Disgusted...Harman Super Mag Install

 
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dcrane
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Post by dcrane » Sun. Oct. 27, 2013 7:37 am

coalnewbie wrote:I graduated from a Quadrafire (total POS) to a Harman pellet stove P38+ (even worse) to a DVC (learning to deal but nervous). I suspect the circuitry is the same and there never had been a serious attempt at QC or redesign. There was a yanche post about voltages in thermocouples and how difficult it was to control things that way (sorry I can't find it). Thank God we buy pretty baubles or else Detroit would have done South 50 years earlier. My LL stoves with coal trols are all bulletproof. I wish I could more positive but the unvarnished truth belongs here, heating is too serious a topic. So HNI abandoned coal fires it's about time. They need to concentrate on Chinese office furniture.
but but but.... common newb's.... you gotta admit.... she sure is "peeeerty" to look at while you freeze to death toothy (im sorry, I couldn't resist :doh: )


 
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SpurHntr
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Post by SpurHntr » Sun. Oct. 27, 2013 7:41 am

McGiever wrote:To trip that house breaker it is something at a dead short. The reason I said thermo switch is because they will let the stove start cold and then when temp of set point is reached...BAM!
When stove is cold/cooler it would begin to operate again till that switch reaches temp. :)
Yeah, that's what my electrician said...see OP

 
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SpurHntr
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Post by SpurHntr » Sun. Oct. 27, 2013 7:52 am

DennisH wrote:
Rob R. wrote:Things like this happen in the electronics age...hopefully your dealer is responsive and gets it fixed soon.
Before I moved to the U.P. of Michigan from the Lower, this happened several times with the pellet stove insert I had in our fireplace. If it wasn't a circuit board it was augers that wouldn't work, fan motors, etc. I got really good at troubleshooting and fixing my own problems. When I decided to go with wood-coal I spent months researching as much as possible. I finally went with a hand-fired wood-coal forced air furnace. I knew if power went out for any length of time, we'd at least have heat through convection, since it's in the basement. Fan motor is only other moving part, and that I know how to replace.
This stove is not my primary heat source.
It is to heat my finished walk out basement/family room/man cave - about 1100 sq ft.
I have electric baseboard heat-my electric goes to over $600/mos when on.
My primary 2 living floors above are heated with a FHA heat pump/LP system, but we "live" in our basement.
Almost went with a hand fired unit, but my wife no way no how would tolerate that...so I wanted something "automatic"
I have a 30 plus foot chimney run with beautiful decorative terra cotta chimney caps-this rules out many options.

I looked at LL and Reading
At this point I wish I had gone with either

When we put an LP stove insert 2 years ago in our upstairs den for some ambiance and supplemental morning coffee room heat IT WAS A DISASTER
For a month I had a stove sitting in the middle of my room that didn't work despite about 8 service calls.
Until I got rude and threatened litigation AND my wife calling the manufacturer directly on numerous occasions was it that the manufacturer stepped up and gave us another unit, has worked fine since...

I'm dreading a repeat performance.
My confidence in repairing faulty units from day one is limited.

 
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SpurHntr
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Post by SpurHntr » Sun. Oct. 27, 2013 8:02 am

dcrane wrote:you have to admit... its a perrrty lookin' $4,500 piece of metal all those NON-AMERICAN workers make :mad3: This is what happens when quality control, good service and American craftsmanship get tossed out the window! You have not even seen the worst part yet... (wait till you need to obtain & pay for spare parts on that thing!.... its coming because its a coal stoker and by virtue of that your going to have to maintain it! ;) ) .... get out now before you start seeing your next round of frustration because as sure as Leisure Line is sitting with their heads in their hands saying "why, why, why do people not see the light"... your further frustrations are yet to come... new grates at $115.00 per pop :shock: that combustion fan poops out a few more times and your gonna see that grate twist like a pretzel Harman Mag Stoker Grates , replacing such intricate electronics & fans on this thing will also have you saying "maybe oil is cheaper".

My opinion is "simpler is better", "less is more" when it comes to coal stokers (don't be dazzled by tinsel, pretty reindeer and roll top desk ashpans, built in digital clocks & CD players on your coal stove :lol: )

Mod or poster should add the the words "Harmon Stoker" into title for future ref.
I am not one to be dazzled by a new paint job on an outhouse.
I too prefer simpler things, but simple just wouldn't work in this application.
I grew up tending 3 stokers and a hand fired stove...my house, my garage, and my grandmother's house as a kid.
My grandfather owned his own coal business. Winton Coal on rt 309.
Anyway, I knew I didn't want a hand fired unit though OF COURSE they're less troublesome, I don't think anyone could argue that anymore than I think it is fair to compare stokers with them.
I digress,
I chose this stove based on the dealer proximity, and having two friends who own them "test drive" their super mags for a year before I bit.
I did not build the house I live in, rediculous hvac engineering that it is :mad:
But we love our home and I'm trying to make it more comfortable for my family and I.

 
titleist1
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Post by titleist1 » Sun. Oct. 27, 2013 8:05 am

It really sux when you spend the big $$ and anticipate getting the payback of warmth and the thing craps out right at the start.

I wish you luck getting this resolved and I hope you have a way above average dealer to work your problem. In my experience you won't get much help at all from Harman.

If you had gone with LL and something like this happened there would be no doubt at all that it would get fixed ASAP. Their active participation on here and the fact they put their own phone numbers out there for people to call says it all.

