Garn 1000 opinions

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Dec 14, 2020
173
Lisburn, PA
I'm building a work shop, tractor barn and wood storage shed for a customer with a small house with propane boiler and radiant floor heat.
She wants to put the boiler and storage in the wood shop.
Does anyone have experience with Garn? I like the once a day burn and integrated storage.
 
I currently have a Garn 2000. Bought in June 2009. Got it up and running Nov 2009. Had a leak two years ago and spend three grand to get back up and running. Two years later I have another leak I am currently dealing with in a different location. I hope we will be able to repair it this time as I spent thirty grand in 2009 on the boiler and install. Have you looked at Switzer's boilers?
 
I currently have a Garn 2000. Bought in June 2009. Got it up and running Nov 2009. Had a leak two years ago and spend three grand to get back up and running. Two years later I have another leak I am currently dealing with in a different location. I hope we will be able to repair it this time as I spent thirty grand in 2009 on the boiler and install. Have you looked at Switzer's boilers?
Thanks for the feed back. Was it the welds?
I'm lookin at Switzer now
 
I currently have a Garn 2000. Bought in June 2009. Got it up and running Nov 2009. Had a leak two years ago and spend three grand to get back up and running. Two years later I have another leak I am currently dealing with in a different location. I hope we will be able to repair it this time as I spent thirty grand in 2009 on the boiler and install. Have you looked at Switzer's boilers?
Do you have bad water? Something corrosive must be eating that tank ?
 
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Do you have bad water? Something corrosive must be eating that tank ?
Hedge wood confirmed leaks at welds. Not sure about corrosion. Garn has a significant water treatment program that starts with what looks like would take about a week to get the cleaning and treatment completed. Your fill water is tested before going in the tank so they can send you the chemicals required for treatment. Because it's open to atmosphere, air enters and exits the tank as temperature changes volume and some water evaporates. This requires continuous monitoring, testing and treatment. You can read it on Garn's website. I've been involved in similar conditions with sprinkler systems involving large on site storage. Bacterial corrosion can get into systems that sit at 135 psi and eat right thru schedule 40 pipe in a few years.
Dissolved minerals can be treated up front and electrolysis can be controlled.
I have not gotten thru to Garn to talk with them about corrosion, welds and warranty.
I do like the Garn single unit with firebox inside the storage. Fewer moving parts to go bad.
Fire it once a day or even 2 days in warmer weather.
Also looking at Wood Gun, they claim to be a few months out to getting EPA certified again.
 
Hedge wood confirmed leaks at welds. Not sure about corrosion. Garn has a significant water treatment program that starts with what looks like would take about a week to get the cleaning and treatment completed. Your fill water is tested before going in the tank so they can send you the chemicals required for treatment. Because it's open to atmosphere, air enters and exits the tank as temperature changes volume and some water evaporates. This requires continuous monitoring, testing and treatment. You can read it on Garn's website. I've been involved in similar conditions with sprinkler systems involving large on site storage. Bacterial corrosion can get into systems that sit at 135 psi and eat right thru schedule 40 pipe in a few years.
Dissolved minerals can be treated up front and electrolysis can be controlled.
I have not gotten thru to Garn to talk with them about corrosion, welds and warranty.
I do like the Garn single unit with firebox inside the storage. Fewer moving parts to go bad.
Fire it once a day or even 2 days in warmer weather.
Also looking at Wood Gun, they claim to be a few months out to getting EPA certified again.

I also appreciate the all in one concept. Boiler and storage. Also the very good performance specs. Just can’t stand the very expensive thing rotting out so fast and the way the company didn’t handle it. There may be a second side to those stories that we haven’t heard but one side is a horrible story.
 
I also appreciate the all in one concept. Boiler and storage. Also the very good performance specs. Just can’t stand the very expensive thing rotting out so fast and the way the company didn’t handle it. There may be a second side to those stories that we haven’t heard but one side is a horrible story.
I suspect the second leak happened after the unit was moved to another location. That being said, you are still right. The whole water monitoring program seems a bit more than I would want to deal with considering the high price of the unit.
 
If I had to babysit my boiler water I wouldn’t own a wood boiler.
I was always under the impression that Garn was a stand up outfit. Now YES we only have heard one side of this problem and it would be great to know the other side.
If the boiler was properly run and it is a case of poor factory welds I’d be pretty pissed myself.
The absolute worse is a useless warrantee. I dealt with bad IKO shingles that proved the paperwork would have been better used as toilet paper along with a useless customer service department.
 
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Keep in mind the switzer boiler isn’t ul approved or been emissions tested / compliant, not eligible for a tax credit.
But.... it is an awesome unit. If you can find any negative posts send it my way because I couldn’t. Just because Switzer hasn’t paid an obnoxious amount of money to be a “tested”unit doesn’t mean it isn’t. The prices reflect that. It’s a simple boiler for the common sense man .
 
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I’m not suggesting that the switzer is inferior but without ul certification there’s a increased liability risk your going to assume.
As far as the water goes, the testing and approved chemical protocols create a history to validate a warranty.
 
Do you have bad water? Something corrosive must be eating that tank ?
I also appreciate the all in one concept. Boiler and storage. Also the very good performance specs. Just can’t stand the very expensive thing rotting out so fast and the way the company didn’t handle it. There may be a second side to those stories that we haven’t heard but one side is a horrible story.
I suspect the second leak happened after the unit was moved to another location. That being said, you are still right. The whole water monitoring program seems a bit more than I would want to deal with considering the high price of the unit.
Water has always been treated and tested. Worked with Mike on the water he is the Garn water guy. Not for sure what what the other side of the story is. The Garn folks have been invited to come take a look and tell me whats going on and how to fix it long term. Unit has never been moved and in the same spot its been in since 2009.
 
