Calling any DS Machine Owners

It sounds like the DS is just what you need. I would never want to go back to a front loading stove. The convenience and cleanliness is hard to beat.

LDPosse wrote:It sounds like the DS is just what you need. I would never want to go back to a front loading stove. The convenience and cleanliness is hard to beat.

That's what I'm thinking too. Everyone's circumstances are different in terms of square footage or other heating conditions, etc. My biggest issue is TIME and from researching several stoves and this forum (which is FULL of knowledge) I think the DS is what my situation calls for.

Hey MudFlap, and welcome. If you've read other DS owners' posts you probably stumbled across a few of my long rambling missives.

This is my first year with a DS1500WH and I'm extremely pleased. I have a 2250 sf two-story with another 900 sf or so of partly-exposed basement. My stove is at one end of basement under a hood that's ducted into my heat pump blower, which we keep running 24/7 so it circulates the stove heat. This was my old setup with my previous stove, but the DS circulator stove is ideally suited for this because those circulator tubes are constantly directing warm air up into the collector hood. HP compressor only kicks on occasionally on colder days, and even on single-degree days the backup toasters have not run at all.

Never thought about bolt-on vs. welded construction as an issue with the durability of the stove. For myself, I'd prefer bolt-on, because if parts do need replaced, I can turn a bolt. I can't weld.

I've noticed a few oddities about my stove. The ash door has draft spinners but they are welded shut, because it has the thermostatic draft control. Not sure if this is intentionally decorative, or if they're using up doors and spinners that were purchased prior to adding the thermostatic draft. Also, the ash pan is a bit narrower than the grate area, which DS addressed by adding a slanted piece of metal running front to back under the left side of the grates. This deflects the ash on the left side of the grates into the ash pan instead of dropping beside it. Gets the job done but it adds another cleanup item in the spring.

Not saying DS Machine is the only stove to consider--I checked out Hitzers before I bought, and they also look like a darn fine stove.

I'm sending you a PM also...click the envelope icon above.

Thanks MarkV, I sent you 2 PM's.

MudFlapLip wrote:Do you ever have a time when you wish it came installed with a fan?

I have the 1300 which is the baby version of the 1600. I have experimented with a fan blowing directly on the stove, and it puts out more heat by burning more coal. I can do without the fan and run the stove hotter and overall the quantity of coal seems to work out the same. So no advantage for the fan there, unless you like white noise.

BUT -- I need to distribute the heat horizontally because the stove is in a far corner of my living area. I set up a tall 14-inch pedestal fan to blow upwards at a 30 degree angle over the top of the stove, but not blowing on the stove at all. It's pretty quiet, and it makes the area more comfortable by mixing the air. Even though there is probably more air movement than without a fan, it feels less drafty because everything is a uniform temperature. I have seen others recommend a ceiling fan blowing UP to accomplish the same thing, but since the fashion police say that would be an abomination in this old house the pedestal fan does a great job.

top loader and a hopper...
two reasons to ditch the Harman...
I had the Mark II...
best move i made with a coal stove...
Hitzers are prettier...
the DSM is a tank...

rberq wrote:

MudFlapLip wrote:Do you ever have a time when you wish it came installed with a fan?

I have the 1300 which is the baby version of the 1600. I have experimented with a fan blowing directly on the stove, and it puts out more heat by burning more coal. I can do without the fan and run the stove hotter and overall the quantity of coal seems to work out the same. So no advantage for the fan there, unless you like white noise.

BUT -- I need to distribute the heat horizontally because the stove is in a far corner of my living area. I set up a tall 14-inch pedestal fan to blow upwards at a 30 degree angle over the top of the stove, but not blowing on the stove at all. It's pretty quiet, and it makes the area more comfortable by mixing the air. Even though there is probably more air movement than without a fan, it feels less drafty because everything is a uniform temperature. I have seen others recommend a ceiling fan blowing UP to accomplish the same thing, but since the fashion police say that would be an abomination in this old house the pedestal fan does a great job.

Ok thanks that's good to know. The fan, or lack of fan, isn't really a big deal to me. I rarely use the fan on my current stove anyhow (all 75 cfm of it lol) I was just curious if others were regretful of not having one. Again, not a deal breaker or big deal to me.

CapeCoaler wrote:top loader and a hopper...
two reasons to ditch the Harman...
I had the Mark II...
best move i made with a coal stove...
Hitzers are prettier...
the DSM is a tank...

Well that pretty much sums it up! I'm more than likely going with the DSM after doing a ton of research. I think with the amount of square footage I have to heat and the length of burn time I need, the 1600 seems to fit my needs pretty well.

On a different note, I am considering installing this stove with a MPD due to a very good draft and more often then not, windy conditions. Any thoughts???

I have a 20ft brick chimney with good draft. My MPD stays 90% closed 24/7 the entire season.

ridgeracing wrote:I have a 20ft brick chimney with good draft. My MPD stays 90% closed 24/7 the entire season.

