Inserts - Harman Vs. Hitzler

Legendsingray: Glad to help - but you will have to be satisfied with watching the "blue-ladies" dance; there will be no smell
from the Hitzer. We are considering a move to Texas & looking at coal sources - - - - - how available is anthracite
in Virginia? Regards, baldeagle

I guess when I say smell, is the smell I remember when I would stoke my Harman, but you are right, not needing to stoke the 503, but I will enjoy watching the dance of the blue ladies. Coal in my area can be tricky. There are 2 dealers 1.5 hours away (one North, one South) of Reading coal. There is a minninite (sp) family about 30 min east of me that sells Blackshack which is what I used to burn back home. Figure I'll be driving East to get my coal. That's really it.

Legendsingray -- Well OK then. We bought the bagged Blaschak coal for the past two seasons. Used the smaller size
(pea) in the fall and spring and then "nut" during the winter. We seem to get more heat (albeit @ increased coal
consumption) with the nut but the wife liked the pea for the gentler shaking (anyone have a tennis elbow?) and it was
easier to idle the burner. As a bye-the bye our dealer sells a +/- $ 16 dollar reostat to control the fan speed - also
nice here in the fall and spring ............. BUT IF you use the reostat understand the three position
switch MUST be set on manual; starting and stopping the motors when in stepped-down amperages fries motors
prematurely. Seems reasonable and I have been assured of that by several owners. baldeagle

This is an old/dead board, but found it interesting to return to this. Spring 2014, I finally upgraded to a Hitzer, but its the 983. Have heard nothing except great things about this stove.

Also interesting side note. 4 years after this board was started Harman no longer makes a coal burning insert.

Well,while it may be an old thread,you've returned four years later to freshen it up a bit ! Welcome back,and I'm glad you've tossed in the 983. People do seem to enjoy their Hitzers. Did you have it heating during the entire length of this Winter? P.S....Did you install a new CO Detector or two when you installed the Insert?.......Thanx for coming back and giving us the rest of the Story. It's Appreciated!

EasyRay wrote:A friend of mine has a 503 insert.This is his third season with it. Before the season started, he had to replace the frame that holds the grates, because the frame was warped and corroded in a lot of places. That frame rests on a lip thats welded around the inside of the stove. One side of that lip that holds the frame up has come off, so now the whole frame and grates are tilted. I don't know what kind of steel Hitzer is using in this insert, but I would be very upset if it was my stove.

I recommended a Hitzer or Harman insert to him when he was looking. He used a Hass and Sohn for 30 years with little trouble.

Sounds like he's running it a little too hot. If the insert has the bimetallic thermostat, suggest he closes the ash pan vents some, so the openings look round. I'm not familiar with the Hitzer inserts. I am very familiar with the Hitzer EZ-Flow stoves. Running the stoves with the ash pan vents too far open will cause damage. Ash pan vents are for maintaining a quick responsive fire. Bi-metallic thermostat is for room comfort.

On the Hitzer insert the only fire regulation is via the ash pan vents. There is no bimetallic thermostat. Also can control draft with the built in dampener.

Yep vent is in the pan...
Just on the inserts...
'cause they got squished to fit in fireplaces...
Plus the MPD up top...

I love mine but its a freestanding/insert cross breed, Its in the fireplace but its piped directly to the flue with a barometric damper and it heats my 2400 sqft house to the upper 70*s and sometimes into the 80*s ,this year I'm at 4 tons nonstop since October 26th(no oil or heat pump)I was thinking about adding(cut and weld) a heat regulator form a 50-93 but after this year with a good drafting chimney and a baro I think I will just leave it as is.I was looking at the Harman but I can't stand the Dealers around me so I went with the Hitzer plus the costumer service is out of this world .Keepaeyeonit