New Harman XXV

[kannon]

Hello All. Want to thank everyone who makes this website such a great source of information. Took the plunge today - there was a good sale - and we bought a Harman XXV. Installation is next week.

Here's my situation and would greatly appreciate any advise. The Harman XXV replaces an old Consolidated Dutchwest wood stove - lasted 23 yrs but wanted something easier to work. The existing chimney has a 6" diameter stainless steel flue liner with a Saf-T Thimble thru the wall What is the best way to hook up the new stove to the existing chimney.

The place where I bought the Harman is looking to vent the pellet stove using a 3" pipe, through 2 elbows, through a 3" x 6" pellet pipe adapter. I am not sure if they know the chimney is lined.

Was wondering if I can take advantage of the existing steel liner to make the venting more insulated. A BIG problem we had with our old woodstove was lots of cold air leakage around the wall thimble into the room when the stove was not being used and also the thimble got very cold in the winter. Don't recall any problems with smoke in the room but we really did not use it that much.

Looking forward to the new pellet stove but want to make sure we get a good installation that does not leak air into the house. Do I need to replace the Saf-T thimble?? Recaulk. Any help would be helpful.

Thank you!!.

 

[newpelletstove]

Congrats, Kannon, on buying a Harman XXV. I can't answer any of your questions about the venting, but just wanted to say I am rather happy with my XXV after more than a month of operation. I hope yours is good for you. Keep us posted !!

 

[pegdot]

Since you mentioned a 3" to 6" adapter it sounds like they are aware of the liner and are planning to connect the 3" pipe to it. If that's the case then it becomes a question of where they plan to make the connection. Do you currently have any stainless pipe extending into the house beyond the wall thimble?

 

[kannon]

It is getting more interesting.

The steel liner runs from the top of the chimney down to where a Saf-T Thimble was installed. The Safe-T Thimble has a 8" terra cotta chimney liner cemented to it. At the end of the terra cotta chimney liner, the chimney opens up and then the steel liner starts towards the top about 4" above where the terra cotta chimney liner exits the Thimble. So the old woodstove pipe ran thru the Thimble to the terra cotta and then the smoke went upward into the steel liner. Not crazy about this set up.

Photo shows what I am up against. Around the Thimble cold air comes in from the outside.

I am ok with new hardware to better connect the pellet stove to the steel liner. Biggest hurdle though is the 19" x 19" opening in the brick hearth that was used for the Saf-T Thimble. I can salvage the Saf-T Thimble cover shield to be just a decorative covering over the real new chimney hardware.

Appreciate your ideas. Thanks

Kannon

 

[Justaddwater]

It is getting more interesting.

The steel liner runs from the top of the chimney down to where a Saf-T Thimble was installed. The Safe-T Thimble has a 8" terra cotta chimney liner cemented to it. At the end of the terra cotta chimney liner, the chimney opens up and then the steel liner starts towards the top about 4" above where the terra cotta chimney liner exits the Thimble. So the old woodstove pipe ran thru the Thimble to the terra cotta and then the smoke went upward into the steel liner. Not crazy about this set up.

Photo shows what I am up against. Around the Thimble cold air comes in from the outside.

I am ok with new hardware to better connect the pellet stove to the steel liner. Biggest hurdle though is the 19" x 19" opening in the brick hearth that was used for the Saf-T Thimble. I can salvage the Saf-T Thimble cover shield to be just a decorative covering over the real new chimney hardware.

Appreciate your ideas. Thanks

Kannon

I purchased the 6 inch top flu adaptor (from Harman) for my xxv and hooked up to my existing chimmney.

The existing chimney was 8 inch. I purchased a 6-8 adapter then ran 6 inch black (welded seam) from the stove to the 6-8- adapter.

Natural draw of the chimney takes it from that point. Don't forget to seal all joints with high temp silicon. Did the install my self- no problems.

The top flue adapter works like a charm. Looks like the wood stove sitting on the hearth.

Dan

 

[kannon]

Could I ask how much additional cost the 6" top adapter was??

 

[kannon]

Well - the stove was installed Friday. The company did a really good job. They installed a 8" to 3" adapter using hi-temp adhesive and then caulked around the thimble/chimney terra cotta pipe to make it airtight. They then packed the area with insulation. The finished product is attached. No air leaks so far.

Been using the stove - it's in the 40's outside. Not a big test but trying to figure best feed rate, best room temperature setting, best fan speed to keep the room warm enough to push air out towards the return duct.

Thank you for those who responded.

Kannon

 

[tinkabranc]

Need a bigger picture to view that beauty....either that or my eyes
are not that great anymore.. ;-)

Congrats on your new stove!

