Need some help with a Harman Advance, used to work?

[shtrdave]

My GF's father has one he bought new in 2000, not sure if he used it last year, but this year he turned it on and it worked well then the auger motor went out, new motor stove worked then auger broke, replaced auger and now it won't run, from what he told me it started but didn't feed right and then quit. He had the dealer out to look at it and they told him it needs taken out and completely torn apart and cleaned and that there are several vacuum switches and at least one of them is bad and maybe the board is gone also. He was also told he need new exhaust piping outside that it has some holes in it, When it was put in they ran this pipe straight up along the outside of the house so it was above the roof line, has to be 15 or 18 feet high.

All this would cost him 7or 800.00

Any ideas on this, it seems odd that it was working fine replace 2 parts and now it doesn't work at all. The exhaust pipe I could understand as it is 13 years old.

I have not seen the stove but wold like to help the guy out if some of you fine folks here could give me some direction.

Thank you

 

[kinsmanstoves]

Sounds like a lot of issues.

The auger broke? How and where?

Yes there is a new feeder assy but the old one should work if cleaned.

Why 18' of pipe?

Not to many vacuum switches in the unit, just one.

Looks like you need to post pics and slightly more detail but that will come with the pictures.

Eric

 

[THE ROOSTER]

Reminds me of when you take a car to the dealership, it always needs more work done to it once the warranty is out.

 

[shtrdave]

I will try to stop by their place and snap some pictures and get more info this afternoon. Thank you

 

[shtrdave]

Okay went and took a few pictures, didn't get as many as i would have liked, a few of the pipe outside and inside the house it looks to be 4" the stove for being 13 years old looks clean it looks to have had fire back through or into the hopper area they told him that the exhaust pipe had gotten very hot and was on fire at different times. They told him the whole stove needs dismantled and cleaned 2 people at 60.00 per hour about 4 hours or so to do. It needs an ignitor and new gasket on the door, and new pipe inside and out, may need the vacuum switch but needs tested first and possible a new board as the feed rate knob is loose and it doesn't seem to stop where it should, I could pull it right out and put it back in, not sure what is wrong there with out seeing the back of the board to find out how that works.

He has been lighting it with the propane torch, the ignitor must have been out for a while, the fire from what the dealer told them is not coming out into the fire box enough and seems to be burning back into the auger tube, this would make me question the integrity of the hopper lid seal maybe.

He is going to home depot to look for pipe tomorrow and i offered to help him take the stove apart and clean it if that is what it needs, they would just leave the dealer do it but they they don't have the cash to go that route right now.

Any ideas or pointers on things to look for and check is greatly appreciated.

thank you

 

[rickwai]

That stove does have some major issues. It has had a hopper fire/ smoke in the hopper. This gums up the feeder assembly. The stove needs the updated feeder which is a major repair. Harman has been warrantying this repair even on older stoves.

 

[shtrdave]

I will have to check on this for him. thank you for that information.

 

[shtrdave]

Can the boards be repaired? not sure what is wrong with his, the feed knob comes out and doesn't have positive stops

Any help on any of this guys?

 

[Bioburner]

Yes the boards can be repaired. The feed pot switch is easy to replace if one has some experience in soldering.

 

[Harman Lover 007]

Okay went and took a few pictures, didn't get as many as i would have liked, a few of the pipe outside and inside the house it looks to be 4" the stove for being 13 years old looks clean it looks to have had fire back through or into the hopper area they told him that the exhaust pipe had gotten very hot and was on fire at different times. They told him the whole stove needs dismantled and cleaned 2 people at 60.00 per hour about 4 hours or so to do. It needs an ignitor and new gasket on the door, and new pipe inside and out, may need the vacuum switch but needs tested first and possible a new board as the feed rate knob is loose and it doesn't seem to stop where it should, I could pull it right out and put it back in, not sure what is wrong there with out seeing the back of the board to find out how that works.

He has been lighting it with the propane torch, the ignitor must have been out for a while, the fire from what the dealer told them is not coming out into the fire box enough and seems to be burning back into the auger tube, this would make me question the integrity of the hopper lid seal maybe.

He is going to home depot to look for pipe tomorrow and i offered to help him take the stove apart and clean it if that is what it needs, they would just leave the dealer do it but they they don't have the cash to go that route right now.

Any ideas or pointers on things to look for and check is greatly appreciated.

thank you

Man that baby is in rough shape....all of what is needed is very doable. If it were me I would tear it down and give it a good going over. The venting looks very suspicious and at the very least should be disassembled and inspected. You don't need all that piping up to the roof. The auger is chain drive and a quick look in the rear after removing the side panel will tell you if the chain is on or not. If you are handy at all, you can get this cleaned up and running. You aren't gonna do it on the cheap and you won't have it running tomorrow....

 

[shtrdave]

He is planning on new piping, and looking over the manual it doesn't look like there is much to it to disassemble and clean. I have tools and am handy when it comes to repairing things. Is there anything one wants to look for specifically? It is his decision, I told him we could do it, the biggest issue may be working with her dad.

 

[Harman Lover 007]

He is planning on new piping, and looking over the manual it doesn't look like there is much to it to disassemble and clean. I have tools and am handy when it comes to repairing things. Is there anything one wants to look for specifically? It is his decision, I told him we could do it, the biggest issue may be working with her dad.

Well at this point she's still your girlfriend and he's NOT your father in law....