# Do you run pellet stoves 24/7



## drewdc (Sep 2, 2008)

I have just purchased a Harman pellet stove insert, and this coming winter will be my first heating season using the stove. I plan on using the stove as an additional/supplemantal  heat source to my existing oil system. My question is, is it safe and standard procedure to run the stove 24/7 even when no one is home, or should it be run only when the house is occupied? Thanks a lot for your help.


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## begreen (Sep 2, 2008)

I can understand your concern But as long as it is a good stove, correctly installed, it should be fine. They are designed to be run 24/7. We had one for 5 years on a digital thermostat. It was nice to wake up to a warm room and the glowing fire.


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## Xena (Sep 2, 2008)

As you will hear from many who do, we run ours 24/7,
usually at least six months out of the year. Only shut
down for cleaning once a month.
Now in the fourth year burning with this one.


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## kinsmanstoves (Sep 2, 2008)

At home, the pellet stove at one end of the house runs all the time when we need heat.  On the other end we have a wood stove that burns about an arm load of slab wood a day.  We get a lot of creosote build up in the chimney because the fire is not very big but I clean it with a brush approx. 4 times a season.

At the store one pellet stove is always burning and two more are burning when someone is here.

Eric


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## TboneMan (Sep 2, 2008)

Get a UPS (interruptible power supply) for extra piece of mind, especially if you direct vent.


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## BubbRubb (Sep 2, 2008)

It was definitely difficult for me to leave the stove burning when I left the house for extended periods of time.  However, within two weeks my fears subsided and now it stays on 24/7.  It is a lot easier to maintain a temp than to have the stove work hard when I get home from work to gain ground on a cool house.  I've only burned 3 tons so far, but never had the slightest hiccup that gave reason for concern.


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## slheinlein (Sep 2, 2008)

BubbRubb said:
			
		

> It was definitely difficult for me to leave the stove burning when I left the house for extended periods of time.  However, within two weeks my fears subsided and now it stays on 24/7.  It is a lot easier to maintain a temp than to have the stove work hard when I get home from work to gain ground on a cool house.  I've only burned 3 tons so far, but never had the slightest hiccup that gave reason for concern.




Same here.  Last year was my first year and I was very nervous leaving it on when I left and also when I went to bed.  I'd wake up in the middle of the night just to check and make sure things were good.  However, after a few weeks, my concerns were gone and my stove ran 24/7.  As long as you have a quality stove, which Harman is, you will be OK.

Scott
Harman XXV


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## j00fek (Sep 2, 2008)

i only use the stove when im home and there, call me paranoid but i never left the wood stove going when i was not there as well in the past.

also i turn down the oil system to 55 when im gone as well


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## GVA (Sep 3, 2008)

always left mine running, even went on vacation for a week in march and had my neighbor come over once a day to top off the hopper...
only thing I ever worried about when not home............. is the hopper lid snapped shut ;-)


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## 56 chevtruck (Sep 11, 2008)

24/7 here as well in winter no problem. i fill hopper before going to work.


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## Mr Whitfield (Sep 11, 2008)

I run my insert 24/7, I shut it down for cleaning. I use it from Nov to March. If you get a good stove you will not have a worry.


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## dave1966 (Sep 11, 2008)

i'd start mine at 4:00pm when i get home from work run it through the night till wife and kids leave the next morning and kept our house thremostat set at 50,and the way pellet prices are going i'll probly do the same this year to save on pellet use,i originaly planned to burn 24/7 but pellet prices and supply have me rethinking it. i'll have to see how supply is come later in the season


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## PA  Harman  P 61A (Sep 12, 2008)

I run mine 24/7  , it takes a few days to get used to, but I never had a problem with my stoves.


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## smg64ct (Sep 12, 2008)

I've been using pellet stoves for 7 yrs now and I run mine 24/7 I have to I have electric heat.  Just keep it clean.


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## johnnywarm (Jan 31, 2009)

yes i do run 24/7


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## Czech (Jan 31, 2009)

Do you run your furnace 24/7? Same thing with a quality stove and quality install. I know it takes some time to get confidence, that's normal. Get comfortable with your stove, and then let it go. 5 years here burning 24/7, no issues other than a small utility bill.


