# New to Everything, any assurances?



## Melissa220 (Aug 13, 2012)

I am New To both this forum and pellet stoves. My Harman P43 is being installed tomorrow morning. I am excited, nervous and a bit afraid all at the same time. Not looking forward to the hole being cut in the wall for one but that is a necessary evil! 

Anyway, I have a strange home layout and the stove cannot be centrally located.  It will be at the end of my house in the one story living room in a corner angled towards an archway that leads into the main part of the home that is two story. The heat will need to travel almost 22 feet to get to the main part of the home which is another 22 feet long before going around a corner to reach upstairs.

I understand the pellet stove heat will likely not reach upstairs and I will have to rely on my hot water baseboard for that, but in anyone's experience, will this stove heat this whole length of my home?

I just have this fear I will have spent a good sum of money and not have any advantage from it. any assurances From forum users would be most welcome!


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## Lousyweather (Aug 13, 2012)

my first assurance is that with regular cleaning and a vigilant attitude, that P43 will serve you well! It wont heat all of the upstairs, but I bet it will help! Good luck! Any questions, here's the place! My second assurance, I guess, is that the further ou get from the stove the cooler it will be, but that depends on MANY factors, too many to quantify accurately. I think you'll be happy. Buying the Harman, you are obviously much smarter than average, most likely better looking, and a GREAT asset to the household!


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## jtakeman (Aug 13, 2012)

Welcome to the group! Enjoy the new toy!


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## jtakeman (Aug 13, 2012)

Lousyweather said:


> . Buying the Harman, you are obviously much smarter than average,


 
I'm smarter than average(IQ 160) and I didn't buy a Harman. How smart you gotta be?


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## tsmith (Aug 13, 2012)

Welcome to the forum and the pellet burnin world. Lots of good people here to help out. I would have to say we are all pretty smart just because we have pellet stoves, no matter the make or model.


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## Melissa220 (Aug 13, 2012)

Thank you all! Great to feel welcome.


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## imacman (Aug 13, 2012)

First of all, welcome to the forum.  As for assurances, I'll wager that it will make a dent the heating costs in your home.  

You might want to start thinking about where you could place some small floor fans to help move the heat around, but hold off buying anything until you've run the stove for a while and have it "dialed-in".


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## Melissa220 (Aug 13, 2012)

[quote="Lousyweather, post: 1156605, My second assurance, I guess, is that the further ou get from the stove the cooler it will be, but that depends on MANY factors, too many to quantify accurately. I think you'll be happy.  [/quote]

 Thank you!  Here's hoping I don't swelter in the living room while trying to heat everything else. I know this will be trail and error for me: Type of pellets, fan speed, etc. I have been told a weekly general cleaning (vacuuming/scraping/emptying) with an annual professional cleaning should keep me running smoothly. Do you find this to be the case?


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## Lousyweather (Aug 13, 2012)

jtakeman said:


> I'm smarter than average(IQ 160) and I didn't buy a Harman. How smart you gotta be?


 obviously higher than 160?


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## begreen (Aug 13, 2012)

If you blow the cooler air, low at floor level, toward the stove room, temps will even out all through the house. Use a simple table or box fan running on low speed and place it on the floor in the main part of the house pointing toward the stove room.


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## imacman (Aug 13, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> ....I have been told a weekly general cleaning (vacuuming/scraping/emptying) with an annual professional cleaning should keep me running smoothly. Do you find this to be the case?


 
Yes. If you stay vigilant on the upkeep, the stove will provide many years of reliable heat.


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## Melissa220 (Aug 13, 2012)

begreen said:


> If you blow the cooler air, low at floor level, toward the stove room, temps will even out all through the house. Use a simple table or box fan running on low speed and place it on the floor in the main part of the house pointing toward the stove room.


 
Wonderful suggestion! Thank you!


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## Lousyweather (Aug 13, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> [quote="Lousyweather, post: 1156605, My second assurance, I guess, is that the further ou get from the stove the cooler it will be, but that depends on MANY factors, too many to quantify accurately. I think you'll be happy.


 
 Thank you! Here's hoping I don't swelter in the living room while trying to heat everything else. I know this will be trail and error for me: Type of pellets, fan speed, etc. I have been told a weekly general cleaning (vacuuming/scraping/emptying) with an annual professional cleaning should keep me running smoothly. Do you find this to be the case?[/quote]

actually, no.....scrape the burnpot every day...with the fire burning. (Scott W, will disagree). Once every 3-4 weeks, dep on yer pellet, shut down the stove, do a thorough cleaning of the stove and pipe. be careful of the ESP!  Maybe hire the cleaning guy to do it right (hopefully he does, but there's no assurance there), see if you can do it...theres NO reason you cant do it yourself...many gals here do all their own cleaning and service work, and some of the cleanest stoves I've seen were service by women!

Dont be afraid to play with the heat settings and locale of the room sensing probe...tho I'd leave the feed adjuster at 3-4. I run my p61 on feeder of 3.5, room mode, middle of the range, and the temp at 72. This keeps my 2000 square feet comfy for us, with the upstairs being 6-8 degrees less than down stairs, where my stove is. I burn about 4-5 tons per year. There's little tricks you learn too....

Also, dont be afraid to use your dealer as a resource.....ask questions. If something seems wrong, call immediately (just make sure the stove is clean first!).....dont wait till the warranty runs out.......

The manual does a pretty good job of telling you how to clean it as well......READ THE MANUAL! (but, being a gal with over 160 IQ), Im sure youve already probably memorized it!


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## Lousyweather (Aug 13, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> Wonderful suggestion! Thank you!


 
dont do this until you test the unit out tho, you might find you dont need a fan.......natural convection.....well, works for me anyhow.....otherwise, try BeGreen's idea...works for many......just dont see doing it if you dont need to....


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## Melissa220 (Aug 13, 2012)

Lousyweather said:


> Thank you! Here's hoping I don't swelter in the living room while trying to heat everything else. I know this will be trail and error for me: Type of pellets, fan speed, etc. I have been told a weekly general cleaning (vacuuming/scraping/emptying) with an annual professional cleaning should keep me running smoothly. Do you find this to be the case?


 
actually, no.....scrape the burnpot every day...with the fire burning. (Scott W, will disagree). Once every 3-4 weeks, dep on yer pellet, shut down the stove, do a thorough cleaning of the stove and pipe. be careful of the ESP! Maybe hire the cleaning guy to do it right (hopefully he does, but there's no assurance there), see if you can do it...theres NO reason you cant do it yourself...many gals here do all their own cleaning and service work, and some of the cleanest stoves I've seen were service by women.[/quote]

ESP?


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## Defiant (Aug 13, 2012)

Welcome Melissa and congratulations on your choice of a top quality unit. Lot's of great advice already, keep us posted on your results. Post up some pics, we love pic's you can also include some of the stove


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## Melissa220 (Aug 13, 2012)

Defiant said:


> Welcome Melissa and congratulations on your choice of a top quality unit. Lot's of great advice already, keep us posted on your results. Post up some pics, we love pic's you can also include some of the stove


 
I'll keep that in mind!


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## Defiant (Aug 13, 2012)

[quote="Melissa220,
ESP?[/quote]

Exhaust Sensory Probe


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## Eatonpcat (Aug 13, 2012)

jtakeman said:


> I'm smarter than average(_*IQ 16.0*_) and I didn't buy a Harman. How smart you gotta be?


 
Fixed that for you JT...


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## imacman (Aug 13, 2012)

Eatonpcat said:


> Fixed that for you JT...


Hey, you have that decimal point too far to the right.


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## smoke show (Aug 13, 2012)

Defiant said:


> Welcome Melissa... Post up some pics, we love pic's you can also include some of the stove


Don't mind Joe, he's our resident dirty old pervert...