Water has always been treated and tested. Worked with Mike on the water he is the Garn water guy. Not for sure what what the other side of the story is. The Garn folks have been invited to come take a look and tell me whats going on and how to fix it long term. Unit has never been moved and in the same spot its been in since 2009.

We don’t know either. They may agree that you got screwed or they might have some new information. We owe them the benefit of the doubt.
 
We don’t know either. They may agree that you got screwed or they might have some new information. We owe them the benefit of the doubt.
I disagree. As far as I'm concerned if they haven't stepped up to the plate yet (assuming OP has been in contact) nobody owes them a damn thing.
I have a real problem with a company that does not back their product.
 
I disagree. As far as I'm concerned if they haven't stepped up to the plate yet (assuming OP has been in contact) nobody owes them a damn thing.
I have a real problem with a company that does not back their product.

It’s hard to explain the other side without making it sound like the victim here is at fault. We have no reason to think anybody is lying.

Until or unless we hear from garn all we have is the accusation. Have you ever been unjustly accused of anything? I work in a job where I am hired by politicians to make people unhappy. Very often they feel like I am being unfair, personally attacking them, being unreasonable, etc. and complain of this injustice to the politicians. The way they tell the story is one sided and based on their ignorance is valid. Those politicians know to ask me what the “real” story is so that all parties can be educated to understand reality.

So yes, just the accusation is enough to cause the public to have pause which is why garn might want to publicly respond. They have been damaged. On this forum we almost never hear from manufacturers. As I stated, I see this issue as a reason not to buy one but would be willing to consider garn’s response.

It’s like reading restaurant reviews, there is always one guy that gives the restaurant one star. Do you not buy anything where one person was unhappy?

Some people love to complain and are never happy.
 
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Actually I have been unfairly accused and it took a whole lot of money to prove it but I did prevail as did the company in court. No jury trial just us versus them and a judge. The other side kept saying we were going to lose. That was not the case and the wrong house that still remains unfinished and taxed at almost its full value 13 years later remains empty and not slept in. You’re welcome to determine that tax bill on a 1.3m home.

If I was Garn I’d have a hard time being sort of black listed and remain quite but that’s me and I’m stubborn.
As for restaurant reviews everybody thinks they are a food critic today. All it takes is a smart phone and Yelp. I’m betting most of these foodies couldn’t boil water.
 
Water has always been treated and tested. Worked with Mike on the water he is the Garn water guy. Not for sure what what the other side of the story is. The Garn folks have been invited to come take a look and tell me whats going on and how to fix it long term. Unit has never been moved and in the same spot its been in since 2009.
For some reason I thought you said you bought the unit at one house and then moved to another, my apologies.
 
We owe them the benefit of the doubt.
Ball's in their court...if they won't respond then that is a major mark against them IMO...you can't charge that much for your product and then leave a guy hanging when he has problems, especially after following your instructions to a T...
 
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I'm building a work shop, tractor barn and wood storage shed for a customer with a small house with propane boiler and radiant floor heat.
She wants to put the boiler and storage in the wood shop.
Does anyone have experience with Garn? I like the once a day burn and integrated storage.
Well, anyway back to the original question - I do have a Garn 1000, 7 or 8 years now. Mine is not a once a day loader, twice a day for sure. You should get someone that knows heat calculation facts before choosing one. I'm happy with mine, how it works, etc. A 1500 would not have been overkill. That might have been once a day loader. I use a half cord every 2 weeks [a real half cord 4x4x4] on a pallet. The wood is all dried one summer, I burn pine, hemlock, tulip etc in fall & spring. All dried a summer. The door is 18" round, if it fits, it burns. No smoke, no creosote in a chimney, no fussing with it. Not many moving parts. I added on to the garage to house it, they will smell of smoke once & awhile. Wouldn't want it in the basement. If you could get one in there. I'm a retired lineman, I put this in alone. Simple wiring, plumbing, etc.
 
Well, anyway back to the original question - I do have a Garn 1000, 7 or 8 years now. Mine is not a once a day loader, twice a day for sure. You should get someone that knows heat calculation facts before choosing one. I'm happy with mine, how it works, etc. A 1500 would not have been overkill. That might have been once a day loader. I use a half cord every 2 weeks [a real half cord 4x4x4] on a pallet. The wood is all dried one summer, I burn pine, hemlock, tulip etc in fall & spring. All dried a summer. The door is 18" round, if it fits, it burns. No smoke, no creosote in a chimney, no fussing with it. Not many moving parts. I added on to the garage to house it, they will smell of smoke once & awhile. Wouldn't want it in the basement. If you could get one in there. I'm a retired lineman, I put this in alone. Simple wiring, plumbing, etc.
Thanks for the responding. How much area are you heating? I assume you are following the water testing program. Any signs of corrosion?
 
If I'm not mistaken the repairs did not fall under warranty? If so, how can Garn be said to not back their product?
You obviously never dealt with a major issue with a company thus my mention of IKO shingles. I know for a fact there was a class action suit well after my roof failed. They offered me 400 bucks and 4 squares.
In this Garn case somebody made a serious commitment to their product. Warranty or not if welds are failing. That’s not acceptable.
 
You obviously never dealt with a major issue with a company thus my mention of IKO shingles. I know for a fact there was a class action suit well after my roof failed. They offered me 400 bucks and 4 squares.
In this Garn case somebody made a serious commitment to their product. Warranty or not if welds are failing. That’s not acceptable.
I went through this with Bird shingles from the '80s - Many split after just a few years. Their warranty process was so BS that I didn't bother, just threw them out and moved on. I never miss the opportunity to talk trash about them. My revenge I guess.