I need a recommendation for service for a Hearthstone Sterling B vent gas stove. I have had endless trouble with it and can't get it resolved with service tried so far. I need a recommendation for service from a firm that has great trouble shooters.
seeking service
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MountainStoveGuy
Minister of Fire
Funny you should ask is the problem electrical or rust. I used to have an electrical problem but now it is rust as you will see in the summary I am including. I had a lot of difficulty in the 2nd and 3rd year of having my Hearthstone. The Gas Connection was the manufacturer recommended service provider. Many things were replaced and some more than once. McGuckins, Gas Connection and Hearthstone couldn’t figure out the problem or agree with each other. Finally Hearthstone insisted that I have a sediment trap installed and dryer put in my fuel tank. That worked.
This fall I went to clean the inside of the stove and found a 2 inch rusted out hole in the back burner with some rust on the housing to the rear and on the pilot. Note that the burner was used only 3 seasons. When I talked to Ray at Hearthstone, he said to empty out the sediment trap because water is getting in. Other people whom I have consulted say “nonsense”, water is a by product of combustion anyway and the burner should be stainless. I don’t know what to think anymore. I have an appointment with the Gas Connection next Monday. They specialize in this kind of heating but I have not found them all that skilled in the past and they are quite far from me so it is slow getting on their work schedule.
So, what can you tell me about this stove and rust problems? Also, I am wondering how this kind of deterioration may have affected the other more delicate parts. Perhaps they are affected even if not visible and will sooner or later create problems. Do you have a technician you can recommend? Thanks for responding, Annie
SUMMARY
Fall of 99 – I buy a Hearthstone Sterling “G” B-vent with a blower
11/13/00 – GC adjusts thermostat and air intake.
12/00 – Propane delivery system checked.
1/26/01 – At Home Heat replaces thermostat.
10/20/01 – GC replaces thermostat.
11/23/01 – GC replaces control valve and fixes damaged connection.
12/28/01 – GC replaces valve again.
1/22/02 – GC replaces spill switch and thermocouple and removes insulation from pipe.
2/26/02 – GC replaces log set, burners and orifices with “D” rated for altitude. Installs
drip lag.
3/27/02 – Propane supplier tests regulators.
4/23/02 – GC adds extension and new high wind cap to chimney. Makes bigger holes in
burner tubes, adjusts shutters.
5/30/02 – GC replaces back burner.
11/02 – HP adds drying agent to propane tank.
Fall 03 – LPW fixes loose wire to thermostat.
Fall 04 – LPW starts heater by cleaning pilot.
This fall I went to clean the inside of the stove and found a 2 inch rusted out hole in the back burner with some rust on the housing to the rear and on the pilot. Note that the burner was used only 3 seasons. When I talked to Ray at Hearthstone, he said to empty out the sediment trap because water is getting in. Other people whom I have consulted say “nonsense”, water is a by product of combustion anyway and the burner should be stainless. I don’t know what to think anymore. I have an appointment with the Gas Connection next Monday. They specialize in this kind of heating but I have not found them all that skilled in the past and they are quite far from me so it is slow getting on their work schedule.
So, what can you tell me about this stove and rust problems? Also, I am wondering how this kind of deterioration may have affected the other more delicate parts. Perhaps they are affected even if not visible and will sooner or later create problems. Do you have a technician you can recommend? Thanks for responding, Annie
SUMMARY
Fall of 99 – I buy a Hearthstone Sterling “G” B-vent with a blower
11/13/00 – GC adjusts thermostat and air intake.
12/00 – Propane delivery system checked.
1/26/01 – At Home Heat replaces thermostat.
10/20/01 – GC replaces thermostat.
11/23/01 – GC replaces control valve and fixes damaged connection.
12/28/01 – GC replaces valve again.
1/22/02 – GC replaces spill switch and thermocouple and removes insulation from pipe.
2/26/02 – GC replaces log set, burners and orifices with “D” rated for altitude. Installs
drip lag.
3/27/02 – Propane supplier tests regulators.
4/23/02 – GC adds extension and new high wind cap to chimney. Makes bigger holes in
burner tubes, adjusts shutters.
5/30/02 – GC replaces back burner.
11/02 – HP adds drying agent to propane tank.
Fall 03 – LPW fixes loose wire to thermostat.
Fall 04 – LPW starts heater by cleaning pilot.
skypager
New Member
How does the stove act? In other words, what was the intial problem with the stoves? If you light the pilot does it stay on? When you go to turn on the burner does it burn at all or just for a few moments then turn blue and go out? Does the pilot go out also when the burner goes out?
MountainStoveGuy
Minister of Fire
i mention rust because we have had a numerous amount of stoves rust out where i live, mostly due to lake of drip lines and moisture in the propane. Propane is very corrosive, or so it seems. Its just not the sterling, even though most of those we sold in the mountains because the need to up the heat source to offset altitude. From your chart, i notice that the gc modified the burner, why?
