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THELIN COMPANY, INC. |
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| Thelin Company makes three
lines of stoves, gas, wood and pellet. Each stove is designed and
manufactured for one of these fuels. You can only burn the type of fuel
the stove is designed for. For example, the pellet stove burns only pellet
fuel. It will not burn gas or wood. The only exception to this is the gas
stove, which can be made to burn either Natural Gas or LP (liquid propane)
Gas. Pellet Stoves 1. How much do they cost? Why aren't the prices on the web site? Thelin Co. sells it products through a Dealership network. All current Dealers are listed by state on our web site. These Dealers will quote you a price on all Thelin Co. products. If you live in an area where there is no Dealer you are welcome to call the factory on our toll free number for pricing information. 2. What is the history of Thelin Co.? Where did you start and how long have you been building heaters? Thelin Co. was founded in 1978. For the first nine (9) years it was called Thelin-Thompson Co. and we built wood stoves. When the EPA began regulating the wood stove industry in the mid-eighties Thompson left the company to pursue other interests and Thelin developed their current line of pellet and gas heaters. In 2002 the Company introduced a new wood stove as an EPA certified wood heater. To date the Company has over 14,000 hand-crafted heaters in use throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. 3. You have a unique "look" but what else is special about the Thelin line? Does the technology hold up to other products on the market? Thelin Co. is the only company in the world that makes a round stove with an old time "pot belly, parlour" look. In addition, our pellet heaters were the first stoves in the industry to use 12-volt technology (1991). The 12-volt system allows the pellet heaters to function during power outages by simply hooking up a 12v battery to built-in battery jacks. Depending upon the size of the battery the stove will run from 15 to 150 hours during power failure. Unlike most pellet stoves the Thelin line utilizes two motors to do three jobs. The fan motor controls both combustion and convection (room air) and the feed motor operate continuously to feed pellets to the fire. This concept allows the Thelin pellet stove to run on 27 watts of power, which is the lowest power consumption of any pellet stove on the market. In addition, the simplicity of the Thelin design technology allows the user, with minimum mechanical skills, to service and repair their heater with ease. Since all pellet heaters require periodic maintenance this is a money saving feature, which most pellet heaters cannot match. 4. What about maintenance? Is it a problem? How often do I have to do it etc.? Thelin Co. provides each purchaser with an owner's manual, which explains, in detail, the necessary maintenance to keep the heaters running at full efficiency. Generally, the regular maintenance requires about 15 to 20 minutes per week on the Parlour Pellet, and every 3 to 4 days on the Gnome Pellet. To do the maintenance properly you will need a good quality shop vacuum with a 5 or 6 HP motor. The more suction the better. The pellet stoves do not have an ash drawer so the ash must be cleaned out with a vacuum cleaner. 5. Can I see the fire? Does the glass stay clean? The flame pattern moves from about two (2) inches to eight (8) inches depending upon whether the setting is on Low, Medium or High. Usually the stove is run on medium or high until the heat exchanger gets warm and then it is turned to low and left there for the duration of the burn. If High is required all the time you probably need a larger pellet stove because you will consume tremendous amounts of fuel on the High setting (up to 5 pounds per hour). The glass will stay clean for hours if a quality pellet is burned. Some pellets contain more moisture than others and this will determine how long the glass stays clean. There are several excellent stove glass cleaners on the market and a few minutes with one of these and a paper towel and the glass will return to an "as new" condition. 6. How do I know I can get pellets? Is there ever a shortage of fuel? First, check with your local Dealer as to the availability of pellet fuel. Pellet fuel is a growth industry and in the last five years the tonnage produced has jumped from 600 Thousand Tons to over 730 Thousand Tons. Because of the environmentally friendly nature of pellet fuel (a bio-mass product, not fossil fuel) it will become a basic fuel source in the years to come. Pellet fuel does not contribute to green house gases! In fact, pellet stoves burn so clean they are EPA exempt from emission standards. Pellet fuel mills can also be located on the Internet by going to www.Pelletheat.org, the web site of the pellet fuel institute. 