Harman XXV Hearth

[aqualab]

Hoping I can get some ideas on how to proceed/what to do. The stove was situated on a straight wall, close proximity, horizontal stack. Just had new carpeting installed so I had to disconnect the stove from the stack and move it out of the room as well as remove the homemade hearth. The hearth was constructed using a plywood base, two layers of concrete board, flagstone top, grout and wood moulding - HEAVY and approximately 3.25" in height. While moving the hearth into the garage it slipped and was dropped on the concrete slab, pretty much shattered, destroyed it. I do not feel like constructing a new one and would rather go with a manufactured one with tile this time. Wife would like the cleaner look of tile also. The problem is: the height on the manufactured hearths are much less which result in the stove's stack connection being off by the difference. The leveling adjustment's on the stove will not make up that difference. I don't want to cut a new hole through the wall and relocating the stove is not an option either. This model stove is pretty heavy (400-lbs?) so not sure about hearths with a wood riser, concerned the tile will crack under the legs due to lack of support directly under the legs? And the hearth with riser would be a custom job - $$$ due to specific height build. I am considering just doing away with the stove completely with propane prices having come down so much. Pellets and fan electrical use costs are probably equal to or even more now.
Am I just SOL on this? Any ideas and/or suggestions would be very much appreciated. Thanks

 

[P38X2]

Well that definitely sucks and sorry to hear that happened. I'm sure you're completely frustrated/pissed off. My first suggestion is to wait a day or two and think it over. I highly doubt you're gonna find a pre-fab hearth for less $$ than a DIY. 12" tiles can be found for a couple bucks a piece at a big box store. Cement board, plywood, trim board, etc..are also fairly inexpensive. Time of construction and enthusiasm seems to be your biggest enemy here. You obviously took pride in your stove and installation to begin with seeing you chose a very nice stove and took the time to make a hearth that worked. I certainly wouldn't throw in the towel just yet. As I said, wait a few days, fertilize ,your lawn, do some raking, take a nap...whatever. After that, go find some nice tiles you and the wife like, grab the other materials and get crackin because at this point your options are limited.

I don't really have any construction tips for you. On my DIY hearth I used black granite tiles ($5 each) and butted them to each other eliminating the need for grout, spacers, floats, etc. I adhered them with dime sized dots of high temp silicone and made sure they were sitting flat against the concrete board. I left a 3/16" gap in the perimeter and filled that with tube grout that goes in a caulking gun. I edged the entire thing with aluminum flat stock that I fancied up with a 3M green pad. If you put wool pads under your stove legs it's unlikely you'll have issues with the tiles breaking, providing you set them properly and your underlayment doesn't flex. Be sure to brace directly under the legs of your stove.

Good luck with whatever you do and I hope you stick with pellet heat. Don't forget, DIY stuff is time consuming but very rewarding especially on something that keeps you and your family warm and adds the charm that a wood burning appliance does.

 

[aqualab]

Thanks for the reply P38X2. Part of the do-it-yourself problem this time would be constructing to the exact height, especially if using different material - tile vs natural flagstone. Easier when the hearth was constructed first and then I placed stove on it and measured for the vent stack's hole through the wall. Is there such a thing as flex double wall hose/pipe? Lining up the three screw holes on the back of the pellet stove to the existing vent pipe will be murder. Plus the weight of a homemade hearth (concrete board) vs the manufactured hearth is significant, I guess due to them using different lighter fire protective materials? I have time to think about it but right now the stove is sitting on carboard on the wood floor in front of the sliding door which goes out to the deck - the boss (wife) won't put up with that for long, especially now that Spring has sprung. And............. if I do anything to damage the new Berber carpeting (sliding stove on carboard over carpet) there will be another hole in the wall from my head going through it when my wife see's what I did! Guess I'll go and till the garden.

