Pellet Stoves

[Argee]

I'm seriously looking at pellet stoves. When I built my house I incorporated a chase with 3" double walled vent pipe thru the roof. The original thought was to go with a unit that was then available that provided battery backup. I can't recall the name of it, but it was marketed at QF&F. Needless to say, I lost the information and have gone on the net looking at stoves but none offer battery backup.

So I appeal to the vast brain trust at CBN. Does any one have experience with pellet stoves? Are there any available with battery backup? Any recommendations on which are the better units?

I'm basically using it as supplemental heat during the winter months and as a source of ready heat on those chilly nights in the spring and fall when the boiler is shut down. The battery backup is attractive for power outages as the only other source of heat I have that doesn't require power is our gas range.

I'm currently looking at the Englander offered at Home Depot. I have 1800 sq foot of heated area.

Any and all input would be greatly appreciated.

[lblair]

I burn pellets. Not as my main heat source but as a addition. I have a Thelin pellet stove. It is from the "Thelin" Company out of california. It is called the "Nome" Do a yahoo search on Thelin company and youll find them. Mine has Built in battery backup. Never had to use it but tried it to see if it worked and it does. It will run for 14 hours on the battery. It charges the battery also while its hooked up. I love the stove. It looks like the old time pot bellie stove. Works great also. It was 1800 bucks. I installed it myself including the chimney. Pellets in my area are 140 per ton. My stove will burn on low 1 lb per hour on high 3 lbs per hour. Cranks out the heat in all setting. The stove is quite pricey but i liked the looks and didnt care about the cost. Hope i helped some.... Larry

[dummy]

Why not just plug it into an UPS? Depending on amp. load you can find some nice deals and you could buy whichever stove you like best.

[Argee]

<font color="blue"> Why not just plug it into an UPS? </font color>

I give, what's a UPS?

[GaryM]

UPS=Uninteruptable Power Supply

Normally used on PCs or other equipment that you want to keep running if the power fails.

They consist of a battery and charger hooked to an inverter. If the line power fails, the battery and inverter provide 110 volt power. It's not really the waveform of true AC, but close enough that the equipment can handle it.

Increase in unit cost generally provides longer run time and/or higher current draw.

[Argee]

<font color="blue"> They consist of a battery and charger hooked to an inverter </font color>

Now that's not a bad idea. How big are these UPS units? What type of battery do they use? How much do they cost? How much maintenance is involved?

So many questions, so little time. [img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

[GaryM]

There are several type, but most sold in computer stores use a sealed lead acid battery (gel cell). Some of the pricier units provide power conditioning as well. That means the AC line voltage is isolated for the equipment connected "downstream". This prevents any voltage fluctuations or line noise from reaching the equipment. They run on the inverter all the time and the AC line keeps the battery topped off.

I know that some smaller units are available for less than $100

[BillG49]

Argee,

You had me doing some research. I found the Thelin web site and their FAQ page . Their stove draws 27 watts to power the fan and pellet feeder, and includes the circuitry for battery backup. You just select the battery you want and hook it up.

[wingnut]

for what you need, you could even go with the older type that are commonly used for emergency lighting and such (not the fancy electronics needed for "clean" power to a PC) ... although, of course, with the explosion of PC users, UPS units are dirt cheap compared to "the good ole days".
The older ones used common wet cells rather than dry cells ... but, of course, they were commonly for 12V systems. If you need inversion/transformer for 120V ... the UPS for computers are best.
I saw a nice compact unit at Sams on the weekend for ~ $85 ... made me wish my 8 year old, monster sized, 400W units would die ... [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]

[GaryM]

I have a source of 12 and 6 volt gel cells that have been removed from hospital equipment such as monitering units. They are removed after a set time period regardless of the batteries condition.

I can usually get them for $1 per amp hour of capacity. You might check with a local hospital and see what they do with theirs.