Just wanted to update you all on my new Harman Absolute 43C.
I received it at the end of October and over the next few weeks, my wife and I got the raised hearth pad built and pellet stove installed. We started it for the first time on 11/23. I'll attach some pictures at a later date when I have them available.
We installed it in a corner and decided to go straight out the back and up the exterior wall as we didn't like the look of small diameter vent piping inside the house being visible. For venting parts we used the ICC Excel Pellet Harman Stove adapter, then 3-4" increaser, then a 45 elbow to run perpendicular to the wall for the penetration, then straight out about 20" in length because of our 11" thick walls, then outside to a cleanout tee, then up 8' (two 4' sections), then a 90 elbow and vent cap that points down.
We built a "movable" raised hearth for our pellet stove for two reasons;
*We made it movable to make it easier to place the pellet stove on the corner hearth. With the pellet stove being too heavy for my wife and I to lift it, we ran a 2x12 under the stove, with a jack on each end, jacked it up and slid the hearth under the stove and then lowered the stove. We then just pushed the entire assembly into the corner. It being movable also helped us get the vent piping installed.
*We made it raised to negate the issue of having the wall penetration at an elevation that could only be used by this specific pellet stove. If we ever buy a different pellet stove, all we have to do is change the height of our hearth. No future wall penetration work.
I used the ICC Excel Pellet venting with their thimble and outside air combo kit and it all worked great. It was easy to assemble and I had/have no leaks. I did not have to use any sealant on any joint in the entire vent assemble. Before installation, I test fitted the parts together, fixed any out-of-round ends, filed the ends/edges of the pipes to remove any sharp edges left from manufacturing and lubricated the seals with Silicone grease. Everything pushed together with low-to-moderate force. After a few days I went around with cold galvanizing compound and brushed it on all the exposed metal parts of the vent piping and brackets. I was going to use stainless steel hardware, but I did some research and found that stainless steel hardware would accelerate corrosion on my galvanized vent piping.
Apparently ICC changed the design of their seals 5+ years ago and that has helped installation. Even my stove shop commented on the new seals. They said they stopped using ICC Excel Pellet because of the issues they had ~10 years ago and they haven't used them since. He says now he's going to try them again.
On a 40degF day I tested the natural draft by running the stove as we normally do, in room temperature control mode set at 71degF, then around 3pm I unplugged the stove from the wall receptacle and used a flashlight and my nose to detect any leaks. There were no leaks, no smoke into the house. I was surprised that the pellets kept burning for 10-15 minutes. Once the flame went out and the smoke increased, I could see the smoke travel down to the vent. Outside I could see the smoke coming out of the vent cap. This too stayed smoldering for 5-10 minutes before I decided to plug the stove back in and the flame started back up within 1-2 minutes. This is good because I don't have to run out an get a UPS or Inverter/Charger setup straight away.
I've been testing different types and manufacturers of pellets and have settled on softwood pellets made here in Maine.
Thank you all for your help and contribution to selecting and installing our pellet stove.
One thing that I haven't gotten a straight answer on, meaning a fact based answer, is how to adjust the feed rate. There must be some procedure to follow that takes into account fire box or exhaust temperature and the amount of ash left at the edge of the burn pot. Does anyone have any good information on how to do this?
