Can Anyone Tell Me the Good, Bad and Ugly on the Super Stoke

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adkcoalburner
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Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: super magnumstoker
Coal Size/Type: rice coal
Other Heating: oil boiler

Post by adkcoalburner » Mon. Sep. 29, 2014 5:28 pm

Just hoping to get any info that will help me start what will hopefully be a long happy relationship with this big investment on the Harman Super Stroker. Thanks for any helpful input.

 
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Hambden Bob
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Location: Hambden Twp. Geauga County,Ohio
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Harman 1998 Magnum Stoker
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Blower Model Coal Chubby 1982-Serial#0097
Coal Size/Type: Rice-A-Roni ! / Nut
Other Heating: Pro-Pain Forced Air

Post by Hambden Bob » Mon. Sep. 29, 2014 5:40 pm

Talk to CaptCaper. He has one,uses it in a Freeze Your Butt Off Area of the Hard Eastern part of the U.S.,and Raves about it. Now that Alternate Heating Systems has purchased the remains of the Harman Coal Line(Legacy),I think your prospects for better unit support have risen. :up:

 
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McGiever
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Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Mon. Sep. 29, 2014 9:46 pm

It burns rice coal...not pea.

It will be ugly if you get several tons of pea. :shock:

 
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SpurHntr
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Location: Carbon County, PA
Coal Size/Type: Rice

Post by SpurHntr » Tue. Sep. 30, 2014 9:54 pm

adkcoalburner wrote:Just hoping to get any info that will help me start what will hopefully be a long happy relationship with this big investment on the Harman Super Stroker. Thanks for any helpful input.
My experience started out rocky, but it was a problem quickly fixed by my dealer.
My inlaws have a LL WITH COALTROL.
gotta say, it's a damn nice stove.
But honestly, the Harman seems more "substantial".
LL maybe a bit quieter?
My unit does a lot of crunching when pushing the coal. Not awful but noticeable.
I like the looks of the Harman.
Like the simplicity of the Harman, the coal-trol is nice though I admit.
No regrets.
Keeps my house VERY warm!


 
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captcaper
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Post by captcaper » Fri. Oct. 03, 2014 7:51 am

Missed this post and no one contacted me but I will afirm the Harman is a heck of a unit. I do like the fact of the outer Radient panels and the ability to completely block or partially block off air to the front vents and direct the air to a duct hooked up to the top of the stove to feed duct work to my living area. Filter is easy to get at as well as the componants.
Idles down nicely and keeps the home at the temp I set it at no matter what the outside temp is. I set it and leave it.
To light it I just grab a handful of cowboy coal that has had some lighter fluid on it . Lay it on the grate light it and turn on the stove. I lay some Rice around the Cowboy. Away it goes.

 
adkcoalburner
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Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: super magnumstoker
Coal Size/Type: rice coal
Other Heating: oil boiler

Post by adkcoalburner » Fri. Oct. 03, 2014 8:44 pm

Does this need a barametric damper. I have heard mixed opinions as well as wether of not I should install a 3" fresh air intake from outside. Thanks

 
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2001Sierra
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Location: Wynantskill NY, 10 miles from Albany
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Keystoker 90 Chimney vent
Coal Size/Type: Rice
Other Heating: Buderus Oil Boiler 3115-34

Post by 2001Sierra » Fri. Oct. 03, 2014 9:17 pm

adkcoalburner wrote:Does this need a barametric damper. I have heard mixed opinions as well as wether of not I should install a 3" fresh air intake from outside. Thanks
My opinion on outside air is as follows. Why take room temp for combustion, when we cannot help but take room temp out through the baro. I can only hope soon I too will have outside air to my Keystoker. Presently I have a basement window nearby cracked so I dictate how combustion air is provided. I do not want negative pressure in
the house supplying air.

 
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captcaper
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Post by captcaper » Sat. Oct. 04, 2014 8:52 am

adkcoalburner wrote:Does this need a barametric damper. I have heard mixed opinions as well as wether of not I should install a 3" fresh air intake from outside. Thanks
Yes all these stokers need one from what I have seen. The stokers have forced air into the grates that burn the coal. This air now is hot of course needs to vent. If the draft isn't good it will back into the room. A barometric damper allows you to control the hot gasses air leaving at a fast rate or slow rate. You don't want all that heat going up the chimney. You want to steal some of it to help heat the stove. You have to get a Manometer from Amazon for around $25 and hook it to the flue pipe above the stove. Mount it on a wall in back or nearby. This will tell you what's the proper setting to make with the baro and stove. Easy enough. Lot's of us here that will help.
On outside air I have mine in the basement over in the corner so I don't care if the air is drawn up. I really don't want to cut a hole in the cement foundation or run the duct work to another wall. My basement lets air in as it's not tight anyway and I like that as I work there and want fresh air coming in somewhat.


 
adkcoalburner
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Posts: 10
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Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: super magnumstoker
Coal Size/Type: rice coal
Other Heating: oil boiler

Post by adkcoalburner » Sat. Oct. 04, 2014 9:00 am

What brand of manometer do most of you guys use?

 
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lsayre
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Stoker Coal Boiler: AHS S130 Coal Gun
Coal Size/Type: Lehigh Anthracite Pea
Other Heating: Resistance Boiler (13.5 KW), ComfortMax 75

Post by lsayre » Sat. Oct. 04, 2014 9:31 am

adkcoalburner wrote:What brand of manometer do most of you guys use?
Dwyer Mark II Model 25

http://www.coleparmer.com/Product/Dwyer_Mark_II_M ... W-68062-58

Or the Dwyer Magnehelic Model 2000-00

http://www.dwyer-inst.com/Product/Pressure/Differ ... Series2000

Or for a few extra dollars you can get the Magnehelic model 2000-00-ASF, which has a nice "adjustable signal flag" (pointer) that you can set to 0.04" (or whatever) so you can know at a glance if you are close to the optimal range.

 
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captcaper
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Post by captcaper » Sat. Oct. 04, 2014 4:32 pm

adkcoalburner wrote:What brand of manometer do most of you guys use?
The model 25 works fine on my SuperStoker. Buy a coiled up length of 1/4 " copper tubing from HomeDepot and a flare fitting that you can bolt into the vent pipe. Run that away from stove and use the rubber tubing that comes with the "25" for the last few feet. The rubber might melt,etc. if you use it directly from the vent pipe.
Most of us reverse the hose hook up on the meter so it reads on the right side of 0 because it's easier to read this way and is still accurate.

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