Harman PF 100 and AC coils? Higher CFM Blower motor?

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gitmo234

gitmo234

Member
Dec 1, 2010
95
Oxford, PA
I know its possible to put AC coils on the PF 100...the manual specifically talks about a board you can purchase to hook it up. Has anyone done this? Any luck?

Secondly, after all the modifications I've made to the HVAC I turned the fan on (fan only) in my propane furnace and for once, the air flow was entirely adequate at all registers across the house. You could feel air coming up from all vents.

I have the standard advertised "high end" 1638 CFM blower that comes with the PF 100, but others on here have talked about having a 2200 CFM, which is what is in my propane furnace. Are squirrel cages (and accompanying motors) usually interchangeable? If not, how did you (who have the higher powered blower) get your blowers that fit?

I'm considering taking out my propane furnace all together, and putting the harman where it is installed, so it's stand-alone. The only issue is there will be about a 15 foot horizontal vent pipe then. Although inconvenient, I may put that at an angle (45) for part of it to cut out on what is strictly horizontal.
 
I would not remove your LP. You also better check with you insurance agent, most will frown on this due to numerous reasons.

Eric
 
I'm insured with USAA and they actually really liked it. No raise in premium and the only problem was its considered by them to be a high cost feature, so the only raise in premium would be the replacement cost, but i was covered enough. Apparently its a trend they noticed.
 
gitmo234 said:
I'm insured with USAA and they actually really liked it. No raise in premium and the only problem was its considered by them to be a high cost feature, so the only raise in premium would be the replacement cost, but i was covered enough. Apparently its a trend they noticed.
Click to expand...

Most insurances don't have problems with pellet stoves/furnaces but they tend to like you to have a backup...
 
I have an A/C coil hooked up to my oil burner and when my HVAC guy did it he said you need 1-/1.5 CFM per sq foot of house. So if you are over 1600 square feet I would look into either changing the blower on the Harman or maybe easier to hook up the A/C through the other furnace.
 
mepellet said:
gitmo234 said:
I'm insured with USAA and they actually really liked it. No raise in premium and the only problem was its considered by them to be a high cost feature, so the only raise in premium would be the replacement cost, but i was covered enough. Apparently its a trend they noticed.
Click to expand...

Most insurances don't have problems with pellet stoves/furnaces but they tend to like you to have a backup...
Click to expand...

Mepellet and Eric are right. Its not a problem for you to run the PF-100. The problem arises when your home is sold and the new owners want heat (the kind that doesn't require filling a hopper).

Your home should have a "Primary" heat source (LP, HHO, Electric, Etc) and the PF-100 is considered "Secondary". Even though you use it as Primary. New owners may not.

Wont matter now. But if you ever intend on selling your home. There has to be another source. (At least most places, this is Code).
 
DexterDay said:
mepellet said:
gitmo234 said:
I'm insured with USAA and they actually really liked it. No raise in premium and the only problem was its considered by them to be a high cost feature, so the only raise in premium would be the replacement cost, but i was covered enough. Apparently its a trend they noticed.
Click to expand...

Most insurances don't have problems with pellet stoves/furnaces but they tend to like you to have a backup...
Click to expand...

Mepellet and Eric are right. Its not a problem for you to run the PF-100. The problem arises when your home is sold and the new owners want heat (the kind that doesn't require filling a hopper).

Your home should have a "Primary" heat source (LP, HHO, Electric, Etc) and the PF-100 is considered "Secondary". Even though you use it as Primary. New owners may not.

Wont matter now. But if you ever intend on selling your home. There has to be another source. (At least most places, this is Code).
Click to expand...

I've also heard or read about insurance companies wanting another heating appliance like an oil/propane boiler/furnace so that there is another form of heat for if the homeowner were to leave for an extended period of time and the pellets run out. So the pipes won't freeze.
 
gitmo234 said:
I'm insured with USAA and they actually really liked it. No raise in premium and the only problem was its considered by them to be a high cost feature, so the only raise in premium would be the replacement cost, but i was covered enough. Apparently its a trend they noticed.
Click to expand...

