Harmon Coal Insert Advice Needed.

jeromemsn wrote:Did you read the Harman install instructions? Yes I read the instructions. I believe the stove is set up properly

3 full turns on the spin damper should put you in melt down mode!

How much coal do you have in the insert, do you have it filled to the top of the firebrick? Takes about 80lbs or so to fill it.

Coal is to the top of the fire brick. I loaded up the stove last night around 9:00 and the temp on the top of the stove was at 350

At 5:30 this morning the temp was down to 225 and the coal level was about 3" down from the top of the brick.

Filled the stove back up to the top of the brick, just went down to check the temp and the temp is back up to 350.

Spin damper is still at three full turns open.

I think we are slowly getting the handle on how to run the stove. I believe part of the problem was over shaking the stove which allowed a piece of coal to get caught in between the shaker grates, whick in turn allowed coal to drop in the ash bin.

I have been emptying the ash bin once in the morning before I leave for work and again around 7 PM when I get home.

WIth propane at $2.50 a gallon....I will figure this stove out!

smtm wrote:Do I have a draft problem?

Sorry I'm late responding - this has been OBE - overcome by events.

Sure sounds like it to me. Do you have or can you borrow a manometer to check out your draft. Most coal stoves will operate well with a draft of .04 or .05; anything lower then that and it's hard. If you don't have access to a manometer, make a "Torch" from tightly rolled newspaper and stick it in the insert. Does the draft pull the flame up or does the flame just sit there? Can you successfully burn a wood fire in the insert? For several hours? Did you have the chimney cleaned recently or could something be blocking it? The next place to look is the connection of the stove's chimney exit pipe to the thimble. Is that well sealed off or is air being pulled up from outside the juncture and bypassing the stove? You're using a fireplace; was the damper removed and a correctly sized metal plate with a hole the size of your pipe installed and fiberglass insulation stuffed around it? Is it sealed with "stove sealer"? It could be your stove pipes fit through your damper and that's ok but is it sealed off so no outside air is getting drawn in? Use a burning piece of incense to follow the air flow. The smoke will tell you just how the air is moving.

Check all these things out and if that's all good to go, it's probably not your draft or your installation. Can you send pictures? I've heard tell that a picture is worth a thousand words. We love pictures.

smtm,

Hope you kept that baffle closed. Hope your chimney cap is not a restriction.

Good Draft...It will take a good raging fire quite some time to thoroughly warm up that chimney, especially if it's on the outside of the building.

Take your time...You may be trying to slow it down way too soon...let her rip for a good long while before starting to slow it down...only make small changes at a time then and give it plenty of time to react to the change.

I also have found this post inforative. I bought a elite used from a Harman dealer and installed it myself and when I seen this post about need help I read it. I found out that I didn't get the clean out cover with my stove so I went and got one. wow what a difference! But what gets me is that im running at 3/4 open to 1-1/4 open and im at 400 degrees with nut coal and heat 2400 sq ft. So I was wondering how hes making out? This stove was the best thing I have done

Glad you found help and are running the stove at the best it can be ds11898. You should find that your use of coal also goes down since the heat is not going straight up and out the chimney.

Yes, I too wonder how smtm are making out with the Harman insert. I hope all is well with them....

yeah and im still in the one match club. Just glad I saw the post about the plate before I damaged my stove

jeromemsn wrote:Glad you found help and are running the stove at the best it can be ds11898. You should find that your use of coal also goes down since the heat is not going straight up and out the chimney.

Yes, I too wonder how smtm are making out with the Harman insert. I hope all is well with them....

I have been burning for almost 10 days now with one match

The problems have worked themselves out and now I am getting a nice steady burn for about 10-12 hours on one loading.

Here is what I have learned
1. Shake it twice a day and leave it alone...dont over shake it
2. Load it twice a day and leave it alone
3. Go for a steady burn... I was burning the stove to hot and having problems with clinkers and the coal fusing together, now I am burning right around 350 degrees all day long

It so easy even a cave man can do it

Good to hear smtm!