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## Lousyweather (Aug 13, 2012)

melissa....he means pics of your STOVE INSTALLATION!


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## Harman Lover 007 (Aug 14, 2012)

jtakeman said:


> I'm smarter than average(IQ 160) and I didn't buy a Harman. How smart you gotta be?


don't make us go there, Jay....


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## smwilliamson (Aug 14, 2012)

jtakeman said:


> I'm smarter than average(IQ 160) and I didn't buy a Harman. How smart you gotta be?


160? that's Mensa yo.


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## mepellet (Aug 14, 2012)

Welcome! Your house layout sounds somewhat similar to mine. Ours is somewhere around 2250 sq. ft. and the design is very close to the one in the photo here:
http://architecture.about.com/od/periodsstyles/ig/House-Styles/Split-Level-Ranch.htm
Where the garage is in the photo, that would be our living room level and is is slab-on-grade. I think it used to be a garage previously. The pellet stove is installed on this level on the end of the house pointed towards the stairs that are in the center of the house. We never used this level during the winters prior to getting a pellet stove installed because it seemed too hard to heat with the hot water baseboard heat.   The "intermediate" level (half floor above the living room) is a few degrees cooler than the living room level but is very comfortable.  Yes our upper levels are cooler but that is where the bedrooms are so it actually works out well because we like it cooler in the bedrooms.  Last winter we used about 2.5 tons. I think we will use more this winter because last winter was not very cold and this winter we will have an infant in the house.  We installed a ceiling fan in the nursery which is at the top of the stairs so I am hoping that helps out with heating at least the little one's room. 

Looking forward to the pictures after the install is done!


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## SmokeyTheBear (Aug 14, 2012)

tsmith said:


> Welcome to the forum and the pellet burnin world. Lots of good people here to help out. I would have to say we are all pretty smart just because we have pellet stoves, no matter the make or model.


 
Naw, actually we are pretty stupid. If we were smart we would live where we didn't need to heat our caves.


To Mellisa220,

Welcome to the pellet burning world and this strange forum and remember do not feed the Bears..


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## jtakeman (Aug 14, 2012)

Lousyweather said:


> obviously higher than 160?





imacman said:


> Hey, you have that decimal point too far to the right.





Eatonpcat said:


> Fixed that for you JT...


 
Man, I feel loved!


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## Lousyweather (Aug 14, 2012)

jtakeman said:


> Man, I feel loved!


 hey, you left yourself open for that one!


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## jtakeman (Aug 14, 2012)

SmokeyTheBear said:


> Naw, actually we are pretty stupid. If we were smart we would live where we didn't need to heat our caves.
> 
> 
> To Mellisa220,
> ...


 And watch out for the flyin pigs too!


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## jtakeman (Aug 14, 2012)

Lousyweather said:


> hey, you left yourself open for that one!


 
I'll get even, hahahaha!


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## Melissa220 (Aug 14, 2012)

mepellet said:


> Welcome! Your house layout sounds somewhat similar to mine. Ours is somewhere around 2250 sq. ft. and the design is very close to the one in the photo here:
> http://architecture.about.com/od/periodsstyles/ig/House-Styles/Split-Level-Ranch.htm
> Where the garage is in the photo, that would be our living room level and is is slab-on-grade. I think it used to be a garage previously. The pellet stove is installed on this level on the end of the house pointed towards the stairs that are in the center of the house. We never used this level during the winters prior to getting a pellet stove installed because it seemed too hard to heat with the hot water baseboard heat. The "intermediate" level (half floor above the living room) is a few degrees cooler than the living room level but is very comfortable. Yes our upper levels are cooler but that is where the bedrooms are so it actually works out well because we like it cooler in the bedrooms. Last winter we used about 2.5 tons. I think we will use more this winter because last winter was not very cold and this winter we will have an infant in the house. We installed a ceiling fan in the nursery which is at the top of the stairs so I am hoping that helps out with heating at least the little one's room.
> 
> Looking forward to the pictures after the install is done!


 
Thank you me pellet.  I am also in central Maine area. what are you running for a stove?


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## Melissa220 (Aug 14, 2012)

My new stove is now up and running. Going through the 90 minute initial burn to 'cure' it and get rid of the oil residue and smell. Of course heating to 90 degrees inside when its August.........  Walls are getting extremely hot though.


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## Defiant (Aug 14, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> My new stove is now up and running. Going through the 90 minute initial burn to 'cure' it and get rid of the oil residue and smell. Of course heating to 90 degrees inside when its August......... Walls are getting extremely hot though.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nice job, you will appreciate the heat this winter


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## Defiant (Aug 14, 2012)

Did they install an OAK? Outside air kit?


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## Melissa220 (Aug 14, 2012)

Defiant said:


> Did they install an OAK? Outside air kit?


 
Not exactly sure what that is.  Pic of outside vent attached


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## Defiant (Aug 14, 2012)

Pages 9 & 10 in your manual show OAK. I don't have it, just asking. Lot's of pros and cons as you will see on this.


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## mepellet (Aug 14, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> Thank you me pellet. I am also in central Maine area. what are you running for a stove?


 
I have a P61A.  Very rarely is it running full tilt.  Nice to have the extra umph but I could get by without it since I have Oil hot water baseboard and also an old woodstove up in the kitchen level.


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## mepellet (Aug 14, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> My new stove is now up and running. Going through the 90 minute initial burn to 'cure' it and get rid of the oil residue and smell. Of course heating to 90 degrees inside when its August......... Walls are getting extremely hot though.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
Looks nice!  Who did you have do the install?  Who is your dealer?


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## Melissa220 (Aug 14, 2012)

Defiant said:


> Pages 9 & 10 in your manual show OAK. I don't have it, just asking. Lot's of pros and cons as you will see on this.


No,I do not have an OAK.  I have 2 elbows in the house and the vent is then straight out 16 inches. Just enough to hit my head on when I mow the lawn!


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## IHATEPROPANE (Aug 14, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> No,I do not have an OAK.  I have 2 elbows in the house and the vent is then straight out 16 inches. Just enough to hit my head on when I mow the lawn!


I also have my stove vented with out any vertical.  I have it plugged into a pure sine wave UPS to give me enough time to shut it down or get the generator going to prevent any smoke from entering the house in case if power failure.  Something to think about...there is plenty of discussion about this if you do a search.


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## Melissa220 (Aug 14, 2012)

mepellet said:


> Looks nice! Who did you have do the install? Who is your dealer?


 
I purchased through Evergreen Home and Hearth in Brewer ME. They also did the install. Fast, clean, professional.


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## Melissa220 (Aug 14, 2012)

IHATEPROPANE said:


> I also have my stove vented with out any vertical. I have it plugged into a pure sine wave UPS to give me enough time to shut it down or get the generator going to prevent any smoke from entering the house in case if power failure. Something to think about...there is plenty of discussion about this if you do a search.


 
Well, now there's a new wrinkle. If I have a power outage when I am not home.....  in understand the Harmans have a lot of failsafes built in. I asked about operation in a power outage - not -  But not about safety of shut down in a power failure if I am not here. Will have to make a call.


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## SmokeyTheBear (Aug 14, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> Well, now there's a new wrinkle. If I have a power outage when I am not home..... in understand the Harmans have a lot of failsafes built in. I asked about operation in a power outage - not -  But not about safety of shut down in a power failure if I am not here. Will have to make a call.


 

Harman pellet stoves have a flapper that prevents smoke from exiting via the air intake if power is lost.


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## mepellet (Aug 14, 2012)

SmokeyTheBear said:


> Harman pellet stoves have a flapper that prevents smoke from exiting via the air intake if power is lost.


 
I can confirm this!  Another good reason to cap the venting because if not, you could hear the flapper all summer long!


