I got my dvc 500 installed and its running good but I have some questions.
This is an older unit and has been sitting in a Harman shop for 4 years. The stove only has 20 hours on it and it seems to be running ok.
When I turn up the stove temp knob it takes 1 hour to change? I am coming from a pellet stove to this one and a pellet stove takes no time at all to respond to a temp change. So is this normal with this stove?
I know that the pipe is clean because I only ran this for 8 hours after I installed it so my pipes can’t be clogged up yet.
I had some old cement that’s holding the burn plates in and there lose and I need to get them locked in better but I don’t know if this would affect it running?
Also someone on the group told me that the feed rate is only used if you’re using the room temp mode?
So far we love the stove and I got a deal on it. I only paid around $1600 for this unit since I work in my local Harman dealer and he has never sold one in the 5 years he has been around. So he is not to much help with this stove for me.
Thanks for your help and advice
Matt
Questions About a Harman DVC 500
First, have you performed all maintenance according to the manual?
Have you emptied the 'fines' tray, and cleaned out below the grates? If the area below the grates is full of ash, no combustion air can get to the holes in the grates.
Remove, and check ALL the fans. Is there dust buildup on them? Clean them off now.
One hour to adjust Temp - One hour seems a little long, but still possible. Is it in running in "Stove Temp -HI" setting? if so, are you turning up the "Stove Temp" knob to 7?
Feed Rate knob - the Feed rate knob is only used if you are burning in "Room Temp" mode. I am using" Stove Temp" mode all the time, so it does not matter what the Feed rate is. It has no effect. Just use this knob to go into "Ash Out" mode before you open any doors.
Burn Rate - Yes, a full hopper wil burn for EXACTLY 3 days, if you use "Stove Temp" mode, and set the Temp dial to 1 (minimum). Again, the "Feed Rate" has no effect in "Stove Temp" mode. Set it to whatever you want.
Sitting for 3 or 4 years? Was it unused, or previously used? Have a Harman dealer completely service it. Theres things in there that you & I cannot service. You can use any Harman dealer you want.
Burn Grates not cemented in - Well, Thars yer problem! These MUST be cemented in. See page 6 of your Owners Manual. DO THIS FIRST BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE. I used Rutland Furnace Cement that I bought from Tractor Supply Company. It withstands 2000F. See it at http://www.rutland.com . Home Depot and Lowes carrys it, but they have their own brand names. The reason is, all the combustion air will escape around the grates, instead of going thru the holes of the grates. You probably have not seen a full burn yet! Cement the grates in place, then clean out all the holes with a drill bit, and I bet all your problems will disappear.
BTW.... I also used this cement to cement the 3 firebricks together. They weren't held in very well, and by cementing them together, they provide more protection. I did not cement them to the stove. They can still be removed.
Have fun!
Have you emptied the 'fines' tray, and cleaned out below the grates? If the area below the grates is full of ash, no combustion air can get to the holes in the grates.
Remove, and check ALL the fans. Is there dust buildup on them? Clean them off now.
One hour to adjust Temp - One hour seems a little long, but still possible. Is it in running in "Stove Temp -HI" setting? if so, are you turning up the "Stove Temp" knob to 7?
Feed Rate knob - the Feed rate knob is only used if you are burning in "Room Temp" mode. I am using" Stove Temp" mode all the time, so it does not matter what the Feed rate is. It has no effect. Just use this knob to go into "Ash Out" mode before you open any doors.
Burn Rate - Yes, a full hopper wil burn for EXACTLY 3 days, if you use "Stove Temp" mode, and set the Temp dial to 1 (minimum). Again, the "Feed Rate" has no effect in "Stove Temp" mode. Set it to whatever you want.
Sitting for 3 or 4 years? Was it unused, or previously used? Have a Harman dealer completely service it. Theres things in there that you & I cannot service. You can use any Harman dealer you want.
Burn Grates not cemented in - Well, Thars yer problem! These MUST be cemented in. See page 6 of your Owners Manual. DO THIS FIRST BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE. I used Rutland Furnace Cement that I bought from Tractor Supply Company. It withstands 2000F. See it at http://www.rutland.com . Home Depot and Lowes carrys it, but they have their own brand names. The reason is, all the combustion air will escape around the grates, instead of going thru the holes of the grates. You probably have not seen a full burn yet! Cement the grates in place, then clean out all the holes with a drill bit, and I bet all your problems will disappear.
BTW.... I also used this cement to cement the 3 firebricks together. They weren't held in very well, and by cementing them together, they provide more protection. I did not cement them to the stove. They can still be removed.
Have fun!
