Looking for a referral to assess and repair Progress Hybrid Stove...

[Slow1]

Greetings after a long absence... Been a few years actually. Anyone still around who I may recognize?

Progress Hybrid owner here... stopped posting as I moved away from the stove, but have fond memories. Stove is still in place in our house that is not rented out... yeah, I know we should have anticipated a nightmare and here it is... Tenants seriously abused the stove based on images sent to me by property manager.

So, if anyone happens to be in the Milford, MA area and can recommend a competent sweep or stove repair company who would be willing to take on this project, I'd love to get a referral.

Thanks in advance.

 

[begreen]

Welcome back. Sorry to hear about the tenant damage to the stove. It's risky business trusting tenants with a stove. Have you contacted Woodstock to see if they might be able to provide a recommendation?

 

[weatherguy]

Call Woodstock, if they don't know anyone they could fix it.

 

[Slow1]

Welcome back. Sorry to hear about the tenant damage to the stove. It's risky business trusting tenants with a stove. Have you contacted Woodstock to see if they might be able to provide a recommendation?

I did have a discussion with Woodstock - very helpful as always. However they apparently don't maintain any sort of a 'recommendation' list.

 

[Slow1]

Call Woodstock, if they don't know anyone they could fix it.

Indeed - if I can get it to them they will fix it for what sounds like a reasonable rate (far from cheap, but considering the quality I'd expect from them I'm sure I'd be pleased). Problem is the cost of pulling it out of the home, shipping two ways, and back in again I am guessing will add up quickly. Also they do have a builder who apparently might be willing to drive down and work on it - I'd of course have to negotiate directly with the individual and likely compensate for travel etc... not sure if that will add up to more than the shipping or not yet.
Rather hoping to find someone local who has worked on these stoves before (I know, hoping for a lot here). I appreciate your suggestion!

 

[Slow1]

In case anyone wants to see a sad picture... This is the only one I have of the stove right now, but am guessing that once I get images from other angles and of the insides it won't be pretty... just speculating about what the tenants might have done here, guessing running stove with door cracked open in order to try and burn green wood? Whatever they did, I'm sure it wasn't good for the stove!

 

[Highbeam]

A little cleaning? Property managers may not be very good at assessing damage. Too bad a good sweep can’t be hired to clean and service the stove before sending out an expert to rebuild.

 

[begreen]

Yes, it sounds like the first thing you need is an assessment of the state of the stove. Hopefully it nothing is warped or cracked and it may just need cleaning and/or perhaps a cat replacement.

 

[Highbeam]

The property manager saw that top stone lifted and probably assumed that it was destroyed.

The soot on the outside makes me more fearful for the rest of your house than any damage to the stove. How did they do that? I bet they were burning trash, plastic milk jugs or something. Cold smoke, petroleum smoke makes soot like that.

 

[fire_man]

Definitely post some pics of the internals when you can. The one you sent really does not necessarily show damage, but certainly improper operation.

If you have to get it rebuilt, I would seriously consider looking into the WS travel guy. That sounds like a fantastic idea. The wear and tear on the stove moving that distance can't be good and I know its not cheap, and I seem to remember you had a difficult time getting it to your installation location.

 

[Slow1]

Looking for a good sweep - the one I used in the past was great, but he is not available. Humph.
I agree - too early to assume anything - still waiting on a full set of pictures (inside and out).

I'm glad I've been away for a few years... I've come to accept that the house is not my home anymore, but as much as I'd like to claim otherwise, I still have an emotional response to abuse of my stove. Whatever they did to it, it just wasn't right! (consider that they had a good supply of well seasoned oak available to burn too....).

 

[Slow1]

The soot on the outside makes me more fearful for the rest of your house than any damage to the stove.

Sadly this is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of damage to the home. New carpet destroyed in places, walls/woodwork damaged by an unauthorized pet... And it won't likely surprise anyone that the smoke detectors are gone too and there is soot on the ceiling... Damage is clearly more than the deposit and having another tenant ready to move in (and home is not in acceptable condition) add to the complexity and stress. Hmm... guess lesson learned.

Yes, I"m dealing with the property manager too - I rather feel it difficult to believe they were keeping tabs on the property and didn't notice all this.

 

[Highbeam]

Sadly this is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of damage to the home. New carpet destroyed in places, walls/woodwork damaged by an unauthorized pet... And it won't likely surprise anyone that the smoke detectors are gone too and there is soot on the ceiling... Damage is clearly more than the deposit and having another tenant ready to move in (and home is not in acceptable condition) add to the complexity and stress. Hmm... guess lesson learned.

Yes, I"m dealing with the property manager too - I rather feel it difficult to believe they were keeping tabs on the property and didn't notice all this.

Wow. I would have a hard time as a landlord. The soot damage could happen with one poor attempt at burning garbage and could have been an accident. The pet damage is more deliberate.

 

[firefighterjake]

My wife and her ex- moved here to Maine after owning an apartment building in CT. Figured they had a good experience in CT and would do the same. Long story, short . . . had tenant after tenant give them problems culminating in a tenant's boyfriend having a cooking fire which burned the place down . . . well half of it was gone.

My wife has said she will never be a landlord ever again.

 

[fire_man]

A friend at work rented his house for 5 years with multiple tenants and used a property manager. It was a distaster - lots and lots of damage including major mold from a dehumidier they failed to keep running in the basement.

I think the take-away here is never let a tenant use your woodstove under any circumstance.

 

[toddnic]

Boston to West Lebanon is 133 miles. I'd be making a road trip!

 

[Rearscreen]

That pic may not be an indicator of problems. I get a small amount of that during a season and simple green it off. Maybe they just burned trash etc. Replace the CAT! I was a landlord for 20 years and sold the place (even though it was part of my income) because: anyone at that time could get a mortgage. (The lender financial problem years where any schmo could get a mortgage) so I ended up with the dregs. However, never would I rent a house with a cat stove, it takes a keen sense to run them.