USAA is the BEST! Been with them for 45 years! Just got my annual subscriber savings account disbursement ($600) plus already got my $180 rebate at the end of last year.
 
Just having a pellet heater might be more of a financing issue for a potential buyer than insurance isssue if you ever sell the place. Banks and other mortgage lenders like to see conventional heaters--oil, gas, electric or heat pumps.
 
gitmo234 said:
I know its possible to put AC coils on the PF 100...the manual specifically talks about a board you can purchase to hook it up. Has anyone done this? Any luck?

Secondly, after all the modifications I've made to the HVAC I turned the fan on (fan only) in my propane furnace and for once, the air flow was entirely adequate at all registers across the house. You could feel air coming up from all vents.

I have the standard advertised "high end" 1638 CFM blower that comes with the PF 100, but others on here have talked about having a 2200 CFM, which is what is in my propane furnace. Are squirrel cages (and accompanying motors) usually interchangeable? If not, how did you (who have the higher powered blower) get your blowers that fit?

I'm considering taking out my propane furnace all together, and putting the harman where it is installed, so it's stand-alone. The only issue is there will be about a 15 foot horizontal vent pipe then. Although inconvenient, I may put that at an angle (45) for part of it to cut out on what is strictly horizontal.
Click to expand...
The 1658 cfm blower motor is not the standard motor. It is the largest optional motor you can currently get for the PF100. The standard motor is somewhere around 1200 and they have another option for a 1400.

For some reason, they call the 1658, 2200. I don't know why. Maybe they did supply a 2200 option but reduced it to 1658. I run my 1658 on low. It is a 4 speed motor with one of the windings not wired (medium high) so you really only have a 3 speed motor (low/med/high).
 
So, why can't you just buy a larger motor? I know that it's the highest Harman wants as they want the proper heat to hit the vents but you could just manually set it to MED in the winter and high in the summer. I also have the 1658/2200 and in the winter, it's high for both floors and basement.

I use my main propane furnace for the AC coils. I like keeping the propane for the back up/resale/out of town reasons, and there is the insurance issue for me too.
 
I don't think a larger motor will fit the mounting flange that is on the PF100. Other than that, you could buy your own faster rpm motor. I only run mine on low because on high, it cools the heat coming out of the vent down more and low does a sufficient job to heat the house fast enough from a cold start and keep it that way from that point on. I was using it in medium, but lowered it just to try it out. Works fine on low, so low it is for my application.
 
Its a bit of a space and airflow issue, because my ductwork is shaped like a cross, and my harman is at one end of it, so it has trouble getting the air to the farther ends. There's not much room to install in the middle where the current furnace is.

I've had my motor set to HIGH all year. Would it be more efficient for medium? I know that the heat coming out is sufficient on high. From what I'm told, the temp coming out the ducts is supposed to be 120 degrees... with Hamers mine hits 140 with it set on high.

dmaclaren, the 1658cfm motor that came with my furnace from the dealer is actually a 2000cfm on high?

My house is 2533 square foot, but one room has cathedral ceilings. Right now it stays pretty good with the Harman. It has no trouble keeping the whole house 70 degrees (this winter at least), but I'll also burn 3 or 4 bags in 24 hours on the coldest nights (20 degrees or so). I've fixed a lot of problems in the ducts ( gigantic 1 inch gaps in duct work, 25+ foot runs of flex duct, etc), but I still have some weak-ish registers. the 2200CFM blower in my propane furnace now makes the air flow audible through all vents. You can feel and hear it. Before you couldn't.

Explains why my propane bill last year was >$3k a month. Fixing at least multiple holes like this, swapping flex for steel duct, and re-insulating my whole attic with R30 on top of the R20 or so that was up there has helped.



As far as USAA, I got a $5 disbursement around december but I've only had my account for two years so my subscriber savings hasnt grown that much. Its only got about $600 total in it now, but I have my mortgage, car insurance, credit card, commissioning loan, etc through them. All finances are done through them.
 
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