I'm just curious as to which Harman stoves are the most reliable and cheapest to maintain. I'm going to guess that the P series is the most reliable and cheapest to maintain but I'd like to hear from people who have lots of experience with them.
Most Reliable Harman Pellet Stove
- Thread starter danrclem
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I shouldn't comment as I just got my stove this year. I did talk to a guy who lives not far from me. He has a Harman Accentra that he said is 15 years old and still going strong. That is an old model though. From what I've been able to determine, if you are getting any pellet stove you can keep it going with cleaning and parts. It would be better to be handy with electrical and mechanical if you plan to maintain it yourself. This site is good as there are people to guide you. I would look at the P series for sure.
I bought a P43 in 2012, first pellet stove I ever bought. The only parts I have replaced on it in the last 13 years, are the combustion blower motor, on my 3rd I think, maybe 4th and I replaced the wheel inside twice, just because, and mine has a little rubber expansion type latch for the hopper lid I replaced it. The combustion motor I replaced because of bearing noise not actual failure, it runs 24/7 through most of the winter only getting stopping about once a month for an ash pan emptying and quick clean, so I am not unhappy with having to replace it every few years as it is the hardest working or most used part on the stove. I bought new gaskets for both doors I am going to change this summer. The best $4k I have spent when it comes to heating, that was stove and complete install plus a custom raised hearth pad and 2 ton of pellets.
I have the Harman Accentra freestanding burning about 2 tons/year since 2007. I replaced the distribution blower, auger/feed motor, and the potentiometers on the board over the years. It's been a trooper.
All the Harman stoves are reliable as long as they get a little TLC
like all good Quality stoves
like all good Quality stoves
bogieb
Minister of Fire
I only have P-series, so don't "know" about other stoves. If looking at new, or newer stoves, I would assume that those with more electronics would have the potential to be more problematic.
I have a 2013 flavor P61a in the basement (installed new beginning of 2014) and a 2012 P43 in the living room (bought used in 2015). Both of them have been basically trouble free.
Both stoves run on room temp auto for 95-100% of the heating season (depends on weather - especially wind). I also wired each up to remote thermostats. Between the two stoves, I use anywhere from 3 to 6 tons per year.
The only thing I've done to the P61a is replace door gaskets. Absolutely no other work. Even though it is in the basement, it is in the "cleaner" environment since the cats don't spend much time down there and my birds are strictly in my living room.
In 2018 I did need to replace the exhaust blower for the P43 as the bearings were shot and motor windings breaking down (as diagnosed by @Don2222 ). I also replaced the distribution fan because it was making a noise and irritating me (still worked though). I replaced the firebox door gasket last fall. Not knowing the history of the stove, I couldn't complain.
I have a 2013 flavor P61a in the basement (installed new beginning of 2014) and a 2012 P43 in the living room (bought used in 2015). Both of them have been basically trouble free.
Both stoves run on room temp auto for 95-100% of the heating season (depends on weather - especially wind). I also wired each up to remote thermostats. Between the two stoves, I use anywhere from 3 to 6 tons per year.
The only thing I've done to the P61a is replace door gaskets. Absolutely no other work. Even though it is in the basement, it is in the "cleaner" environment since the cats don't spend much time down there and my birds are strictly in my living room.
In 2018 I did need to replace the exhaust blower for the P43 as the bearings were shot and motor windings breaking down (as diagnosed by @Don2222 ). I also replaced the distribution fan because it was making a noise and irritating me (still worked though). I replaced the firebox door gasket last fall. Not knowing the history of the stove, I couldn't complain.
Tonyray
Minister of Fire
P61A here,, 10 yrs burning 24/7..
al the posts here about the P Series sound accurate to me..
without going into it Have exspirinced most of what has been said about the stoves.
can't go wrong with them..
al the posts here about the P Series sound accurate to me..
without going into it Have exspirinced most of what has been said about the stoves.
can't go wrong with them..
The Grintch
Burning Hunk
Harman pellet pro 2 was my first stove, I’ve refurbished a few neglected Harmans and have had a P61A for 10yrs and replaced the glass door gaskets and combustion blower on my personal stove. Harman stoves are easy to work on but it’s also what you get and learn about on any stove. I’ve worked on a few different brands.
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Nice. Do you know if Harman Pellet stove dealers get one of these as part of becoming a dealer? My guy would not have bought one for sure ,but if it were "free"to him he might have one. I doubt it, as he didn't bring it to the install.Hello
I finally broke down and purchased a Harman DDMNot cheap but nice to have!
One price I saw was over $800 USD !
As far as I know it is not free to anyone. :-(
That maybe why not many people have one. Also there is no instructions for it to show what it can do or how to use it except a little sticker on the inside cover. :-(
1st menu will show Circuit board type (part #) and current operational procedure (startup, run mode)
2nd menu shows ESP temp
3rd menu is voltages to motors
4th menu is dial settings and room/stove temp mode along with room sensor reading.
That's all could find. I found that earlier in some post regarding using a raspberry pi instead
bogieb
Minister of Fire
They ignore the birds. Interestingly, none of my cats have ever had more than a passing interest in my indoor birds - even ferals that I've taken in (I have a feral now that is getting used to indoor life and people). At times they do like to watch the birds thru the windows.
My cats prefer to be somewhere around wherever I am, and I don't spend a lot of time in the basement. One cat, Spot, will sometimes go downstairs and lay on the P61a after it has shut down. But then she comes back up and lays on the P43 or a chair in my office (her favorite place), or on my legs if I am on the couch. The other two are mainly living room cats, although they come visit me in the office several times a day.
bogieb
Minister of Fire
Igniters were added a long time ago (my 2012 P43 has an ignitor). I don't think that there have been any big changes although I think they may have updated the burn pot on some of the stoves at some point.
Tonyray
Minister of Fire
possibly the control board..?. my P61A was born 2012... burning 10 yrs and anything I replaced looks identical to original.
The ESP probe was changed from Black to Red (totally different). The replacement (new version) card has switches to match the probe.
The P series went through EPA testing around 2020 so the basic design is locked now. It has been around for along time and still basically the same.
I believe some models had a chain drive for the auger. I know the P43 is direct drive now.
Tonyray
Minister of Fire
Yes I think so. I just helped someone troubleshoot an old P61 and he bought the black. He said he did not have an igniter.
All new ones have red.
The ESP probe wire color does not have anything to do with an ignitor. The old Harman circuit boards had to have a black ESP wire probe.
The new Harman Circuit boards have a bank of dip switches and switch 5 in the up position works with the red ESP probe and in the down position works with the black wire ESP probe.
Therefore when the circuit board goes bad this one board will replace both model versions. I put a new board on mine and then put in a new red wire ESP probe.
The new Harman Circuit boards have a bank of dip switches and switch 5 in the up position works with the red ESP probe and in the down position works with the black wire ESP probe.
Therefore when the circuit board goes bad this one board will replace both model versions. I put a new board on mine and then put in a new red wire ESP probe.
Probe resistance changes and an added chip on the board for diff probes. The P68 and enviro Maxx are the 2 largest heat beast’s out there!
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