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1300_stainless
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# Posted: 2 Jan 2016 11:13am - Edited by: 1300_stainless
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Alright, thanks for the info.
I do need to insulate my walls as well. It's the cost that's stopped me thus far. However I seem to be using the place more in winter than I anticipated so it'll be a worthwhile investment. My plan is to pick at it in the spring and summer (when my camp is more accessible.) Buy some as I can afford to do so and slowly get it done. My thought was the damper may be a cheap way to scavenge heat this winter.
The Nu-Way cranks out the heat, but retaining that heat is my issue. Things do get toasty after a while, but initial heat up is slow when the temps are down. If I get to the camp late in the evening it's usually chilly when I go to bed, and sweaty when I wake up lol.
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Wilbour
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# Posted: 25 Oct 2017 10:50pm - Edited by: Wilbour
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Quoting: Wilbour Quoting Creeky: You might want to look at the Ashley Direct Vent Gas Heaters. There's a 8k btu model. Which, depending on insulation, should be a good size for your place.The 8k model appears online as low as 420 US. Northern Tools has it on sale for 449 US. Sometimes you can save a bit of money if you have access to the US.
Bit the bullet and ordered the Ashley Hearth Products 11,000-BTU Wall-Mount Liquid Propane Vented Convection Heater. Drove the 45 minutes from Ottawa to Ogdensburg NY and placed my order. $503 US.
Now the math:
$502.94 + 8% (NY State Tax) is $542.94 US
In Canadian that's:
$542.94 x 1.264 Exchange is $686.49 CAN
Now add the HST
$686.49 x 13% is $89.24 (Paid to Customs Official at the Border)
Final cost:$775.73 CAN
Canadian price at Lowes:
$854.36 + 13% Tax is $965.43 CAN
Difference:
965.43-775.73 = $189.73
I did use about $14 in gas but saved almost that much by purchasing gas in NY State which is cheaper than Ontario.
Bridge tolls (x4) were about $13 Canadian
The whole process was very smooth and I was not charged any duty on the heater even though the box states "Manufactured in Argentina"
Now I have to pick up a regulator, hose and an extra tank.
Oh yah, install the heater.
If all works out the cabin will be nice and toasty without the fumes of my Little Buddy heater.
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creeky
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# Posted: 26 Oct 2017 06:27pm
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You will like wilbour. I had 3 HomComfort (US stoves; an older model) are very easy installs.
The HomComfort (they're made in ... argentina ... and have a wide variety of names). I had one that died. Didn't work quite right from the beginning. Should have sent it back. Oh well. The other two are still working fine.
I decided on the Martin 11k btu for the replacement. With window! watching blue flickering flames will be my new winter hobby. 
My cost will be about 200 more than yours. But I saw that the Martins are designed to be repaired.
I find Lowes has very good prices on tanks. Lowes 100lb is 169$C. And 129$US. Which is almost identical after conversion. Thx Lowes.
Btw: TSC in Ogdensburg has a hose/gas turn off package that is good value. Too late I know.
PS: I have a used 11k btu HomComfort if anyone feels like fixing it. The pilot light seems to have gone. It blew black soot (I never noticed) and seems to have choked itself out.
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Wilbour
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# Posted: 26 Oct 2017 09:12pm
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Quoting: creeky You will like wilbour.
Why thanks Creeky!
Actually I was just about to purchase the Martin from Costco but they dropped it....until this week!
Now it's back in stock. I even sent the manufacturer an email asking where I can buy their product but they failed to get back to me. Added bonus is it's from Canada
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creeky
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2017 09:28am
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I saved about 100 off of the Costco price. meh. Its closer for me to drive to OG and I get cheaper gas for the guzzler. win/win.
I sent M the same email thru am*z. They told me they had 5,000 canadian retailers. but no list or hint how to find them??? Nice that I'm supporting the last of the Canadian mfct industry.
I do like the modulating flame. I hadn't seen that. I was seduced by the groovy glass view port.
their camp gear looks real good too. I like the oven/stove for camping has a guy doing the cooking. ha!
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Wilbour
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2017 09:39pm - Edited by: Wilbour
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Quoting: creeky their camp gear looks real good too. I like the oven/stove for camping has a guy doing the cooking. ha!
Sail dot ca or their Bricks and Mortimer store in Ottawa do sell the Martin line of products. Including a Mr Heater knockoff but not the cabin wall furnace.
I noticed that the online book store sells the Canadian wall heaters cheaper at their .com site than their .ca site. How is that?
