If you think about it, spending a ton of money on a new pellet stove for the privilege of burning economy fuel defeats the whole purpose. However, if you can buy a slightly used pellet stove for half price - or less, you've saved enough money to pay for a year's worth of corn or wood pellet fuel.
What You Need to Know about Used Pellet Stoves
Buying a used pellet stove for your home requires no more time or endeavor than buying a new one. In one respect it's easier since you have fewer choices. But lack of selection doesn't have to mean lack of quality. I'm sure the current owner of any stove you look at will tell you it was the best stove they could get at the time.
If your quest for a pellet stove has just begun, new or used, the following buying guide will supply the facts you need to make an informed decision.
Air+blower+cleanerVisit your local construction department
Installing a wood or pellet stove usually requires a construction permit. While you're picking up your permit application, tell them the type of heating appliance you plan to install and ask what kind of added documentation, if any, is required. This is especially important if you own a movable or modular home.
When I talked to the City of Quincy construction department, they said a goods brochure with clearance and venting facts would be helpful. You can get all this facts by visiting the stove manufacture's website, downloading the owner's by hand and printing it out.
Choose your fuel and stove size
If you live in the Corn Belt, the selection of fuel is obvious. If you live in the Northeast, the fuel of selection is wood pellets. Since fuel corn is "imported" to the Northeast, the price of wood pellets is competitive with corn. Wood pellet fuel is also becoming a tasteless commodity in home revising shop as more home owners in this region purchase wood pellet stoves.
You don't need a big stove to save big. Most of the used corn and wood pellet stoves I've seen produce 35,000-45,000 btus - enough to heat a typical 1,200 square foot ranch or the main living areas of a two story home.
If you can get a good deal on a larger, 50-60,000 btu stove, one of these will work great too since these high yield models come adequate with 5 heat settings fluctuating from a low of 8,000 btus for chilly days, to max power for the coldest weather.
Look for these features and extras:
Electronic Ignition
Just because you're buying a used pellet stove doesn't mean you should return to the dark ages of pellet stove heating with gel starters. Frankly, I wouldn't buy a stove without electronic ignition.
Large Hopper Capacity
A suitable size hopper holds 40 pounds of pellet fuel. This is enough fuel to heat your home for 20-30 hours. A larger capacity hopper, although not necessary, adds convenience by requiring less frequent fillings.
Heat yield Controls
During the months that transition in and out of the heating season, you won't need the full heating capacity of your pellet stove. A heat yield control will ensure maximum ease from minimal fuel. Heat yield controls can take the form of a thermostat, hi/lo blower or variable speed auger that controls the rate pellets are fed into the burn pot.
Air Washing System
Believe it or not, the #1 complaint habitancy have with pellet stoves is dirty viewing glass. An air washing system, now suitable on many new pellet stoves, removes the fly ash from the viewing window and eliminates frequent cleaning.
Extras
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 added savings.
Where to Look for a Used Pellet Stove
Start with craigslist. Since most used pellet stove sellers offer pick up only, craigslist enables you to refine your quest by City or State. This is a big time saver. A up-to-date check in the Boston area turned up 12 used stoves within a 50 mile radius of my home.
ebay has fullness of listings too, you just won't find as many local sellers as you will on craigslist. When I narrowed my ebay results to a 50 mile radius of my zip code using the quest selection function, it returned only 1 seller.
However, ebay will favorably warn you by email whenever a new listing pops up. an additional one selection is to delay payment for 3 months by using the ebay prestige card.
Here's a quest tip: A quest on whether craigslist or ebay will turn up More used pellet stoves if you use the term "pellet stove" rather than the narrower "used pellet stove." Also try "pellet", "wood pellet", or a brand name, such as "Englander".
How Much Can I Expect to Save?
Generally speaking, the higher the former sell price, the more you will save division wise. Stoves that sold for ,000 new can often be purchased used at savings of 50-70%. Stoves priced new under ,000 seem to depreciate less.
Delivery
If you pick to pay for delivery, call person like Yellow Truck or a courier assistance to make arrangements. If you buy from an ebay jobber willing to ship the stove, a freight shipping calculator is in case,granted on the sales page.
No matter who ships your stove, make the sure the truck they send has a lift gate so you can get your 300 pound stove off the truck.
Installation
Most cities and towns require a licensed pro to perfect the installation. If you're an experienced home owner, looking one shouldn't be a problem. If you're new to home ownership, I advise a assistance like Need contractor for a list of pre-screened contractors is your area.
Contact the Seller
Don't hesitate to taste the jobber with any questions you might have. He or she
can be especially helpful in determining whether the used pellet stove for sale is still
under warranty.
What You Need to Know about Used Pellet Stoves
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