Ready for Spring Nor'easter - Installed a Harman Pellet Stove Today

Hello

2-4" of snow in our forecast!

It got really cold this weekend 32 Degs at 11 pm Sunday night and the snow is coming in the morning. Boston and south of Boston School closings are coming in for tomorrow, the first day of Spring!

All the venting parts are in for the Big Selkirk DT install into the new workshop for some heat since it is 31 Degs outside right now! I really saved some money on this one, I got the major DT parts for $80 from a guy who uninstalled them because he did not like this system! DT is not for every stove, it absolutely will not work on a Magnum Baby CountrySide but it works super with Harman stoves!

So I picked up a dusty dirty old 1999 Harman Advance made later in the year which has the glass hopper lid, iron firebrick and the 4 baffle panels that come out for easy cleaning. The models made earlier that year had the metal hopper lid, vermiculite firebrick that wears out and the top 2 baffle panels do not come out for cleaning.

This stove did have the old burn pot on stoves made 2004 and earlier which does not keep the flame away from the firebrick backing so I just picked up a new burn pot, made a lytherm gasket and bolted it right in!

Also had to scrounge a new tile for the missing one on top and along with some new paint, I threw on a nice nickel trim kit.

Just to get good heat, I also put in a new circuit board.

The hearth was custom made by my new helper with our name burned in and of course built in Rope Light!

The install was tough, the first try made the cleanout too close to the hearth since the exhaust flange is so low. I finally figured out I could use the 45 Deg angle to my advantage and tip the cleanout T.
Since this venting is really heavy, I cut a piece of pressure treated 2x6 and nailed it in between the studs for some really good support. However I also had to add bracket extensions to keep the stove in the middle of the hearth. When the sheet rock goes up it will cover this nicely.

The combustion blower was in rough shape so I put a new one in with the upgraded double paddle fan blade for good measure.

Then when I went to fire the old girl up the auger would not turn, even though it did when I tested it. The motor was old and rusty. I turned the auger by hand and it turned freely then I thought wait a min, the auger motor is still attached! LOL
So I took a 4 RPM auger motor and installed it so I would still have some fire tonight!

Pic 1 - Dirty Dusty old stove with the old chain drive
Pic 2 - Label - June 1999
Pic 3 - New Combustion Blower - also see old auger motor ready to die!
Pic 4 - New double paddle
Pic 5 - New Combustion Blower Tag
Pic 5-8 - Old Auger motor dated 2006 - only 10 years old!

 

More Pics

Pic 9 - Initial vent pipe fitting - Cleanout cap to low, this will not work!
Pic 10 - 45 Deg the cleanout T - Yes!
Pic 11 - Installed 2x6 and 4" venting bracket under DT OAK air take off
Pic 12 - Vacuum cleanout and flex OAK air looking good
Pic 13 - Outside vent cap
Pic 14 - 16 - All done and it works!!!

 

That really is a very nice looking stove - especially once you got it all the new parts in and spiffified the exterior.

 

Thanks
It is 48,000 BTUs so it keeps the 12'x22' shop nice and cozy on a cold snowy day like today.

 

Roads after the 1st 10 miles were slick because they insisted on salting (passed 3 state trucks spreading the stuff - no plows on). The snow piled on top and it made a freezy slush underneath. If they had plowed, or done nothing, it would have been a breeze since roads were cold enough that the snow wasn't sticking, just piling up. First 10 miles I was out before state or town trucks were out - even the car ahead of me wasn't having any issues in curves and such.

 

Got up at 6, no snow, back to bed. Got up at 8, at least 2-3 inches. School closed. I canceled going to my Vet meeting. Just not worth taking a risk on the road. With this light snow winter, too many folks going just too fast and not remembering to slow down. I'll go next week providing the weather is OK.

 

Well, the guesser's 2-4" as the high totals was a bit off; plenty of places got 7-9". Oh, and there was an earthquake centered not too far from my house. Wonder if it's still standing . . .

 

We aren't too far apart, but got nothing here. Sun's been out all morning, 52* right now. 70* in the house with just the front door open and sun heating the inside just from the screen door (south facing).

 

that wasn't an earthquake....that was the sound of the trucks backing up to your stash and hauling it away

 

We ended up with 5-6" and shoveling was a little heavy because it was 32 degrees. Now it is 50 degrees and the roads are bare.
The new shop was cozy this morning with the new heater and now it is off with 2 Windows on the south side. Still good to have the pellet stove while it is still chilly in the mornings. Now I will have to hook up a stat for better control this time of year!

 

Uh oh..
Wasn't me..

 

the "test date" isn't the date of manufacture! This particular Advance was made on 5/27/2004 (5 years after the test date).....

 

Good to know LW
How do you get the Manufacturer Date???
When did they start making the glass hopper lids???

 

you hafta know low people in low places, Don! I actually wasn't going to post it, because I don't want to be inundated with folks here wondering how old that used unit is.....I wont do it....but, suffice to say, you cant tell from the label.
as for the lids.....don't rightly recall, but its been quite some time...prior to the HHT thing......

 

Got several brush piles of blackberry brambles mixed with poison ivy that I ripped up yesterday surrounding the pallets. If they went thru that, there will be DNA evidence (blood) and then tell-tale signals in a couple of hours (poison ivy rash). Ha, I would sacrifice a few bags to see the damage

 

Thanks LW someone else said to call Harman and they will tell. They have a different way of doing things!
This stove has the glass lid so the metal lid must be on stoves somewhere before 2004 then. That still helps a lot. Thanks

 

yea, someone posted a CL ad where it showed a steel lid Advance........old, but reworked and painted well....someone put some new lipstick on the old hooer.

 

As long as the Feeder Weldment is in good shape, the stove can be fixed up easily and will last a long time. Right?