Fed up with Hampton GC60!!!!! Not sure what to do now?

[IHATEPROPANE]

I don't think its the pellets....they may not ne the best but they are good enough with your size stove.

 

[briansol]

I'm not a fan of their 'american' line. i've never burned their other ones.

Long story short, you get what you pay for most of the time. Yes, the VT price is up there, but its because they actually work and will keep your house warm in -2. OR, you can save $30 and be miserable and hate your stove for another month while you burn through some more junk.

 

[IHATEPROPANE]

Yesterday you mentioned the hopper was empty at 9am....that means for the last probably 4 hours or so it was under feeding the Auger.....all the hoppers I have seen really need half a bag to still run at 100%

 

[briansol]

IF you can, try a few bags of a few brands before committing to a full ton.

 

[CladMaster]

Pellet research is what you need now, different brands of hardwood and softwood and mixed woods, some brands burn hotter than others, so a shopping trip is needed here to see what's in the stores and 2 - 3 bags of each to see how they burn -- test burn for heat output.

I'm using Natures Own at the moment and I get through about 1 - 1.5 bags per day. Keeps my home at around 72 - 76F when the temps are below 30F outside.

MWP do not burn as hot, and I use these for the early part of winter and the late part (Oct & March / April).

 

[slvrblkk]

Grab a couple bags of whatever you can get a hold of and give them all a try.

 

[newf lover]

I would pick up 4 or 5 bags of VT pellets, wait for a really cold night and try them. If you get better results with them, then you'll know it's the pellets and not your stove. If you don't get higher temperatures with the VT, then it's back to the drawing board.

 

[SwineFlue]

set the stat to 70 and it maintained 70 all night. It burned a little over one bag in 14 hrs

If it maintained 70, then the stat was probably not calling for heat the entire night... and the stove wasn't running the entire time.

For that run, you averaged about 25,000BTU/hr. To match the rating of your old woodstove, you'll go through a bag in about 8 hours.

 

[IHATEPROPANE]

You are using a thermostat set hi/lo and a feed setting of 4. This will compensate for "lesser" pellets since the thermostat will call for heat longer. So long as your hi setting is enough to cover your heat loss. Which I would think it is.

 

[IHATEPROPANE]

The GC 60 is the same as the Enviro M55.....It should be able to use virtually any pellet

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

I'd play with your damper a bit say get the mag to the low end of that .15 to .17 inches of water column and look at the flame color, also make certain that the fuel selection is set for premium pellets so the agitator doesn't run to often (this disturbs the fire by cooling it down). Too high a mag reading sends heat up the flue, there is fine point that produces a very decent fire and doesn't send a lot of the heat produced up the flue. There is a 13% available difference between those two settings.

I'd also have a chat (Private Conversation) with nailed_nailer, he might be able to guide you on how to get that puppy under control he has a m55. If you can catch jtakeman he likely can help you with setting that stove up just a smidgen better. The color of that flame doesn't look exactly right to me but it has been a long day and I've looked at my screen to much.

There is a larger convection blower out there for the M55 and clones that can extract just a bit (a bit being relative) more heat than the original one could.

If your house is as well insulated and sealed as you claim you should easily be able to heat that place on heat range 3 until the sub zero days hit.

The reason I asked about what you did with the old stove's chimney is I didn't want to discover that it wasn't blocked off and/or insulated thereby dumping a lot of heat outside. I hope that where that chimney penetrated the roof got a good patch and insulation job done on it. You did provide an exit for some heat into the upper floor which makes a direct comparison with your old stove a bit problematic.

If I go by what is in the specs for that stove it should be able to totally deplete the 60 lb hopper in 8.7 hours in heat range 5.

 

[David Goad]

Last night we had our coldest night, -2 F. I ran the stove on heat level 5 and set the thermostat at 72 in High/Low mode. This morning the house was 60! Even the room the stove sits in was only 62. My house is only 1600 sq feet and the room the stove is in is approx 19x12. I miss my old cheep wood stove. It was only rated at 45000 BTU's and I could keep it 75-80 in the living room and 70 through out the rest of the house. I've never been so upset and disappointed with a $3,000.00+ investment!! Not sure if I just have a dud or I purchased the wrong stove.

