Duyoku VHOB 1500 Sq Ft. Pellet Stove Hopper Extension

The major thing you need to understand regarding this product is the manufacturer will void warranty for one simple reason.They do not believe you the "Simpleton" will properly install this product! The pellet stove you have purchased would have to be professionally installed by a certified installer, in order for your township to pass the inspection for fire requirements of your locality.In est, your stove must be installed to the code of your local fire department regulations in order for your home insurance to cover any problems that may arise from your use of the appliance. If you burn your home down with a self installation, your insurance may deny a claim, and subequently if you did have a professional install your stove, the manufacturer assumes a liability for the installation of this product since it is not OEM approved. The reason the OEM does not approve this device is very simple, they have no control over the simpletons self installation and during litigation they will be not held accountable for your actions, however the cost involved to prove they did not sell the product with this modification will still cost them money.To be safe, You have to remember this product MUST be installed properly. Your stove has safety devices built in that protect you. One of these devices measures the stoves temp, another measures the airflow in the combustion chamber, it is very primitive compaired to how your vehicle computer measures air/fuel ratios but along the same lines.With that said, installation is very important since your stove has a fresh air inlet, that prevents your home from having a neg pressure value, (some people omit the external air intake) you must make sure when you install this addition the hopper remains "air tight" which allows no air intake through the hopper assembly.Gaskets which appear to be included with this add-on should properly be installed to insure no air intake from any location will affect the combustion process. Think of your stove as a closed chamber with no direct connection with the air in your home and the combustion process. The heated air is actually drawn in and via a heat exchange process, heated and ejected through the room fan which has no direct connection with the burned fuel or air in the chamber. Since of course the manufacturer cannot assume liability, nor can they inspect each and every modification, they simply state we will void the warranty if you "screw" with our design. This IS OBVIOUS.This is a great product, it is cost effective, increases burn time, and is just a few dollars more then a metal purchase, without a bending jig. If you purchase this item, use some simple tips in your installation below.Modeling clay will assist you in proper alignment of the holes to mount the addon, your objective is to make each hole align perfectly to the stock holes drilled by englander for the hopper cover. Align the stock holes with modeling clay, and dab the center with paint this will help you align the add-on properly. Remember not every englander stoves hopper lid will have the same hole pattern, they are hand built in the USA and the screws used to mount the hopper lid are self drilling, not every employee at englander measures to the 100ths of an inch in a blueprint (I would) , they just point and shoot the screw in (again I would), if it's tight mission accomplished.Second, make your installation AIR TIGHT. you MUST assure no room air bypass's the hopper cover, OR the seams. Tig welding is not within the reach of every consumer , and since this product is pre-painted or powder coated, sealing must be done at all seams from the INSIDE. a skim of RTV black on the inside of all 4 seams will keep air out, use a sponge to make it neat and clean... even englander has had sloppy workers who glob RTV creating ridges which will prevent proper pellet travel. Also remember any ridge will hinder proper hopper evacuation, your stove is gravity fed in respect to the pellets working down to the auger.Adjust your feed restrictor!!! you now have 100 pounds of pellets waiting to get to the top auger, the restrictor plate is adjusted with a 5/16s socket close it down a tad, you should have about 1" 1/2" opening at the auger but may need to adjust smaller.Please refer to the instructions with your stove or call englanders fantastic tech support!Inspect your lower auger operation!!! you should be removing excess coal deposits on the lip, and inner tube of the lower feed auger every 3 days of burn-time with a knife or screwdriver! This is to insure the lower feed auger motor does not bind excerting excess torque whcih will result in heat build-up of the motor, and will trash the bronze sleve bushings. If you notice a small squeek every 60 seconds or so, you need to clean the feed tube!!! VERY IMPORTANTOverall this is the perfect solution for extending the burn time of your stove, IF you take a moment of your time to understand HOW your stove operates. If there is anything you do not understand you are welcome to email me for clarification, at stovequestions at ctbilliards dot com.- Jay

The pellet hopper fit the stove perfectly. Installation was easy and I was able to find that lid brace that everyone is complaining about for $3 at Home Depot. I installed it with matching brass screws and fit and finish was perfect. You just have to bend the mounting bracket on the brace. Now if that's too much for you to handle than the tab folding and the lid drilling portion of the job should all be installed by a professional. But the average person with a drill and some bits can do this job in about an hour and that's with some second guessing. If you are careful not to drop the bag of pellets up against the lid every time that you fill your stove than you don't really need the lid brace. Remember to adjust the feed adjustment plate in your hopper to cope with the added weight on your auger when the hopper is full. You also have to adjust the lid latches to fit the thinner metal of the hopper. Once you do, it will be like an entirely different stove with a lot more burn time. I admire this product every time I walk by it.

Easy install

Have had this product for a week. I have an Englander 1500 sq ft model that had a 40lb capacity before the extension. Realistically it took most of a bag at any time. Now I can put in about 2.5 bags which, on high, means it burns for about 15-18 hours, a real relief in the cold weather.Installation: make sure you read over the directions so that you have everything you need ahead of time such as a drill, and a metal bit (5/32) and a nut driver. Hi temp silicon chaulk is also really nice to form a seal between the pellet stove and the extension. I also duct taped the wires and the extension (for the hopper door switch) so I wouldn't get caught up on them. The installation takes about an hour and is easy if you follow the directions.Make sure you adjust your feeder plate (above the top auger) as well.I recommend this product.

Item is amazing. For anyone leaving negative comments, the unit does not come with a lid but why should it? You use your exsisting líd so it would be pointless to have an extra lid laying around. I had no problem with the length of the wires for the lid open safety switch. The bracket you can buy which is optional to keep the lid open was less than 3 dollars st the hardware store. Very good item, quick shipping and quality. Some stated they wish the metal was thicker but why does it need to be? Very little strewed is being placed on the walls of this item. Plan on buying another one.

This year my wife and decided to try and heat o/ur house with our two pellet stoves. We have a Quadrafire that hold 2 1/2 bags but our England Stove Works pellet stove does not hold a full bag. We found and ordered the hopper extension form Innovative Group and ordered it. The shipping was very quick, it actually arrived a day earlier than I was told. The installation instruction were easy to understand and follow. The fit is a little off, but this was designed to fit several different stoves. All the parts and more were there. I did not have the lid latch to worry about. And finally the hopper does what it is supposed to do, add pellet volume. The construction and material quality is great. The only complaint I have is that it is over priced.

I have purchased two of these and the box itself is great, however, the jumper for the switch is absolute crap! The jumper is too short by about an inch and the shield has to be stripped back to accommodate the terminal spread on the switch. The biggest problem by far is the crimping of the terminals is poor and they fall off with little to no pull.Now , with that said, I would add a piece of foil tape to secure the wires to the inside of the new box.Fix the wiring and it would get five stars/100%.Thank you ,Jim

Works great