11/3 thermostat and adjustment is part of the set up process
1/26/01 thermostat problems, how far away is the thermostat? 15' is about all you can get with reliable service.
11/23/01 why was the control valve replaced? how did the connection get damaged?
12/28/01 what happend to that valve?
1/22/01 spil switches fail and are considerd consumable
2/26 good got that drip line, thats probably what shot those valves in the begining.
4/23 what in the world is a GC doing drilling out burners??
5/30/02 replaced because he drilled them?
11/02 hygene propane did a good thing by adding drying agent
I now see that you are one of my customers, but i havent delt with you. Ironic that i find you here. It seems that you have had some problems, and to be fair, not all of them are addressed to the stove. For somereason, around here propane eats everything, thermocouples, burners, brackets, etc. Why did the valve fail? why was somone drilling out the burner? I can see that you need some help here, but for what its worth. we replace parts on LP stoves in the moutnains all the time. Dovre 750 jotul firelights, hearthstone sterlings, etc. Its not unique to any brand. If you went out and bought a new stove today, you would have the same rust problems as you do now. Its the fuel causing the rust problems not the stove. When i started out asking about electical problems are rust, that was becuase the number one fix on the sterling b vents, is the spill switch, and the second, is the burners. The burners are replaces only on our LP units out there, never NG, and spill switches go out on any fuel. maybe someone else here can help.
Get some good snow last night?
11/3 thermostat and adjustment is part of the set up process
1/26/01 thermostat problems, how far away is the thermostat? 15' is about all you can get with reliable service.
11/23/01 why was the control valve replaced? how did the connection get damaged?
12/28/01 what happend to that valve?
1/22/01 spil switches fail and are considerd consumable
2/26 good got that drip line, thats probably what shot those valves in the begining.
4/23 what in the world is a GC doing drilling out burners??
5/30/02 replaced because he drilled them?
11/02 hygene propane did a good thing by adding drying agent
I now see that you are one of my customers, but i havent delt with you. Ironic that i find you here. It seems that you have had some problems, and to be fair, not all of them are addressed to the stove. For somereason, around here propane eats everything, thermocouples, burners, brackets, etc. Why did the valve fail? why was somone drilling out the burner? I can see that you need some help here, but for what its worth. we replace parts on LP stoves in the moutnains all the time. Dovre 750 jotul firelights, hearthstone sterlings, etc. Its not unique to any brand. If you went out and bought a new stove today, you would have the same rust problems as you do now. Its the fuel causing the rust problems not the stove. When i started out asking about electical problems are rust, that was becuase the number one fix on the sterling b vents, is the spill switch, and the second, is the burners. The burners are replaces only on our LP units out there, never NG, and spill switches go out on any fuel. maybe someone else here can help.
Get some good snow last night?
I have a Healthstone Sterling "G" model and have been having a problem that the local service tech hasn't been able to resolve. Basically, the fire keeps going out. We hear a click and it just goes out, often only a minute or two after it starts. We thought it was the thermocouple, but that was replaced to no effect. The technician also tried cleaning things out, but that didn't work. Now he wants to try replacing the pilot assembly, but I don't see why that would be the problem since the pilot light seems to be working fine. The stove will start up normally, the flame gets as high as we set it, but it just cuts out before it should.
Any thoughts on what is going on? Any advice on whether we should stick with this person?
Thanks,
Jonathan
Any thoughts on what is going on? Any advice on whether we should stick with this person?
Thanks,
Jonathan
colebrookman
Minister of Fire
we have an Empire direct vent LP heater as back up for wood. From day one it seemed
to have a mind of it's own. We would move the thermostate for heat, nothing would happen, the ten or twenty miutes late it would come on. Service tecs. checked, foound nothing. We finally would bang it and it would come on. Tec cleaned again, set pilot etc. No help. Because we burn wood I wasn't to concerned. Finally after paying tecs $75 a shot I decide to just replace the thermostate myself. Went to take wires apart and out pops the small thermostate wire from the wire nut. It was never securely fastened around the larger wire in the wire nut and would just operate when unit was hit. Works great now. Bottom line somtimes you skip the obviouse and look for the more complicated and expensive solution. One man's saga.
to have a mind of it's own. We would move the thermostate for heat, nothing would happen, the ten or twenty miutes late it would come on. Service tecs. checked, foound nothing. We finally would bang it and it would come on. Tec cleaned again, set pilot etc. No help. Because we burn wood I wasn't to concerned. Finally after paying tecs $75 a shot I decide to just replace the thermostate myself. Went to take wires apart and out pops the small thermostate wire from the wire nut. It was never securely fastened around the larger wire in the wire nut and would just operate when unit was hit. Works great now. Bottom line somtimes you skip the obviouse and look for the more complicated and expensive solution. One man's saga.
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