A dealer is saying that fake logs screw up the burn ( P68 etc)
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Listen to your dealer. When you first get a stove you get all concerned about looks and clean glass. After a few seasons all you care about is keeping it running and staying warm.
CygnusX1
Feeling the Heat
I had the fake logs in my stove for about a month, yeah they look nice, but what a disaster to clean. Just "accidentally" drop them while cleaning and you'll be rid of them. Then all you have to say is: "Sorry honey".
THE ROOSTER
Feeling the Heat
smwilliamson
The Stove Guy
You must have gone to the stove center. I told Rob they looked like antlers! I cannot see the logs in the p series screwing up anything cause they are behind the burn pot in place of the brick. The ones in the Accentra, advance and xxv are on top. Either way, not a fan. Have to though, the m55 log sets look pretty good for fake logs. Travis use I make a good one too if I remember correctly.
smwilliamson
The Stove Guy
Most people who have a P68 could have done the same job of heating with the P61. Don't worry about a dealer having it in stock either, unless your making an impulsive purchase, which it sounds like you aren't. The unit will be shipped in 3 days. FYI, the 68 is noticeably louder than the 61 when it's feeding. I'm with the 61a crowd, the 68 is usually overkill in nearly every situation I've seen, unless you plan on heating from the basement, a 61 will do the job any 68 will
This really is my thought as well. I'm one who doesn't mind if on the coldest days the central heat comes on here or there. Day in and day out through average winter and the shoulder season is more my concern. We get very little -0 weather here, it's far more common in Jan to maybe hit single digits at night and low 20's in the day. Then in Feb, teens at night and upper 20's or low 30's in the day. The shoulder brings frost overnight and mid 30's to 40's daytime. And really that can even happen mid winter here. We are just coming off of that in fact and due now to go back into the 20's next week. I'll re-lite the coal stove tonight ( been on oil for one week here).
Anyway, just thinking a P68 is going to idle a lot in the shoulder season, depending on what mode I use I suppose ?
I've been to three or four dealers now, two were Harman dealers on Cape ( along with other brands). Just trying to find that perfect stove I guess, and so far it looks like one Harman or another with the P series the top contender on heat output and cleaning ease. The XXV is a beauty to look at but considerably less output. We have time as we have funds coming in that have not arrived yet this winter that will pay for this.
We looked at Napoleons, St Croix and Lennox as well and have ruled those out.
Ctcarl
Feeling the Heat
My dealer had to order mine as well.also when I spoke to the other harman dealer he said the same thing that it would have to be ordered. I dnt see a problem with that. If they overstocked and don't sell then there stuck with older models. I like the fact mine was ordered. Mine was made dec 2013 hot off the press!
My dealer had to order mine as well.also when I spoke to the other harman dealer he said the same thing that it would have to be ordered. I dnt see a problem with that. If they overstocked and don't sell then there stuck with older models. I like the fact mine was ordered. Mine was made dec 2013 hot off the press!
I don't mind ordering the stove either, not sure which one yet. It is good to know the P61a is in stock non the less. It just feels good and in reality, doesn't matter much at this point.
I did a survey a few weeks ago that showed only about a dozen people out of almost 90 who answered who burned 3 or more bags on the coldest days of the year. That means about 90% of the people here don't really need a stove larger than a XXV. And some of those who answered were using pellet boilers, not stoves.
I must have missed that survey. I'd like to see how it played out, do you have it live/available someplace here ? Additionally, would all those stoves of the surveyed be capable of burning more than 3 bags ( or is that a dumb question)?
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https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/poll-how-many-bags-do-you-burn-on-the-coldest-days.121035/
Well, my survey wasn't all that precise, as you can see. Just based upon what stoves are in people's sig files, I will assume that most stoves can burn more than 3 bags in a day. 120lbs is just 5lbs an hour, or 40k btus. You could throw up another survey asking people what size stove they have. I'd think 3 categories would cover it, <40k btus, 40k to 50k btus, and >50k btus. I'd guess 20%, 40%, 40% as the breakdown here.
bocephus
Member
Just back to the original post real quick... guess im in the minority here, but I never had problems with my fake logs in my EarthStove. Was TOTALLY unaware of how much distain there is for 'em by other stove users. My Natural Flame EarthStove MP35/50 was, by namesake, ment to be used with these logs. And I've never had a problem with them. Just about the time that they start getting loaded up with ash, is just about the time the entire stove needs shut down and cleaned anyways. Plus, all I've ever had to do to clean them is turn em over and let the ash fall off. I actually took 'ema out for about a week one time, just to see what the stove looked like without them and to find out if cleaning would be easier. To my shock, I found out that my glass got dirtier faster. So to say the least they have been put back in and there they shall stay. Ill put up with a little ash built up on my logs, then to deal with dirty glass like that. BUT.... as stated...sounds like im definitely in the minority on this one (but lucky as well). Just my 2cents fellers! Anyone else with my stove that agrees with my ludacris statement? Lol
Thanks, interesting take or twist on the general responses. Personally, I don't really care if there is a little ash on the things, as long as the wife is happy when she see's it. If it's a bigger deal than adding a couple of minutes to the cleaning, then I might care but otherwise probably not.
My coal stove has no glass, my viewing area is about 1/4" through my little secondary air hole that actually usually has on size or another a cotter pin stuck in it ! No antlers, logs or sticks in there.
Luv2burnPellets
Member
I started out with the fake logs. 3 weeks later, they were in the basement. I was unaware that I needed to put in bricks if I removed the logs. It took me a day to realize something wasn't quite right and I needed to go back to the dealer for the three bricks to replace the fake logs. I felt like a fool. The dealer never discouraged me from buying them, and never offered to give me the bricks at time of purchase.
Enigma869
Feeling the Heat
As far as I know, the bricks are actually supposed to come with the stove, so I would have insisted that the dealer gave them to me.
This is the first I've seen of anything different about bricks with the fake log added. Are you guys saying that these bricks are something different from the three that go rearward of the burn pot ?
Luv2burnPellets
Member
The fake logs replace the three bricks, not in addition to them. You have to have logs or bricks to protect the steel plate in the back of the stove.
Ok thanks, I had no clue the logs even went that far back into the stove.
Incidentally, I spoke with an installer today, who installs for the Harman dealer ( different dealer than the one with this information incidentally, about dirty burn with logs). The installer said the logs make no difference in the stove function what so ever, except that you need to be careful when cleaning around them inside there ( scraping the pot mostly). He said if you hit them, they chip and break. That's in line with you guys info in this thread as well.
Even more important to me than that, we discussed the install and future maintenance of both the P52i and ( either really) the P61a. No brainer, I can go straight out the back of my fireplace with the vent on the P61 and rod a brush straight through on cleaning. He showed me the hatch behind the ash bin and said the exit is right behind there, push the brush through and pull it back out close the hatch. Done deal for the vent sweep compared with the 52i..
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smwilliamson
The Stove Guy
The logs in the advance, accentra, and xxv are different that the one in the P series. P series sid behind the burn pot, the other set hangs over the burn pot. The later doesn't screw up the flame but it will pattern the glass differently than if they were not there.
The latter I assume being the P series ? Anyway, we have the stove now and she doesn't seem to be stressing over no logs yet. we shall see how this goes after the install. We got the stove with a$100 off coupon from Harman, so $3499 and they threw in a free ash vacuum. But $3499 being reality was still enough to cool her jets a bit I think.
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