If you read the quote properly, I would have had to let the fire go out to cool off the stove.Gypsea1981 wrote:To JLF53:
I see here that you burned your fingers on a hot stove whilst performing repairs. Hint: Let it cool first.
Now I would like to post the following since I am not in the process of running out the door, like I was on my last post.
Here is the factual list of issues with this stove:
1. It does not run for the time represented by the manufacturer, unless you burn it so low that it becomes a decorative stove rather than the heating source it is intended for. I am only trying to heat 1150 square feet at a temperature of 70. this cannot be accomplished at any less than 400-450. Presently I am running at 300-350 due to the glass and uncomfortable at 65 degrees.
2. Devil has had at least three issues, cracked glass, cracked firebrick from the propensity of the coal to wedge itself behind the firebrick and a bent bar. My last quote was being composed while I was on the way out the door. I meant to state that Devil's bent front bar probably coincided with the cracked glass.
3. My door handle broke after two weeks of burn time.
4. The firebrick is separating from the rear wall of the stove even though I am very careful to load only to the top (not on top) of the firebrick. thanks to Devil I was particularly careful about the firebrick, but am still encountering the same problem. I have a long fireplace poker that I use to clean off the top of the firebrick after each scoopful. In fact I am very careful about anything I own that is why I still a 1990 Mercury Grand Marquis in mint condition on the original engine, trans and power steering. I also own a 23 year old Maytag washer and an 18 year old Kitchenaid refrigerator. I have a successful track record of care and longevity with properly made high quality items. Thus I evaluate this Harman TLC 2000 on my experiance with other items. This Harman TLC 2000 reminds me of a GE stove that was repaired 7 times in two years for bad ignitors. The stove was a lemon and I am beginning to suspect that this Harman TLC 2000 is also.
5. The slide handle came apart at 6 weeks of burn time.
6. The pins on the glass door hinge work their way out and need constant attention if you use the glass door to load. Door came off in my hand one day. fortunately I Kevlar gloves to manage the fire.
7. The middle bar began bending at running temperature of 400-450, within specifications. I reported it to the dealer. Cast iron should not be bending at this temperature or this stove should not incorporate bars in front of a window as part of its design just so Harman can brag about the largest window in the industry.
8. The glass cracked for me and Devil. Devil has so little faith in the glass that he now has a spare and I suspect that he runs his stove at a low temperature of 300 due to the cracked glass.
9. The lip under the shaker mechanism needs to be cleaned, poor design.
10. There is another lip under the glass on the door which constantly gathers ash and will distribute it into your living quarters when you open the front glass door.
11. There is another lip under the bottom front iron bar that also collect ash and fines and pea size coal. This is impossible to clean unless you shut the stove down or remove the bar with a low fire and Kevlar gloves. It is possible that coal and ash build up could cause the glass to crack. However, when one seeks to determine the root cause of an incident, it is better directed at the manufacturer who possess national data rather than a dealer who might sell a handful of these models TLC 2000, if even more than one.
12. The blower holes did not line up with the holes on the stove. This is indicative of poor manufacturing. It took 2 hours to install. Please note that I am not a novice in mechanical repairs or home improvement. I have helped rebuild a 1957 Lincoln Premier engine. I can install and solder plumbing, install circuits in the breaker box and wire electric to the box and outlets . Thus having restored an 1870 Italianate historic house, a mere blower installation should not be more than a 10 minute job if the stove and blower were manufactured within specification. I finally got out a 3/8 carbide tipped drill, put on safety glasses and re-drilled the left screw hole on the blower so it would align with the stove screw hole. I finished installation within 5 minutes after this operation.
13. Max 12 hour burn times in really cold weather should be considered. If one has nothing better to do than service one of these hand fired stoves, then go for it. However, if one has a demanding job and a life, one might be better served to purchase a stoker or a furnace that adds to your present source of central heat. Personally, I am not interested in being a "coal slave!"
Honestly I could over look a few of these items, but the totality is just indicative of poor design and craftsmanship. The most troublesome is the glass. Even Devil does not trust his new glass. fortunately my husband and I were home when it occurred. I think it is a safety hazard and am negotiating with Harman on the matter.
I submit this commentary to others who may have encountered similar issues or to potential purchasers so that they may make an informed purchase decision. I would not buy this stove again. I would have liked to have an honest recounting of the facts previously stated prior to making my decison.
Finally, I will go directly to the manufacturer when I need satisfaction that goes beyond the dealer, because it the most prudent course of action if one really wants to fix a problem.. For instance, previously I succeeded in receiving satisfaction from Ford on a 1986 Taurus for a failed heater core, when it was a manufacturer defect. A poor design, flawed design or manufacturer defect are not the responsibility of a mere dealer. Satisfaction for problem for defects resolution resides plainly and clearly with the manufacturer.
Finally, the snide comments made by some members of this forum are base and unfounded and reflect poorly on those who need to focus on other things than their stove.
For those of you who somehow have their identities confused with their stove brand, perhaps you need to get a life. Once you have separated your identities from your stoves, you will see this is not personal
