Possible P-43 Problem?

[PJPellet]

Hi All,

When doing my weekly cleaning this morning I found a "bulge" in the steel of my pellet stove. About two inches long and one inch wide, and slightly bulging. I was paying particular attention to this part of the stove because during the past week I was getting louder than usual expansion and contraction noises coming from this area. This has developed rather quickly. This bulge is down behind where the ash pan sits.
What do you guys think about this? Normal or something I should be worried about? The stove was installed Feb. of 2011.
Everything seems strong and tight but this bulge makes me quite nervous. Harman has a three warranty on the firebox but I don't know what they would do about this.
What do my hearth.com friends think? Thank You.
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[heat seeker]

Is it kind of soft - if you poke it with a screwdriver, will it puncture? Or is it very solid, more like the bulge in solid metal?

 

[DAKSY]

Interesting. Looks like it may be caused by an impurity in the steel sheet used for the pedestal body. I would bring it to your dealer's attention so word can get back to Harman. Yours is the first instance I've seen of this happening, so it doesn't appear to be a recurring issue. I'm thinkin that Harman should replace this with a brand new unit, as a weld repair wouldn't be doable without removing the stove...

 

[gfreek]

I would report it to the dealer. If they won't come and look at it then send them a picture and keep one on file for yourself for future reference if needed.

 

[PJPellet]

Is it kind of soft - if you poke it with a screwdriver, will it puncture? Or is it very solid, more like the bulge in solid metal?

More like a bulge in solid metal.

 

[PJPellet]

Interesting. Looks like it may be caused by an impurity in the steel sheet used for the pedestal body. I would bring it to your dealer's attention so word can get back to Harman. Yours is the first instance I've seen of this happening, so it doesn't appear to be a recurring issue. I'm thinkin that Harman should replace this with a brand new unit, as a weld repair wouldn't be doable without removing the stove...

Thanks for the information.

 

[Bioburner]

If the steel is soft probably some kind of impurity. If localized the area could have a patch welded over it. Yes it can be welded in place but would want to have ventilation while welding. About 2 minutes of welding. Five minutes of prep. Some stove paint to finish the job. Portable mig using CO2. Make sure the control board and if you have a connected thermostat is removed to prevent high voltage arc damage etc.