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## johnnywarm (Jan 31, 2009)

if a pellet stove over heats it shuts off.


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## tinkabranc (Jan 31, 2009)

I run my stove 24/7 as I also work from home.  When I first got the stove
I was nervous about leaving it running when I left the house, but I am over 
it now.  Just make sure it has enough pellets and off I go.


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## Skunk (Jan 31, 2009)

24/7, safe and standard procedure.


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## exoilburner (Jan 31, 2009)

24, 7 and while away for a day or so.  For longer than a couple of days I switch over to the oil furnace.


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## AmandaSkye (Jan 31, 2009)

24/7 here as well.  I want my furnace to run as little as possible.


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## PDawg (Feb 1, 2009)

Stove installed Dec 15, 2008, except for an hour's down time to clean the stove it's been running 24/7.  Don't even think about it when we go out.  If we were to go out for longer than a day I would shut the stove down before we left and let the furnace heat the house.


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## save$ (Feb 1, 2009)

We run ours 24/7. So many safety devices built right in. My wood stove never had them! I will admit that I always keep checking on the stove before going out or to bed. With a proper installation and scheduled maintenance, you should feel comfortable that this stove will perform as a safe heating device and without the need to worry as if you had gone off and left the iron on!


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## WestonFire22 (Feb 2, 2009)

We run 24/7 as well minus shutdown time to clean.  Never had a problem and it is nice to not run the furnace (propane here).

Bruce


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## TomPajak (Feb 2, 2009)

we run ours 24/7starting in late October this year till probably late April depending on the weather..this is my ONLY source of heat we CHOOSE to use..I honestly don't think we fired the furnace since we bought the stove in 2007


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## abrucerd (Feb 2, 2009)

24/7

I think it's hilarious reading people saying they were nervous leaving it on full time when they first started because I was the same way.  I remember being so nervous at work that something was going to happen to the house, and when I was driving home I was convinced that the smoke I saw on the horizon was my house (it was just the same old smoke stack that's ALWAYS been there).

Like others, those fears were subsided after about a week and now I don't even think twice about it.


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## johnnywarm (Feb 2, 2009)

i still come around the corner and go---(still there)----- ive had one running for three season's. now i have a wood stove upstairs.try that one on for size lolololol


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## pegdot (Feb 2, 2009)

24/7 here as well. I guess everyone is a little worried about leaving their stove unattended at first but we all seem to have gotten over it. lol Just make sure that you have good _working_ smoke and carbon monoxide detectors just as you should have for any heating appliance.


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## eschills (Feb 2, 2009)

Installed on 1/27 and have been burning 24/7 since.


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## Justaddwater (Feb 3, 2009)

HarmanP68 said:
			
		

> we run ours 24/7starting in late October this year till probably late April depending on the weather..this is my ONLY source of heat we CHOOSE to use..I honestly don't think we fired the furnace since we bought the stove in 2007



ditto!

XXV


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## imacman (Feb 3, 2009)

24/7 since the 2nd week of Dec.


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## lessoil (Feb 3, 2009)

Yep,
24/7 here since mid-Oct.
Still think about the safety factor but as others have noted,
Good Install+Good Stove= Few Worries


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## travlnusa (Feb 3, 2009)

24/7 here as well since mid November.  Shut down for about 15 mins every 5-7 days to clean and about 1 hr per month for a full cleaning.


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## krooser (Feb 3, 2009)

Yesterday I shut off the stove to dump the ashpan and do a quick vacuum. I got lazy and didn't do it so I turned on the furnace and ran it until this afternoon.

About 3Pm I got sick of sitting in a cold house so I dumped the ashes and vacummed the firebox. Nw I'm comfy in my 75 degree house... toasty!


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## peirhead (Feb 3, 2009)

I have my Quad on a programmable thermostat so it is lower at night..I only shut it down for cleaning which I do 2 - 3 times a week..takes no more then 10 - 15 minutes and includes removing all baffle plates and vacuuming everything. I find the Lignetics give me more clinker and grittier ash than the Eastern Embers Pellets but both burn great in my Castile.