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## Melissa220 (Aug 14, 2012)

SmokeyTheBear said:


> Harman pellet stoves have a flapper that prevents smoke from exiting via the air intake if power is lost.


 
Where is the flapper located?  Must be in the stove as there is no cover of an sort on the vent pipe outside my home...  sorry if I sound like an idiot....and I'm not blonde   I just want to know all I can.


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## SmokeyTheBear (Aug 14, 2012)

You should be able to find it by looking at an exploded parts diagram in one of the manuals, it is inside the stove.


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## jtakeman (Aug 14, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> My new stove is now up and running. Going through the 90 minute initial burn to 'cure' it and get rid of the oil residue and smell. Of course heating to 90 degrees inside when its August......... Walls are getting extremely hot though.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
Looks nice! Better to burn in now with the windows open. Put a couple of fans in the windows. One blowing out and one pushing some fresh air in. Should help with dispersing the stink a bit!

Now for the important stuff, What do you have for pellet deals in your area? Sorry, I have a one track pellet mind!


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## mepellet (Aug 14, 2012)

jtakeman said:


> Looks nice! Better to burn in now with the windows open. Put a couple of fans in the windows. One blowing out and one pushing some fresh air in. Should help with dispersing the stink a bit!
> 
> Now for the important stuff, What do you have for pellet deals in your area? Sorry, I have a one track pellet mind!


She is within sibs striking distance!


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## Melissa220 (Aug 14, 2012)

jtakeman said:


> Looks nice! Better to burn in now with the windows open. Put a couple of fans in the windows. One blowing out and one pushing some fresh air in. Should help with dispersing the stink a bit!
> 
> Now for the important stuff, What do you have for pellet deals in your area? Sorry, I have a one track pellet mind!


 
That is a good question jtakeman! I know the dealer I bought the stove from carries pellets and they gave me 8 bags of Okanagan to start. I have no intention of purchasing from Walmart, Lowes etc. So I will need a reliable source with a mid-range priced good pellet. One with not much sawdust,etc.


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## Melissa220 (Aug 14, 2012)

mepellet said:


> She is within sibs striking distance!


 
Sounds like you already have someone in mind!


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## mepellet (Aug 14, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> Sounds like you already have someone in mind!


Sibs is in jay Maine. He delivers all over the state. A bunch of us purchase from him. Very nice guy and very reasonable prices. Check his website out. Last I knew he was delivering mwp blend for 219 and mwp softwood for 239. My wife was home when he delivered ours in april and she like him a lot.


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## tsmith (Aug 14, 2012)

Looks very nice. Enjoy the warmth.


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## whlago (Aug 14, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> I have no intention of purchasing from Walmart, Lowes etc. So I will need a reliable source with a mid-range priced good pellet. One with not much sawdust,etc.


 
Welcome aboard Melissa...as you can probably tell by now this is a great forum with some amazingly wide reaching advice (with a little good natured sarcasm and fun thrown in!)  I haven't been burning for more than a year yet but am extremely happy with my choice to say good bye to frequent visits by the propane truck!

I would just not write off Lowes for pellets outright, however, as IMHO I have some pretty good luck with the Green Teams (at a reasonable price) that you can get at Lowes.  You may want to even try some of the pellets at Home Depot or Tractor Supply (if you have them near you) to see what works well with your stove (from a heating value, ash buildup, and economy perspective).  I don't know about your stove, but some stoves really do well with certain kinds of pellets and some do well with MOST pellets you feed it.

You will get varied opinions on the different kinds of pellets to use but the best thing is to try a variety of pellets (maybe run one kind for a week and then switch to another).  You can then make an informed decision as to what to buy more of for the Cold season as well as the "shoulder" season.

Good Luck!


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## smoke show (Aug 14, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> My new stove is now up and running.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Oh that is sexy!


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## Lousyweather (Aug 14, 2012)

SmokeyTheBear said:


> Harman pellet stoves have a flapper that prevents smoke from exiting via the air intake if power is lost.


 yea, theres a flapper which prevents the air from exiting the intake with no outside air hooked up, buuuuuuut, air CAN exit from leaks in the pipe, gaskets, etc.......Melissa, start that bad boy up, let her run for a bit, sndf simply unplug the thing to simulate an outage.....see if you smell smoke after a bit......a good way to tell


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## Lousyweather (Aug 14, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> Where is the flapper located? Must be in the stove as there is no cover of an sort on the vent pipe outside my home... sorry if I sound like an idiot....and I'm not blonde  I just want to know all I can.


 well, what hair I have left is blonde! Anyhow, you wont see the intake unless you remove the rear cover from the back of the stove...its a round hole, on the right facing the back of the stove, above the combustion fan......about 2-3/8" in diameter or so......


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## Melissa220 (Aug 14, 2012)

mepellet said:


> Sibs is in jay Maine. He delivers all over the state. A bunch of us purchase from him. Very nice guy and very reasonable prices. Check his website out. Last I knew he was delivering mwp blend for 219 and mwp softwood for 239. My wife was home when he delivered ours in april and she like him a lot.


 
Thanks again mepellet.  I will look online.


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## Melissa220 (Aug 14, 2012)

Lousyweather said:


> yea, theres a flapper which prevents the air from exiting the intake with no outside air hooked up, buuuuuuut, air CAN exit from leaks in the pipe, gaskets, etc.......Melissa, start that bad boy up, let her run for a bit, sndf simply unplug the thing to simulate an outage.....see if you smell smoke after a bit......a good way to tell


 
Good thought. Thanks. VERY glad I found this forum. Everyone is so welcoming and patient...especially patient........ with a newbie.


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## nailed_nailer (Aug 14, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> Good thought. Thanks. VERY glad I found this forum. Everyone is so welcoming and patient...especially patient........ with a newbie.


 
We were all newbies once. Welcome aboard the forum. 

Advice I can offer is to use the search feature of the forum to see postings about several key pellet stove discussions.
Cleaning/vacuuming
Pellet Quality/pricing/availability
Stove Operation
Thermostat use
OAK
Safety

And as always ask if you have a question. We love to help
Good Luck,
---Nailer---


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## Harman Lover 007 (Aug 14, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> Good thought. Thanks. VERY glad I found this forum. Everyone is so welcoming and patient...especially patient........ with a newbie.


You won't go wrong with this group of pellet burners....we don't always agree but we all are here to help. A WEALTH of knowledge here. Any Harman questions...just ask.


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## SmokeyTheBear (Aug 14, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> Good thought. Thanks. VERY glad I found this forum. Everyone is so welcoming and patient...especially patient........ with a newbie.


 

Along about February and the 1000th post about why is my stove burning like cr** we get a little bit short.  After all there are only so many ways to tell someone to clean their stove and by then half of the forum's first page is about dirty stoves.  Until then we are all patient.


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## SmokeyTheBear (Aug 14, 2012)

Harman Lover 007 said:


> You won't go wrong with this group of pellet burners....we don't always agree but we all are here to help. A WEALTH of knowledge here. Any Harman questions...just ask.


 

You currently on the island and polluting a good Maine lake?


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## Don2222 (Aug 14, 2012)

jtakeman said:


> I'm smarter than average(IQ 160) and I didn't buy a Harman. How smart you gotta be?


 
Having money to buy a Harman and being smart are two different but good things! LOL


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## Melissa220 (Aug 14, 2012)

SmokeyTheBear said:


> Along about February and the 1000th post about why is my stove burning like cr** we get a little bit short. After all there are only so many ways to tell someone to clean their stove and by then half of the forum's first page is about dirty stoves. Until then we are all patient.


 
 Believe me, I got the message loud and clear in the first few posts I read the importance of a clean stove. Hopefully you won't see any such post from me (famous last words). Mine only ran for 90 minutes today but I plan to clean it so that I understand the intricacies. That way too I can ask questions of the installer or the forum before it becomes a vital issue.


