I see this is now a bit of an old thread, but I thought I'd add an update with some good news. The igniter on my Enviro EF-5 died recently and I thought, "No way these are worth $150!" So, after some online research I discovered the following:
They are a bog-standard item in other industries, esp. plastics vacuum-moulding. They are more properly called "cartridge heaters" and are available from a number of mfrs. in a very wide range of sizes, voltages and configurations. In the end I got the MANUFACTURER'S part # (not Enviro's) right off the heater in my stove. It is manufactured by Ogden/Chromalox. It was pretty hard to read but for anyone else with an Enviro EF-5, the Chromalox part # is MXEJØ4A3293. I contacted Ogden/Chromalox to get their e-mail address and to my amazement a real person answered the phone (
). She told me that they don't sell direct, but to contact one of their distributors and confirmed that the part # was a special order.
I contacted Heatcon in Seattle, they told me "No problem; 15 days to manufacture + shipping." My cost,
$63.48 each, plus shipping (direct-shipped from Chromalox.) I ordered two. Unfortunately they only wanted to use FedEx, so the shipping was $17.00 but still, a WAY cheaper than "retail." All I have to do is add the 1/4" spade connectors. (Ogden/Chromalox have Canadian distributors as well but I figured it might be cheaper to buy in the US and since my gf lives in Bellingham and we have a US VISA, this is not a problem.)
The exact description from Heaton'c invoice reads:
"MXEJ04A3293, Cartridge heater, 120V 400W, 1/2" Diameter, 4" length
12" fiberglass leads, flange mount $63.48 ea.
I can only imagine what Sherwood (Enviro) pays for them in lots of 500 or more.
So if you have a pellet stove, pull the heater cartridge out now, brush off the carbon and get the manufacturer's part number before it is too hard to read. (On mine it was etched on the barrel.) As I recall, that heater may also fit one of the Vistafire stoves, and it may also fit other Enviro models. (Check Enviro's part number for the EF-5 against that for their other products.)
Stuart