Would You Buy a New Harmon TLC 2000 for $1000?

There is a steel plate that has two tabs that is placed over the rectangular vent opening at the top of the firebox.. If you lift the top of the stove, there should not be a square opening in the center rear of the opening, it should have a steel cover over it.
Without the cover, the heat from the fire goes directly up the flue pipe, with the cover in place, the heat has to take a less direct path to the flue, and it makes the stove hotter and flue pipe cooler.. and the stove more efficient.

Greg L.

Yes, I've read the owner's manual from cover to cover and it never mentions that metal plate! I just went through the whole thing again and I cannot find any reference of it! It IS on the parts list in the back and it's labeled "Cleanout." anyway, yes, it's there.

I have noticed that even when my slider is set way to the left (at notch # 2-1/2 out of 7), there are tons of flames inside. Is this normal? With my last coal box-like burner, I had NO flames unless I opened up the door. With this TLC, I have blue flames almost full time and they almost reach the ceiling of the burn chamber. I'm afraid to put the adjuster above 2-1/2 and if that's normal, why is there room for it to go to a whopping 7!? That's why I wonder if I'm doing something wrong.

I wonder if I have too much draft? I closed my manual damper all the way to see what effect it would have and there is no effect at all.

Manometer...
Cut the air back a bit...
Big ladies big air...

I agree with cape coaler. You're getting way too much air. Make sure the side slider vents are closed.(down) I run my TLC at about 1.5 in 40-50 degree weather. As low as 1 during the day. I get a lot of passive solar heat.
I added about 3/4's of a bag this morning after shake down. It's been since yesterday morning. 24 hrs.
That center plate is for cleaning, and also needs to be taken out when using the cooking grill.
A bag a day is too high. I'm using about half that. But I also have a baro . When my manometer drops below 4, I put tin-foil over it nice and tight.
I'll get a pic of how mine is running right now. Forgive me for the dirty glass; but I cook on it quite regularly.
In the pic, you see there are no flames. And you can just barely see any red coals deep in the bed.
Stove is about 200 degrees.

Setting the air intake at 2--2½ is where I usually have it set in much colder weather. Everyone has different chimney draws but I would cut it back to 1½ and see how that works. I use a magnetic thermometers on the stove pipe and the stove. Try to keep the pipe temperature around 120º and if you have good draft you may have to reduce the air intake even further to get the pipe temperature down to 120º.
Make sure the top loading door is sealing and free of debris and keep the two secondary air vents on the sides completely closed.
I leave my manual damper open all the way in warmer weather to make sure I can keep a draft and just use the primary air to keep the stove running.

THANKS! ...great info for me.

I checked the side wood vents and they are indeed closed.
It's 40-50 today and I have a lot of passive solar heat too. If it's sunny and 45, it's 70 in the living area.
I'll set it at 1-1/2 today and see if it stays warm.
I put a magnetic thermometer on the face of the stove. If I put one on the pipe, where's the best place? I love that there's actual data in your posts.
At setting 2-1/2, the thermometer on the face says about 350 degrees.
I will post the temp of the stove at setting 1-1/2 if I can remember, to compare; I'm hoping mine's close to yours.
EDIT: I found a dining room window open from 3 days ago, lol. It was to allow the smoke from the 1st burning on the TLC to exit the home. Well, this could be a big development!

I will update later.

THANKS AGAIN FOLKS ...you are all wonderful for helping me out!
-Tony

Hey Tony,
I remember a few years ago, my wife was always complaining that it was drafty in the living room. More so where she sat at the end of the couch. It wasn't til March of the winter, that she discovered she hadn't latched the casement window tightly shut! If you took the total square area of that crack all around the three sides of that window; it would be a hole the size of a coffee can!

Tony,
You do have CO alarms right? In this warmer weather, and where you are experimenting with a new stove, I'd make sure they are working properly.

Yes, I got one right next to the stove.

I have it down at 1-1/2 and it looks about the same as yours at 1-1/2, but I'm afraid it may not be enough heat ...we'll see.

tony17112acst wrote:Yes, I got one [CO alarm] right next to the stove.

The instructions with my alarm said DON'T put it too close to the stove. 15 to 25 feet away, as I recall. I am not sure what the rationale is for keeping some distance. Maybe too much hot air turbulence right up close? I have one 20 feet away at the opposite end of the room, and another about 3 feet from my head when lying in bed.

tony17112acst wrote:Yes, I got one right next to the stove.

I have it down at 1-1/2 and it looks about the same as yours at 1-1/2, but I'm afraid it may not be enough heat ...we'll see.

If you need more heat at that setting try closing your damper damper about ½ way and see how that works out. You can also close it all the way if it is the type with the hole in it. You just have
to make sure you maintain a draft.
When you get your blower it will wash that heat off the stove at lower temperature and you should burn much less.
Its all trial and error and each setup is different so be patient. You just want to change things one at a time and give it plenty of time between changes and you will see what effect they have.
In colder weather the changes are easily noticed.
My magnetic thermometer is on my tee.

I will definitely move the CO detector; I think putting it further away allows a reading where the CO is more evenly distributed. I also have my thermometer on the face like the photo above, but will need another one for the pipe.

I have a small fan blowing full time up the hole where the bolt-on fan goes. I'm not having results that are much different than without the fan.

I think that since my flames were very high and I was going through coal like nobody's business, I may have a problem generating enough heat from the TLC 2000 for my space. At the 1-1/2 setting (to avoid the flames), I feel like I'm getting a little more than a 20,000 BTU kerosene heater I used for many years ...so I know the feeling/results of one of those.

I'm heating a 24x24 Lower level (mostly underground) with a 16x16 sun room off it, plus the corresponding upstairs with the exact same footprint. It's 75 degrees in the LL and about 70 upstairs but it's been in the 50's outside. When it's in the 20's, I don't think I'll be getting enough heat from this beauty. Maybe I need a "stive" too? (see above posting) I'm also having trouble getting the warm air to go up the stairs! I may need to implement an air handler of some sort.

It's going to be 65 today and in the 80's for the next two days, so I think I'll be letting it burn out tomorrow morning and will have to start the whole feeling-out process next October.

Did you mention anywhere what temp it was running when you had those high flames? I can run mine at 450-500 in the dead of winter.And still get 10-12 hr. burns With the blower on high, this thing puts out some serious heat. My house is 24x26. I heat the basement. Down stairs with cathedral ceilings in one half. And two bedrooms and a full bath up. I have a regester in the floor above the stove, with two very quiet computer fans mounted just below the register. I made a metal diverter to set on the stove that sends the heat from the blower vents straight upwards towards the register. But I only set it there when it's really cold and windy.
This stove is considered pretty good size for a hand fed .
If you need more heat than you can get out of this stove, I would consider a stoker for what you're trying to accomplish. Some of them gives you the option to to put an eight inch vent right out of the top to run off the blower.

My house is a 24 x 48 ft Ranch. Three quarters of the basement is heated where the stove is and six rooms and two baths upstairs. Even when its in the teens or single digits I can go 14 hours before shaking and refilling. Even then my wife tells me its to warm upstairs. I can't remember the last time I was over 400º. Usually around 300º-350º.
This year I burned two ton compared to my usual three ton average. As far as usage goes I can't complain its been a great year. Because of the warm weather I shut down almost a month early this year.
I'm sure you'll get the hang of it next season. This stove can throw some serious heat if you let it.

Hey Ray,
Sounds you got got it down! Have a great summer! Mine burned out today. Baking soda scrub and WD-40 tomorrow.