Brand new Harman Absolute43 already peeling???

[Jheimann123]

I have a brand new Harman Absolute43 pellet stove that replaced a 20 year old Lopi Leyden. I have burned exactly 3 bags of pellets in the stove and opened it for the first time to scrape the burn pot and clean the glass. I found that the paint was peeling on the stove already. In the pictures you can where the paint came off the stove and stuck to the door gasket. The dealer tells me that this is normal, but that they will come out if I want and scape the peeled paint, wipe it down with alcohol and repaint it with high temp stove paint (not sure if I have to pay for that or not yet).

You can also see from the first picture where my finger wiped off soot that built up on the outside of the door gasket. Why would I have soot there if its a negative pressure in the firebox? Could this be the cause of the smoke smell I get in the house? The dealer said they would come out and investigate the wood smoke smell... hopefully soon.

My question is... is this normal???? Help please!

 

[Golfeur]

at the price this stove is selling for I wouldn't accept that the paint is peeling I would ask for a new stove

 

[vinny11950]

Not normal. The paint also helps prevent rust in the summer. Eventually rust will start to form on the areas where the paint fell off.

 

[ARC]

Not normal and you should not be getting soot there.

 

[johneh]

It seems to me at least that Harman stove quality in the
the last couple of years has gone the way of the DODO Bird
Just my thoughts

 

[Washed-Up]

Looks like an improperly baked on paint job as well as a compromised door seal…I’d fight for a replacement stove….poor workmanship for sure, sorry to hear

 

[Dataman]

It seems to me at least that Harman stove quality in the
the last couple of years has gone the way of the DODO Bird
Just my thoughts

 

[Dataman]

At least the Bird was beautiful creature! No Peeling Paint. (British National History Museum went there in 2002)

 

[doneill127]

to me it looks like somehow the stove has operated under a positive pressure (not normal), and the hot gases leaked out through the gasket on the side just above the door latch and cooked the paint off. Kind of supported by having soot in the area.

 

[bogieb]

As everyone else said, that paint shouldn't be peeling.

For 3 bags, that is an awful lot of soot on the glass already.

 

[SWelsch]

Door gasket doesn't look right to me. Could explain soot on glass and the peeling paint. Neither are normal IMO