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## Don2222 (Aug 14, 2012)

Hi Melissa

Welcome and enjoy the new stove. It is a beauty and should last a long long time!
Please put the stove and model in your signature and State or Region in your avatar. This way if you ask any of us old timer's another question we will know what and where so we can still help.
Thanks and EnJOY!


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## SmokeyTheBear (Aug 14, 2012)

+1 to what Don is asking, a lot of us are a bit long o the fang and forgetful.


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## Melissa220 (Aug 14, 2012)

SmokeyTheBear said:


> +1 to what Don is asking, a lot of us are a bit long o the fang and forgetful.


 
Well I've just tried to set it as as requested. Let's see how I did....


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## Defiant (Aug 14, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> Well I've just tried to set it as as requested. Let's see how I did....


You got it


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## St_Earl (Aug 14, 2012)

mepellet said:


> She is within sibs striking distance!


 
steve comes up here to millinocket. i think that's 135 miles one way. same price as anywhere else.
i read most of the thread. saw someone mention a usb. but have we covered the plain old surge suppressor issue yet?

i actually have a narrow single level house with a linear layout.
the floor fan blowing towards the stove is not an option for me. g/f says no way. too noisy for her at night where it would have to be.

i actually get an excellent result hanging my vornado 510 in the top of the doorway from the stove room (livingroom) and aiming it right at the narrow gap into the back bedroom.
the dining room and kitchen are between the stove room and the back bedroom.
the archways between these rooms form barriers to the flow of heat. and by shooting it under them with the pusher fan, the rooms heat up from the top down and allow the heat to find it's way all the way back and saturate even the far end of the house.
the vornado manages to be focused enough to actually get a (very) gentle flow directly into the back bedroom from about 27 feet away.

i find that having the pushing fan kept aimed in the higher level allows a return along the floor anyway.
the vornado allows this more selective aiming.

but like the folks say, use your stove and get used to how it behaves. you will learn if you need to do anything and eventually find your best system.

it just hit me (again) how much help the people on this forum have been to me.
you can learn a lot here. but somethings are just specific to each house. and those details you will no doubt discover.


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## Melissa220 (Aug 14, 2012)

[quote="St_Earl, post: 1157515, member: 1848

i actually get an excellent result hanging my vornado 510 in the top of the doorway from the stove room (livingroom) and aiming it right at the narrow gap into the back bedroon.[/quote]

Have you noticed any increase in your electric bill using the vornado through the winter? My electric bill - oil burner alone - almost triples in winter cuz burner comes on so often.  I'm hoping the pellet stove will cut back on both electric and oil; as long as I can get the heat distributed.

When my stove was running today, I don't have a corner door fan so I used a 3 foot high standing fan in the doorway between the living room (where stove is) and kitchen area. Didn't do too much good as fan was too low. But when I placed the fan back to within about 10 feet of stove and pointed toward the kitchen on high speed, temp in living room actually went down a degree and kitchen temp rose faster.

Of course winter air circulation will all be different.


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## Harman Lover 007 (Aug 15, 2012)

SmokeyTheBear said:


> You currently on the island and polluting a good Maine lake?


Ouch....if I was a sensitive guy, I'd say you hurt my feelings.........oh and the answer is yes.


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## The Ds (Aug 15, 2012)

St_Earl said:


> it just hit me (again) how much help the people on this forum have been to me.
> you can learn a lot here. but somethings are just specific to each house. and those details you will no doubt discover.


 
x2 invaluable info here


----------



## Lousyweather (Aug 15, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> [quote="St_Earl, post: 1157515, member: 1848
> 
> i actually get an excellent result hanging my vornado 510 in the top of the doorway from the stove room (livingroom) and aiming it right at the narrow gap into the back bedroon.


 
Have you noticed any increase in your electric bill using the vornado through the winter? My electric bill - oil burner alone - almost triples in winter cuz burner comes on so often. I'm hoping the pellet stove will cut back on both electric and oil; as long as I can get the heat distributed.

When my stove was running today, I don't have a corner door fan so I used a 3 foot high standing fan in the doorway between the living room (where stove is) and kitchen area. Didn't do too much good as fan was too low. But when I placed the fan back to within about 10 feet of stove and pointed toward the kitchen on high speed, temp in living room actually went down a degree and kitchen temp rose faster.

Of course winter air circulation will all be different. [/quote]

I would suggest not using the fans unless you really feel you need to....you wont know till winter tho.....I dont use any at all, other than the fan that is on the stove (combustion fan)......to much air movement can actually hurt you, giving you the feeling of cooling rather than simply moving air.....gonna depend on your home layout....


----------



## Melissa220 (Aug 15, 2012)

Lousyweather said:


> Have you noticed any increase in your electric bill using the vornado through the winter? My electric bill - oil burner alone - almost triples in winter cuz burner comes on so often. I'm hoping the pellet stove will cut back on both electric and oil; as long as I can get the heat distributed.
> 
> When my stove was running today, I don't have a corner door fan so I used a 3 foot high standing fan in the doorway between the living room (where stove is) and kitchen area. Didn't do too much good as fan was too low. But when I placed the fan back to within about 10 feet of stove and pointed toward the kitchen on high speed, temp in living room actually went down a degree and kitchen temp rose faster.
> 
> Of course winter air circulation will all be different.


 
I would suggest not using the fans unless you really feel you need to....you wont know till winter tho.....I dont use any at all, other than the fan that is on the stove (combustion fan)......to much air movement can actually hurt you, giving you the feeling of cooling rather than simply moving air.....gonna depend on your home layout....[/quote]



Lousyweather said:


> Have you noticed any increase in your electric bill using the vornado through the winter? My electric bill - oil burner alone - almost triples in winter cuz burner comes on so often. I'm hoping the pellet stove will cut back on both electric and oil; as long as I can get the heat distributed.
> 
> When my stove was running today, I don't have a corner door fan so I used a 3 foot high standing fan in the doorway between the living room (where stove is) and kitchen area. Didn't do too much good as fan was too low. But when I placed the fan back to within about 10 feet of stove and pointed toward the kitchen on high speed, temp in living room actually went down a degree and kitchen temp rose faster.
> 
> Of course winter air circulation will all be different.


 
I would suggest not using the fans unless you really feel you need to....you wont know till winter tho.....I dont use any at all, other than the fan that is on the stove (combustion fan)......to much air movement can actually hurt you, giving you the feeling of cooling rather than simply moving air.....gonna depend on your home layout....[/quote]

My home is not the best suited to a pellet stove if the best location is a central one. The home is two stories on one end and a living room on the other. (See photo) the stairs in the two story section run the long way essentially creating a large 9-10 foot wide 'hallway' on the front side of the house. The kitchen and dining area are here. The backside is a den and bathroom. The single story is a living room. The thermostat for the heat (oil burner) for the ENTIRE first floor is on the wall n the den.

The stove was set up in the back end corner of the living room on the front side that you see. The stove is corner installed with the blower facing the center of the room.  the archway leading from the living room to the rest of the house is to the left corner. Heat would have to travel about 20 feet to get from the living room to the rest of the house. Once in the two story area it would have to immediately round a corner through a doorway to affect the burner thermostat room and travel another 20 or so feet to reach the end of the dining/kitchen room before needing to turn another corner to reach stairs then requiring another turn to go UP the stairs. Whew! 

I don't expect the stove heat tone able to travel upstairs and will have to rely on the oil burner zone for that. Ugh. But given this layout, not sure how well heat will travel.  And I don't want to be running back and forth between the rooms to create air current!