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creeky
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# Posted: 4 Nov 2017 04:42pm
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I don't know. all I know is I picked up my Martin and got it home, opened the box. Boy, it is so much nicer than my old "homcomfort." Smaller. heavier.
but hey. guess what. Its made in Argentina.  
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Wilbour
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# Posted: 4 Nov 2017 08:14pm - Edited by: Wilbour
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I installed mine today. All day. When I get home I will detail my install but they could have explained some things better in the instructions. And made some disassembly and reassembly easier.
Not running it while I sleep just yet. Gotta build up my confidence.
Anyone know how to get burnt marshmallows off the heater?
Just kidding
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creeky
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# Posted: 5 Nov 2017 02:49pm
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My girlfriend says I'm too competitive. 
Installed the Martin in 2 hrs 18 minutes. The instructions were terrible. But I have installed 3 HomComforts before. The Martin was basically the same. I was able to reuse the dead HC's opening. With a little filling in with roxul. I had the requisite 3/8" MIP to MIP connector (they forget to tell you about) on hand.
Now if only I had propane. The truck came 3 times last week but I was travelling and nobody told me it was coming so the tanks were in the back field. Hopefully Monday. The forecast is not for warmer temps.
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Wilbour
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# Posted: 5 Nov 2017 09:26pm - Edited by: Wilbour
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Quoting: creeky My girlfriend says I'm too competitive.
Oh yeah? Bet I'm more competitive that you
Anyways, these heaters are the cat's pajamas with small cabins. I did not open mine until I was already there, big mistake.
The unit was well packaged and arrived undamaged. I took the unit out and looked all over the box for the instructions. I could not see them anywhere. Turns out the package of screws and directions were sandwiched between the heater and the wall bracket.
You would think they would come out easily but no, you have to remove the bracket by removing two screws and two bolts. As I am doing this I am trying to remember where they go for later.
Ok so now the instructions are in my hand and after all the dire warnings about death due to negligence I came to the very first step: 1) remove the bracket from the heater unit.
Wait a minute. You have to do step #1 before you can read about doing step #1. Not a confidence builder if you ask me.
Ok so there are lots of figures showing where you cannot place the unit and after about half an hour I realized my spot is going to be ok.
Somewhere along the line the instructions tell you to cut a round hole with a specific diameter. OK, I say, where is the template? Nowhere. Well seems like I forgot to stock my cabin with a mathematic compass.
Ok so I improvised using the round opening on the bracket. The next step was to cut a square hole outside exactly 11 1/2" square. So how do you reference where this goes outside? Hmmm. I decided to estimate the center of my round hole and bore a hole to the outside to determine the center of the square.
Yup, starting to sound a lot like grade 10 math. I did just that and had to start drawing that square outside. Now where did they place the template. Nowhere!
Good thing the square metal shield for the outside was just slightly larger than the hole I needed so I used it as a modified template.
Now I bored some holes and got out my trusty keyhole saw, which I must add, I have yet to cut out keyholes with by the way. No power at the cabin so it's all by hand. Well that took about 45mins to complete and when I opened the square I discovered that I didn't really line up both holes .
It turns out that if you bore a hole from the inside to the outside of the estimated[b][/b] center you are not likely in the center. And that slightly downward angle you held the drill at caused the center of the outside hole to be about an 2" lower than the inside. Back inside to lower the cut and fill in the portion above.
Now I mounted the bracket to the wall using their screws. I don't know how many times I use the provided hardware and always end up cursing myself for not using my own. You see, here in Canada we like to use the Square Drive screws and not the Philips Drive. Lets just say that at about 1/16 of an inch from the wall the head of the screw stripped. I was lucky enough to be able to remove it and then started using my own screws. Success. The screw driver didn't slip once.
Mounting the heater to the newly secured bracket was easy. Getting the bolts and nuts together and threaded was not a job for someone with man-hands. And the last time I looked I had man-hands. After a few minutes on my back I got it all together all the while trying to convince my dog I was ok and did not need her loving kisses.
What I hadn't planned on was resizing the two ducts and the screw rod that holds the exterior venting to the unit from the outside.
So for the next two hours I cut the pipes and threaded rod with the tinniest of hacksaws. But I will warn you. The rod has a flattened section about an inch from the end and a nut cap on the other end. You are to cut the nut cap end off, not the flattened end. The nut cap is to be removed and re-installed after you make the cut. (No mention of that anywhere)
Well you would thing that it would have been all down hill from there but no. I read that you have to remove the temperature sensor from somewhere inside the cabinet. That meant more screws that were in the most awkward area. Then you realize that the bracket that holds the temperature sensor will not allow the nut and bolt to go in as shown in the diagram. I reversed them in order to get the job done.
