Greetings from Fairbanks

[TheMightyMoe]

Welcome to the party Skag.

I tried 10 bags of superior pellets, and they were okay. Home Depot has Blazer pellets still for 5.38$ a bag, and they burn much cleaner.

Nate- I would assume pellet sales are way low compared to Fairbanks. We don't have natural gas and our only option is oil. They can charge more for pellets because less people need them =/ Up here Lowes/Homedepot/Superior still compete with each other for sales.

 

[Skagdog]

I may purchase pellets from HD next time to compare. I don't see anything wrong with the superior ones yet, but I've only been doing this a week! I haven't anything to compare dirty burning or clean burning or high ash/low ash. I'll just have to see when I done with this ton, I reckon.

Welcome to the party Skag.

I tried 10 bags of superior pellets, and they were okay. Home Depot has Blazer pellets still for 5.38$ a bag, and they burn much cleaner.

Nate- I would assume pellet sales are way low compared to Fairbanks. We don't have natural gas and our only option is oil. They can charge more for pellets because less people need them =/ Up here Lowes/Homedepot/Superior still compete with each other for sales.

 

[nate379]

I was doing some figuring...

If you compare BTUs

40lbs of pellets is about 300,000btus

6.5 gals of fuel oil is about 895,000btus

Still cheaper to heat with the pellets, but I'm just wondering how you can heat on a 1/3 less btus with the pellet stove vs the oil burner?

When I was on just natural gas heat I burn about 3 therms a day in the coldest month, around 300,000 btus a day. Granted cold here is beach weather for you guys.

Been runnin' it pretty much 24/7 since Sunday afternoon....Kept it about medium and that keeps our main living area (1400sf) about 70F. A strategically placed box fan on low creates a nice flow to keep the bedrooms (another 1000sf) right at 68. It's been hovering around 0F the whole week and I've got nothing but good things to say about my stove so far.

Notes for the first week:
- 1 bag/day on medium
- Firebox clogs up after 44 hrs and stove shuts down
- Daily cleaning of the firebox and a quick wipe of the glass takes about 15 minutes from the time I turn the dial to "Off" and the time I turn it back on.
- My oil-fired boiler misses me
- $5.35 per day from the pellets vs. 6.5 gallons ($3.89 x6.5) = $25.28 in oil per day

$20/day savings (in theory) would take me about 95 days to recoup the cost of the stove and install accessories (not including the pellets) $1915.50.

If I bumped that up to two bags a day it would take about 140 days....

I'm sure by boiler uses some fuel throughout the day to keep itself warm so those numbers aren't entirely accurate but I'm sure I'm saving somewhere between 15-20 bucks a day in the first week.

Why the heck didn't I do this sooner?

 

[Skagdog]

I was doing some figuring...

If you compare BTUs

40lbs of pellets is about 300,000btus

6.5 gals of fuel oil is about 895,000btus

Still cheaper to heat with the pellets, but I'm just wondering how you can heat on a 1/3 less btus with the pellet stove vs the oil burner?

When I was on just natural gas heat I burn about 3 therms a day in the coldest month, around 300,000 btus a day. Granted cold here is beach weather for you guys.

It could be that our boiler was new in 1987 and isn't as efficient as it once was? It could be that maybe we have mineral build up in our copper pipes that retard heat distribution from the baseboards?

I think it's a combo of both of those things and the fact that we now we have a direct heat source in our living area. Also, our boiler still runs (just enough) because we have a small MIL apartment in the downstairs of our home. I haven't dipped the tank to see how our usage has changed, because I don't think a week is sufficient to get a good average.

You're right on to question the math but there are other factors (apartment) and variables....i guess I went off to "theory land".

 

[TheMightyMoe]

You do gain some efficiency by having heat where you want it, instead of transporting it there.
Old boiler VS New stove
His math could be a little off, as 6.5 gallons sounds like the dead of winter. Once its -40 I would guess near 2 bags a day.