 

[thinking about it]

Hello. There seem to be very a lot of pellet stove experts on this forum and I would like to ask an installation/code question. I have had two very different opinions come from two very knowledgeable wood pellet salespeople. I would like to know if the vent pipe for a pellet wood stove needs to be 4 feet from an opening window or 4 feet from any window (opening or not). We would like to put the stove under a picture window that does not open. We have 4 feet clearance to the windows on either side that do open. I have one representative from one store saying no problem, and the other representative from a different store saying you can't do it.

I would love to hear what people know about this. Thanks!

 

[muss]

I just had mine installed a week ago & my exhaust vent is only a foot from a window that opens . My manual said 4ft from windows but installer had been putting them in for years & told me not to sweat it . Besides, you don't windows in the cold or cool weather right ? Good luck & enjoy your stove & stick with this site ;-)

 

[tinkabranc]

Hello. There seem to be very a lot of pellet stove experts on this forum and I would like to ask an installation/code question. I have had two very different opinions come from two very knowledgeable wood pellet salespeople. I would like to know if the vent pipe for a pellet wood stove needs to be 4 feet from an opening window or 4 feet from any window (opening or not). We would like to put the stove under a picture window that does not open. We have 4 feet clearance to the windows on either side that do open. I have one representative from one store saying no problem, and the other representative from a different store saying you can't do it.

I would love to hear what people know about this. Thanks!

If you have a specific stove in mind, check out the owner's manual for the
clearance specs. Most can be found online.

 

[wwburning]

I think that most Harmans with outside air hooked up are 18" from a window or door that can be opened. Thats what the owners manual of my P61a states. I just checked the Harman site and it's the same for the XXV.

 

[Dougsey]

I would suggest asking your local code inforcement officer as his/her ruling is what really matters.

 

[thinking about it]

Thanks all. I just looked up the owner's manual for the stove in question and sure enough it says just that. It's the Lopi Leyden pellet stove and it said 4 feet if it's an opening window and 1 foot if it's non-opening. I agree, best to be sure with the local code enforcement guy but I got the impression (from both stove places) that their installation guys have to work within code. Anybody have any comments about the Lopi Leyden? Or a recommendation for a really great stove we haven't considered? thanks guys, what a great resource this website is-

 

[muss]

I've had my Lopi Leyden for over a week now & love it . I have burned 3 different brands of pellets with no problem so i bought my 1st ton a few days ago . Enjoy & support this great site with your input ;-) , Muss

 

[thinking about it]

Great to know you love the Lopi Leyden. I think that's the one we'll go with if we can make it all work. Ours will go very prominently in the middle of our open dining room/great room. Do you think it's noisy? Can I also ask where you bought it? thanks!

 

[muss]

It isn't any louder than an air condioner . I don't know if i'm aloud to tell you a dealer's name on this site but i'll send it to you by Pm

 

[newpelletstove]

Great to know you love the Lopi Leyden. I think that's the one we'll go with if we can make it all work. Ours will go very prominently in the middle of our open dining room/great room. Do you think it's noisy? Can I also ask where you bought it? thanks!

Hey thinking about it,

My Harman XXV makes noise, but to me it's a soothing sound, like muss said, like an air-conditioner. And knowing that it's saving me lots of $$ and reducing the use of foreign oil and not creating greenhouse gasses (a win-win-win), I love the sound.

Good luck with your stove.

 

[thinking about it]

Thanks- that is encouraging to hear it's a soothing sound. I don't think I like the sound of an air conditioner, and the acoustics in the room we would need to put our stove in is slightly echo-y. So it makes me wonder if we should be looking hard at models that have particularly quiet fans. Our furnace in the basement isn't exactly quiet, mind you, but at least it doesn't run all the time. Does the fan on the pellet stove run constantly all winter? Is it ever nice and peaceful like a wood stove?? Muss suggested I start a new thread about this so I think I will, once I figure that one out.

thanks for the reply-

 

[newpelletstove]

Thanks- that is encouraging to hear it's a soothing sound. I don't think I like the sound of an air conditioner, and the acoustics in the room we would need to put our stove in is slightly echo-y. So it makes me wonder if we should be looking hard at models that have particularly quiet fans. Our furnace in the basement isn't exactly quiet, mind you, but at least it doesn't run all the time. Does the fan on the pellet stove run constantly all winter? Is it ever nice and peaceful like a wood stove?? Muss suggested I start a new thread about this so I think I will, once I figure that one out.

thanks for the reply-

Hey thinking about it,

My distribution fan always runs except when the stove cuts back or shuts down when I set the thermostat down for the night, and the stove sees that the room is warmer than I want. Most of the time I want that distribution blower running, because it means that wonderful stream of warm air is coming out of the front of the stove, heating me and my home. When that blower isn't on, the pellets burning really aren't heating the house. (There's also the combustion blower, which shuts off only when the stove has completely shut down.)