What you should know about used pellet stoves

If you think about it, spending a lot of money for a new pellet stove for the privilege of burning less fuel defeats the whole purpose. However, if you can buy a pellet stove used a little 'half-price - or less, you have saved enough money to pay for a full year of corn pellets or firewood.

Buying a used pellet stove for your home requires more time or effort than buying a new one. In some ways it's easier since you have fewer choices. But the lack of choice does not mean lack of quality. I'm sure the current owner of a stove you look at will tell you it was the best stove you could get at the moment.

If the search for a pellet stove is just beginning, new or used, the following buying guide provide the information necessary to make an informed decision.

Visit your local building department
Installing a wood stove or pellet usually requires a building permit. While you are collecting the permit application, tell them the type of heating appliance you plan to install and ask what kind of additional documentation, if any, is necessary. This is particularly important if you own a mobile home or modular.

When I spoke with the City of Quincy building department, said a product brochure with clearance and venting information would be helpful. You can obtain information by visiting the web site for the manufacture stove, downloading the user manual and print out.

Choose your size stove and fuel
If you live in the Corn Belt, the choice of fuel is obvious. If you live in the north-east, the fuel of choice is wood pellets. Fuel from corn is "imported" to the Northeast, the price of pellets is competitive with corn. Fire wood pellet is becoming a common good, in stores, home improvement, as the owners of houses in this region purchase wood pellet stoves.

You do not need a big stove to save big. Most of the wheat used and pellet stoves I've seen him give 35.000 to 45.000 BTU - enough to heat a typical 1,200 square meters or ranch areas of life leading to a two-story house.

If you can get a good deal for a larger, 50-60000 btu stove, one of those work too great because these high-powered models are equipped with 5 heat settings ranging from a minimum of 8,000 BTUs per day cold, the maximum power for the coldest weather.

Look for these features and extras:

Electronic ignition
Just because you're buying a used pellet stove does not mean you should go back to the dark ages of pellet stove heating with gel starters. Frankly, I would not buy a stove without electronic ignition.

Hopper large capacity
A hopper of standard size contains 40 pounds of fuel pellets. This is enough fuel to heat your home for 20-30 hours. A hopper with a capacity exceeding, although not necessary, adds convenience by requiring less frequent fillings.

Thermal Power Controls
During the months that pass in and out of the heating period, you will not need the full heating capacity of the pellet stove. A production control of heat ensures maximum comfort by the minimum fuel. Controls the output of heat can take the form of a thermostat, hi / lo fan or variable speed auger that controls the rates of pellets are fed into the brazier.

Air cleaning system
Believe it or not, the # 1 complaint people have with pellet stoves is dirty viewing glass. An air cleaning system, now standard on many new pellet stoves, removes the ash from the viewing window and eliminates frequent cleaning.

Extra
Many sellers of used pellet stoves include the venting pipe, hearth pad, log set, and any left over pellet fuel in the purchase price. These extras can add up to hundreds of dollars in additional savings.

Where to look for a pellet stove used
Start with Craigslist. Since most used pellet stove sellers offer pick up only, craigslist enables you to refine your search by city or state. This is a considerable saving of time. A recent check in the Boston area up 12 used stoves within a radius of 50 kilometers from my house.

ebay has a lot of ads too, simply will not find many local vendors as you want on craigslist. When I narrowed my ebay results to a radius of 50 miles of my zip code using the Search Option, he returned only 1 seller.

However, ebay will conveniently notify you by email whenever a new ad opens. Another option is to delay payment for 3 months, using the credit card ebay.

Here is a suggested search: a search on either craigslist or ebay will turn more used pellet stoves if you use the "pellet stove", a term rather than the narrower "used pellet stove." Also try "pellet", "wood pellets", or a mark such as "Englander".

How much can I expect to save?
In general, the higher the original retail price, the more you save percentage wise. Stoves that sold for $ 3,000 new can often be purchased used at savings of 50-70%. Stoves priced new under $ 2000 seems to depreciate less.

Delivery
If you choose to pay for delivery, call someone like Yellow Truck or a courier service to make arrangements. If you buy from an ebay seller willing to ship the stove, a freight calculator is provided on the sales page.

No matter who ships your stove, make sure they send the truck has a door in the stove so you can get 300 pounds off the truck.

Installation
Most cities and towns require a licensed pro to complete the installation. If you're an experienced home owner, finding one should not be a problem. If you are new to home ownership, I recommend a service like Need Contractor a list of pre-screened contractors is your area.

Contact the seller
Do not hesitate to contact the seller for any questions you might have. He or she
may be particularly useful in determining whether the pellet stove used for the sale is still
warranty....