Harman Oakwood 14 yrs old, can't get back off, time for a new stove?

[b-rider]

My last post was in 2019, but I've had my Oakwood since 2008 and it sounds like I may be one of the few who figured out how to make it sing properly. There was a learning curve, but it's heated my house for 13 years (and cooked a lot of great steaks).

But the secondary-burn section "Firedome" has an insert in it that I have not looked at in 7-8 years, and I cannot get the back off of the stove to clean out the fly-ash and check the condition of the Firedome element. Harmon chose to use stupid round-head hex screws on the back panel, and after these 7-8 years, half of them are frozen and the hex insert is rounded off in an attempt to remove them. Can't grab the heads with vice-grips, and the only other option is to just grind the heads off, leaving the frozen shank in the stove casting. No thanks.

From the front, only a small portion of this Firedome (actually an insert of some softish heat-resistant material full of air-passage holes) is visible for cleaning after removing firebrick. Removing the back of the stove allows you to remove the whole large block.

So if I can't get this Firedome block out for cleaning, how bad is it that I just continue to use the stove? It seemed to burn OK last season, with a proper coal bed I could close the damper and regulate the burn down with the air lever to burn thru the night, but I suspect it's nowhere near as efficient as it should be.

Too late this year for a new stove, but is 14 yrs about at the end of the service life of this one?

 

[bholler]

My last post was in 2019, but I've had my Oakwood since 2008 and it sounds like I may be one of the few who figured out how to make it sing properly. There was a learning curve, but it's heated my house for 13 years (and cooked a lot of great steaks).

But the secondary-burn section "Firedome" has an insert in it that I have not looked at in 7-8 years, and I cannot get the back off of the stove to clean out the fly-ash and check the condition of the Firedome element. Harmon chose to use stupid round-head hex screws on the back panel, and after these 7-8 years, half of them are frozen and the hex insert is rounded off in an attempt to remove them. Can't grab the heads with vice-grips, and the only other option is to just grind the heads off, leaving the frozen shank in the stove casting. No thanks.

From the front, only a small portion of this Firedome (actually an insert of some softish heat-resistant material full of air-passage holes) is visible for cleaning after removing firebrick. Removing the back of the stove allows you to remove the whole large block.

So if I can't get this Firedome block out for cleaning, how bad is it that I just continue to use the stove? It seemed to burn OK last season, with a proper coal bed I could close the damper and regulate the burn down with the air lever to burn thru the night, but I suspect it's nowhere near as efficient as it should be.

Too late this year for a new stove, but is 14 yrs about at the end of the service life of this one?

You can drill those machine screws out and then retap the holes. It sucks but it can absolutely be done

 

[b-rider]

Yes, it technically is possible to drill/tap, but the replacement firedome insert is over 5 bills, and I guess after "thinking out loud" about it in this thread I'm more inclined to see if I can get it to burn one more season, then try a new, easier-to-operate stove next season. I'll just clean the chimney stack and as much internally from the front as I can.

Thanks, for any responses. I researched extensively when I bought the Oakwood 14 yrs ago but have not kept up on stoves since. Feel free to offer any suggestions!

 

[bholler]

Yes, it technically is possible to drill/tap, but the replacement firedome insert is over 5 bills, and I guess after "thinking out loud" about it in this thread I'm more inclined to see if I can get it to burn one more season, then try a new, easier-to-operate stove next season. I'll just clean the chimney stack and as much internally from the front as I can.

Thanks, for any responses. I researched extensively when I bought the Oakwood 14 yrs ago but have not kept up on stoves since. Feel free to offer any suggestions!

Oh I can't stand any of the down draft stoves. So I will always recommend getting something else lol.

 

[stoveliker]

No way to use a Dremel or so to try to make a hex shape on the outside of the bolt and then use a socket wrench?

 

[begreen]

Welcome back b-rider. You got your Oakwood about the same time we switched to the bigger T6. If considering an alternative, you will be surprised if not shocked at how much stove prices have increased since you got the Oakwood.

The Oakwood is a good looker. What would you be looking for in a new stove? What are the priorities and what would the budget be?

 

[b-rider]

Oh I can't stand any of the down draft stoves. So I will always recommend getting something else lol.

Forgive me for asking a dumb question: What characterizes a "downdraft" stove, and what other design options are there?

 

[b-rider]

No way to use a Dremel or so to try to make a hex shape on the outside of the bolt and then use a socket wrench?

I considered doing just this, but what stops me is the removal of the broken-off shank in the cast stove body. Potential for 4 or 5 broken screws, and I don't want to have to delay my burning season while I'm screwing around with trying EZ-outs &/or tapping. Should've done this mid-summer.

 

[b-rider]

The Oakwood is a good looker. What would you be looking for in a new stove? What are the priorities and what would the budget be?

I think I paid a pretty penny for the Oakwood back in the day, over $3k, is there nothing available of comparable size in that price range? Priority would be heating efficiency. other considerations are large firebox, LARGE ashpan (the Oakwood tray is just silly how small it is), and ease of maintenance/use. I've learned the hard way why the Oakwood is "fussy", but I'm the type that can figure things out and make them work. I own an old Range Rover, nothing on the planet Earth more tempermental than those things.

 

[stoveliker]

I considered doing just this, but what stops me is the removal of the broken-off shank in the cast stove body. Potential for 4 or 5 broken screws, and I don't want to have to delay my burning season while I'm screwing around with trying EZ-outs &/or tapping. Should've done this mid-summer.

