Install Advice Needed Coal Newbie

I am installing a new Alaska Channing 3 direct vent stove. The company depicts a hearth pad that extends 16" from the front of the stove. The stove is going in a smaller room but is part of an open floor plan. Anyway, I wanted to know if I have to abide by the 16" suggestion to be safe? I would like to make the hearth pad 12-14" from the front of the stove to save some room.

Also, is there an easy way to CAI to the blower on these stoves? ( I haven't taken delivery yet)? While I'm cutting a hole for the direct vent is would be easy to add another vent for a CAI. However, it would obviously have to be sealed to the blower and not open.

One last question: I can get an Alaskan thermostat for 200.00 and buy a Lowes digital for about 50.00 or I can buy a Coaltrol for 400.00. Does anyone have advice on this?

Thanks in advance

If the area you live in calls for a permit, you better get one & make it 16".

Insurance company's like to find convenient "outs" for themselves when it comes time to pay up. If they come in after a problem/ fire and find a stove w/out a permit where required & not installed correctly, they might tell you whoever installed it is on the hook, that would be you... Not a good position to be in.

I've had to deal with more than my fare share of insurance companies & headaches, before all the latest losses (katrina and such), they've only gotten tighter with the $ since. If you have a house you can't afford to replace out of your own pocket, don't rely on their warm heart, cause it's colder than a witches booby...

Traderfjp, you might be interested to know that we have expanded the Coal-Trol Digital product line this year to include a $250.00 system. This is comprised of a TS2 thermostat and a CM2 motor control module, both new this year. This combination offers:

- 3 controlled AC outlets. One for stoker, one for combustion, one for convection.
- 1 (triburn) and 2 motor stoker control
- +/-1 degree temperature control
- 2 setbacks, day and night with adjustable time and temperature settings.
- Temporary temperature override (reset to setback when next setback time is reached).

For $50 more you can get a TS1 which adds:
- Energy Star compliance
- 5+2 programmability, 4 setbacks. That means 4 weekday setbacks (Morning, Day, Evening, and Night) and 4 weekend setbacks.
- In addition to temporary temperature override there is an indefinite temperature hold mode which will hold your set temperature though all setbacks. This is useful for vacations, days where the house is left unoccupied, etc.
- Manual convection fan control. You can set the speed of the convection fan directly instead of letting the Coal-Trol Digital control it automatically. Useful if you want to cut back a noisy blower motor for a while (party, family dinner, whatever).

Both of this year's units (TS1 and TS2) have an improved, easier to use menu system. We've made the min/max feed rate setup much easier by making the min/max feedrate setup items run the stoker at the speed indicated instead of requiring multiple steps and moving to various menu items for each setting. The time/day power loss memory endurance is much longer now, increased from about 1-2 minutes to now being well over 5 hours. Of course all settings besides time and day are remembered regardless of how long the power is lost.

Give us a call (315-299-3589) and we'll give you, or anyone else , the full rundown of what we're offering for this year.