7. How do they work? What makes a pellet stove different from a wood stove? The basic difference between a pellet stove and wood stove is that a pellet stove allows for a finely controlled burn. Both the air and fuel can be adjusted and set for maximum burn efficiency. This fine-tuning allows the user to generate incredible heat with a minimum of fuel because the stove is always burning at maximum efficiency. To do this, the stove requires a feed motor and fan motor, which are factory set to produce the optimum burn. Thelin Co. allows the user to adjust the feed rate in the event a different brand of pellet fuel is introduced to the heater. A simple control button can be turned to adjust the feed rate on all three settings: Low, Medium and High. 8. Are these motors noisy? We have found that for some people the fan motor is irritating, especially in the High position. Every person has a different noise tolerance. We have never had complaints about Low or Medium. Usually the user will adapt to the pellet stove after several days and will not even be conscious that it is running. Think of the noise a refrigerator or central furnace makes, after some time you tune it out and it is not a problem. Again, if you have to run the stove on High all of the time you should have a larger heater. 9. How does it start? Does it have automatic ignition? Can it run on a thermostat? The pellet stoves can be ordered with Automatic Ignition, or you can light it by using a starting material. Thelin Co. furnishes a sample packet of starter with each stove. This particular tablet can be inserted into an empty fire pot, lit, turn knob to Medium, close door and walk away. The stove will start every time. It is quite simple once a technique or proper starter material is utilized. The stove can be run off a wall thermostat if desired. The thermostat will regulate the On/Off cycle based on a pre-determined temperature setting. 10. What about shut off, can I leave it running if I'm not home? Thelin pellet heaters are designed to run continuously as long as they have fuel in them and the routine maintenance is performed as specified in the Owner's Manual. In the event they run out of fuel the stove will shut down automatically as soon as it cools down (usually about 20 to 30 minutes). Many users run the stove 24/7 except for an hour a week to cool down and clean the fire pot and heat exchanger. If installed properly and kept clean, the stove can run all night without problems. The battery back-up feature will insure continued operation even during power failures. 11. How does the battery work? Will it run down if not in use? The battery back-up feature automatically turns on when the power fails providing the battery is hooked to the stove. A battery cable equipped with banana plugs are inserted into the bottom of the stove and the other end of the 4' cable is attached to the battery. This cable is available from your local Dealer or Thelin Co. As long as the stove is plugged into a wall outlet the circuit board in the stove will trickle charge the battery and keep it fully charged for future use. The trickle charge will, however, take a longer time to recharge than the time the battery is used. For example, if the power fails for five (5) hours, it may take a day or so to bring the battery back up. Once fully charged the charging feature automatically shuts off until the battery is drained down again. Size of the battery will determine the time it will run during power outage. For example, a 30 amp battery will give you 15 to 18 hours of run time. A 200 amp deep cycle marine battery will run the stove for almost a week. It is important that a sealed battery be used as this prevents any gases or possible acid spillage in the home. The battery will not start the stove automatically. During power failures the stove must be started manually. 12. Do the gold rings and trim discolor or lose their brightness? All of the gold plating is 24 carat gold. It will not tarnish provided it is kept clean with a non-abrasive gold cleaner and soft cloth. The gold plating can be damaged, or rubbed off if an abrasive cleaner is used, and for this reason, it is important that you check with Thelin Co. or your local Dealer before cleaning the gold. Also, fingerprints and oil must be cleaned off before the first burn as they will imprint if left on during the initial burn. 13. How do the Pellet Stoves vent? Can I go straight out the wall? All pellet stoves require 3" or 4" type L pellet venting. Type L means that the pipe is a double wall pipe with a stainless steel liner. 3" Pipe is recommended for vertical runs under 10' or altitudes up to 3000 ft. Pipe runs over 10' or altitudes above 3000 ft. will require 4" pellet pipe. 45 or 90-degree elbows add 20 to 30 per cent to the length of the run. For example a 7' vertical run with two 45-degree elbows will total 10 ft. so 4" pipe would be required. ** Thelin Co. requires a minimum 5' (five foot) vertical run on any installation. Direct vent (straight out the wall) and stop is not permitted.**
For
complete venting instructions please click on "Installation Instructions"
on this web site. |
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