I had a customer come in the store the other day and wanted a "bigger" stove than what he has. The customer has a 42,000 btu stove. I asked why he needed a bigger stove and he replied he wanted more heat from his current stove. I asked him what level he was running his stove at? He stated he always runs at level 2 and it keeps his house at 65 degrees. I asked him to turn it up to level 3 and see what happens. The customer said he would and called me back a few days later saying he was burning to many pellets at level 3 but the house was at 74 degrees. The customer still wanted a bigger stove such as a Harman P-68 so he can get the 68,000 btu instead of the 42,000 btus.
I explained to him that his stove at level 2 burns two lbs of pellets an hour so he uses about a bag a day and he said that was right. I told him two pounds of pellets an hour is approx 16,000 btu input and he was not getting 43,000 btus on level 2. to obtain 43,000 btu he needs to run the stove at level 5 and will still fall short of the 42,000 btus. The customer still said he would burn way to much pellets at level 5 and is still thinking of the P-68.
I am sorry but I do not want to miss a sale of a Harman but Some people do not understand that some stove companies misrepresent btu input and over blow square foot recommendations.
No matter what stove you have this is the way it works. There is no BTU fairy that I know of.
If you burn one pounds of pellets an hour in any stove you get 8,200 btu input.
If you burn two pounds of pellets an hour you get 16,400 btu input. (thanks Smokey)
If you burn three pounds of pellets an hour you get 24,600 btus input.
If you burn four pounds of pellets an hour you get 32,800 btus input.
If you burn five pounds of pellets an hour you get 41,000 btus input.
So if a stove manufacture says they have a 100,000 btu stove you will need to burn over 12 pounds of pellets an hour.
Eric
I explained to him that his stove at level 2 burns two lbs of pellets an hour so he uses about a bag a day and he said that was right. I told him two pounds of pellets an hour is approx 16,000 btu input and he was not getting 43,000 btus on level 2. to obtain 43,000 btu he needs to run the stove at level 5 and will still fall short of the 42,000 btus. The customer still said he would burn way to much pellets at level 5 and is still thinking of the P-68.
I am sorry but I do not want to miss a sale of a Harman but Some people do not understand that some stove companies misrepresent btu input and over blow square foot recommendations.
No matter what stove you have this is the way it works. There is no BTU fairy that I know of.
If you burn one pounds of pellets an hour in any stove you get 8,200 btu input.
If you burn two pounds of pellets an hour you get 16,400 btu input. (thanks Smokey)
If you burn three pounds of pellets an hour you get 24,600 btus input.
If you burn four pounds of pellets an hour you get 32,800 btus input.
If you burn five pounds of pellets an hour you get 41,000 btus input.
So if a stove manufacture says they have a 100,000 btu stove you will need to burn over 12 pounds of pellets an hour.
Eric