 

[The Ds]

She'll be happy that the garden is tilled

I agree w/P38X2 - give yourself some time to figure out your gameplan. Include your wife in the planning

 

[P38X2]

You could always use advanced tactics and tell your wife where you want your head to make the new hole, effectively eliminating that step : )

As far as hearth height, I'd imagine you'd have some margin of error as long as the stove outlet was lower than the termination.
Not having seen your installation, you may not need to worry about lining the original holes up as you could just make new ones and silicone/tape over the old ones. I'm assuming there's at least a bit of play in the wall thimble to allow this and you'd end up with the often recommended "rise" in your vent pipe.

 

[P38X2]

Keeping the hearth relatively lightweight at the required thickness will be a challenge. Where you're putting it on carpet, you certainly don't want to under-build it. I'd imagine cutting and re-installing the carpet around the hearth isn't an option?

 

[aqualab]

The stove/hearth were removed to allow the carpet guys to pull up the old carpet and pad and replace with new pad and carpet. I'm wondering if the Harman direct vent pass through with fresh air kit will work. The description says it is 6.5" square opening in the wall. I can't remember what size opening I made in the wallboard when I installed the pass through, it was not a Harman product. That may be the same size as what I already have. Really all I need is a large enough bezel on the inside to allow me to lower the hole a bit and still hide the opening. Wish I could actually see one to make sure I am understanding how it will attach and fasten to the wall, etc...

 

[P38X2]

Not sure if this pic helps but it's the Harman OAK. Though it would involve more DIY time, you could always make a new trim bezel out of sheet metal to cover up the hole on the inside if you stuck with your existing setup. Not sure how you'd fix the outside if you had to, but it may not be necessary.

 

[P38X2]

Now that I think about it, theres a lot of air clearance under your XXV so you shouldn't have to worry too much at all about overheating the area directly below your stove. I'm not saying underbuild it but I don't think you'd have to be as concerned as if you had a P series. If I recall, someone posted about having scorched vinyl under their "code approved" hearth. Not sure if it was a Harman P series or similar design but it was fairly disturbing to read about and made me realize how hot things can get under there.

 

[DexterDay]

Because the Manufactured Hearth has a "set height". Why dont you just put 2x4 or 1x3 or Etc.... To "build up" to that height....

You already have a combustible material under the Manufactured Hearth. So adding more Combustible material isnt gonna hurt. Then just take some nice trim (oak, cedar, etc) and stain it to a color that goes with your living room.

I just bought a new stove and I have a Manufactured Hearth Pad. But I am going to make a raised hearth for the CPM. So I am gonna build a 12" riser and set the Hearth pad on it. Then add trim.... Easy Peasy!

 

[Defiant]

Because the Manufactured Hearth has a "set height". Why dont you just put 2x4 or 1x3 or Etc.... To "build up" to that height....

You already have a combustible material under the Manufactured Hearth. So adding more Combustible material isnt gonna hurt. Then just take some nice trim (oak, cedar, etc) and stain it to a color that goes with your living room.

I just bought a new stove and I have a Manufactured Hearth Pad. But I am going to make a raised hearth for the CPM. So I am gonna build a 12" riser and set the Hearth pad on it. Then add trim.... Easy Peasy!

Problem solved !! Till the garden kiss the wife.

 

[aqualab]

Thanks for all the suggestions and especially the photo of the Harman passthrough with air intake - appreciate it. If anybody has any photos of that kit installed I would certainly like to see them - would be helpful. But I think that kit will do the trick though in allowing me the additional install variance I need and I'll get the added benefit of fresh air into the house. My house is sealed pretty tight making it pretty dry during the burn months (Nov - April here in upstate NY). I just called the local Harman dealer and they have one OAK in stock, 4' of flex pipe should do the trick. I'll check out their hearths too while I'm there. I believe I bought the XXV the year it came out (04 or 05?) and other than the igniter failure issue resulting in a few costly replacements, I have no other issues or complaints. I think the peziometer for the temp control is either dirty or going bad because the temp control is typically way off when running the stove in room temp mode. I have to continuously adjust. Guess I'll check that and perform a thorough cleaning too while I have the stove off the wall and can easily access the rear. Might as well stove black polish it too while I'm at it.
I tilled the garden yesterday.
Thanks Again.