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## KPWright (Feb 5, 2009)

I run my Harman Invincible 24/7 and don't worry about it although I spend a good deal of time making sure it is in good shape.  The need for a UPS to back up the blowers isn't a concern I have as I connected the vent to the same stovepipe I had for the wood stove it replaced.  It still warms up and it still drafts enough to suck the smoke out while the remaining pellets burn out in a power failure.  That is a valid concern however if you don't have a drafting chimney or pipe as the smoke can do a number on your room.  The other concern is to make sure you maintain the seal around the pellet hopper.  If the combustion blower fails, it is possible (not likely but possible) that the burn could migrate back the full auger and up through the valve.  If the seal is intact, the air should want to draft the other way until the flame goes out.


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## South of Boston (Feb 5, 2009)

24/7 here can't remember when how to shut it off...LOL


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## sydney1963 (Feb 5, 2009)

24/7 here.


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## hossthehermit (Feb 6, 2009)

Started burning last fall , been the only heat we used since then, except about 4 gal. kerosene in the space heater on 3 or 4  - 20 degree mornings and the occasional weekend when the sun don't shine while I do my weekly 3 hour shutdown/cleanout/vac.


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## pelletizer (Feb 6, 2009)

24/7 Bad blower bearings and all,


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## jtakeman (Feb 6, 2009)

I have to run mine on/off. My bigE doesn't like the high/low. I have programable thermostat 68 low 72 high. 

Just got the Omega Today. And I plan to go 24/7 with high/low t-stat.


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## johnnywarm (Feb 6, 2009)

jtakeman said:
			
		

> I have to run mine on/off. My bigE doesn't like the high/low. I have programable thermostat 68 low 72 high.
> 
> Just got the Omega Today. And I plan to go 24/7 with high/low t-stat.




Why does the big not run well on high/low??


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## jtakeman (Feb 6, 2009)

johnnywarm said:
			
		

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I would have to be there to close the draft down. Basically it would just burn itself out(or stink up the house) on 1 setting and draft set for 3 setting. Breckwell needs to vary the combustion blower down a little for it to work on 1. I tried the damper in many ways. Just can't get it right. Not why I am moving up to the Omega though. I wanted more heat and the Multifuel feature.


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## johnnywarm (Feb 6, 2009)

Why does the big not run well on high/low??[/quote]

I would have to be there to close the draft down. Basically it would just burn itself out(or stink up the house) on 1 setting and draft set for 3 setting. Breckwell needs to vary the combustion blower down a little for it to work on 1. I tried the damper in many ways. Just can't get it right. Not why I am moving up to the Omega though. I wanted more heat and the Multifuel feature.[/quo


Did you make the #1 flame bigger??


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## jtakeman (Feb 6, 2009)

johnnywarm said:
			
		

> Why does the big not run well on high/low??



Did you make the #1 flame bigger??[/quote]

When I can close the damper down, Yes.


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## johnnywarm (Feb 6, 2009)

jtakeman said:
			
		

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When I can close the damper down, Yes.[/quote]


Did you know you can set the #1 setting so the flame is larger.i think its called setting the "trim".i think the highest # is 3?


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## jtakeman (Feb 6, 2009)

johnnywarm said:
			
		

> jtakeman said:
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Did you know you can set the #1 setting so the flame is larger.i think its called setting the "trim".i think the highest # is 3?[/quote]

Yes I did. It is called the 1+4 Setting. Still not quit enough. A little more pellet feed or a little less damper would have done it.

I already have the Omega, So It does matter now.

Thanks for asking, But I tried everything.


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## johnnywarm (Feb 6, 2009)

jtakeman said:
			
		

> johnnywarm said:
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Yes I did. It is called the 1+4 Setting. Still not quit enough. A little more pellet feed or a little less damper would have done it.

I already have the Omega, So It does matter now.

Thanks for asking, But I tried everything.[/quote]


It works good on the one i have? That omega is a nice stove.let us know how you like it.


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