 

[Skagdog]

You do gain some efficiency by having heat where you want it, instead of transporting it there.
Old boiler VS New stove
His math could be a little off, as 6.5 gallons sounds like the dead of winter. Once its -40 I would guess near 2 bags a day.

Yeah, that's an average usage per day since Oct 3 when we filled our tank..

That's why when i originally threw out some numbers I included that whole "if I bumped that up to two bags a day it would take about 140 days"

I have no long-term average daily usage of pellets to this point.

 

[Thaddius Wenderoth]

Didn't see an intro thread but I guess that means y'all are all about business!

I just bought a Pleasant Hearth Cabinet Style 50000K (Cab50 wannabe) from Lowes.

Stove, 1 ton of pellets, cheapo heater board, duravent exhaust kit and an extra duravent 45 joint was $2183 out the door.
Two hours of install later.....

It's further out from the corner than I had invisioned but that was the closest I could get based on stud spacement on my doublewalled house.

I had to build a quick riser to clear my hotwater baseboard heaters. I used the spare wood from some adirondak chairs I built last summer.

We're gonna build a tile hearth once we can find the right ones on clearance or craigslist, as we already have the other necessary tiling supplies.

My wife makes bread and the yeasties love the heat this puppy puts out. Kids enjoyed watching the "fire channel" while I watched the Super Bowl..

Hobbies include home brewing, auto mechanicing, playing hockey (winter), keeping score for my wife's softball team(summer beer league!!).

Good looking stove! Glad to have ya. I am excited to see how that stove does. It was one of the options I was looking at as well. Hows 'bout sending me a sample of some of that home brew?!

 

[Skagdog]

Good looking stove! Glad to have ya. I am excited to see how that stove does. It was one of the options I was looking at as well. Hows 'bout sending me a sample of some of that home brew?!

I've mailed brew to a few competitions but never to an individual...I don't think I have enough for the whole class though....

 

[Thaddius Wenderoth]

I've mailed brew to a few competitions but never to an individual...I don't think I have enough for the whole class though....

Guess I'll have to take a trip to Alaska again! Dam that is horrible

 

[Skagdog]

Guess I'll have to take a trip to Alaska again! Dam that is horrible

What is that shot of in your avatar thing? Some sort of monitor and is it mobile?

 

[Thaddius Wenderoth]

What is that shot of in your avatar thing? Some sort of monitor and is it mobile?

It is an internet connected thermostat. I love it. Can change any setting from computer, phone or tablet. I am going to contact Hunter and start asking for a commission. LOL

http://www.hunterfan.com/Products/Thermostats/Universal-Internet-Thermostat---44917/

 

[XXV-AK]

Wonder why it's so much down here? They were advertising pellets at Lowe's a few weeks ago and it was running $350/ton.

Lowes in ANC off old Seward wants 8.50. HD is 5.00 with discount easy choice.

 

[nate379]

Haven't been in The Home Deport in many years. I normally go to SBS, but if they aren't open then to L0wes.

 

[XXV-AK]

Welcome to the party Skag.

I tried 10 bags of superior pellets, and they were okay. Home Depot has Blazer pellets still for 5.38$ a bag, and they burn much cleaner.
I'm three bags into the superiors and lots of ash. The burn seems pretty clean but pellets are sure small, Lowe's ANC with 10% discount just under 5 bucks.

Nate- I would assume pellet sales are way low compared to Fairbanks. We don't have natural gas and our only option is oil. They can charge more for pellets because less people need them =/ Up here Lowes/Homedepot/Superior still compete with each other for sales.

 

[TheMightyMoe]

Huh?

 

[XXV-AK]

I'm three bags into the superiors and lots of ash. The burn seems pretty clean but pellets are sure small, Lowe's ANC with 10% discount just under 5 bucks.
I sure would like to support ALASKA pellet company but the ash content is the most I have very seen. Going back to Lowe's and getting the Blazers. AK