I had a similar problem with my pellet stove from Quadra-fire. So I called them up and the guy said that I need to turn it off long enough for it too cool down, give it a good clean out because there could be some residue, ash or build up that is getting in the way for the system to work properly. He used some other fancy words but what I heard was that it needs to be thoroughly cleaned at least every year and I haven't done that in two winters. Hope this helps and good luck! Here is a link that might be useful: Quadra-Fire

Hi Everyone, Live in Philadelphia, trying to supplement my poor duct work in the house. 2 story cape with an additional "media room" and then a master directly above it. Large master 25X13 or so. I am looking to heat a total of 2000 sq. feet pretty much. I have done a lot of research and I have narrowed it down to the Harman P68 and the QuadraFire Classic Bay 1200 Pellet Insert stoves. I can possibly do the freestanding one, but right now my idea is to use an existing corner closet to frame out one of the inserts and make it a focal point. I went to a fireplace store today and the guy was very knowledgeable and he was able to keep up with my onslaught of questions which I pretty much knew the answers to, based on my research. He did an excellent job was not too pushy, and made a suggestion to go with the QuadraFire 1200. I came home and read the reviews on the internet, and to say they least- they were awful. The ignition is problematic, and they do not heat as well as specified in the manuals. All in all, it did not seem like a quality product. I logged into ConsumerReports online, and it was not even one of their top 10 suggested models. So I started to look at the Harman P68. There were fewer reviews online, but the ones that I could find were much more positive than the QuadraFire. Also the customer service comments were better for the Harman. I plan to burn the pellets when I am home from work in the evening until bed, and on weekends. My house has brand new insulated siding, however the rest of the insulation is bad and I would say the house i very drafty. Also, the first floor (where the stove would go) is mostly hardwood. The kitchen (which would also get heated) is tile and granite, so there is a lot of biomass to heat up. Thoughts, tips? suggestions? I am pretty well read on the "how" of the stoves, but I would really appreciate any feedback on the models of pellet stove described. Thanks so much! Ohm

Mike, Though I don't have a harman stove - I have a quadrafire - I can give you a couple comments: One, I think you'll be very happy with a pellet stove. Harman is a good brand, and you will certainly see significant savings versus the cost of fuel oil or propane. My other comment is regarding your "little insulation and old windows" in your house. Since you have a farmhouse that was built in the '20s, I would imagine that you might be losing some heat through the windows if they are original windows. But the fact is, most of your heat loss in any house - new or old - comes from air leaks, not poor insulation. Shiny new low-e, argon-filled windows and super-insulated doors might look nice...but they don't provide much bang for the buck when it comes to making your home more efficient. Rigid polyurethane foam, a few cans of spray foam insulation, and some detective work to find your air leaks will save you a lot more money in energy bills. Most (not all) homes have adequate insulation. Most homes also have tons of air leaks. In a home with radiant heat or baseboard heat, those air leaks might not create a big problem. But in a home with any type of forced-air heat...heat pump, oil furnace, natural gas, etc - then you are magnifying the air leaks by changing the pressure in the house whenever the air handler fan is running. Anyway...sorry to be so long-winded; but good luck with your new Harman stove!

I used a Harman P68 pellet stove to heat my entire home last year. Its about 2,600 sq ft. It heated the main house and upstairs easily. The family room we added on is 46 feet from the stove and has 11' ceilings. When its cold we use the oil to warm it up at night then turn it off when we go to bed. I used very little oil. I still heat hot water with the boiler. We run are stove 24/7 with no problems. Its designed for that. The harman has a large ash pan and you can burn about a ton before you have to empty it. I would think you could heat your whole house with the stove depending on the layout. I used about 4.5 tons last year. I bought 5 tons this year at $219.00 a ton. I have to pay a delivery charge but don't have the bill yet. Probably end up being around $235 with delivery. My oil dealer said I use about 1,100 gallons a year. some is used for the hot water but not much i have found. I figure it costs me about $1,200 less a year to heat with the pellets pepending on the price of oil. I figure the stove will pay for its self in 2-3 years. There are other benefits. Not using foreign oil, non polluting, burns a waste product etc that I like. the heat is very comfortable and does not seem to dry out the house like a wood stove. I wish the pellets were around 200 a ton but demand has increased them. Hopefully they won't go higher.