Harman Absolute 43 or P43

[Pennacnp]

Hello all.
My family and I are researching the purchase of our first pellet stove. We have narrowed our choices down to either the Harman Absolute 43 or the Harman P43.

We plan on using the stove to supplement our current heat pump HVAC set-up. However, the stove will be located in a room the currently does not have heat, but rather this 550 square foot room is passively heated from neighboring rooms.

I am drawn in part to the ability to schedule the stove to come on at specified times. This is one factor favoring the Absolute 43.

Yet, there seems to be way more positive reviews favoring the P43.

Thus, my question / hope is to hear from owners of either model in terms of what did you like and what do you wish you could change?

 

[Highbeam]

Can’t you use a programmable thermostat on the p43?

 

[rickwai]

Can’t you use a programmable thermostat on the p43?

You can but you are basically just interrupting the room sensing probe circuit and sending it into a fault code to shut down . The Absolute TC has a 7 day programable stat. And a wireless temp sensor available that works really well. I am a tried and true kinda guy and feel Harman has the 3 knob control refined and it works extremely well. The P43 is still built the same as it always was out of all heavy steel and the stove body and door should last a lifetime. The Absolute and TC are fairly new but there have not been much issue. I figured there would be some bugs with the control but they have been pretty good.

 

[rickwai]

And 99% of people dont use the added feature included in TC. They just use it as a 3 knob basically. You would be the exception that uses the programable stat ect.

 

[rich2500]

Which ever stove you like the looks of the best is the one to go with. Mechanics wise how they run they are pretty much the same, appearance and the TC are the main difference, personally I like the features of the TC but with that comes the added cost of the control boards costing more and the TC to fail.

 

[Tonyray]

Agree.. cost is more.. i have no problem using a tried and true 3 knob harman.. i have so many habits aquired over the past 8 yrs with my P61A that dont really need stove telling me i am low on pellets. Burn 24/7 so programing for us anyways would not be used. Home all the time.. prob would still open hopper lid like always do just to see if its lying..lol..

 

[railfanron]

I would lean towards the P43 myself. I'm and electronics must have kind of a guy but I see all the bells and whistles as being just gingerbread and don't warrant all the added cost. I've been running my P43 on a 20 dollar programmable thermostat for years with no problems. Takes about 15 minutes to hook up and some spade connectors and wire.
Ron

 

[rich2500]

Having the TC is like having a scan tool for your car, it shows you everything going on which makes trouble shooting a problem much easier. I just wanted to point that out as I think it's something most people overlook or don't know all the capabilities of the TC.

 

[rickwai]

Having the TC is like having a scan tool for your car, it shows you everything going on which makes trouble shooting a problem much easier. I just wanted to point that out as I think it's something most people overlook or don't know all the capabilities of the TC.

That is a very good point. The thing that scares me is the touch and circuit board combined are $800.00. A 3 knob board is $235.00.
It makes it easy to service a stove that is just acting intermittent or wierd. Put in a circuit board and ESP, all controls replaced for $300 and customer is happy. Then the question is did it really need a ESP? maybe, maybe not. The extra $70.00 is good insurance to prevent a call back for similar issue and someone eating at least a minimum service call and labor of $150.00. Or the ESP failing failing next year and the customer saying this is the same thing it is doing as the last time you were here. My goal is to make good lasting repairs

 

[ABusWrench]

I would say the P43. It's a proven performer. Everything is accessible for maintenance. As a retired mechanic, I like to look at the ease of maintenance, AND the price of parts and maintenance. OEM replacement parts for the Absolute 43 are 2-4 times the price of P43 OEM parts. New technology costs money. If you aren't mechanically inclined and/or don't want to learn about your stove, then a top notch dealer becomes very important. Either stove will more than do the job you want, for many years to come.

 

[Pennacnp]

Thank you all for the advice.

I continue to go back and forth.

I am also curious if you think an A43 or P43 would be the correct size stove for the room and function? As context, I am using the stove to supplement my existing electric/propane heat pump. The stove will be located in a 22x24 foot room, which has numerous large windows, and the room is open to a long kitchen / dining area. I wonder is it better to purchase a bigger stove at the outset or can a stove be too big for the room and this not burn efficiently?

Thanks again!

 

[JR52]

We have had the Absolute 63 for 4 years now. Make sure you follow the manual care instructions to a T and it will provide good heat without issues. We have had to adjust the feed rate because, if we don't, it will overflow the pot but that's probably due to fuel quality.

I should note that we are still having an issue that's been unresolved for years now, however, where the stove seemingly picks and chooses when to shut down once temp has been achieved and when to instead feed at 6% constantly well after set temp has been achieved. Harman and my dealer can't answer it but I've seen others complain about the same issue on this forum. Not saying you will have the issue, but it would be my concern with the Absolute.

I don't know much about other stoves to compare to them but should be answer most general questions about the Absolute.

 

[Tonyray]

Having the TC is like having a scan tool for your car, it shows you everything going on which makes trouble shooting a problem much easier. I just wanted to point that out as I think it's something most people overlook or don't know all the capabilities of the TC.

yes.. i would agree about diagnostics being easier..

 

[railfanron]

If your room is well insulated it a p43 will heat it easily. My p43 is in a 26 x 32 ft room with a vaulted ceiling. It has 4 3 x 4 ft windows, 2 smaller ones, an entry door and a set of french doors in it. There is a hallway leading to the rest of the house. There is no right answer to whether you would need a bigger unit without a heat loss survey. The size in btus of your furnace might give you a clue. My propane furnace is 50,000 btus and it has heated the house reliably and efficiently for 25 years. So a p43 is just about the same btus. It's never going to do the job as well as the furnace because each is a different animal. The p43 is a room heater and the furnace with it's ductwork system is designed to deliver balanced heat to the entire house. Hope this helps.
Ron

 

[rickwai]

If you have a usage selection on your home tstat you can see how many hrs your furnace is running per day. Then take that hour amount and multiply by the btu output of your furnace. A 100k btu 90% Eff furnace would be 90k btu output/hr. Ex. that furnace runs 6 hrs the last 24hrs 6x90k btu output= 540,000 btu's per day is what the house used. Stove is not going to supply all homes heat but it kinda gives you a guage to go by

 

[lazer]

We bought the absolute 43. At first we had a problem with the stove lighting. That was about 5 years ago and Harman resolved that issue with a newly designed piece where the pellets sit to be lit. I forget the pieces name. It has worked flawless. We don't use the timer but the other controls to adjust different functions and whisper quiet mode is nice. The main reason we went with that stove is the looks, with the red enamel it doesn't look like just a pellet stove. We have a wood stove in the other room so we splurged on this.