Pellet stove tips?

A search tells me that there are in the ballpark of a dozen permies who heat with pellets—I would love your advice!

This is our second winter in this house, and first heating primarily with the pellet stove (it was here when we moved in but needed a part that took months to arrive). We have a Harman Accentra insert, and I burn pine pellets from Vermont Woodpellet Co because they’re the closest thing to locally produced.

I’d love any tips folks have on increasing efficiency or stacking functions. For one thing, I’m not sure whether I’m better off in terms of heating distant rooms by turning up the temp or the blower? The second-floor room with the chimney through it is, inexplicably, the coldest in the house. I’ve been using that bit of a hot bubble near the stove to keep my sourdough happy, but am curious if others have ideas! TYIA

One thing my dad did to get the heat into further rooms was on an interior wall he cut a hole near the ceiling in the room with the pellet stove and installed a bathroom fan into the hole. In the room on the opposite side of the wall he cut a hole low down near the floor and used the space between the studs as a duct. It worked to get the heat into a couple more rooms but still couldn't move the heat far.