Hearthstone Manchester 8360 Dead After 1 year

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C

Canadian Guy

New Member
Feb 13, 2016
1
Canada
Hello

Just wanted to post my experience with a Hearthstone stove specifically the Manchester 8360. Not even a month into the second winter using this stove and it quit radiating any significant heat. We got in touch with the retailer we purchased it from and they did send someone out to look at it after hounding them for a couple of weeks. Out of that experience it seems that all of the gaskets were shot. The front door, the ash drawer and the side door. That seemed odd to me so I contacted Hearthstone and posed this question to them since as I mentioned the stove wasn't even 2 years old yet. They told me that the average lifespan for the gaskets was 3-5 years, and then told me to burn some incense around the doors to check and to vacuum around the door, no comment on our experience of less than 2 years. Anyway a month later we finally got the gaskets replaced and well wouldn't you know still not working. So after 7 thousand dollars for an install I have got a nice decoration sitting on my floor. It is currently minus 40 degrees out the coldest day of the year, great day to have a fire but I can't because I bought a Hearthstone stove. In my opinion, don't be like us, don't by a Hearthstone unless you are just looking for a decoration.
 
Yep, it's helpful to be mechanically inclined since a lot of the dealers are little or no help. That's why I don't mind having the Woodstocks with no dealer and only company support. At least I can get some good advice, instead of the "bad gaskets" crap from the dealer, and then no help from the maker with the real cause, whatever that may be...
OK, so it worked fine until recently? Any clue as to why isn't it heating? No secondaries? Did you get into some wood recently that wasn't as dry? Is the chimney drawing well? What is the chimney configuration? Did you over-fire the stove? Can you see anything inside such as cracked or warped parts?
 
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This would be a good time to have the chimney checked, especially the cap if there is a screen in it. If the chimney is clean, cap is clean, then try a different wood source. If the firewood is not fully seasoned it is going to put out a lot less heat. If a good quality compressed wood is available like BioBricks or EcoBricks, that might be worth trying as well.
 
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Stoves put out heat, that's what they do, plain and simple. Some heat more than others, soapstone being the most mild. But it would not just stop for no reason. Think of it like a car, if you put in bad fuel you won't get very far. Same with your stove, I'd bet your wood is very unseasoned. Worn out leaking gaskets would cause an overfire situation, and in turn a very very hot stove.
 
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I pushed almost 30 cords of wood through my last stove, a hearthstone, and never changed gaskets. Obviously, the stove tech that diagnosed your stove was wrong and something else is causing this change in performance. I doubt it's the stove so your anger towards hearthstone is most likely a mistake. My money is on a plugged chimney or wet fuel.
 
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I have the Manchester 8360. Purchased it in 2/2015, so going on my third winter. It works great. The front door gasket just fell off. It stuck to the stove and pulled out. I think it was installed with too much glue, which the instructions say to be careful of. It is an easy fix. But in regards to the issue of the stove not throwing out heat, bad gaskets would actually make the stove burn at a higher temp and give off more heat. Either the top panel of the stove has a hole in it, which would effect the re-burn, but most likely you are burning bad wood. It could be not seasoned or punky. I had a load of old punky wood that I only burn outside and it would burn even in a hot fire.
 
Canadian Guy said:
Hello

Just wanted to post my experience with a Hearthstone stove specifically the Manchester 8360. Not even a month into the second winter using this stove and it quit radiating any significant heat. We got in touch with the retailer we purchased it from and they did send someone out to look at it after hounding them for a couple of weeks. Out of that experience it seems that all of the gaskets were shot. The front door, the ash drawer and the side door. That seemed odd to me so I contacted Hearthstone and posed this question to them since as I mentioned the stove wasn't even 2 years old yet. They told me that the average lifespan for the gaskets was 3-5 years, and then told me to burn some incense around the doors to check and to vacuum around the door, no comment on our experience of less than 2 years. Anyway a month later we finally got the gaskets replaced and well wouldn't you know still not working. So after 7 thousand dollars for an install I have got a nice decoration sitting on my floor. It is currently minus 40 degrees out the coldest day of the year, great day to have a fire but I can't because I bought a Hearthstone stove. In my opinion, don't be like us, don't by a Hearthstone unless you are just looking for a decoration.
Click to expand...

Oh my that's so frustrating


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
If the door gaskets and pan gasket all started leaking at once, your symptom would be "uncontrollable raging inferno", not "cold stove".

I'd clean the cap and flue, and do a small test fire with really dry wood (if you're not sure if yours is dry, buy a 2x4 and cut it up, that'll set you back $3 and give you a short hot fire to play with.)

If it still won't burn hot, maybe something got into the air intakes, or an air control linkage fell apart? I'd have a look at whatever air control system it has and see that it's all connected and contains zero dead mice.
 
The tech that came out should have looked at fuel, chimney, before erroneously identifying gaskets as the cause. Would suck to be him after you paid for all new gaskets and the problem remained.
 
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I don't think this guy from Canada will be responding; He probably froze to death early last year. ;lol
 
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Like most here, bad / worn / leaking gaskets cause over firing extreme heat conditions certainly not a cold low heat emitting condition. IMHO any dealer or tech who makes such a claim is incompetent and is not to be trusted.


Possible solutions to identify:

- Air control not functioning ( plugged, disconnected or jammed).

- Blocked / plugged flue pipe, chimney, rain cap and screen.

- Poor quality or unseasoned wood. ( most probable ).

- Cast iron baffle in incorrect position.


I would get an experienced certified chimney sweep to first clean everything from stove interior all the way to rain cap, have him check the stove itself, baffle positioning and that the stove air control is operating normally, then burn very dry wood or a couple of eco-logs.


I am 100% sure the problem lies in one of the above. $100.00 spent on the certified chimney sweep is money well spent in the case of this gentleman who probably lacks the experience necessary with a wood stove.
 
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