Harman Magnum Not Getting Hotter Than 70

 
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McGiever
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Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Thu. Feb. 09, 2017 7:29 am

What is sad here is that installing dealer was called back twice and didn't/couldn't see issue with too much comb. fan pressure relating to hopper lid condensation...truly sad. :bag:

 
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captcaper
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Post by captcaper » Thu. Feb. 09, 2017 8:56 am

Seems she didn't have an issue at all except how to set up the stove proper..like the poster here just a short while ago.. was baffled and swore the stove was malfunctioning when it was only how to use it.. this all depends on how one wants to use it..
I salute the dealer for coming and trying to help the customer...

 
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McGiever
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Posts: 10130
Joined: Sun. May. 02, 2010 11:26 pm
Location: Junction of PA-OH-WV
Stoker Coal Boiler: AXEMAN-ANDERSON 130 "1959"
Hand Fed Coal Boiler: BUCKET A DAY water heater
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Warm Morning 414A
Coal Size/Type: PEA,NUT,STOVE /ANTHRACITE
Other Heating: Ground Source Heat Pump and some Solar

Post by McGiever » Thu. Feb. 09, 2017 5:59 pm

Close but no cigar. :notsure:


 
Catlingrl
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Joined: Mon. Feb. 06, 2017 1:46 pm
Location: Beaver Dams, NY
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Legacy Super Magnum Stoker
Coal Size/Type: Rice
Other Heating: Hot water baseboard (upstairs only)

Post by Catlingrl » Thu. Feb. 09, 2017 7:39 pm

They didn't charge me for the visits. Thankful for that. I could have called them again and perhaps they would have been able to tell me... but DANG it I hated to call them AGAIN! and... If I had, probably wouldn't have found this wealth of information right here.
Will be adding the heat exchanger, some ducting, and longer temp control wire as we can swing changes.
For now, happy with results from what I've learned here. Thanks again.

 
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captcaper
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Post by captcaper » Fri. Feb. 10, 2017 1:34 am

Catlingrl wrote:They didn't charge me for the visits. Thankful for that. I could have called them again and perhaps they would have been able to tell me... but DANG it I hated to call them AGAIN! and... If I had, probably wouldn't have found this wealth of information right here.
Will be adding the heat exchanger, some ducting, and longer temp control wire as we can swing changes.
For now, happy with results from what I've learned here. Thanks again.
Thats good he didn't charge you.. hard to find dealers for anything like that today.. especially during the winter when the are the busiest.
Once you get use to the stove it's very simple to run..And like mine will go for seasons on basic settings you've made and you don't have to change during the season. I burnt hand fired coal for over 20 yrs before I got this one.. went thru the same as you ...basically. The stove takes time to compute and get on a steady routine so by fiddling with the dials often before it settles out wreaks havic with the stove.
The only issue I had was once in a while a large piece of coal would get by me when loading and block the opening to allow the Rice access to the feed pusher... any issue always clean the hopper out and check that.
This forum is great as all the other ones today available to us.. I'm 68 yrs old and remember having to go to library's and even then they didn't have much to choose from.
Back in early 1980's I found a book called Firemans Handbook..written back in the 1920's taught me how to burn coal and everything about coal etc. the stove manuals just doesn't cover much.

 
Catlingrl
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Joined: Mon. Feb. 06, 2017 1:46 pm
Location: Beaver Dams, NY
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Legacy Super Magnum Stoker
Coal Size/Type: Rice
Other Heating: Hot water baseboard (upstairs only)