----------



## SmokeyTheBear (Aug 15, 2012)

Melissa220,

Fans can help or hurt, the goal should be to get the hot air moving up high by moving the cold air (relatively cold)  towards the stove down low, this gets the cold air to the stoves convection air intake so it can be heated, and the warm air distributed away from the stove room.   It is a balancing act and how far away from the stove you can get heated will depend upon this convection loop and how well your house holds heat (note insulation and lack of air infiltration helps tremendously).

I do the heating from my den in the basement without any fans other than the convection fan on the stove.

Harmon Lover 007,

Sorry, I couldn't resist.  I'm a bad Bear at times. Now about that feelings issue you seem to have, a nice large steak on the grill along with your favorite beverage will take care of it .


----------



## jtakeman (Aug 15, 2012)

SmokeyTheBear said:


> I'm a bad Bear .


 
Bout time you admitted that!


----------



## Harman Lover 007 (Aug 15, 2012)

SmokeyTheBear said:


> Melissa220,
> 
> Fans can help or hurt, the goal should be to get the hot air moving up high by moving the cold air (relatively cold) towards the stove down low, this gets the cold air to the stoves convection air intake so it can be heated, and the warm air distributed away from the stove room. It is a balancing act and how far away from the stove you can get heated will depend upon this convection loop and how well your house holds heat (note insulation and lack of air infiltration helps tremendously).
> 
> ...


 
If you supply and cook it...I'll eat it.....then I might be able to deal with my sensitivity issue.


----------



## St_Earl (Aug 15, 2012)

in my case (as in many other forum member's cases )the fan is warranted. the vaults in the intervening rooms really keep the back bedroom from warming up at an acceptable rate.
they trap the air flow from room to room. i get around that by shooting the air just under them but still up high.
and there is a real bottle neck as the short hall from the kitchen into the back bedroom is only as wide as a door.
any cost on the electric bill is more than offset by not burning any oil at all.
and to heat as well without the fan would mean having the living room way hotter than i want.
i run the fan on low if the house is up to temp. if it's not, the fan oh high allows me to get all the rooms heated in a very short time.

i am super happy with the system i have worked out.
it works fantastically well.


SmokeyTheBear said:


> Fans can help or hurt, the goal should be to get the hot air moving up high by moving the cold air (relatively cold) towards the stove down low, this gets the cold air to the stoves convection air intake so it can be heated, and the warm air distributed away from the stove room. It is a balancing act and how far away from the stove you can get heated will depend upon this convection loop and how well your house holds heat (note insulation and lack of air infiltration helps tremendously).


 
this is exactly what i have going as i described. the air moving up high sets up my loop.
the house was wrapped and sided this year and we have added insulation in the attic and have foamed around the window frames inside the walls.

as i described, spend some time with your stove and you will be able to work out the system that is best for you and the particular demands of your home's layout.


----------



## SmokeyTheBear (Aug 15, 2012)

jtakeman said:


> Bout time you admitted that!


 
Look who is flapping his gums  .

Have you enough in your stash to keep your pig status or do the hogs need hold an eviction meeting?


----------



## Melissa220 (Aug 15, 2012)

I think what i'm doing is worrying about a problem that I don't even know if I have!  Note to self: STOP WORRYING!


----------



## jtakeman (Aug 15, 2012)

SmokeyTheBear said:


> Look who is flapping his gums  .
> 
> Have you enough in your stash to keep your pig status or do the hogs need hold an eviction meeting?


 
Yep! Sitting on 3 1/2 tons!




Melissa220 said:


> I think what i'm doing is worrying about a problem that I don't even know if I have! Note to self: STOP WORRYING!


 
I'd be worried more about what pellets your gonna stash before all the other hogs/pigs/oinkers snarf em up on ya! Specially that fella I quoted above, He hords them by the trailer load!!


----------



## St_Earl (Aug 15, 2012)

so without me going back and reading everything, was the need for a good surge suppressor mentioned yet?


----------



## gbreda (Aug 15, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> That is a good question jtakeman! I know the dealer I bought the stove from carries pellets and they gave me 8 bags of Okanagan to start. I have no intention of purchasing from Walmart, Lowes etc. So I will need a reliable source with a mid-range priced good pellet. One with not much sawdust,etc.


 

Another welcome to the forum and all the strange critters that scurry about round here.

Stove looks great and with all the humidity lately, at least the burn in will dry out the house....and crank up the temp too 

Your dealer did you a solid by starting you with Okies, but that may just spoil ya and get  you hooked on the good stuff ! !
Dont rule out Wally World and Lowes so quickly.  They do get some good mid range pellets for decent pricing at times.  Last year I found Walmart having MWP at 199/ton and 2 years ago, Lowes had Somersets.  Both are quality pellets.  You just have to be on the lookout.  Lowes will have Green Teame quite a bit, but lately they have been overpricing them.

You will learn all this by trial and error though, if you are so inclined.  Most of us here will try many different brands in small amounts first, and that is recommended.  Overall, your stove will burn almost anything.

Keep it clean and it will keep you warm and toasty !


----------



## SmokeyTheBear (Aug 15, 2012)

jtakeman said:


> Yep! Sitting on 3 1/2 tons!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
Good, I would hate having to deliver the eviction notice but the pellets by the trailer load is OMV not me, especially since Steve at SIB (His web site is missing for some reason) can at most haul 6 ton a load and the folks at Southern Maine Renewables can only do 4 ton.  Now woodpellets.com around here comes with a huge flatbed with a really nice fork lift on the back and I think that Steep Falls Building Supply can only do 6 ton at a time.

I happen to be lucky having a nice dry garage under with lots of room for storage.

The only drawback Melissa220 is that I had to purchase all of those large critter traps with auxiliary teeth to keep the Oinkers like Mr. J. at bay.


----------



## SmokeyTheBear (Aug 15, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> I think what i'm doing is worrying about a problem that I don't even know if I have! Note to self: STOP WORRYING!


 
In life there are two things to worry about, whether you are rich or you are poor.

If you are rich there is nothing to worry about, if you are poor there are two things to worry about, whether you are well or you are sick.

If you are well you have nothing to worry about, if you are sick there are two things to worry about, whether you get well or you die.

If you get well you have nothing to worry about, if you die you have two things to worry about, whether you go to heaven or below.

If you go to heaven you have nothing to worry about, if you go below you are too busy shaking the hands of your friends so why worry?

(A little ditty on the store wall at Jimmies entitled Why Worry)


----------



## Melissa220 (Aug 15, 2012)

gbreda said:


> Another welcome to the forum and all the strange critters that scurry about round here.
> 
> Stove looks great and with all the humidity lately, at least the burn in will dry out the house....and crank up the temp too
> 
> ...


 
Thanks gbreda


----------



## Salty (Aug 15, 2012)

Melissa watch out for some of these guys they eat pellets for breakfast and smell like wood chips

Watch out for OMV too he'll sweet talk you until he finds out where your pellet stash is and then it'll disappear in the middle of the night he's worse than Santa Claus


----------



## subsailor (Aug 15, 2012)

Welcome Melissa,

In reading this thread, there seems to be one warning that has yet to be mentioned. Many of us have become OCD since buying a pellet stove. Speaking for myself only, when I stack pellets, the bags all have to be face up and be facing the same way. The stack must be straight. When the stove is running and I walk by, I have to open the hopper and check how many pellets are left, even if I filled it 5 minutes ago. Now that I have the hopper open, I have to smooth out the pellets, etc, etc. It's contagious, so be  forewarned.


----------



## Melissa220 (Aug 15, 2012)

subsailor said:


> Welcome Melissa,
> 
> In reading this thread, there seems to be one warning that has yet to be mentioned. Many of us have become OCD since buying a pellet stove. Speaking for myself only, when I stack pellets, the bags all have to be face up and be facing the same way. The stack must be straight. When the stove is running and I walk by, I have to open the hopper and check how many pellets are left, even if I filled it 5 minutes ago. Now that I have the hopper open, I have to smooth out the pellets, etc, etc. It's contagious, so be forewarned.


