chris z.

I purchased a new Thelin Parlour pellet stove, installed it per the factory specifications, and have now have burned less than one bag of pellets, in less than 8 hours run time. During that time, the auger has jammed three times. I am greatly disappointed, especially after waiting 3 months for this stove to be built and delivered.

I am not new to pellet stoves, having owned another brand which ran perfectly for three years before I sold the home, and having just installed another brand stove in a shop, which has run flawlessly for the last 2 months. I also am adept at trouble shooting and maintenance of most mechanical, hydraulic and electrical equipment. Problem
Solving is not new to me.

In my experience, I have found that the "Lignetics" brand pellets are the cleanest burning and most efficient pellet product. I used Lignetics in my previous home, and I'm using Lignetics in my shop. I have had zero problems with Lignetics, and they were the first pellets I tried in this new Thelin stove. The auger jammed twice after only a very few hours running. So I purchased a different brand, "North Idaho", and shortly after the startup sequence was completed, the auger jammed again. That makes 3 jams after a total of about 1 bag of pellets (40lbs). In all three cases, the pellets were jammed in the auger mechanism; there were no foreign objects, there were no excess pellet fines, there no dirt or debris was found.

In each of the three jams, I emptied the hopper, vacuumed the auger mechanism, and used a dental pick or similar tool to clean the jammed pellets, then restarted the stove, only to watch it happen again.

I live in a small town in central Washington, and I have only found two brands of pellets available. If I need to get different pellets, I will have to go elsewhere to do so.

According to research on the internet, auger jams are not uncommon, but they do not occur with the regularity that I have experienced. Three jams with less than 8 hours run time on a brand new $5000 stove is unreasonable.

And if that wasn't enough, the company will not refund my money. I can return the unit, at my expense and under my packing and shipping responsibility, for a partial credit on another stove, which I do not want. If Thelin was to return the stove, or send a replacement, I would also be responsible for
Return shipping costs.

This is an extremely poor product, one that evidently requires a very specific brand/type/size of pellets, available from who knows where. I must add that the technical fella, Jeff, is one of the most helpful and knowledgeable factory reps I have ever dealt with, on any type of equipment, but he says "there's nothing wrong with the stove". Personally, it appears to me to be a poor auger design, or maybe something is bent, loose, out of alignment. The only way to find out would be for me to return the stove, under my full responsibility and at my cost, and pay premium fees for the factory to trouble shoot, repair, or replace the stove. In the meantime, winter has set in and the house is cold. Additionally, I have purchased and have stored, ready to go, 1-1/2 tons of pellets.

I am more than disappointed. I am incensed. My wife wants the stove out of here, I am getting no helpful response from Thelin, I purchased a unit that does not even come close to operating as advertised, and I must incur additional charges to rectify the situation. I intend to turn this over to a lawyer, because it is unreasonable to pay premium prices for a product that won't run more than a few hours without repeatedly failing, while using standard pellet products commonly available and used successfully in other stoves.

I am not happy with Thelin products, not impressed with their warranty and return program, and most certainly not interested in another of their products. There is a problem with the auger mechanism on this particular stove, and quite possibly it is a generic problem with their other models that utilize the same design. Worst of all, it's going to cost me time, money, and a cold house in the meantime while this escapade is sorted out.

Thumbs down to Thelin.