Post by Catlingrl » Wed. Mar. 15, 2017 1:27 am

Whew.... glad to see this back up again. Tried to check in few times, kept getting a 522 error message.
We have been doing pretty well since last issue you all helped with. The difference in one batch of coal
to another is amazing. First T was sopping wet and probably didn't get half the heat out of it as should
have as set up wasn't the best either.
Second T much drier. Plus have the large tote set up and seems to work pretty well. Second half of this T,
not as dry as first half. Without set up changes, did have a couple hopper loads run through leaving quite
a bit of unburned coal in the ash pan. Not sure what made difference, but it is improved without me really
making much in way of change. Perhaps the 'wet coal' issue again?
Did pick up the transfer kit (heavy metal plate for front of stove and a bracket (flange type thing?), that was
the "kit", not sure when I will find someone to install for me. Probably won't be until shut down for season.
Lots to do to get to the point of loving this Magnum. Have to figure way pipe to living room, register is directly
over stove and basement is finished. Reading about transfer kit mentions needing pipe to be a certain length?
Hoping to get a former coworker of husband's or a friend to come in figure this out for us.
Still will be calling the dealer as since starting the second T, there is some growling noises coming from the
feed motor area. Several people have seen this stove and said, wow... nice looking stove, BUT.... it really should
not be so difficult to just run coal. Still feel like we 'paid for a name'. Others have less pricey stoves and
seem to be having much better luck than we are.
In the throes of winter storm Stella. Hasn't been horribly cold thankfully, but the wind is relentless. Upstairs has
maintained right around the 70 mark, so feel good about that. It may be Thursday before I find someone to plow
us out. 700 ft driveway, and it's drifted big time! Son in law usually plows with the four wheeler, that isn't going to
work this time. Can't imagine how deep the drifts are along hedgerow, right in drive near house they are 3 ft and better.
Sorry to bounce all over the place with information and questions. Trust that all of you in Stella's path are safe and warm.


 
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captcaper
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Post by captcaper » Wed. Mar. 15, 2017 11:19 am

I had the error message for a while as well..Read my post I did on the other Super Mag posting this morning.... You have a bad or wrong attitude about the Super Mag...and you shouldn't..it's a quality stove and one of the best built.. I've seen other brands and one very popular here and they don't compare.. don't listen to others on this forum or else where trashing this stove ..they are wrong.. You have to get a grip on this stove some how... I have had it 4 seasons now and it's the cat's meow... my home get's 40 below zero and many nights 0 or below.. I start it Oct 1st usually and it run's into April. 24/7. You aren't the only one that had a learning curve on Stokers.. click on my ID and you'll see the posts about Super mags I've made,etc and that may help you learn about it and running a stoker.

Your unburnt coal can be too high a feed rate,blower weak,air holes clogged in grate and or poor draft. If you don't have a manometer and a barometric damper installed permanently you need too. Other wise your shooting in the dark.

I can only tell you how I keep it running... and I have had it slow down etc once in a while.. a good cleaning thru out does the trick for me..

Wet coal will cake it up and make it act odd.. I put hods of wet coal on top of the stove in those coal hods to dry overnight and they are the first to go into the hopper. The rest of the hopper is filled with coal from one of 2 large blue totes from walmart I had dumped coal into before hand.. that sit about 2ft from the stove to pre dry somewhat..

How I clean and refresh...

Remove all coal from hopper and grate area.. vacuum out with a small shop vac totally.. vac the grate holes or poke wire thru them . Open the bottom door( arm with small hole on the left side as you look at the grates) on the grate to allow any ash to release. I have found alot of ash in the path from the combustion fan to the grate area.. I made a flexible hose end taped to my vac to get up in there to vac out..

I do have to clean the flue pipe out and you should as it builds up ash fast and deep inside the pipe..(horizontal sections) and clean it out good once a season or so if it starts to loose putting out heat..The manometer shows the draft getting weak on me..I shouldn't wait too long but It's a dusty job so I put it off.

The grinding noise is normal. It's the coal pieces around the pusher block. This is where a good cleaning helps.. I've had really caked up coal packed into the edge of the path the coal feeds along.. sure that doesn't help..

Your feed should be no more then 2 1/2 or 2 1/4 . The flap on the combustion motor should be about 1/2 way open.
The combustion motor will load with ash eventually. I slide it out and blow it out with my small air compressor. Just make sure it gets put back proper.. it just slides out and in..

 
Jcsedrn2
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Joined: Sat. Sep. 25, 2021 2:05 pm
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Legacy Super Magnum
Coal Size/Type: Rice

Post by Jcsedrn2 » Mon. Dec. 12, 2022 5:13 pm

Is this feed still active. I was just curious. If I set my feed rate at 2 on the super mag is it always gonna push at 2 or will it regulate itself?

 
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captcaper
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Post by captcaper » Sun. Dec. 18, 2022 5:06 pm

It's adjust itself. The biggest Issure I had with the Super mag was not sifting straining the coal for small lumps. They would get down into the push bar area and would jamm up the feed bar . That would bend the fork out of measurement. So I strain the coal into large totes and collect the lumps before they get into the system. I used a 3/4 in screen I believe. Works well.

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