I have a Jotul woodstove. My regret is not buying a bigger one. I have the model 3C. It is a great stove but does not have a long enough burn time.
I went to the homeshow in Manchester this past weekend.
I saw a furance made by Lesiure Line that burns either oil or anthrasite coal. You can switch between the two. It runs about 85% efficient on oil and 90% on coal. The hopper holds about 2-3 days worth of coal. It was about $4500 plus installation. Based on oil’s current price, I figure it would pay off in about 5-6 years.
What brand/model pellet stove do you have ?
Where do you store the pellets ?
A Quadrafire Mt. Vernon. It can heat 2000 sq. ft., except when nights get down to 0-10, when we supplement with central oil heat.
It’s situated in a large family room off to the side of a 2-story colonial. Family room stays at 76. Farthest upstairs bedroom is 61.
This winter (October-March) we will go through two-pallets of pellets: $600. We were spending $750/mo. In Dec., Jan, Feb, for oil. A good stove, Quadrafire or Harmon, will cost about $4k installed. Maintenance takes 15 minutes per week. I recommend side-venting to save on chimney sweeping. 3x per season I clean the stack with a dryer brush. Takes 5 minutes.
We used to store pellets in the garage, but this year I bought them at Lowes so I could have my garage back. I prefer that now. Costs 20% more. The pallets can be left outside. Just put a tarp over them.