I have very similar conditions so I think the damper will be a certain install. I don't have much experience with one but just like anything else, trial and error will work itself out.

MudFlapLip wrote:

ridgeracing wrote:I have a 20ft brick chimney with good draft. My MPD stays 90% closed 24/7 the entire season.

I have very similar conditions so I think the damper will be a certain install. I don't have much experience with one but just like anything else, trial and error will work itself out.

MPD no baro on these stoves and you will do fine




Eric

To mud flap up. Your stove dealer says no mpd or baro. I think you are wasting a lot of heat up the chimney. Harman says no Manuel pipe damper, but a baro saves heat. Do you know your chimney temps on a cold day? The draft in wc? These are important for efficiently. My Mark 3, on a 0 degree day is 600 degrees, the black pipe to the insulated chimney is 110 degrees. The rest is heat in the house. My home is over 125 years old. 2000 sq. ft not insulated like yours, but 75 degrees on first floor and 72 on the seconded floor. Get a manometer to check draft. Only then you will get longer burn times. Ps. Another way to lengthen the burn times, since you live alone is to closed off rooms you don't use. The temps will go up and you can lower the stove temps. G. Just want to help.

Storm wrote:To mud flap up. Your stove dealer says no mpd or baro. I think you are wasting a lot of heat up the chimney. Harman says no Manuel pipe damper, but a baro saves heat. Do you know your chimney temps on a cold day? The draft in wc? These are important for efficiently. My Mark 3, on a 0 degree day is 600 degrees, the black pipe to the insulated chimney is 110 degrees. The rest is heat in the house. My home is over 125 years old. 2000 sq. ft not insulated like yours, but 75 degrees on first floor and 72 on the seconded floor. Get a manometer to check draft. Only then you will get longer burn times. Ps. Another way to lengthen the burn times, since you live alone is to closed off rooms you don't use. The temps will go up and you can lower the stove temps. G. Just want to help.

I understand your outlook and appreciate your advice Storm you brought up valid points. It says in the manual not to install a MPD but a baro is apparently acceptable. Prior to install I asked a few different dealers and they all said not to run a baro so I didn't. I'm sure you're right that I am losing some heat out of the chimney. Your situation seems to work well. You're operating a stove within the limits, expectations and capabilities of it. A Mark III is a beast of a stove and Harman makes a very solid product. I think ultimately, I am behind the 8-ball right off the bat given my stove location, (being centralized in the house but in the basement) square footage of the house and BTU output of the stove. If I had a Mark III and had the same issues I currently have with my Mark II, I would at least stand a chance and probably need to alter my setup with maybe a baro/MPD. 72,000 BTU's for 3500 sq ft or 92,000 BTU's for 3500 sq. ft........ Which one would you prefer if you were out stove shopping? I bought an undersized stove, bottom line. It's an 09 and I picked it up used for a grand through a papershop ad last year. Granted I am very well insulated but 3500 sq. ft. is 3500 sq. ft. I look at it this way: If I went to a Harman shop (or visited any dealer for that fact) and gave them my sq. footage, house layout and stove location, they would say the Mark II is undersized for me and a baro or MPD would not make a significant enough impact to side with a Mark II. As a matter of fact, I have told the Hitzer, Harman and DSM dealers my layout and current conditions and while very impressed that the Mark II has kept up, they have all said it is too small of a stove and undersized for my situation. I wish I would've found this forum earlier because I have a feeling if I was considering buying a Mark II, anyone on this forum would've said it is undersized given my circumstances and go with a Mark III or bigger. I will not take anything from a Harman stove and I am beyond impressed with the performance of mine. I would like to pull 650 horsepower out of a 96 Dodge Neon with a stock 4 cyl but that ain't happening either. Although it would be fun to ride in one if someone could make it happen lol

Talk to IOF about the Neon Thing...
MPD but no Baro on the DSM...
Harman had only a spinner hence the need for a baro...
DSM uses thermo on air inlet so the MPD slows the venting on windy days...
Did some testing Baro/MPD/mixed/nothing...
The MPD won...
Strong winds off the Sound...
The Baro was not needed in my setup and just sucked some more heat out...
MPD slowed the burn on high draft days keeping the burn steady...

CapeCoaler wrote:Talk to IOF about the Neon Thing...
MPD but no Baro on the DSM...
Harman had only a spinner hence the need for a baro...
DSM uses thermo on air inlet so the MPD slows the venting on windy days...
Did some testing Baro/MPD/mixed/nothing...
The MPD won...
Strong winds off the Sound...
The Baro was not needed in my setup and just sucked some more heat out...
MPD slowed the burn on high draft days keeping the burn steady...

That's what the DSM dealer recommended too, only a MPD no baro. The several Harman dealers I spoke with recommended I not run a baro. Maybe it was their personal preference or experience I don't know. Thanks for the input.