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movingwest

insert to convert wood stove to pellet stove

movingwest
17 years ago

I have a Jotul wood burning stove in a new house I have yet to move into. I am considering getting a pellet stove insert because I have heard pellets are more efficient and we wont have to deal with stacks and stacks of wood.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Comments (10)

  • berlin
    17 years ago

    i agree with christopherh, what a terrible shame. however like he said should you decide to go ahead and install a pellet insert, you will be able to sell the wood insert quickly. btw, in most areas pellets will never save you money.

  • brucerussell
    17 years ago

    Pellets are sold in a nice tidy pallet with 50 40 lb bags that you can easily fill a hopperful with, unless you can find em bulk and that is more work. Having said that i agree depending on your location and fuel being used, propane is very expensive, weigh the cost savings before you make your decision. If you have to pay 200 bucks for a cord of wood you probably will pay just as much as pellets to heat your home, and yes wood is certainly more work..

    I just bought 60(40 lb) bags of pellets for 165.oo or 2.75 a bag. Burn a bag in the spring and fall and maybe 2 when it is cold in dec jan feb in wisco. I mix 65 a ton corn with pellets 60 40. Corn is even more work!

  • movingwest
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    I am moving to a place where the wood stove will be used only occasionally and more for atmosphere than to actually heat the house. Any opinion changes?

  • christopherh
    17 years ago

    Pellet stoves in my opinion are not for atmosphere. Wood is the way to go there. Pellet stoves have that busy, busy fire, not a nice even flame like wood. And you can burn just about anything in a Jotul because it's not a CAT stove. I burn everything from old pallets to scrap pine, as well as maple. And you can get a firescreen for your Jotul which turns it into a fireplace. Now THAT'S atmosphere!
    And wood is about $135 a cord around here in Vermont.

  • nickanon
    15 years ago

    I have a Franklin stove. I want to convert it to a wood pellet burning stove. Does anyone sell such a conversion kit?

    Thanx!

    Nick
    nickkcobb@gmail.com

  • sonny300
    15 years ago

    You lazy or what?/

    Wood still works without electricity, Pellet stoves don`t.

    There is no such animal as a conversion kit for going from pellet to wood, or wood to [pellet;..

    Different requirement because of the extreme possible heat temps in the flue.

    Keep in mind that pellets are a manufactured product, wheras wood can always be found somewhere in abundance.

  • acg2111_comcast_net
    12 years ago

    thinking of getting a pellet insert currently have wood insert need to heat 2000sqft home with cathedral ceilings is it going to heat my house almost as good as a wood insert tired of the wood thing.

  • Stumpyx
    11 years ago

    On line you can check out the cost of various fuels per million btu. Cut wood is one of the least expensive ways to heat a home. Growing up we never paid for wood, always sought out free junk wood and I just cleaned the chimney a few times a season. Now that I have a child with asthma and a home that is only served by electricity I have had to rely on heat pumps and a pellet stove. (Puffs of smoke from wood stove when opening the door to feed wood are a problem for asthma.) Cold days when the heat pumps start cutting in electric resistance heat we run the pellet stove. It was the largest I could find (E----o Maxx) and holds three bags of pellets. The fan is LOUD - similar to a window AC unit on high (moved the TV to another room). Having used a wood stove for many year (before child) I can give first hand benefits of a large pellet stove. 1. No smoke or dust in the house. 2. We leave it unattended all of the time, it can even be wired to a thermostat. 3. Simple operation - don't have to adjust or babysit the fire. 4. This year I bought 2 tons of pellets for about $360 stored in the garage. I am fine with spending the money for the convenience.

  • Simone Tunzi
    7 years ago

    Hello reading these comments .First an INSERT WILL NOT RUIN A WOODSTOVE !!!!!

    Its like a tray designed to place into a wood stove. In many places like Nova scotia you can not use an old wood stove any longer !!!! Even if you buy the insert and use it as a pellet stove they want you to scrap it . Perhpas the anger should go on Nova scotia :( Because I think its a real shame . I think the pellet insert is a great idea ... but they just see it as a wood stove