Heritage at home, is it a dud?

[Highbeam]

Hi folks, I managed to get the heritage into my house after a lot of sweating, that bugger is heavy and there isn't much anything that is removable to lighten it up.

I got it inside and then removed the plastic wrap to inspect it. I seem to have a major problem. The secondary air manifold is crooked. It doesn't set down flat onto the cast iron supports that are part of the front corner vertical castings. The secondary tubes and baffle then tip to one side which would channel all the fire to one side of the stove. Is this normal? Doesn't seem like it. I can fit one whole finger between the manifold and the tab on the lest side and not even a pencil on the right side. Everyting is solidly cemented in place.

This is not good. It is a new stove and should be pretty perfect. I can handle the sloppy cement but I don't want a field reassembled stove.

Can a dealer please check his floor stock tell me if the manifold is sitting level and on those tabs? Thanks. The camera batteries are charging else I would have some photos.

This unit won't be installed and burnt until fall. It is a beautiful stove on the outside.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

if your talking about the stainless retainer bar that holds the baffle plate in that should be able to be removed. Thats how you change the the baffle out when it needs it. Its temp cememted in for shipping, then breaks loose after firing for a while. YOu shold be able to bust it loose and re set it.

 

[begreen]

Hopefully this is just something shifted in transit. A parts diagram would really help. Too bad the manual doesn't have one.

I'd buzz down to the dealer and ask if he'd make you a copy of his parts diagram for the stove. Perhaps you can look closely at another Heritage there?

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

also and cement that is on the stove can be dissolved with a warm wet papter towl. Wet the towl and set it on the glob of cement. It will dissolve and wipe off.

 

[Highbeam]

This is the entire cast iron secondary manifold that the ceramic baffle is attached to by way of the secondary air tubes. The piece that is in there all cockeyed is a large cast iron chunk that also make up part of the back wall. The secondary tubes slide into this manifold and the manifold rests on tabs cast into into the front vertical corners of the stove. When you open the front door and look into the stove, the whole roof and tubes are crooked by a large amount.

Good to know I can soak and remove the random blob of cement. I have one blob preventing opening of the ash grate.

Pics tonight. I have been chipping limbs and bucking two 16" trees into firewood.

Thank you for your help, the wife is even more bummed since these things are pricey and we want it to work out. I eased our nerves by telling her that I could get some professional opinions lickity split.

 

[Highbeam]

Some pictures to get your valued opinions:

1) The stove still bolted to the pallet, door open. Check the ceiling.
2) The front left manifold support tab ought to support the manifold, I'd think. Easily fit a fat finger in there.
3) Same view of the right side. Much smaller gap but still 1/8" or so. Not the cement on the wall holding the manifold in place.

I can take as many pictures as you folks might need to better help you form opinions. Is it boogered? There doesn't look to be much holding the manifold in place other than a single attachment to the secondary air duct on the back wall and then all the cement.

Thanks for your help, don't be shy.

 

[Todd]

That doesn't look right to me. Maybe it shifted during shipping? Can you move it around any or is it solid? Where did you buy it? Does dealer know about it? Maybe send some pictures to Hearthstone and let a tech look at it.

 

[Highbeam]

It is solidly mounted, nothing in there moves which is good if it was in the right place. I didn't hit it with a sledge or anything but certainly gave it a healthy tug to try and get it to set down. I picked the stove up on Friday and will bug the dealer on Monday but I would like to know that this isn't proper before I spin him up. The dealer is about to close his doors after 28 years so I need to hit this issue from all fronts.

Is this something to send to hearthstone? There are some other clues of a sloppy assembly such as misaligned stones but they fall under the "character" heading with a hand assembled stove. The stove isn't signed by the assembler, I think they stopped that. Any special tech email at hearthstone?

I wonder if the secondary manifold is supposed to be removable without disassembling the whole top.