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PelletstoCoal
- Member
- Posts: 90
- Joined: Sat. Mar. 01, 2008 3:42 pm
Pipe cleaning: I will run a brush through about 2-3 times per season, easy job and it only takes a few minutes.
Feed Rate: Feed rate is 100% dependent upon your coal. Wet/damp sticky coal will require a slightly higher feed rate, dry coal lower feed rate, and coal gradation (size) will vary from source to source, more/less fines etc. will require a slight adjustment of the feed rate. The feed rate adjusts the amount of coal to be pushed by the block per time cycle. Feed rate adjustment works in conjunction with all settings (room temp & stove temp).
Grates: According to the manual, burn characteristics will be affected if the grates are not cemented in properly. Loose grates will allow combustion air to escape.
Room Temp: Coal stoves are generally slower to get up to temp, pellets are quicker. My stove on room temp. chugg on low, then a few minutes later the stove will have a grate full or red coals just kicking out the heat. This process is repeated as required by the thermostat probe. I do not use the room temp. setting that much, I like the stove temp. setting. I have relocted the room probe to the other side of the room and left the probe alongside the stove and I did not like the results, just my preference. It does take a good ten minutes to get the stove up to temp.
It is a nice stove, you will like it. Just one note, try to use dry or slightly damp coal, wet coal makes a mess of the rear of the machine.
Frank
Feed Rate: Feed rate is 100% dependent upon your coal. Wet/damp sticky coal will require a slightly higher feed rate, dry coal lower feed rate, and coal gradation (size) will vary from source to source, more/less fines etc. will require a slight adjustment of the feed rate. The feed rate adjusts the amount of coal to be pushed by the block per time cycle. Feed rate adjustment works in conjunction with all settings (room temp & stove temp).
Grates: According to the manual, burn characteristics will be affected if the grates are not cemented in properly. Loose grates will allow combustion air to escape.
Room Temp: Coal stoves are generally slower to get up to temp, pellets are quicker. My stove on room temp. chugg on low, then a few minutes later the stove will have a grate full or red coals just kicking out the heat. This process is repeated as required by the thermostat probe. I do not use the room temp. setting that much, I like the stove temp. setting. I have relocted the room probe to the other side of the room and left the probe alongside the stove and I did not like the results, just my preference. It does take a good ten minutes to get the stove up to temp.
It is a nice stove, you will like it. Just one note, try to use dry or slightly damp coal, wet coal makes a mess of the rear of the machine.
Frank
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Poconoeagle
- Member
- Posts: 6397
- Joined: Sat. Nov. 08, 2008 7:26 pm
- Location: Tobyhanna PA
" See page 6 of your Owners Manual. DO THIS FIRST BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE. "
The other guy in the shop wants one now and told me that he wished he had asked about it first.
Once I shut it down tomorrow I will glue these grates in place and see if that helps.
I was thinking since its older that the circut board might be slower then the newer ones?
just a thought
Matt
Once I shut it down tomorrow I will glue these grates in place and see if that helps.
I was thinking since its older that the circut board might be slower then the newer ones?
just a thought
Matt
I thought about that, but I think thats a long shot. When I shut mine down for the year, I'll let you know if I find any date stamps on my circuit board. Maybe you can compare it against yours.matlock wrote:The other guy in the shop wants one now and told me that he wished he had asked about it first.
Once I shut it down tomorrow I will glue these grates in place and see if that helps.
I was thinking since its older that the circut board might be slower then the newer ones?
just a thought
Matt
ok I glued the plates down and its seemed to do alot of good things. now my adjustment rate is not to slow as it was before.
i turned it up all the way and then turned it all the way down and it cooled down in about 15 to 20 mins.
so thanks for your advice and now all I need to do is order a spare ash pan.
Thanks again
Matt
i turned it up all the way and then turned it all the way down and it cooled down in about 15 to 20 mins.
so thanks for your advice and now all I need to do is order a spare ash pan.
Thanks again
Matt
Matt, Good News! Now you will have the whole summer to think about next year's burn. Believe me, it will get ALOT warmer now.matlock wrote:ok I glued the plates down and its seemed to do alot of good things. now my adjustment rate is not to slow as it was before.
Matt
Yes, absolutely. I put the FEEDRATE knob into ASHOUT position, then pull the fines tray and dump it into my coal shovel. After I replace the fines tray, I open the glass door and dump the fines on top of the burning coal. Close the glass door. Then I move the FEEDRATE back to 1 or 2. Might as well get a couple BTUs out of those fines!matlock wrote:ok one more question.
can you empty the fines tray wile the stove is running?
the owners book does not tell you to much about these kinda questions.
Thanks
Matt
Also, I never lock the left side cover, so I can get to the fines tray without the need of a screwdriver. I just push the side door closed after I reinstall the fines tray.