Soooo many choices....which new pellet stove insert to buy?

I purchased a house that came equip with a 13 year old Quadrafire insert, but unfortunately it just seized up and is not worth repairing. I have been trying to research units online, but every top ten list for the best stoves available is completely different depending on which site you visit. My house is approx 2,500 square feet. I also have a heat pump, but would prefer that the pellet stove do the majority of the heating work. Any recommendations on which unit would be the best?

 

I would get the one with the biggest hopper. Most of them are on the smaller side making it difficult to be away from for any length of time.

 

Are there recommended brands to buy or brands to stay away from?

 

Welcome Sparky!

You'll get a lot of opinions on what brand, size, etc, etc. The large hopper IS a great thing, but since it's your 1st foray into pellet heating, remember one thing.....they are room heaters, not whole house heaters (unless you get a furnace model). You should only try to heat a part of your home, and any extra heat that makes into other rooms (via convection, room fans, stairways, etc), is just a bonus.

You haven't listed a budget, but I'm assuming you want another insert? Inserts are notorius for small hopper size. If that is a big "need", you might have to abandon the insert and opt for a free-standing unit in another location.

 

I love my Harman 52i. I've had it for 5 or 6 yrs now and have had zero problems. Yes, Harman is expensive, but again, zero problems. 'and they sure are

 

Just in case $ is a consideration, I will again throw the Englander scratch &dent/refurb. lineup out there. Yes, they do make an insert, but also have freestanding unit that holds a LOT of pellets (3 bags). I personally used one of their stoves (10-CPM multi fuel) and had virtually no issues. Plus, this company offers free shipping and made in USA:

55-TRPEPI - PELLET BURNING INSERT - 2,000 sq. ft. (Factory Second)

55-TRPCAB80 - PELLET BURNING STOVE - 2,000 sq. ft. (F2)

55-TRPCB120 - EPA Certified Pellet Stove - 2200 sq.ft (F2)

 

Went out looking at stoves today and at this point have it narrowed down to the Harman Accentara52i-TC and Quadra-Fire classic 1200. Love the way the Harman looks but the specs are fairly similar, is it really worth the $1,720 difference??

 

Honestly, can't go wrong with either stove. I might be a little more partial to the 1200 since I used to have a freestanding version of it. They are great heaters too and fairly easy to clean. Not sure of the hopper size on the insert though.

 

I'm sorry,I will be the stick in the mud, a 13 year old Quad is not that old,pay to have it fixed and upgraded,if necessary.BTY, what is "seized up"?

 

I've been happy with our Hampton GCI60 insert. I really like the auger for keeping the burnpot clean. I also have it hooked up to a wifi t-stat which is pretty handy.

 

Hopper is a bit larger on the Quad' but I don't have any problems with being away for the day and having the pellets run out on the 52i. I can only speak for the Harman, the thing burns any pellet well, its prettier.... Wife likes pretty and doesn't care if I had to work the extra hours to pay for the difference

 

The main blower fan seized, the auger is not functioning properly, and the thermocoupler needs replace. I had 2 service technicians from different companies come take a look at it and they both told me the parts alone would exceed the value of the unit. I limped it along last winter by replacing the exhaust fan when that failed, but by end of burning season it would constantly randomly shut down on its own. I would love to avoid the expense of a new unit, but I don’t want to keep throwing parts at it.

 

You are right next door to me...

 

only thing kept me from getting an insert was the much smaller ashpans.....
my P61A is a big square bucket....

 

I to have a Stand alone stove actually a couple of them , my main heater is in front of what use to be a fireplace and took a little work to get it done right . If you have an area that you can direct vent out the back of the house even better, but if not consider setting a stand alone in front of your existing fireplace as pellet stoves do require maintance and its much easier I believe from what I have seen with owners of inserts to maintain a stand alone.
A fellow employee just purchased a Harman 52ti and he is tickled pink but my brother in law has two Quadrafire inserts and he is quite happy. As mentioned they do require maintenance and the larger ash pan of the stand alone is quite nice .

Between the two stoves I heat my entire house as the oil burner never is called on except to heat our hot water.

 

There are only a few moving parts. Combustion blower, exhaust blower, and auger. These will need to be replaced over the life of the stove. Even higher end units. If you buy brand new you’re probably 4 years before a part goes for the first time.

Motors also need to be oiled. The vendor manual may not state it, but look at the motor manufacturer and model and look it up.

The actual vendor has no incentive for someone to perform that maintenance, but it will increase life.

Bottom line, if you’ve been nickel and dimed for awhile going new may be better.

Inserts are more of a pain to work on. I’d go free standing if I could have, but it’s still great.

 

Steve makes house calls!!!!!

 

Welcome . I vote for the stand alone , more room for pellets and easier to work on Classic Bay 1200 or Harman P61a can't go wrong with either.