 
Well, it operated for only 90 minutes yesterday and I have already checked to see how many pellets it consumed and - OMG -i smoothed out the pellets! I need help already and its only been in the house less than 36 hours. I have even scraped down the burn pot! Is there therapy for this??


----------



## smoke show (Aug 15, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> OMG -i smoothed out the pellets!


We call that pellet fondling, been discussed before and many here have the disorder.


----------



## subsailor (Aug 15, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> Well, it operated for only 90 minutes yesterday and I have already checked to see how many pellets it consumed and - OMG -i smoothed out the pellets! I need help already and its only been in the house less than 36 hours. I have even scraped down the burn pot! Is there therapy for this??


 
Hmmm, seems like you're already afflicted. No therapy that I know of. Just wait until you start hoarding pellets. Everytime you walk into a store that sells pellets, you'll have to check them out. It's not pretty. Just check out some of the stashes some of the guys on here have.


----------



## Melissa220 (Aug 15, 2012)

So the listing in your signature, for example, means that you have that many bags of pellets on hand? Seems like i'll have to go pellet shopping this weekend and get a few bags of several different kinds to try. Seems like the thing to do is stock up beforehand. Look out all you pellet pigs.....I'm on the prowl!


----------



## whlago (Aug 15, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> So the listing in your signature, for example, means that you have that many bags of pellets on hand? Seems like i'll have to go pellet shopping this weekend and get a few bags of several different kinds to try. Seems like the thing to do is stock up beforehand. Look out all you pellet pigs.....I'm on the prowl!


 
oh oh....Isn't this how OMV started?!?!!


----------



## Lousyweather (Aug 15, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> So the listing in your signature, for example, means that you have that many bags of pellets on hand? Seems like i'll have to go pellet shopping this weekend and get a few bags of several different kinds to try. Seems like the thing to do is stock up beforehand. Look out all you pellet pigs.....I'm on the prowl!


 Melissa, you Pellet-fondler, you!


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## Melissa220 (Aug 15, 2012)

Lousyweather said:


> Melissa, you Pellet-fondler, you!


 
LOL. Didn't take me long! 

I am discovering a little knowledge can be dangerous. In reading other threads, I noticed talk about the draft voltage and adjusting it for different pellets. I did not notice my installers checking the draft before the first burn to cure. In everyone's opinion, is this adjustment something I need to consider going forward?


----------



## St_Earl (Aug 15, 2012)

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/its-surge-protector-reminder-time-again.52952/


----------



## Lousyweather (Aug 15, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> LOL. Didn't take me long!
> 
> I am discovering a little knowledge can be dangerous. In reading other threads, I noticed talk about the draft voltage and adjusting it for different pellets. I did not notice my installers checking the draft before the first burn to cure. In everyone's opinion, is this adjustment something I need to consider going forward?


 
Mel:

ANY and ALL installations should have the draft checked and adjusted.......I'lll say it again.....ANY and ALL. If nothing else, it gives you a clean stove- base reading to compare to if you have issues at a later date......the procedure is in your manual, on page, oh, about, 20, or so. The draft isnt adjusted for different pellets.....feed rate maybe, but not the draft. The draft is a function of your line voltage, combustion fan, and piping setup, as well as the cleanliness of your stove.  Should be checked.


----------



## Melissa220 (Aug 15, 2012)

Lousyweather said:


> Mel:
> 
> ANY and ALL installations should have the draft checked and adjusted.......I'lll say it again.....ANY and ALL. If nothing else, it gives you a clean stove- base reading to compare to if you have issues at a later date......the procedure is in your manual, on page, oh, about, 20, or so. The draft isnt adjusted for different pellets.....feed rate maybe, but not the draft. The draft is a function of your line voltage, combustion fan, and piping setup, as well as the cleanliness of your stove. Should be checked.


 
Yes. page 21. I think my dealer may get tired of me. Already called with some questions today; not the least of which was to review a cleaning process that the installer did NOT go over, which was accessing and cleaning under the burn pot where the igniter wires are.  But before I call again, I'm going to review the manual more thoroughly for anything I might have missed. 

The two young men may very well have checked the draft....I was not hovering but staying out of their way to do their job.  I assumed they knew/know what they are doing.


----------



## smoke show (Aug 16, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> I assumed they knew/know what they are doing.


Hang around here for a while, you'll learn not to do that.


----------



## DexterDay (Aug 16, 2012)

smoke show said:


> Hang around here for a while, you'll learn not to do that.





Welcome to the Forums. . I go out of town for a few days and miss one of the best threads of the Summer 

Jay... 160?? Come on buddy  j/k

Welcome Mellisa. Thats a beautiful Stove you have and the install looks great... As you can see, there are a lot of thoughtful minds here and few that are in the dirt at times ) myself included). But reading, searching, and askings questions will put you far ahead of the average 1st yr pellet burner..

As to checking and fondling the pellets... The OCD is bad and can sometimes lead to buying more stoves and pellets.. Most times just pellets, but an extra stove or 3 never hurt 

Congrats...


----------



## St_Earl (Aug 16, 2012)

DexterDay said:


> Welcome to the Forums. . I go out of town for a few days and miss one of the best threads of the Summer
> 
> Jay... 160?? Come on buddy  j/k
> 
> ...


 

if you were here from the beginning, i'm sure we would have gotten around to surge suppressors by now.
i can't seem to get any traction with the topic myself.

there was a mention of a u.p.s. close.

what the hell -


St_Earl said:


> https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/its-surge-protector-reminder-time-again.52952/


----------



## DexterDay (Aug 16, 2012)

St_Earl said:


> if you were here from the beginning, i'm sure we would have gotten around to surge suppressors by now.
> i can't seem to get any traction with the topic myself.
> 
> there was a mention of a ups. close.



No surge protector mentioned........

That investment needs protection..

The UltraBlok is what many of us here have. There is a thread about them from 2 yrs ago on the front page of the Forums.... For $20-$30 you will protect your $3,000-$4,000 investment. 

Unless she goes the UPS route. Then it should provide the needed protection. 

(Now I gotta go back and look for one  Code Cop on Duty )


----------



## jtakeman (Aug 16, 2012)

DexterDay said:


> Welcome to the Forums. . I go out of town for a few days and miss one of the best threads of the Summer
> 
> Jay... 160?? Come on buddy  j/k


 
Actually been tested twice, Once in my 20's(146) again at age 40 something(160)............. Wifes beating some sense into me?  

Bout time you got back, Maybe smoke will behave now!


----------



## DexterDay (Aug 16, 2012)

jtakeman said:


> ......., Maybe smoke will behave now!



Doubt it


----------



## SmokeyTheBear (Aug 16, 2012)

Dexter one must watch out for millwrights they tend to be able to get things working without needing them stinking manuals or even normal tools.  They's smart folk unlike a lot of them edumacated people.


----------



## Mike D (Aug 16, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> Not exactly sure what that is.  Pic of outside vent attached
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Hi Melissa - Welcome aboard!  I haven't read all the posts in here yet, but here are a couple of suggestions:
1.  I too have my stove (Lopi, not a Harman) installed in my family room off the main part of the house.  A ceiling fan helps move the heat out of that room (reverse setting on the fan).
2.  I too had trouble getting the heat to the second floor of my center stair colonial but last year I had heat registers installed in the bedrooms to allow the heat to naturally rise.  Worked like a charm and was worth the investment.
3.  If your exhaust is vented out the North side of your house you will have the exhaust blow back against the siding I see in your pic which will leave black soot.  This is what happened to me, then the dealer put a 90 degree elbow and put the end of the pipe just past the corner of the house.  That solved the problem as I can see the smoke blowing past the window heading South.