Thanks for any insight
Nick

Nick,
I am having the same problems with my Harman P35i. I have a ranch house approx. 2000 sq feet. The room the stove sits in is 18' X 15'. I had the stove installed the first week of November. The first really cold windy night the stove could barely keep the room it was located in at 68/70 degress. That was with the stove turned to 85 degrees and the feed set to 5. I even called the installers back to my house becasue I thought the stove was not working properly. The installers said the stove was fine and that they were shocked it couldn't bring the room temperature up higher. This is the stove they recommended and now are thinking it might be undersized. I wish I never bought it. I am into for $4200! The installers stated they were going to check with Harman to see about a "dip" switch setting?.... If they tweak my stove and get it to run hotter I will post results.
Feeling your pain,
David

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Nick,
I am having the same problems with my Harman P35i. I have a ranch house approx. 2000 sq feet. The room the stove sits in is 18' X 15'. I had the stove installed the first week of November. The first really cold windy night the stove could barely keep the room it was located in at 68/70 degress. That was with the stove turned to 85 degrees and the feed set to 5. I even called the installers back to my house becasue I thought the stove was not working properly. The installers said the stove was fine and that they were shocked it couldn't bring the room temperature up higher. This is the stove they recommended and now are thinking it might be undersized. I wish I never bought it. I am into for $4200! The installers stated they were going to check with Harman to see about a "dip" switch setting?.... If they tweak my stove and get it to run hotter I will post results.
Feeling your pain,
David

Windy days will find all of the leaks in your house's envelope including the one just above your stove. If that insert isn't properly blocked off and insulated it will act exactly like the chimney it is, in addition it is possible that you are heating up the brickwork of that hearth the stove is inserted into.

Air infiltration is the number one heat loss in most otherwise insulated houses. If your home does well on cold none windy days air sealing will make a huge difference.

On a really windy day with certain attic ventilation it is even possible for any fiberglass insulation to be raised a bit in the attic causing cold air to wash the ceiling and negate the insulation value of what the depth would lead one to believe..

Followed by windows if there is a large expanse of windows. R-2 maybe with some of the newer quad pane units R-4. For the window area itself.

Next comes any concrete walls above ground level. Concrete is a lousy insulator and that foundation above ground level is about R-6 if you are lucky. Below ground is better due to the increased (yes, that is no mistake) exterior temperatures.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Nick,

I just had an on-line chat with someone and he believes that your hopper block off plate is set two low due to the 12 instead of less than 9 hour empty time.

Couple that with some heat possibly going up the flue that shouldn't be and you likely have enough horses to heat that place.

This also means that your setup mag/dwyer readings are incorrect as the stove was not burning at its highest rate.

 

[Nick Sterner]

Here's an update after looking into this a little deeper and talking with dealer today.

I started noticing that the stove really only burned on the left hand side. There is a huge difference in the temp coming out of the heat tubes from one side to the other and the top of the stove on the left is hot enough to where you can't touch it, while the right side is warm at best.

The dealer also spilled the beans to me that when they came out to look at the stove they saw some things that made them think it may have been dropped. I went home and took a closer look myself and sure enough there are a few panels that are bent.

Nick,

I just had an on-line chat with someone and he believes that your hopper block off plate is set two low due to the 12 instead of less than 9 hour empty time.

Couple that with some heat possibly going up the flue that shouldn't be and you likely have enough horses to heat that place.

This also means that your setup mag/dwyer readings are incorrect as the stove was not burning at its highest rate.

Smokey, I'm on the same thinking as you. When I first started burning the stove it was chewing through too many pellets, so I lowered the auger cover. Now I'm wondering if I went too far so last night I split the difference between where it was and where I set it. I'll see if this makes a difference over the next couple days.
This still doesn't answer why it only burns on one side. I'm bring an digital infrared thermometer home tonight and I'll have some solid numbers to share tomorrow on the actually temp difference. What I can say is that you cant touch the left side while the right is only warm.
My auger is getting louder and louder now so who knows what the deal is with that.
Now that we no its been dropped I'm pushing for the dealer to get me a new stove. I think I just received a "Friday" stove.
Thanks for all the ideas and support! This site has been very valuable!

 

[David Goad]

Windy days will find all of the leaks in your house's envelope including the one just above your stove. If that insert isn't properly blocked off and insulated it will act exactly like the chimney it is, in addition it is possible that you are heating up the brickwork of that hearth the stove is inserted into.

Air infiltration is the number one heat loss in most otherwise insulated houses. If your home does well on cold none windy days air sealing will make a huge difference.

On a really windy day with certain attic ventilation it is even possible for any fiberglass insulation to be raised a bit in the attic causing cold air to wash the ceiling and negate the insulation value of what the depth would lead one to believe..

Followed by windows if there is a large expanse of windows. R-2 maybe with some of the newer quad pane units R-4. For the window area itself.

Next comes any concrete walls above ground level. Concrete is a lousy insulator and that foundation above ground level is about R-6 if you are lucky. Below ground is better due to the increased (yes, that is no mistake) exterior temperatures.

SmokeyThe Bear,
Thanks for your reply and insight. The house has New Window and doors and the exterior is made of Brink and stone. The floors are hardowwd through-out the home. The installer checked my house from top to bottom including my attic and said the insultion was OK (not bad, not great) and rated my home for .75 btu per square ft. I like to hear a little more about the stove being "properly blocked off and insulated".

