Pulled the trigger on a new P43

[Bullyboy]

I've been trying to decide what to put in our basement for way to long. That last real cold snap reminded me it's been to long and with another coming mid next week my wife reminded me of the happy wife happy life theory. Roughly 1500sq ft. bungalow. Main floor is heated with a wood stove that we love but just running the furnace fan to get the heat downstairs wasn't cutting it. So after several flips back and forth between another wood stove, pellet or propane, we decided on pellet. Was gonna just get a big box store special but after visiting 5 different stove shops as well I decided on the Harman. I'm hoping it is as good as the hype and maybe helps extend my wood supply as well. So on to my questions. Install is on tues and I would like to know if there is anything in particular I should be watching for or making sure is done properly? The inside pipe will be going up the inside wall, out thru the block foundation and then back up around 4ft I believe. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[mikkeeh]

Sounds good. Ive used mine for primary heat since 2011. So far Ive replaced the door gasket 2 times. I’d have an OAK installed. Enjoy!

 

[dozerdean]

Making the basement warm will make the floor nice and toasty!

 

[gfreek]

Congrats... Ask if they will pre-burn before delivery to burn off paint.. I'd look over the install and owners manual.. If you need you can download from Harman web site..

 

[Yooper Doug]

Very happy with my P43. Primary heat source for my home.
Install was very easy. ,although I did main floor, corner ,out the wall.
Good luck and congrats. The p43 is a good unit

 

[railfanron]

Being in the 5th year of ownership I'm very happy with ours and it does an excellent job. It runs on room temp auto most of the time on a programmable thermostat. Enjoy!
Ron

 

[Bullyboy]

Thanks guys. Really looking forward to it. I'm anxious to see what it does for the upstairs as well. Warm floors are always nice. I might be really wrong here but I thought the OAK was standard. No?

 

[TonyVideo]

Thanks guys. Really looking forward to it. I'm anxious to see what it does for the upstairs as well. Warm floors are always nice. I might be really wrong here but I thought the OAK was standard. No?

Some installers do not do it. Do it would be my vote.

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[bogieb]

Although it is "highly recommended" by Harman, installers don't seem to do it unless it is required to pass clearances. I had to install the OAK myself after the P61a was professionally installed.

 

[Pete Zahria]

I thought the OAK was standard. No?

The good thing about it, is you can use the inexpensive vent pipe, and you
would be going through blocks..

Dan

 

[Bullyboy]

Just talked to the dealer and he told me that with a basement install like mine they usually don't need it but that the installer would be able to tell right away if I needed it on startup. I'm hopeful but it wouldn't be the first time I've been disappointed. Guess it's wait and see time. Come on Tues. Lol.

 

[bags]

I'd do an OAK although the stove will run fine without one though. That said do the OAK if you can. The P Series are great stoves. I was a wood burner and switched to pellets. I have only use my OWB a couple of times this year during the extreme cold snaps that lasted for a week or more.

Research air exchange and whether or not to do an OAK. There is all kinds of threads and info on here and the internet via Google and you can decide. It is simple physics and facts.

 

[mikkeeh]

Why would you want to take air you already paid to heat... and send it out the vent? Plus you create a negative pressure in the house, which sucks more cold air in. Just seems like a no brainer to me.

 

[Tonyray]

Why would you want to take air you already paid to heat... and send it out the vent? Plus you create a negative pressure in the house, which sucks more cold air in. Just seems like a no brainer to me.

EXACTLY! Was going to post the same reasoning.....
we had a cold draft running along our living room floor which was the air going back to the stove.
[didn't know why at the time]... after a few reads here about it, installed an OAK and draft was eliminated..

 

[dozerdean]

EXACTLY! Was going to post the same reasoning.....
we had a cold draft running along our living room floor which was the air going back to the stove.
[didn't know why at the time]... after a few reads here about it, installed an OAK and draft was eliminated..

Amen to that! Did the same to mine..

 

[Bullyboy]

The chimney has to go up the wall and out thru block to get above grade. Does the OAK need a separate pipe running up the wall?

 

[mikkeeh]

The chimney has to go up the wall and out thru block to get above grade. Does the OAK need a separate pipe running up the wall?

Yes

 

[Bullyboy]

I'm thinking this might be something I would like to do myself then so I can box it in and take it to a different exit point so it doesn't look like I have dueling and one off centered pipes. Or am I missing something here? I don't recall ever seeing pics of 2 black chimneys coming up a wall behind a stove. I think I'm over thinking this now.

 

[Bullyboy]

And yes, I absolutely agree with the logic behind it. Thanks to all for the advice.

 

[mikkeeh]

I'm thinking this might be something I would like to do myself then so I can box it in and take it to a different exit point so it doesn't look like I have dueling and one off centered pipes. Or am I missing something here? I don't recall ever seeing pics of 2 black chimneys coming up a wall behind a stove. I think I'm over thinking this now.

The OAK is a relatively straight forward DIY project. Is the basement finished? There is a thru the wall thimble on the market that is already cutout for an OAK. Not sure if the installer is planning on gointh through the block...or through the band board. Through the block will not require a thimble. OAK is a smaller pipe....I’m thinking on a p43 its 2.25” but not sure. Most any metal flexible pipe will work.

 

[TonyVideo]

You don't have to go up with the chimney. Just straight out. My wall thimble has it around the outside pipe built in next to the exhaust inside and is slightly smaller. I believe it came from Harman.

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[bogieb]

In this picture you can see the OAK on the left - the shiny pipe. You can just see the exhaust to the right of that - black pipe.If nothing else see if they have a thimble that already has the hole for the OAK so you don't have to put in a separate one.

 

[Tonyray]

like this i assume.. was silver OAK vent but i spray painted it black to match.
...

 

[Bullyboy]

My chimney will be coming up 4 or 5 ft above the stove to get above grade. I'll take some pics after install. The stove and chimney will be very visible from most of the basement.

 

[bogieb]

Here is my P61a in the basement. It has a bit of a run for the exhaust and the OAK but I didn't want the stove in the corner as it would be pointed straight at my boiler, water heater, chimney and stairs - no way for the air to get out of that area if set up like that. And no, that exhaust isn't nearly as close to that just installed sheet rock as it looks - the angle just makes it look like that.