Best of luck, you'll really enjoy the new edition to your family.


----------



## subsailor (Aug 16, 2012)

Mike D said:


> If your exhaust is vented out the North side of your house you will have the exhaust blow back against the siding I see in your pic which will leave black soot. This is what happened to me, then the dealer put a 90 degree elbow and put the end of the pipe just past the corner of the house. That solved the problem as I can see the smoke blowing past the window heading South.


 
The only time my stove smokes is on startup.


----------



## Lousyweather (Aug 17, 2012)

Mike D said:


> Hi Melissa - Welcome aboard! I haven't read all the posts in here yet, but here are a couple of suggestions:
> 1. I too have my stove (Lopi, not a Harman) installed in my family room off the main part of the house. A ceiling fan helps move the heat out of that room (reverse setting on the fan).
> 2. I too had trouble getting the heat to the second floor of my center stair colonial but last year I had heat registers installed in the bedrooms to allow the heat to naturally rise. Worked like a charm and was worth the investment.
> 3. If your exhaust is vented out the North side of your house you will have the exhaust blow back against the siding I see in your pic which will leave black soot. This is what happened to me, then the dealer put a 90 degree elbow and put the end of the pipe just past the corner of the house. That solved the problem as I can see the smoke blowing past the window heading South.
> ...


#2 is an "iffy" proposition....those registers also can act as a chimney and communicate fire from one floor to the other rather quickly, and thats the reason why, in many areas, its a huge code compliance no-no

and #3, try a 45 instead of a 90....works even better!


----------



## mepellet (Aug 17, 2012)

Lousyweather said:


> #2 is an "iffy" proposition....those registers also can act as a chimney and communicate fire from one floor to the other rather quickly, and thats the reason why, in many areas, its a huge code compliance no-no
> 
> and #3, try a 45 instead of a 90....works even better!


 
Or try a nozzle type if they make them for your vent pipe brand...


----------



## Lousyweather (Aug 17, 2012)

mepellet said:


> Or try a nozzle type if they make them for your vent pipe brand...


 they arent bad, but I dont like them, personally. A good ole 45.......works good


----------



## IHATEPROPANE (Aug 17, 2012)

mepellet said:


> Or try a nozzle type if they make them for your vent pipe brand...


This is what I have......no soot whatsoever


----------



## mepellet (Aug 17, 2012)

IHATEPROPANE said:


> This is what I have......no soot whatsoever


They entrain air to not only sort of "dillute" the exhaust, but also increases the volume of air to push the exhaust further away.  Real easy to plug the venting during the summer thanks to some people on the forum


----------



## Harman Lover 007 (Aug 17, 2012)

REALITY CHECK!  112 posts on a single thread in four days since Melissa joined and/or posted in the dog days of summer. Wow we must have been desperate for a great thread.....


----------



## Lousyweather (Aug 17, 2012)

Harman Lover 007 said:


> REALITY CHECK! 112 posts on a single thread in four days since Melissa joined and/or posted in the dog days of summer. Wow we must have been desperate for a great thread.....


 oh, never fear, there will be many folks in a short month or two who wont be able to figure out why their stove wont run, even tho it was cleaned maybe a year ago


----------



## Melissa220 (Aug 17, 2012)

Mike D said:


> Hi Melissa - Welcome aboard! I haven't read all the posts in here yet, but here are a couple of suggestions:
> 1. I too have my stove (Lopi, not a Harman) installed in my family room off the main part of the house. A ceiling fan helps move the heat out of that room (reverse setting on the fan).
> 2. I too had trouble getting the heat to the second floor of my center stair colonial but last year I had heat registers installed in the bedrooms to allow the heat to naturally rise. Worked like a charm and was worth the investment.
> 3. If your exhaust is vented out the North side of your house you will have the exhaust blow back against the siding I see in your pic which will leave black soot. This is what happened to me, then the dealer put a 90 degree elbow and put the end of the pipe just past the corner of the house. That solved the problem as I can see the smoke blowing past the window heading South.


 
Thanks, Mike! I feel very welcome here. Unfortunately I don't have a ceiling fan, and installing one would probably be cost prohibitive right now. The exhaust is actually vented out the East side of the house.

I am having second thoughts on one thing though, that I would like to ask everyone's opinion on.....now that the stove is all positioned and installed. Everyone has told me to wait and see how the air flow goes once I'm up and running before utilizing door/floor fans to move air. My question is: Should I have the installer come back and reposition the stove. Reason: it is angled to the opposite corner so the blower is in that direction. The archway to the rest of my house is on the same side of the room as the stove, 20 feet away. SHould the stove be shifted so that the fan is blowing air towards the archway? This might alleviate the need for fans.............. I am kicking myself for not having thought of this when it was being done. I was so nervous about the whole thing at the time it never occurred to me.


----------



## Eatonpcat (Aug 17, 2012)

Harman Lover 007 said:


> REALITY CHECK! 112 posts on a single thread in four days since Melissa joined and/or posted in the dog days of summer. Wow we must have been desperate for a great thread.....


 
In my opinion if the name was Micheal it would have the usual 12 responses...Unless of course someone mentioned beer!


----------



## Lousyweather (Aug 20, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> Thanks, Mike! I feel very welcome here. Unfortunately I don't have a ceiling fan, and installing one would probably be cost prohibitive right now. The exhaust is actually vented out the East side of the house.
> 
> I am having second thoughts on one thing though, that I would like to ask everyone's opinion on.....now that the stove is all positioned and installed. Everyone has told me to wait and see how the air flow goes once I'm up and running before utilizing door/floor fans to move air. My question is: Should I have the installer come back and reposition the stove. Reason: it is angled to the opposite corner so the blower is in that direction. The archway to the rest of my house is on the same side of the room as the stove, 20 feet away. SHould the stove be shifted so that the fan is blowing air towards the archway? This might alleviate the need for fans.............. I am kicking myself for not having thought of this when it was being done. I was so nervous about the whole thing at the time it never occurred to me.


 
too early to say, in my opinion, but, well, yea, one would think you would want the stove pointed in the direction you'd like the heat to go. You can use fans in the interim....maybe try it for a season?


----------



## SmokeyTheBear (Aug 20, 2012)

Lousyweather said:


> oh, never fear, there will be many folks in a short month or two who wont be able to figure out why their stove wont run, even tho it was cleaned maybe a year ago


 

<sarc>.

Clean????

You saying these things need cleaning, would never have guessed that.are you certain?

</sarc>


----------



## Lousyweather (Aug 20, 2012)

SmokeyTheBear said:


> <sarc>.
> 
> Clean????
> 
> ...


 
<more sarcasm>
 the only ones that need cleaning are the ones the dealer said to clean, if he/she didnt say to clean it, you donthave to!....the others are like your oven.......self-cleaning! 
<end more sarcasm>


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## St_Earl (Aug 20, 2012)

if it were me, i'd want the stove pointed toward where i wanted the heat to go.


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## The Ds (Aug 20, 2012)

St_Earl said:


> if it were me, i'd want the stove pointed toward where i wanted the heat to go.


 x2


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## SmokeyTheBear (Aug 20, 2012)

Lousyweather said:


> <more sarcasm>
> the only ones that need cleaning are the ones the dealer said to clean, if he/she didnt say to clean it, you donthave to!....the others are like your oven.......self-cleaning!
> <end more sarcasm>


 

You know them self cleaning ovens really aren't, you still have to remove the residue left after they go nuclear.  What's with that?  It must be deceptive advertising at the very least.

To Melissa220,

Aim the stove so the heated air is going in the general direction you want it to go and be sure not to hem in the convection fans intake when you do so.  Ideally you want the convection fan to maintain the air flow with a little help as you can get away with.