 
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SpurHntr
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Post by SpurHntr » Sun. Oct. 27, 2013 8:09 am

Xwoodburner wrote:Understand

U can at least visually inspect wires and connections

I know it stinks when you pay out money and something like this happens ,
I do a lot of HVAC warranty service calls...... They ll fix u up
No worries
A cup of coffee and a warm welcome goes a long way
Lol
I did inspect the wires and control board panel best I could.
No gross issues.
But I didn't break out my Fluke meter(longtime RVer necessity).

After sleeping on this I've decided to start requesting a new stove if after 2 service calls this isn't rectified.
There just is no good reason I can come up with to do otherwise.
I paid for a new stove that should work.

 
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SpurHntr
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Post by SpurHntr » Sun. Oct. 27, 2013 8:20 am

titleist1 wrote:It really sux when you spend the big $$ and anticipate getting the payback of warmth and the thing craps out right at the start.

I wish you luck getting this resolved and I hope you have a way above average dealer to work your problem. In my experience you won't get much help at all from Harman.

If you had gone with LL and something like this happened there would be no doubt at all that it would get fixed ASAP. Their active participation on here and the fact they put their own phone numbers out there for people to call says it all.
Well,
Fortunately I have the financial means to rectify this myself if need be.
I am documenting everything, not because I'm nuts nor litiginous-loathe legal action and the legal profession on the whole, but because
If my dealer doesn't fix this within a week or two I will likely purchase a LL and fix the problem myself then deal with the supermag.
I'm really not that kind of person though but I don't know what else to do.
So far I'm surprised my dealer didn't try to rectify the problem yesterday on the day of install. I called 3 hours before closing with the report.
My wife and I both run our own businesses and we would never let a customer like this.


 
titleist1
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Post by titleist1 » Sun. Oct. 27, 2013 8:38 am

SpurHntr wrote:So far I'm surprised my dealer didn't try to rectify the problem yesterday on the day of install. I called 3 hours before closing with the report.
My wife and I both run our own businesses and we would never let a customer like this.
Agree with that! We also are both self employed and have worked long past 'closing' and on 'off' days to make a customer happy even if it wasn't our doing.

 
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McGiever
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Post by McGiever » Sun. Oct. 27, 2013 8:49 am

3 hours till closing, showroom full of shoppers $$$...service tech way behind schedule... service calls = paying for tech $$$...warranty call = no paying for tech???... See ya Monday. :roll:

 
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SpurHntr
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Post by SpurHntr » Sun. Oct. 27, 2013 8:55 am

titleist1 wrote:
SpurHntr wrote:So far I'm surprised my dealer didn't try to rectify the problem yesterday on the day of install. I called 3 hours before closing with the report.
My wife and I both run our own businesses and we would never let a customer like this.
Agree with that! We also are both self employed and have worked long past 'closing' and on 'off' days to make a customer happy even if it wasn't our doing.
Yeah, this isn't the dealer's fault in the least.
And I was asked if this was my primary heat source in their defense.
I'm just dreading what I perceive as the inevitable here.

Ps been hunting the eastern shore of Md, same farm in Kent co, over 30 years now. First geese, now for whitetails.
Love the eastern shore. Drive through Cecil co often!

 
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SpurHntr
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Post by SpurHntr » Sun. Oct. 27, 2013 8:56 am

McGiever wrote:3 hours till closing, showroom full of shoppers $$$...service tech way behind schedule... service calls = paying for tech $$$...warranty call = no paying for tech???... See ya Monday. :roll:
:)
:(

 
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SpurHntr
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Post by SpurHntr » Sun. Oct. 27, 2013 8:57 am

Notice I didn't change my stove in my profile

:roll:

 
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captcaper
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Post by captcaper » Sun. Oct. 27, 2013 9:48 am

I love the "Chicken Littles" here...My 2 cents is I know folks here who have Harman pellet,Hand Fired Coal,Stokers stoves and run them 24/7 in NH..our temps get down to 40 deg F below..we know about stoves here. IT's a long and hard winter here at the North Pole. And I know my Mark III was a super built and running stove for me and my family for 7 years..Still is in good shape and I didn't do a darn thing to it. This Super Mag is just as good. It is one nice unit. I'm glad I got it. Like I posted above. It has been a super surprise on how well it is built and runs. I looked into "other" brands of all kinds... I bought this because it seemed the best all around. Right now you couldn't give me another brand.
Be sure to post back what the issue was with the stove..don't leave us hanging with an unsolved post.

 
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SpurHntr
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Post by SpurHntr » Sun. Oct. 27, 2013 9:53 am

captcaper wrote:I love the "Chicken Littles" here...My 2 cents is I know folks here who have Harman pellet,Hand Fired Coal,Stokers stoves and run them 24/7 in NH..our temps get down to 40 deg F below..we know about stoves here. IT's a long and hard winter here at the North Pole. And I know my Mark III was a super built and running stove for me and my family for 7 years..Still is in good shape and I didn't do a darn thing to it. This Super Mag is just as good. It is one nice unit. I'm glad I got it. Like I posted above. It has been a super surprise on how well it is built and runs. I looked into "other" brands of all kinds... I bought this because it seemed the best all around. Right now you couldn't give me another brand.
Be sure to post back what the issue was with the stove..don't leave us hanging with an unsolved post.
I will, if it ever gets fixed
I hope they prove my pessimism unwarranted
But I'm not going to give them til December to fix it

 
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Post by SuperBeetle » Sun. Oct. 27, 2013 10:07 am

Ya know every time I think about getting a stoker, I read things like this. I'll stick with a hand fired. No electric needed, can burn wood if needed, and have heat & cook when the power goes out. The only thing I have replaced in 20 years is the blower (the old one still runs) and the gaskets.


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