Ok we are down to the wire now. I hooked up the hose to the bottom of the heater and the pressure regulator to the tank. Now all I have to do I hook the hose to the regulator and we are in business.
What the? Two female connectors? Son of a..
This meant a ride back into town on the local ferry that runs every hour. I made a beeline to the dock and waited for the next boat. Drove on and expected the captain to set sail. Should be back in 2 hours if all goes as planned.
Who was I kidding, nothing went as planned so far. As I expected there was a delay. We had to wait for the Ambulance that was dispatched to come back. We waited and waited. An hour and 20 minutes later we set sail.
My luck changed as I was able to obtain the elusive 3/8" MIP to MIP connector Creeky spoke of and got inline for the next boat back the cabin. In 10 minutes I had both hoses connected and the furnace on. Yes.
Wait, what's all this smoke? Turns out the initial burn has a considerable amount of burn-off from manufacturing. Not a big deal. I just opened two windows and replaced the air inside.
I can tell you now that these heaters, and others like creeky's are great. I let it run all night and woke to a warm cabin. I had the dial (almost said knob) set to 2 all day and it kept the cabin warmer that my wife lets me keep our house. Would have been a waste of money getting the unit that goes to 11.
I can honestly say that it is going to be a 3 season cabin from now on cuz I gots lots of Propane.
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creeky
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# Posted: 6 Nov 2017 03:05pm
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Just took in 4 100 lb propane fills myself. The Martin in the studio is humming away. The HomComfort in the washroom is going. Huzzah.
Just in time. Friday fall officially arrives with below 0 temps.
Find it interesting that your Ashley is the same colour as my Martin. Both also feature modulating flames. Something my older generation HomComfort did not have.
Oh. And the blue flame I was looking forward to using as a cheap TV. Meh. Coulda saved $50.
Your install story reminds me of my tractor story. I had to replace a hydraulic line to the backhoe. Three trips to 2 separate TSC stores. Finally fudged with a variety of hose fittings. Sheesh.
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Simon
Member
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# Posted: 18 Nov 2017 06:55pm
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I am running empire direct vent propane heaters. Happy with them...a tad bulky though
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grnspot
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# Posted: 19 Nov 2017 08:34am
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I recently installed a 25,000 BTU direct vent in my new cabin, only problem I had was the thermostat. It would ignite just fine the first time, but not re-ignite as it should. Decided to remove the thermostat face plate to check the wires, it ignited immediately, the face plate was binding!
Not really a big deal since I now know the problem!
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Wilbour
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# Posted: 2 Jan 2019 08:19am
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So it's a little chilly this am. Coldest stay at my cabin so far. Since I sleep in the loft I keep the hatch open all night but my celing is not well insulated so I doubt the furnace shuts down all night. Now this am I shut the trap door and just try to heat the main area. The furnace cycles on and off.
Not bad a 30° C difference between outside and inside.
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creeky
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# Posted: 2 Jan 2019 11:20am
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Man the temp dropped last night. In the afternoon it was plus 2. By midnight it was -14. Ouch.
Glad to hear your heater is poppin' and firin' away. Stay warm.
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Wilbour
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# Posted: 13 Feb 2020 11:28am - Edited by: Wilbour
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Well I cannot remember if this is the only post I had about the Ashley Stove or United States Stove Co furnace.
I did notice that at the end of the heating season in the spring of 2019 the furnace was getting harder to light. This fall it became almost impossible to turn the dial for pilot. I partly disassembled the unit and in January of this year could see that the pin which is held up by a spring was not being pushed down when I pressed the round temperature knob. I McGivered it with a screwdriver and was able to move the pin so I could rotate the knob and therefore light the pilot.
I contacted the US Stove Co a month ago and after a lengthy discussion over the phone they agreed to ship a new part free of charge.
Well a trip over the boarder to retrieve said part I was amazed that a part the size of a pen was shipped in a box that could hold 1000 sheets of legal paper.
Upon closer inspection I see that it was the igniter they sent and not the part(s) I needed. Back on the phone and I told them the part I needed, but had to do this from memory as I'm not at the cabin.
They agreed to ship another part free of charge so I hope it is what I can use. Problem is I don't want to disassemble the unit right now as I still can and do use it from time to time. Summer is a better time of year to rip apart a furnace.
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