rockingham County) No Natural gas here unless from me and my snowmobile pals..LOL......
Anyway I am sure if I lived in a town that offered Natural gas VS oil I would have it..
But here in Rural pellet county no NG is avaiable.
I payed $3.00 per bag and stocked up on my pellets last spring from my pellet buddy here in Pellet County.
This fall paid $4.00 per bag on an additional 50 bags.  Cubex..
Have a good new year and enjoy your sleds...


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## zrtmatos (Jan 2, 2014)

Good review on these three forms of heating your home.


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