Pros Love Pellet Stoves for Mobile & Prefab Homes

You’ve wondered, and we’ve got good news: Yes, Harman pellet stoves are perfect for mobile and prefab homes. With cooler weather quickly approaching, we wanted to help you determine just exactly how a Harman is a solid investment for heating your home.

The Rules

First things first: You need to make sure your home is ready for a Harman. Stan Wiedeman, owner of Wiedeman’s in Batesville, Indiana, says he’s literally never had to tell a client that he can’t install a Harman, but it’s good to do due diligence and make sure you’re ready. Before you make the leap to heating your home with a Harman, check these standards off your list:

• Harman pellet stoves are approved for mobile home installations as long as they are not installed in a sleeping room and when an outside combustion air inlet is provided. (Note: Use silicone or other sealant to create an effective vapor barrier when the venting system or outside air duct passes through to the exterior of the structure.)
• You must be sure the structural integrity of the floor, ceiling, and walls are maintained in your home.
• You must properly ground the stove to the frame of the mobile home, bolted to the floor, and use only listed pellet vent, and Class PL connector pipe.
• You must observe floor protection and clearances as listed.
• You must install a Harman Outside Air Kit in your mobile home.

Wiedeman has been selling and installing Harman stoves through his shop, Wiedeman’s, in since the early 2000s (but the shop has been open since 1970, so he’s seen it all). Here are four reasons, straight from Wiedeman, of why Harmans top his list of preferred products for mobile homes.

Floor-Plan Friendly

With wood stoves, you have a lot of clearance issues to consider, which can bump inconveniently into your living space. Wood stoves may need upwards of 20 inches of clearance, but pellet stoves often only need two to four inches. This not only reduces your stove’s physical foot print, it also greatly reduces your fire risk. Plus, the open floor plan of many mobile and prefab homes means a centrally located heat source can easily warm the entire space quickly and efficiently.

Easy to Operate and Reliable

Wood stoves require, well, wood, and considerable maintenance, not to mention the temperature cannot always remain steady. But with a pellet stove you can set it, fill the hopper, and let it go.

Save On Fuel & Insurance

Areas around us use liquid propane for fueling their homes, and the price can be very volatile. Fuel oil can be out of sight. But pellet prices remain stable, which people like. Additionally, there are insurance considerations. Many insurance companies don’t rate pellet stoves as a hazard the way they do a wood stove, which keeps insurance premiums lower.

Easy to Fix

That is, if you need to fix them at all: Harmans are built like tanks. Many of the same parts work across most of the models, and Harman does a great job of keeping those parts available, unlike some other brands. I keep repair parts in stock in my store so I can help people quickly in case their unit goes down.

If someone asks me, I’m not afraid to tell them straight up: Harman is the best pellet stove on the market. I have a Harman in my house!

To learn more about Harman’s lineup of pellet stoves, head here or connect with your local authorized dealer.