Travis Industries - Lopi Whatya all think ?

[muss]

So i gets this email from travis tech support name of Sean Hanley . I had emailed them to ask them why the manual did not show that there was a full gasket"plate" covering the exhaust fan blades . His answer & i quote " That's what your dealer is for" I'm saving the email in case i decide to talk to the Consumer Protection Agency here in Maine . When i went to my dealer he told me "oh , just take off the other side & go in that way" Well, no can do. Then i asked about the button plugs on both sides. Told him one was completely off & bent ." Oh,you don't even need them , don't even worry " What is this bull@#$% I fired off another email to travis industries & basically told them to please help me or they could check out hearth.com under pellet stove forun. I know there is strenght in numbers . What y'all think ? Muss

 

[Shane]

Can you take pictures of what your talking about? You just take the blower out to clean the impellers. What button plugs are you referring to? I'm confused.

 

[derrickp]

Muss,

When you have problems and threaten them and refer them to here that makes us all look bad.

Sure you had a customer support issue which is warrented the way you were treated. They are not required to provide self service advice.

It is like me calling up Ford and saying yeah I have my engine on my car ripped apart and I need help putting it back together.

Derrick

 

[tumbles]

Where did you get your stove? I got mine in Gorham and the owner and staff seemed very informed and helpful. Did you buy it new?

 

[thekid_1]

Muss,

Sure you had a customer support issue which is warrented the way you were treated. They are not required to provide self service advice.

It is like me calling up Ford and saying yeah I have my engine on my car ripped apart and I need help putting it back together.

Derrick

I think Muss has a very valid point. The product manual clearly tells you how to clean the stove but it does not reflect the actual stove. I think Lopi needs to answer the question. Why should the dealer be responsible for Lopis incorrect manual?

When Ford makes errors in their manauls they correct them why shouldn't Lopi?

 

[richkorn]

What's wrong with the manual and what's the deal with a full gasket covering the blower? Can that gasket be removed to clean it? Is it seized on?

Or, Is it not removable at all and therefore you can't clean out the blower at all? If so, how would the dealer clean it?

 

[muss]

First of all Derrick, i only got as far as taking the metal side cover off & second of all, i had to send 3 emails to travis before i got a response . This forum not only includes questions but if you hang around long enuff, you'll see it also allowed to vent frustrations . As far as putting us in a bad light, you better reread my post before you spout off . I've been a member since February & am quite aware of what our ethics are . That being said , have a good day. ;-) Muss

 

[thekid_1]

What's wrong with the manual and what's the deal with a full gasket covering the blower? Can that gasket be removed to clean it? Is it seized on?

There is NO gasket listed or pictured in the manual. Simply put you cannot clean it following the instructions in the manual. This does not reflect current Leyden stoves. I believe your questions are the same ones Muss would like an answer to. I would also like an answer to these questions. I feel they should come from Lopi, not my dealer.

 

[Xena]

I don't have a Lopi, but I do think Muss has a valid
point in expecting Lopi to address the issue of the
missing info in the manual. The dealer wouldn't
know squat about the whys and hows of the info
not being in the manual.

 

[richkorn]

So this picture from the Leyden manual is not correct?

Looks like a Leyden to me. I need to take off that cover and look in there for myself.

 

[hearthtools]

Im cornfused on what the problem is.
You are upset that the manual does not show there is a gasket behind the clean out plate?
All stoves have gaskets on any plate or motor that is connected to a combustion chamber.
I dont see why this would have to be in the manual because when you take it off you will see it has a gasket.
and in the photo above you can see white around the plate that shows me that there is a gasket.

 

[thekid_1]

The impeller (of the fan) itself is sealed. That is the problem as I understand it.

 

[richkorn]

The impeller (of the fan) itself is sealed. That is the problem as I understand it.

Then how would one (even a service tech) clean out the blades?

I'll check mine this weekend for myself...

 

[muss]

Hey Rod, you never saw a gasket sticking out around the edges without being a "full" plate gasket ? Then you must be some kind of mechanically inclined. Look at big or small carberator gaskets. you see them sticking out around the edges but their not full are they ? :smirk: Also, the manual that came with my stove is a leyden . It completely skips the gasket . I'm glad you ain't tech support as you seem to take it for granted that we know it's what it is Muss

 

[hearthtools]

Hey Rod, you never saw a gasket sticking out around the edges without being a "full" plate gasket ? Then you must be some kind of mechanically inclined. Look at big or small carberator gaskets. you see them sticking out around the edges but their not full are they ? :smirk: Also, the manual that came with my stove is a leyden . It completely skips the gasket . I'm glad you ain't tech support as you seem to take it for granted that we know it's what it is Muss

Im not on your case Im just still confused on what the problem is?

 

[hearthtools]

Hey Rod, you never saw a gasket sticking out around the edges without being a "full" plate gasket ? Then you must be some kind of mechanically inclined. Look at big or small carberator gaskets. you see them sticking out around the edges but their not full are they ? :smirk: Also, the manual that came with my stove is a leyden . It completely skips the gasket . I'm glad you ain't tech support as you seem to take it for granted that we know it's what it is Muss

I have not had to service an Arbor/leyden yet but I guess Im going to have to open one up and look.
so im not sure what you are talking about. But I dont think any manual shows all gaskets and how then go on.


Is the problem that is is a FULL round gasket behind the plate and not just a Round gasket that goes on the outer edge.
If so I think they are using a full gasket because it is easer to go on than a Cut out.
and in my thinking maybe they are using the cut out centers (wasted and not used) out of the standard round Combustion blower gaskets to save on material

we get the larger round 7" gaskets from lennox and they leave the center in them and we used them as small 6" round gaskets on our service calls and put them on the blower motor and cut out the center our self.