Eatonpcat,

What's the matter, are you out of brews?


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## Eatonpcat (Aug 21, 2012)

SmokeyTheBear said:


> You know them self cleaning ovens really aren't, you still have to remove the residue left after they go nuclear. What's with that? It must be deceptive advertising at the very least.
> 
> To Melissa220,
> 
> ...


 
There are two things that I will never run out of Smokey... Pellets and Beer!


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## Melissa220 (Aug 21, 2012)

I've got my local fire department coming out this morning to check the dealer install.  Both for my piece of mind and for insurance purposes.  Fingers crossed.  Insurance questionnaire wanted to know if stove is UL approved.  Couldn't find any such notation but will photocopy and send them the part of the manual that references the O-TL testing that mentions ULC.


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## SmokeyTheBear (Aug 21, 2012)

Eatonpcat said:


> There are two things that I will never run out of Smokey... Pellets and Beer!


 
Not so sure about the pellet thing if one goes by your sig or have you corrected that "issue"?


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## DexterDay (Aug 21, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> I've got my local fire department coming out this morning to check the dealer install.  Both for my piece of mind and for insurance purposes.  Fingers crossed.  Insurance questionnaire wanted to know if stove is UL approved.  Couldn't find any such notation but will photocopy and send them the part of the manual that references the O-TL testing that mentions ULC.



There is a tag on the back, side, or possibly inside the hopper, that has the UL listing tag on it.

Yes, it is UL approved/tested...


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## Melissa220 (Aug 22, 2012)

DexterDay said:


> There is a tag on the back, side, or possibly inside the hopper, that has the UL listing tag on it.
> 
> Yes, it is UL approved/tested...


 
Sweet! I will check for that thank you. The only immediately visible label on the stove itself only referenced the O-TL testing.


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## DexterDay (Aug 22, 2012)

OTL is who UL listed the stove its O-T-L (Omni Test Laboratories) 

Its a tag that looks like this, right?


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## Melissa220 (Aug 22, 2012)

DexterDay said:


> OTL is who UL listed the stove its O-T-L (Omni Test Laboratories)
> 
> Its a tag that looks like this, right?
> 
> View attachment 72459


 
Mine looks like this which I believe is same?
	

		
			
		

		
	



	

		
			
		

		
	
  The O-TL is in the upper left hand corner. This label is on the outside back of the hopper near the top. 
Darn insurance companies make you jump through hoops!


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## imacman (Aug 22, 2012)

Melissa220 said:


> Sweet! I will check for that thank you. The only immediately visible label on the stove itself only referenced the O-TL testing.


Did you check in the owners manual?  Sometimes it's listed there.


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## Melissa220 (Aug 23, 2012)

imacman said:


> Did you check in the owners manual? Sometimes it's listed there.


 
Hi Imacman - the only labels on my stove and manual referencing any testing are those of O-TL. Their 'mark' indicates both Canada and US and its tested - also according to the label and manual - to ULC.  My research on this indicated this is UL Canada; and further research indicated that ULC and UL now work hand-in-hand.

I just this morning have sent an email to customer service at OMNI asking them to help me understand the labeling as my insurance company is looking for UL approval.


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## AWaeschle (Sep 25, 2012)

Hi!  New owner of Harman P43 here too ... thank you Melissa for starting this thread ... answered a lot of questions that I had too!  Question to other Harman owners - do you typically use the "room" or "stove" temp setting, and if using the "stove" temp setting what do you typically set yours at?  We purchased the pellet stove to offset our heating oil costs ... I know the heat won't get to all parts of the house, however I did a test run the other night and used "stove" temp setting at around 75 deg ... room that it was in and adjacent rooms were sweltering and we burned through the bag of pellets pretty quickly.  I know this will be trial and error for us too ... but any advice on settings/temp and any tricks you can offer would be appreciated.  Thanks everyone!  Looking forward to learning a lot here!


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## mepellet (Sep 25, 2012)

AWaeschle said:


> Hi! New owner of Harman P43 here too ... thank you Melissa for starting this thread ... answered a lot of questions that I had too! Question to other Harman owners - do you typically use the "room" or "stove" temp setting, and if using the "stove" temp setting what do you typically set yours at? We purchased the pellet stove to offset our heating oil costs ... I know the heat won't get to all parts of the house, however I did a test run the other night and used "stove" temp setting at around 75 deg ... room that it was in and adjacent rooms were sweltering and we burned through the bag of pellets pretty quickly. I know this will be trial and error for us too ... but any advice on settings/temp and any tricks you can offer would be appreciated. Thanks everyone! Looking forward to learning a lot here!


 
I use room temp set in manual mode 90% of the time.  I use stove temp auto if coming home to a cold house and set it in the 5 range for an hour or two and then go back to room temp manual.


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## The Ds (Sep 25, 2012)

Hi AWaeschle, and welcome to the wonderful world of pellets 

You'll get more response to your question if you start a separate thread. I think yours will get lost down here on page 6 of Melissa's thread. Start something new and you'll get lots of advice. We pellet folk are very helpful!! LOL  Best of luck, and enjoy the heat.


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## Melissa220 (Sep 25, 2012)

AWaeschle said:


> Hi! New owner of Harman P43 here too ... thank you Melissa for starting this thread ... answered a lot of questions that I had too! Question to other Harman owners - do you typically use the "room" or "stove" temp setting, and if using the "stove" temp setting what do you typically set yours at? We purchased the pellet stove to offset our heating oil costs ... I know the heat won't get to all parts of the house, however I did a test run the other night and used "stove" temp setting at around 75 deg ... room that it was in and adjacent rooms were sweltering and we burned through the bag of pellets pretty quickly. I know this will be trial and error for us too ... but any advice on settings/temp and any tricks you can offer would be appreciated. Thanks everyone! Looking forward to learning a lot here!


 
I tested my stove yesterday when was leaving the house for a few hours.  I started the stove in auto and brought the rooms up to temp - about 70. When I got ready to leave, I set the stove on room temp 65 and switched to manual so the stove would not turn off but go to its lowest setting. I turned on a fan set up high on a bookcase to keep air moving to the other rooms of the house on the first floor.  When I got home 4 hours later, all rooms on the first floor were a comfy 70 degrees. Not being able to turn of, the temp in the room is likely to be a bit higher than the set temp.


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## Gman12 (Sep 25, 2012)

Welcome Melissa, Harmon Pellet stoves are great stoves! Hope you enjoy it this winter and many more to come.


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## Harman Lover 007 (Sep 25, 2012)

AWaeschle said:


> Hi! New owner of Harman P43 here too ... thank you Melissa for starting this thread ... answered a lot of questions that I had too! Question to other Harman owners - do you typically use the "room" or "stove" temp setting, and if using the "stove" temp setting what do you typically set yours at? We purchased the pellet stove to offset our heating oil costs ... I know the heat won't get to all parts of the house, however I did a test run the other night and used "stove" temp setting at around 75 deg ... room that it was in and adjacent rooms were sweltering and we burned through the bag of pellets pretty quickly. I know this will be trial and error for us too ... but any advice on settings/temp and any tricks you can offer would be appreciated. Thanks everyone! Looking forward to learning a lot here!


 
AWaeschle and Melissa,
If you haven't found it already, click on the link in my signature. It gives a complete overview of the Harman stove temp/room temp operation from another forum member/Harman owner, lbcynya. It's worth the read.


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## Melissa220 (Sep 25, 2012)

Harman Lover 007 said:


> AWaeschle and Melissa,
> If you haven't found it already, click on the link in my signature. It gives a complete overview of the Harman stove temp/room temp operation from another forum member/Harman owner, lbcynya. It's worth the read.


Thanks!


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## AWaeschle (Sep 25, 2012)

Yes thank you!  I found it after I posted here ... great info!


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