 

[restorer]

I can see the skew, and the fact that one side is not seated on the support tab. If you have a healthy "C" clamp say a six incher, try clamping the raised side and gently applying pressure to lower it in place. It may be that the move to the skewed position has wedged the tubes and they will not move without some help. Rather than strike the metal, try and ease it in place.

You should understand that anything that is not blocked and packed in place can move. I have been called to uncrate furniture that looked like it had spent a day in a giant clothes dryer. Fact is, the manufacturer used no blocking and packing and running from North Carolina to Utah shook it almost to pieces. I hauled a table saw 150 miles and never gave a thought to the motor. When I got it to the shop the pivot had backed completely out of the bracket and the motor was in the bottom of the base. Now I tie all loose items up.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

No, not right at all, not even close. You better call the dealer, looks like a replacement is in order, or a service tech to come out and make it right. FWIW it looks to me that the casting isnt square and the left side baffle casting cant sit in the proper position.

 

[Corie]

Does it seem that we (those who know the most about hearth appliances) seem to be continually getting the duds. The thing is at least we have resources and know who to contact and what to do when it happens. If this happens to an average Joe and his dealer stinks or he doesn't even know what he's looking at, the stove would probably be used this way.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

lets see, i sold about 80-100 hearthstones a year for the last 4 years, and between 40-60 5 years prior. That would be about 700 hearthstones, i have yet to see a baffle like that.

 

[Corie]

I know, I'm not saying its a Hearthstone problem or anything like that. It just seems that we all keep getting the problem children, which I guess is a good thing. Between the failing Dutchwest stoves, this Hearthstone, the Dutchwest non-cat problems, etc.

 

[jtp10181]

I would guess there are more wideapread issues that no one knows about or no one talks about.

I see gas fireplaces all the time that have been burning for years with logs setup wrong creating tons of soot and various other problems that would be obvious to anyone with any expiriance in gas appliances. So what I'm saying, is there are probably a lot of problems out there that the customers don't even know they have.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

I agree with Corie and jtp. I think forums will represent more then the average amount of problems, and i know for a fact that there are a TON of gas appliances out there that arent set up properly. Corie my last comment wasnt directed at you, but reading it again i could see how it would seem that way. Hearthstone would want that stove back.

 

[Highbeam]

lets see, i sold about 80-100 hearthstones a year for the last 4 years, and between 40-60 5 years prior. That would be about 700 hearthstones, i have yet to see a baffle like that.

Ack! Why does this kind of thing happen to me? Am I lucky? or....

I have a call in to the dealer and emails with these pictures to both the dealer and hearthstone less than 24 hours ago. I am still positive and hoping that things are happily taken care of. This is a time when a high end manufacturer can prove their worthiness and justify the extra high price.

I am not about to try anything to fix it other than gentle persuasion. If I was going to freeze to death I may bust out a c-clamp but this should be taken care of for me and not by me. The thing is bloody brand new and still on the pallet. Argh.

It was pretty obvious that the manifold was crooked. I suspect that this assembly error would have caused major smoke spillage out of the side loading door but yes, someone may have just burned it.

Thanks for not forgetting about me and giving opinions. I sure hope that I don't have to move this bugger again.

 

[Highbeam]

If this happens to an average Joe and his dealer stinks or he doesn't even know what he's looking at, the stove would probably be used this way.

Hey now... how did you know that my name was Joe?

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

lets see, i sold about 80-100 hearthstones a year for the last 4 years, and between 40-60 5 years prior. That would be about 700 hearthstones, i have yet to see a baffle like that.

Ack! Why does this kind of thing happen to me? Am I lucky? or....

I have a call in to the dealer and emails with these pictures to both the dealer and hearthstone less than 24 hours ago. I am still positive and hoping that things are happily taken care of. This is a time when a high end manufacturer can prove their worthiness and justify the extra high price.

I am not about to try anything to fix it other than gentle persuasion. If I was going to freeze to death I may bust out a c-clamp but this should be taken care of for me and not by me. The thing is bloody brand new and still on the pallet. Argh.