Thanks,
David

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

If there are bent parts and the stove is basically only burning on one side as a result the heat differences can have an effect on the alignment of parts (things move when heated, funny that) this can lead to parts rubbing against others they shouldn't be.

Keep that dealer's feet to the fire. That stove should have the horses.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

SmokeyThe Bear,
Thanks for your reply and insight. The house has New Window and doors and the exterior is made of Brink and stone. The floors are hardowwd through-out the home. The installer checked my house from top to bottom including my attic and said the insultion was OK (not bad, not great) and rated my home for .75 btu per square ft. I like to hear a little more about the stove being "properly blocked off and insulated".

Thanks,
David

There should be block off plate through which the flue passes, the block of plate should have good quality fireproof insulation above it (Roxul or equivalent to at least the same R-value as you would put in an attic) the block off plate should be sealed to the wall of the chimney and the flue penetration should be sealed to the flue (all with a good quality (500or better) silicone sealant.

You really want the block off plate down low not just one at the top of the chimney the goal here is to stop the chimney effect before it can involve any openings that may be in the upper portion of the house.

Air infiltration in a house can easily cause more of a heat loss than all other sources combined and multiplied by 2 or 3.

I'd prefer to also prevent heat from going into the masonry but this can cause space issues in some hearths, there is nothing quite like heating up the back of the cavity to help heat the outside air if the hearth is exposed to the outside. Brick and mortar inhale with pursed lips in the insulation department.

Remember that what comes out of the stove in terms of heat is determined by what goes into it for fuel, some pellets actually can produce more heat than others per pound burned and some pellets also feed differently than others and feed is by volume not weight so there are things to consider on the fuel side as well to get the most BTUs out of that stove.

Your choice of where to obtain your combustion air will also affect air infiltration and in some cases the quality of the burn in the stove.

If your stove isn't getting enough air the burn isn't as good (nor does it produce the heat of ) as it should be, whatever air the stove uses for combustion it has to eventually get from outside of the house, this means that cold air is drawn into the house through all of the little and not so little air leaks. This air will be cold and have to be heated only to eventually get sent up the stoves flue.

ETA: www.builditsolar.com has a heat loss calculator, it might be worth your time to play with it. That site is by hearth.com member GaryGary .

 

[Nick Sterner]

Latest update.
I went home last night with a infrared thermometer and the left side on my stove on top reads 20 degrees warmer than the right. If I check the heat tubes I get a 50 degree difference from left to right. For whatever reason it only burns on the left side, thus not producing the BTU's that it should. After sending many pictures of bent panels in the back of the stove and several videos of the one sided burn and loud auger they are getting me a new stove. I really hope the new stove does a better job! If it doesn't I'm not sure what I will do. This winter the pellet stove is my only source of heat which will be changed before next year. I hope my bad first pellet experience is coming to an end!

 

[briansol]

My stove flame leans a bit too...

The air intake is on the bottom left and the exhaust is on the top right so there's a pull to one side for sure. I think a little bit of sway one way is slightly normal as the intake and exhausts are not centered.

But yes, bent stuff is bad. good job on getting them to replace it for you.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Just remember that you have to set the new stove up on high burn full fuel loading of the auger, that isn't to say you burn it that way but that is the only way to set the damper properly.

Otherwise the stove will send a lot of the heat produced up the flue.

Pellet choice will also make a difference here is a link https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/60581/ to some real burner reviews of various pellet brands note these are old but give you an idea.

 

[kneedles]

I have read all of these replies, and it is all bogus. These stoves, that we spent $3500 + are absolute lemons. My old Whitfield stove put out better heat and didn't break down like these stoves do. I have had to put in 3 new augurs since I bought the brand new stove. One a year. and now the pulley that turns the rod is frozen. Have contacted Regency through email. Only way to get in touch with them. They don't provide a phone number. My next step is to contact the Better Business Bureau and turn in a report that the machine is a lemon and the Clarke's Ace Hardware in Ellicott City, MD. which sold me the stove, basically doesn't care. They got their money.

 

[JimEvansCT]

I've only run my GC60 on 3 over night so far with temps in the lower to mid teens and it was 67 downstairs where the stove is located. I always adjust feed/air when ever i change the heat level to get the type of flame I want. My house is warmer then when I run the furnace becuase my tstat is at 65 at night and 68/69 when we are home. The family loves the new heat. Haven't used the furnace at all this season. 2200 sqft, older house no where near air tight. The back bedrooms upstairs could use some extra heat at times but not bad.

 

[LuvMyPellets]

Another brand on my list of don'ts.

 

[John Fortier]

Though I have had my share of problems. On the coldest days here I never have needed to run on high..only do it to clean stove and laugh at the heat it puts out. I have had great support and all is taken care of. Headache? Yes. It is still saving me money and I get to live in my house without wearing a jacket. This site and the folks here have been second to none. I'm still learning and dialing things in. Someday I hope to add some useful information.