If you think about it, spending a lot of money on a new pellet stove for the privilege of burning cheaper fuel defeats the whole purpose. However, if you can buy a used pellet stove for half the price or less, you’ve saved enough money to pay for corn or wood pellet fuel for a year.

Buying a used pellet stove for your home takes no more time and effort than buying a new one. In one respect, it’s easier since you have fewer choices. But a lack of choice Pelletpreise  does not have to mean a lack of quality. I’m sure the current owner of any oven you are looking at will tell you that this was the best oven they could get their hands on at the time.

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

Visit your local building authority
A building permit is usually required to install a wood or pellet stove. When picking up your permit application, let them know the type of heater you plan to install and ask what additional documentation, if any, may be required. This is especially important if you own a mobile or modular home.

When I spoke to the Quincy City Building Department they said a product brochure with clearance and venting information would be helpful. You can get all this information by visiting the stove manufacturer’s website, downloading and printing out the instruction manual.

Choose your fuel and stove size
If you live in the corn belt, the choice of fuel is obvious. If you live in the Northeast, wood pellets are the fuel of choice. Because energy corn is “imported” to the Northeast, the price of wood pellets is competitive with corn. Wood pellet fuel is also becoming a common commodity in home improvement stores as more homeowners in this region buy wood pellet stoves.

You don’t need a big stove to save big. Most used corn and wood pellet stoves I’ve seen produce 35,000 to 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, as these high-performance models come with 5 heat settings, ranging from a low of 8,000 BTU for chilly days, to maxing out that coldest weather.

Look for these features and extras:

Electronic ignition
Just because you’re buying a used pellet stove doesn’t mean you should go back to the dark days of pellet stove heating with gel starters. To be honest, I wouldn’t buy a stove without an electronic ignition.

Large hopper capacity
A standard size hopper holds 40 pounds of pellet fuel. This is enough fuel to heat your home for 20-30 hours. A larger capacity hopper, while not required, increases convenience by requiring less frequent filling.

Heat output control
In the transition months to the heating season , you do not need the full heat output of your pellet stove. Heat output control ensures maximum comfort with minimum fuel consumption. Heat output control can take the form of a thermostat, Hi/Lo fan or a variable speed auger that controls the rate at which pellets are fed into the brazier.

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

Extras
Many sellers of used pellet stoves include the vent pipe, fireplace liner, log set and leftover pellet fuel in the purchase price. These extras can add up to hundreds of dollars in savings.

Where to look for a used pellet stove
Start with Craigslist. Because most used pellet stove sellers offer pickup only, you can use craigslist to refine your search by city or state. This is a big time saver. A recent survey in the Boston area found 12 used stoves within a 50 mile radius of my home.

eBay also has a lot of listings, you just won’t find as many local sellers as you can on Craigslist. When I narrowed my eBay results to within 50 miles of my zip code using the search options feature, only 1 seller was returned.

However, eBay conveniently notifies you by e-mail when a new offer comes up. Another option is to delay eBay credit card payment for 3 months.

Here’s a search tip: A search on Craigslist or eBay Pelletspreise aktuell  will bring up MORE used pellet stoves if you use the term ‘pellet stove’ instead of the narrower term ‘used pellet stove’. Also try “pellet”, “wood pellets” or a brand name like “Englander”.

How much can I expect to save?
In general, the higher the original sales price, the more you save as a percentage. Ovens that sold new for $3,000 can often be purchased used at savings of 50-70%. Stoves priced under $2,000 new appear to depreciate less.

Delivery
If you want to pay for delivery, call someone like Yellow Truck or a courier company to make arrangements. If you are buying from an eBay seller who is willing to ship the oven, you will find a shipping cost calculator on the sales page.

Regardless of who ships your stove, make sure the truck they send has a tail lift so you can get your 300 pound stove off the truck.

installation
Most cities and towns require a licensed professional to complete the installation. If you’re an experienced homeowner, finding one shouldn’t be a problem. If you’re new to homeownership, I recommend a service like Need Contractor for a list of pre-vetted contractors in your area.

Contact the seller
Do not hesitate to contact the seller with any questions. He or she can be particularly helpful in determining if the used pellet stove for sale is still under warranty.