It was pretty obvious that the manifold was crooked. I suspect that this assembly error would have caused major smoke spillage out of the side loading door but yes, someone may have just burned it.

Thanks for not forgetting about me and giving opinions. I sure hope that I don't have to move this bugger again.

Highbeam, here is the way it should work.
Hearthstone may or may not contact you right away, they are going to give there dealer a chance to step up first. The manufacture is probalby emailing the local rep and the local rep should contact the dealer, BUT the dealer should contact you way before it gets to that point.
I wouldnt expect them to move it. If they delivered it i would expect them to move it, but if your a ways away i doubt there going to be much help. THats just a guess. Good luck getting it fixed or replaced.

 

[Rhone]

Yeah, just like MSG says Hearthstone will want you to try all means with the dealer first then, will take your response. E-mailing Hearthstone is pointless, calling them works very well. I've called Hearthstone twice and always get the same, very pleasant "Are you a dealer of our product? No I'm a consumer. Did you try to communicate with the dealer where you purchased our product about your issue? Yes. Where they able to help you? No. We prefer direct communication with the dealer you purchased our product from but in this case we will take your question." So, try to go work with the dealer first but I've found it pleasant dealing with them directly as well and they did take my question in both cases.

I know how you must feel, takes the wind out of your sails when you bring something like that home and find out there's something wrong with it.

 

[Highbeam]

OK folks, I have no problem supporting and then utilizing the local dealer. I could have driven to Oregon and saved sales tax for example. The dealer is in their closing down phases with a sporadic schedule and this will be their last weekend open to the general public. They're open all weekend starting on Friday so I'll be there bright and early to get on the short list. They did have a few enameled heritages on the floor but I like the matte.

I am not a ways out but I did move it myself so I will just have to see what they do. I don't like "paying" to move a stove three ways instead of one but we'll see if they can give me a hand. Either way I will not move it again with only two men, way too heavy.

I'll be sure and let everyone know how this goes. Wish me luck.

 

[Highbeam]

I heard back from the dealer, he forwarded my email on to Hearthstone and is waiting for a call back.

 

[Corie]

Well that's a good start.

 

[hearthtools]

Does it seem that we (those who know the most about hearth appliances) seem to be continually getting the duds. The thing is at least we have resources and know who to contact and what to do when it happens. If this happens to an average Joe and his dealer stinks or he doesn't even know what he's looking at, the stove would probably be used this way.

you guys have to realize we see more problem on the forums.
On this forum we see most Negative feedback on stoves because people are looking for a way to fix a problem and or advise where to find a good stove.
Not a lot of people are going to go out on the net to find the hearthforums looking for a place to tell a good thing about the stove the just bought.

Just like word of mouth . More people are going to tell there bad story about a dealer or a product than they would about the good experience with a dealer or product unless asked.

 

[Highbeam]

Well, I have been getting some instruction on how to fix this myself from Hearthstone. Lots of sweat last night got me a loose secondary manifold that is now level but still not setting down on the tabs so there is a major three legged horse where the manifold and all connected stuff is now rocky in there.

It was a bugger to knock the manifold loose but only one screw holding it in the stove. So now I have been instructed on where and how to grind the casting to fit but I am having a hard time removing the manifold to grind on it. The manifold is pretty big in this smallish firebox. I may be trying to grind it while it is still inside the stove. I did remove the fragile baffle before major work inside since I didn't want to break it.

Yes, yes, I could have the dealer send a man out there but the dealer isn't overly responsive and hearthstone is pretty confident that I can do it. I'll try once more tonight and then I will cry uncle.

Anybody have any idea whether the cement slathered on the inside of the joints is actually responsible for anything? Is it just squished out from assembly or applied from the inside for a seal?

 

[hearthtools]

Most of the Mortar you see on the inside of the stove is just extra.
They had a few assemblers last year that used too much. (No longer working for HS)
We had to take the Air control apart on a Heritage because it had a lot of extra Mortar built up and you could not move the air adjustment.