I dont think you have to use a full gasket it just makes it easier.

I looked up the service parts need like gasket parts on travis dealer website

Part Name: GSKT, EXH. CLEAN-OUT, LEY/ARB
SERVICE PART
SKU: 250-00246
http://www.travisdealer.com/Images/Images_Numbered/Medium105913.jpg

Part Name: GSKT, EXHAUST PLATE - LG PEL#
4.250" x 4.250"
SKU: 250-00361
http://www.travisdealer.com/Images/Images_Numbered/MediumC105912.jpg

 

[webbie]

I don't think threatening dealers or makers with bad reports about them here is the way to get MOST problems fixed.....sure, once every other angle has dead ended, it might be of some help in some cases. But the last thing I want these forums used for is a complaint dept - not enough time in the day, and we all know about the boy who cried wolf!

All in all, it is best just to present the problems here and see what others (like Rod) can help with.

All of the manufacturers are going to have to be given a break this year, as the amount of stove sold...and the amount of older units brought out of mothballs will make the next couple weeks (when everyone fires up at once) a crazy time. Patience will be important.

As to the "that's what you dealer is for", I agree 100%.
No one is trying to fool anybody. Ask about Harman, Jotul, Travis, VC or any other manufacturer BEFORE your sale....and you will get the honest answer...that none of them are set up to field tens of thousands of questions from end users. That is why most of them try to qualify their dealers.

Not making light of the problems....just stating some of the obvious truth when it comes to customer service with stoves. Only a very few brands have factory support......and even those will be extremely hard to contact.

Lastly, I would prefer folks not naming names as far as customer service people at companies....short of them cursing at you and hanging up. Most of them do the best they can, and I certainly would not want to dump mud on the working guy or gal for doing what their employer tells them to.

 

[richkorn]

Ok, I opened up my Leyden and yes, there is a full white fabric type gasket behind the plate covering the fan blades. Yes, the manual doesn't show it or direct you to remove it, cut it, or replace it at all. It looks to me like the easiest thing to do is to use a razor blade and cut out the center leaving the outer gasket ring intact on the stove -- then replace the plate when done cleaning. That is, unless Travis recommends that gasket be replaced after every time the exhaust is cleaned out.

If I replace it I'll get the outer gasket shown above by Rod.

 

[hearthtools]

here are the two service gasket part images I found

Looks like the replacement has the round center cut out.

Im still confused on what the problem is

Travis Tech support is for DEALERS ONLY.
If they took calls from Every Stove owner MILLIONS (avalon, Lopi and FPX)
they would need 50 tech support guys.

Lennox, Enviro and hearthstone is the same way

This is why they spend a Million dollars on a training center and More on a Traveling training program to train DEALERS to work on stoves.
just like anything els you have to go to the chain of command.

You dont Call FORD directly you have to call a LOCAL ford dealer for service.

you go to your dealer your dealer He calls tech support if he dont know.

If it is not a tech support issue you go to the dealer,
Your dealer go to his Personal Manufacture Rep,
his rep goes to his Sales teritory sales mananger
and the teritory manager goes to the
National sales mananger,
THe national sales manager goes to what every department handles the problem.


edit
the gasket on the right the white part is the cut out the Brown is the gasket

 

[richkorn]

Rod, thanks for the info!

Besides the manual not showing a gasket, I think muss's problem is that this gasket won't come off without scraping & peeling it off, it gets pretty seized on there from the heat. We just need to make sure that we have spares on hand when doing a cleaning. How much are those any way? # 250-00246 (customer price)

Thanks.

 

[thekid_1]

Rod,

Great infromation. Thank you very much

 

[derrickp]

Muss,

I actually had problems with the gasket on my Lopi Yankee stove so trust me I CAN RELATE...

You actually posted in the thread where I was venting my frustrations:
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/24871/

My whole point was you cannot expect Travis Ind to support all end users for reasons others have mentioned.

Derrick

 

[hearthtools]

for the Exh clean out is $8

I can no longer sell TRAVIS parts online

 

[Xena]

I'm going to disagree with the masses to a degree.

If Travis tech support took the time to send Muss an email, which
they did, then it seems to me they could have just as easily
given him answers rather than the snotty comeback of
"that's what your dealer is for". Sorry. That doesn't fly with me.
My stove mfg helped me out twice. Once over the phone,
another time they sent me new steel refractory panels that they were pilot
testing after the stock brick-like panels broke. My stove was a self install
plus my dealer went out of business so I had no dealer to
rely on even if I wanted to.

I see no valid reason that they can't include explicit illustrations
in the stove documentation for the do it yourselfer- and yes, that means gaskets and all.

If I can buy a factory service manual for my harley,
then at the least I should be able to buy one for my pellet stove too - imo.
Would be a good idea for the MFG's to offer service manuals
for purchase for us do it yourselfers.

 

[hearthtools]

here are the two service gasket part images I found

Looks like the replacement has the round center cut out.

Im still confused on what the problem is

Travis Tech support is for DEALERS ONLY.
If they took calls from Every Stove owner MILLIONS (avalon, Lopi and FPX)
they would need 50 tech support guys.

Lennox, Enviro and hearthstone is the same way

This is why they spend a Million dollars on a training center and More on a Traveling training program to train DEALERS to work on stoves.
just like anything els you have to go to the chain of command.

You dont Call FORD directly you have to call a LOCAL ford dealer for service.

you go to your dealer your dealer He calls tech support if he dont know.

If it is not a tech support issue you go to the dealer,
Your dealer go to his Personal Manufacture Rep,
his rep goes to his Sales teritory sales mananger
and the teritory manager goes to the
National sales mananger,
THe national sales manager goes to what every department handles the problem.

the white part is the cut out not the gasket