Harman Magnum Stoker Grates,Install Question?

 
duracraftdan
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Post by duracraftdan » Mon. Sep. 30, 2013 9:32 pm

I am replacing the grates in my Harman Magnum Super stoker stove. The old ones were warped. I have the new grates already. When I removed the old ones they had mortar or cement or some kind of stove patch that had them held in place. Is this normal? Is it needed? What would I use to set the new ones with if needed? Anyone with knowledge,please help....


 
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coalkirk
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Post by coalkirk » Mon. Sep. 30, 2013 10:33 pm

I can tell you that Harman never used any type of cement to hold the grates in their regular mag stoker. Not sure about the super mag. But most importantly if your grates are warped in your super mag, you are burning it way too hot. My boiler uses the same stoker as the regular mag and my grates are 10 years old. They are not warped but they are starting to show wear from age.

 
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Post by duracraftdan » Tue. Oct. 01, 2013 4:28 pm

I had alot of problems controlling the feed rate on this stove last year. I have the feed rate set at 1 1/2 to 2 out of the 6 settings available. When the stove comes off pilot and does it heat ramp up it will run burning coal off the end of the plates even set as low as I have it. I don't know what is wrong.

 
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Post by duracraftdan » Wed. Oct. 02, 2013 8:20 pm

I got the stove last fall and over the winter was the first time I used it. I wonder if the last owner cemented the grates in place to seal them because he knew they were warped? IF Harman does not use any cement then why else would they be done like that. The stove has only been burned for 2 years. Prevous owner got it new and burned the first winter,I got it from him and used it last winter. It has only had 8 tons of coal burned in it.

 
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Hambden Bob
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Post by Hambden Bob » Thu. Oct. 03, 2013 6:15 am

Hold the phone....Coalkirk right on point. grates are non cemented,allowing for expansion..They should just ride freely in the cradle...Consult your manual. If you didn't get one,go to Harmann's website and see if you can download one. That used to be an option. Get it,and lets start from there. You may have other things brewing. And yes,if grated are warped,over-firing has occurred.

 
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Post by dcrane » Thu. Oct. 03, 2013 7:18 am

duracraftdan wrote:I got the stove last fall and over the winter was the first time I used it. I wonder if the last owner cemented the grates in place to seal them because he knew they were warped? IF Harman does not use any cement then why else would they be done like that. The stove has only been burned for 2 years. Prevous owner got it new and burned the first winter,I got it from him and used it last winter. It has only had 8 tons of coal burned in it.
2 seasons and your replacing grates :shock: Its not a good sign the first owner furnace cemented the heck out of it after the first season of burning :mad3: for some whaco reason Harman stokers have commanded "crazy" money (with no justification other than pure greed by limiting production, dealers), spare parts are ridiculous as well... everything went to "hell in a handbasket" when they sold out to a national conglomerate. 2 seasons old, furnace cementing after one season (meaning it failed after one season really)... Id be calling the company and raising holy hell for my free grates! If I did not get satisfaction, I would call and write directly to Mr. Determan at Hearth & Home Technologies
7571-215th Street West
Lakeville, MN 55044
(952) 985-6080

give him the serial # and info off the unit, explain after one season the grate failed and you had to furnace cement the warped gaps showing and though you don't mind handling installation of new grates you are asking for an updated, quality grate to be sent to you asap.

If you are unhappy with Mr. Determans response... sell the stove (or better yet... box it up and write "Harmon Stoves" in big letters and "Returned to Sender" and "Piece 0 Shyt" on it deliver it to the nearest Harman Dealer and take a picture of it next to the Harman Sign and start posting that photo on every forum, every google site and every rating feedback site you can find and then.....go buy a Leisure Line!

 
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coalkirk
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Post by coalkirk » Thu. Oct. 03, 2013 8:01 am

The regular Harman stoker mechanism is time tested, simple and very reliable. As I said earlier my grates are 10 years old and still very usable. The stoker motor and blower are original. I have disassembled it every year, cleaned and lubricated it.
Overpriced? yes. POS? no. Now the so called Super Magnum, I admit I've never seen in person. I understand the stoker was modified. Someone told me they used parts that were from their pellet stoves in the super stoker. Hard for me to believe that was an improvement. I think compromise would be a better word. :(


 
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Post by titleist1 » Thu. Oct. 03, 2013 8:19 am

duracraftdan wrote:When the stove comes off pilot and does it heat ramp up it will run burning coal off the end of the plates even set as low as I have it
This should be easy to figure out at least.....

On my regular mag, if I was pushing burning coal off the grates that would mean the travel on my pusher block needed to be shortened. Do you have a threaded rod / sleeve with a wingnut out the back of the stoker on the super mag? Adjusting the position of that wing nut on the threaded rod / sleeve controls how far the pusher block travels on the old style.

Is there a baffle plate that covers part of the combustion fan on the super mag? That plate would regulate the amount of air being blown under the grates. My plate covers about 2/3 of the fan intake. It could be you are pushing too much air through the grates causing it to burn too hot and that is why the grates warped. Or some of the grate holes could be partially blocked forcing all the air up through fewer holes causing a hot spot that warped the grates.

I have never seen a super mag firsthand, can you post a pic of the combustion fan setup?

edit to add... just found the exploded view of the stoker assembly and you don't have a threaded rod / sleeve. you have a 'shoulder screw' that looks like it fits in a slot on the 'pusher arm weldment'. I can't tell from the diagram what controls how far that 'pusher arm weldment' travels.

 
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Post by captcaper » Fri. Oct. 04, 2013 5:56 am

Subscribed..

 
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Post by duracraftdan » Fri. Oct. 04, 2013 6:39 am

The only adjustment for coal output,That I am aware of is the nob on the control panel. When the thermostat calls for heat the stove go nuts and starts cycling the feed plunger several times a minute until I have burning coal running off the end of the grates. I know I wasted alot of coal last year. The only way to keep it from doing this is to set the control nob to 1 1/2 to maybe 2 out of the 6 available. Then it will not flow over but the heat output is not as good as I think it should be.

I am thinking about a Coal-trol control system. The Harman provided on I think is the problem it asts kind of nuts and hard to control.

 
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Post by captcaper » Fri. Oct. 04, 2013 6:51 am

Lot's of the old Harman Stoker guys here and not so many of us new SuperMag guys it seems so advice is slim. But there has to be a way to regulate it for good burns.. I don't look forward to learning my new SuperMag..I just hooked it up yesterday. Mostly I want to keep temps down in the basement as I work there and can't deal with the heat it may put out on warming days. My MarkIII use to idle down to nothing with Pea and was workable. I may have to shut the Mag off during the day.
I too would go CoalTrol if that would help. Not many or anyone has the SuperMag/Coal Trol combo's here I believe.

 
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Post by Rigar » Fri. Oct. 04, 2013 5:22 pm

duracraftdan
..does your stoker have 'ESP" ?

 
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Post by Rigar » Fri. Oct. 04, 2013 5:42 pm

sorry
...Exhaust Sensing Probe technology ?? ^

 
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Post by duracraftdan » Fri. Oct. 04, 2013 8:08 pm

Yes,It does have the exhaust sensor. Not to sure how that system works though..

 
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Post by Rigar » Fri. Oct. 04, 2013 11:12 pm

im not sure either !.... :D

...but from what I do understand...it monitors exhaust temperatures...and regulates the feed and combustion rate based on flu temp
I was thinking that if your stoker is feeding fast and heating too hot...that maybe the sensor is not functioning properly...just something to think about


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