I think that broken shanks is where you will end up if things fail. But before that the socket route might work. If not, nothing lost other than time?

 

[bholler]

Forgive me for asking a dumb question: What characterizes a "downdraft" stove, and what other design options are there?

Any of the stoves with a combustion chamber in the back where the exhaust has to travel down to get out. Pretty much harmans and Vermont castings. Jotul made a couple and quickly abandoned the idea because they were a maintenance nightmare. Harmans are now gone so all that's left are Vermont castings hopefully they give up on it soon but I doubt it.

 

[bholler]

I think I paid a pretty penny for the Oakwood back in the day, over $3k, is there nothing available of comparable size in that price range? Priority would be heating efficiency. other considerations are large firebox, LARGE ashpan (the Oakwood tray is just silly how small it is), and ease of maintenance/use. I've learned the hard way why the Oakwood is "fussy", but I'm the type that can figure things out and make them work. I own an old Range Rover, nothing on the planet Earth more tempermental than those things.

Why do you need an ash pan. I really only take ash out about once a month. I have had a few stoves with grates and pans and quickly found they work better if you just let that fill up and shovel the ash out every so often.

 

[begreen]

I think I paid a pretty penny for the Oakwood back in the day, over $3k, is there nothing available of comparable size in that price range? Priority would be heating efficiency. other considerations are large firebox, LARGE ashpan (the Oakwood tray is just silly how small it is), and ease of maintenance/use. I've learned the hard way why the Oakwood is "fussy", but I'm the type that can figure things out and make them work. I own an old Range Rover, nothing on the planet Earth more tempermental than those things.

Take a look at Drolet HT3000 and Legend III on the value end and the PE Summit, Regency 2450, and Jotul F55 in the middle, and PE Alderlea T6 and Lopi Liberty on the upper end.

 

[b-rider]

Update: I took a grinder with a cutoff wheel and cut half the head off the (4) bolts that were frozen, and then a cold chisel and hammer and pounded off the rest of the heads. They came off pretty easily, and left a shank sticking out that I can soak with penetrating oil and try to use vise-grips and turn out.

The back then pulled off WITH the million $$ Firedome element, and it all didn't look too bad! Not a whole lot of ash to clean out, and the firedome element was in pretty good shape. I ordered a replacement gasket set, but I FORGOT to order new back-cover rope gasket material. Would that be standard 3/8" rope gasket that I can get locally? Should I use adhesive to install it?

I'm kind of encouraged because my Oakwood doesn't look so bad inside as I thought it might. Should be good for a few more years at least.

And if I CAN'T get the (4) frozen bolt outs, the (6) that are good are evenly spaced so that if I only use the (6), they should apply even clamping pressure on the new gasket. The back cover is heavy, thick cast iron, I don't think it will warp with the relatively light torque of the bolts.

 

[begreen]

I would drill out and then retap the frozen bolts if they don't come out with the oil soak. One trick that may help free up the frozen threads is to tap on the bolt head or remaining stud with a hammer before the vice-grip.

 

[Mpetro]

Update: I took a grinder with a cutoff wheel and cut half the head off the (4) bolts that were frozen, and then a cold chisel and hammer and pounded off the rest of the heads. They came off pretty easily, and left a shank sticking out that I can soak with penetrating oil and try to use vise-grips and turn out.

The back then pulled off WITH the million $$ Firedome element, and it all didn't look too bad! Not a whole lot of ash to clean out, and the firedome element was in pretty good shape. I ordered a replacement gasket set, but I FORGOT to order new back-cover rope gasket material. Would that be standard 3/8" rope gasket that I can get locally? Should I use adhesive to install it?

I'm kind of encouraged because my Oakwood doesn't look so bad inside as I thought it might. Should be good for a few more years at least.

And if I CAN'T get the (4) frozen bolt outs, the (6) that are good are evenly spaced so that if I only use the (6), they should apply even clamping pressure on the new gasket. The back cover is heavy, thick cast iron, I don't think it will warp with the relatively light torque of the bolts.

Any tips for the Oakwood? I’m a wood burning virgin and just bought a house with one. The manual doesn’t seem to be very helpful with the use of the bypass damper and air inlet settings.
From what I’ve experienced so far I can’t seem to keep it going under 1/4 air intake with the damper closed, it starts puffing or pretty much snuffs itself out and starts smoking out the chimney. Guessing it needs more air with the damper closed? Should I leave it open for slower burns with less air?
Appreciate any advice.

 

[begreen]

Any tips for the Oakwood? I’m a wood burning virgin and just bought a house with one. The manual doesn’t seem to be very helpful with the use of the bypass damper and air inlet settings.
From what I’ve experienced so far I can’t seem to keep it going under 1/4 air intake with the damper closed, it starts puffing or pretty much snuffs itself out and starts smoking out the chimney. Guessing it needs more air with the damper closed? Should I leave it open for slower burns with less air?
Appreciate any advice.

The Oakwood likes a strong draft. How tall is the flue system on the stove?
How dry is the firewood that is being burned?

 

[Mpetro]

The Oakwood likes a strong draft. How tall is the flue system on the stove?
How dry is the firewood that is being burned?

Just had a new stainless flue liner installed, it’s probably around 25 feet.
I just ordered a wood moisture meter to find out, the cut wood was on the property too.

 

[begreen]

25 ft is good, but if there are several 90º turns in the flue path, that reduces draft. If this is the case, softening the first 90 off the stove with 45s and an offset can help.
A moisture meter will help. Be sure to test it on wood that has been just resplit, testing inside on the freshly exposed face of the wood.