Problems with a Hampton GCI60 pellet insert

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Paul_in_PA

New Member
Nov 11, 2019
4
PA
In March of 2019 we noticed a electrical burning smell coming from our insert (Hampton GCI60 pellet insert), so I shut it down and called my installer/dealer. Note it was not burning very hot and i had noticed the fan motor squeeling intermittently during the heating season, but it would eventually settle down. Also the unit was in its 4 season of use.

The unit was cleaned and the installer tried to get the stove to fire up to debug the burning smell, but it came up with a flashing number 2 error code. I have seen this happen on this unit a number of times (since the year it was installed). I had in the past been able to get beyond this by unplugging the stove and plugging it back in (sometimes more than once) and eventually it would work. Not this time

To make a long story (its been almost 8 months) short, the installer has been here 4 times since March, the last time he was here he threw up his hands in frustration and said he was out of ideas.
He has tried changing out a number of components (control board, daughter board, fan motors).

So I have now opened a contact with Regency. Their technician and my dealer came up with try a new mother board, because they think the mother board that was tried back in April is suspect. To this i ask what about the original problem of electrical burning smell?

Any ideas would be appreciated. This has been a long frustrating road and now its getting cold.
 
Last edited:
Follow up.
Three more calls to the dealer to find out the control board is on back order.

A follow up email to the manufacturer to ask if there is anything that I can do to help.

This is now my part time job. And we now are going into month number nine!
 
#1 a polite call to the dealer to either replace the stove or a full refund. #2 a polite call to the lawyer of your choice and file a lawsuit. 8 months I call BS, dealer has stoves he could pull a board from. id be tap dancing on his forehead
 
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#1 a polite call to the dealer to either replace the stove or a full refund. #2 a polite call to the lawyer of your choice and file a lawsuit. 8 months I call BS, dealer has stoves he could pull a board from. id be tap dancing on his forehead
 
Yes the dealer has stoves he could pull the board from, he told me so, but he does not want to do that. I think he believes that a new control board will not actually resolve the secondary problem anyway. I have been more than polite with the dealer, he is getting tired of hearing from me. He is asking Regency to have a technician come with him on his next trip out to my house, which will be his fifth try at fixing my stove. The original problem was that we smelled something electrical burning coming from the stove. Since the dealer has cleaned the stove and worked on it 4 times it will only give a flashing #2 error. What frustrates me is it took Regency and the dealer three weeks to get back to me and what I get is the control board is back ordered. We are now going into our Ninth month of trying to get this stove fixed.

I did send a email to Regency asking if there was anything i could do to help, hoping that they realize this has become a poster child for how not to treat a dissatisfied customer.

The stove is no longer in warranty, so I doubt they would just replace it although I will mention that in my next email.

The dealer has not charged me anything so far for not fixing the stove. So i suppose it could be worse.

I never expected this kind of experience.