Setting up my p68 on concrete basement floor. The instructions says the p68 does not need r value under the pellet stove. So am I reading this correctly? You could set it on a wood floor with a thin metal plate of the right dimensions in case of embers . I think I would have a hearth pad of some sort.
The stand where the ashpan is is basically the insulation between the floor and the firebox. Technically all you really need is a 20 gauge sheet of metal for floor protection. Most people buy or make a hearth pad - if for nothing else to get it a bit off the ground so maintenance is a bit easier on the back.
The higher up the unit sits, the easier it is to service and if it's on a concrete floor, you need nothing under it in reality. My stoves (neither are Harman's) both sit on raised brick hearth pads but the primary motivator for that was easier servicing. The older I get the less I like bending over to snatch the ash pan or clean the burn chamber.
That is a great point corncob . When I had my P61a installed, I provided concrete blocks for them to place it on. They told me I didn't need them since it was a concrete floor. I told them I wanted it up, off the floor so they did as I asked. I had totally forgotten that part since I installed a raised floor down there a couple of years ago. At that time I mad a pad for floor protection and to raise the stove up, but I could have gone with sheet metal if I hadn't wanted to raise it.
Hello All my stoves in the basement, garage and workshop are on home made raised Hearths for 2 reasons. 1. The cement gets damp sometimes and the stove will wick up the moisture and the paint will peel off on the bottom portion. Not a big deal but it just stays nicer longer. 2. They are all raised hearths so people walk into the Hearth before the hot door glass and get burned. Again not a big deal but a nice safety factor around kids. Also I installed a 240 VAC 900 watt electric kickspace heater in the hearth pad to keep feet warm when the stove is down for cleaning. Then for looks I just added a tile mantle with candles and some colorful rope lights. Note: The stove in the pic below was my old Avalon Astoria that I sold. I now have a Harman P61a with extension hopper that holds 100 lbs of pellets in it’s place. Click on pic to enlarge
