Cool McCool's Garage

Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm, TOASTY!

After weeks of being cold almost all the time, we’ve done something about it.  A visit to our friends Steve and Cheryl’s place had us all enthused about getting a pellet stove.  It was delivered yesterday, Dad came over and helped me get it installed, and we fired that puppy up last night.

 

It’s a Harmon stove, cast iron, has a thermostat and is completely automatic.  Just set it, and forget it.  We ducted it into the existing chimney, which was sort of a chore, but we got a hole in the flue, ducted the exhaust out thru the wall into the garage and into the chimney.  The double walled pellet stove-pipe is expensive, but even so we anticipate it (the stove) paying for itself in 2 years, against the cost of propane.  It uses outside air for combustion, and the little ash collector in the stove holds 2 tons, or roughly one seasons worth of ash.  Cool, er,  hot.

 

I cleared a spot in the garage to stack bags of pellets, we got half a ton with the stove free.  I laid some slate tile for a hearth, and we’re looking forward to long evenings with our feet propped up in front of the fire, glass of wine in hand.  It’s so nice, I don’t want to go out in the cold and work in the shop! 

I’ll add a plug for “The Energy Mill”, in Plainwell where we bought it.  Nice guy, very helpful and enthusiastic about the product.  Go buy one, you’ll love it.  And, we’ll get another half ton of pellets for referring you…