Can you start a Harmon with a propane torch?

We were looking at a harmon fireplace insert and the guy mentioned that it takes a half hour for the thing to really get started. I wondered if I could use a propane torch to get things going quicker.

Lots of peeps use the torch method. I find gel/hand sanitizer to be easier. Less time standing there bent over at the stove. Lazy? Nope, easier.

I'd get started at looking for another salesperson. Sounds more like starting a wood stove, not a Harman pellet stove. I get 2 1/2 minutes to ignition and about 5 to convection fan giving heat.

I like fire.
I'm sure that you can start almost any stove with alternative means.



Bill

***as the ref walks on the field***

"We have multiple penalties on the post; 1.) It is spelled HARMAN, five yard penalty. 2.) excessive exaggeration on the post, another five yard penalty!"

Eric

I agree. In LESS than 10 minutes you'll go from a unlit stove to heat.

This assumes your stove gets turned off :D
that's the real foul on this play....
Leave it on. I turn mine off once a week MAX. Sometimes less for cleaning purposes only. Otherwise, the thermostat is the one turning it on, not me.


that said, using alternative fire starters other than the ignitor is not recommended by most manuals. Mine even suggets against starting gels.

Only use a propane torch to start mine. Starting with the igniter smokes up the neighborhood. Very little smoke with the torch and some other manual start methods.

MAPP gas....yay

Poor guy is just getting some bad advice from a misinformed salesman. Have them do a cold startup and see for yourself. Next we will giving rocket fuel formulas for instant heatups. Hell I got some bad advice on staining some trim and burnt my house because I was in a rush and never read the small print.

Nope. Just walk by the thermostat every once in a while to check out the setpoint/room temp readings....

Me too, oh how I love it!!

And when your waiting 10 minutes for it to kick in, I'll be enjoying the heat, looking at the 2 tons of pellets I bought with the savings off the top and saving $100 everytime it needs replacing.

Bah!, auto ignite stove owners!

You know my stove is gonna break now as punishment for razzing fellow Harman owners

I know. Lol.

I never really paid attention to how long it takes, throw some gell on in the fall, light it, turn it off in the spring.....................

The salesman told me that if I would call ahead, they would fire up a pellet stove so my wife could see and hear it. We called, we showed up, and no fire. The guy said he had been busy. I still wanted the bride to see and hear the stove so I got them to start it up (took him about a minute). We left to run an errand and came back a half hour later and no fire. I don't know what was going on. The auger was feeding pellets but there was no fire. It was as if the stove thought it was lit but wasn't.

There is only one Harmon dealer in the KC area. I got negative vibes off this sales guy the first time we met him. I called later and asked if it would be possible not to deal with him but we wound up with him again today.

It definitely sux that your salesman is an idiot and he's your only option. I can't believe he obviously couldn't care less about selling you a stove. Don't burn any bridges yet but I HIGHLY suggest you talk to the owner...who quite likely is also an idiot, considering he's unaware of his employees stupidity.


HOWEVER, I would not hesitate to buy a Harman. How far is the next closest dealer? Perhaps purchase the stove from them and use your local place for parts..... or just order online. I hate to suggest it, but if yer next closest dealer is a million miles away and you've settled on a Harman, just buy it from your local dealer.

There's a bunch of very knowledgeable peeps on the forum that can assist you in installing OR double checking the dealers work.

VERY good point there, Exoilburner!

I unplugged my igniter many years ago. It took 5 to 10 smoking minutes to make a proper fire. Also, the igniter would remain
switched on for 15 mins during the start up cycle.
400 Watts for 15 mins every time you start your stove!! Now, that does suck a lot of energy from the power grid, so not only do igniters cause smoke,
they also "suck"

I use these fire starters:
http://www.burner-international.com/uk/1.asp

The extra cost for the fire starters is more than balanced with the fact that you won't have to replace the igniter when it gives up after a year or two.

True true, but my igniter takes 5 seconds, doesn't smoke, and costs $1.50 to replace, yours?

Takes me less than 10 minutes to order a new igniter off the Internet...

It sucks that you have a bad dealer, I dealt with a dealer an hour away but it was worth it. Try the Harman site to see if there is another dealer within a reasonable distance. Since my igniter issue was fixed the stove lights within 5 min. I hate to say it but if there are no good Harman dealers you might have to look at another brand, many of which get goods props on this site.

Good luck