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[slimjim]

Hey guys after speaking with Mike @ Heatmor yesterday I realized that this is not a really high tech stove, simple controls, updraft and over the fire air, not rocket science just very poor job of educating the customer, there is no reason that we should be slamming one another over this problem, instead let,s work together to solve Roxann's issue. If I have a problem with a Heatmaster in my area I would like to refer the homeowner to Scott or Yoder and an indoor with all those fancy controls, or GPM,s then I would like to ask Sprinter, we all have our expertise, I have a hard time signing into my E-Mail accounts say nothing about sending a picture but I'll get my hands dirty all day long and love it, let's all try to get along for the consumers benefit. Scott perhaps I could talk you into giving me a call and you could help me with posting some photo's, I'm usually up and at the desk by 6 am till 8 or 9, I sure could use some help there!

[slimjim]

Roxann, have you heard from Bruce or Mike? Mike are you on here?

[slimjim]

Well I'm hoping that no news is good news.

[slimjim]

Update, Roxann just called, no word from heatmor, Bruce or Mike, stove still not going above 130 degrees house is at 50 degrees, Roxann is running errands, enjoying the heat away from home, Mike is out of the office for the remainder of the week, do you think one of you guys who run a heatmor could give her some advice.

[lindnova]

I would love to help, but I don't have any first hand experience with a gassifer as my older Heatmor likely is not anything like Roxann's.  I have never had a problem keeping enough heat in mine with any wood wet or dry.

As had already been said I would make sure the ash tubes are clean.

I would also take a good look at the wood.  Is it split small enough for a gassifier?  Is it dry enough for a gassifier?  I assume it is critical to have good wood for her unit to run properly and give off enough heat.  I assume there is not a blazing hot fire when it is not keeping up? 

In my PE spectrum EPA wood stove in my house it will burn like blazes with good secondary flames with dry wood below 20% moisture.   I had to modify it to shut the damper completely or it overheats on the factory low setting.  If I put in wood 25% it will fire, but slower with the air control turned up higher and not produce as much heat.  Over 30% I may as well give up as it steams and basically just struggles to get a flame and blackens the glass.

I got my moisture meter from Harbor Freight for about $15.  Lowes, Home Depot and Menards may also have them.  Basically you resplit a piece of wood and stick the probes in the grain of the fresh split and it tells you the moisture content.  Needs to be above freezing.  I have played around with mine and it is useful when in doubt.  I do have variations in my piles depending on front/back top or bottom. 

In short, it sounds like either ash cleaning or wood quality is the problem based on what I hear.  I would lean toward the wood since wet wood will add to the ash problem.  Unfortunately most sellers selling seasoned or dry wood is closer to 30% moisture.  Good wood stove burners get ahead on their wood for the next year.  Outdoor furnace users tend to burn whatever, but I think the gassifiers are going to change that.

[slimjim]

Thanks lindnova, good advice, she,s going to call me when she gets back home.

[roxann]

the fire isn't blazing any flame until  the stove door is open.. stoves at 151 temp in house 71 with propane helping.  I'll get one of those moisture meters! cleaning out the ash does help didn't think it was going to be an every other day thing.  Def isn't a once  week thing. I'm using seasoned wood it's split
By talking to slimjim I 100% sure I have an issue with airflow.. Iv'e been doing what slimjim and Bruce tell me to do with raking the ashes keeping the grate so I can see it but honestly still having issues. mostly over the night hours when I wake up my house is in the 50's 

[slimjim]

DON"T GIVE UP!!!  call if you need me, remember this forum is your dear friend.

[hondaracer2oo4]

Slim I wish Roxann would just bite the bullet and pay you to come look at her system and procedures.

[slimjim]

She can't and should not have to, I'm going to attempt to talk my wife into a sunday drive and perhaps we can drop in for free! Hope she has a cold one for me.

[hondaracer2oo4]

What do you mean by 'she cant'? I absolutely agree that she shouldn't have to at all. She has been let down by everyone in the heatmor chain from top to bottom. But sometimes in life you have to bite the bullet and head down a different path. Doesn't make it right, but nothing ventured nothing gained.

[slimjim]

She has enough crap on her plate already with a new to her home that has it's issues and my lovely wife and I need some quality time anyways, just have to talk the boss into spending the day with me.

[juddspaintballs]

I wish I could give her help with the Heatmor, but her gassifier unit is probably worlds different than my old 200css.  I can cut down a tree today and be burning it immediately and it will still heat my home.  I don't have to worry about moisture content or cleaning ash tubes.  I rattle my shaker grates to let the ask fall through, empty the ash tube every couple of weeks when it fills up, and fill it with wood. 

I used to think about buying a gassifier but this thread is really steering me away from them more and more.  I don't want to deal with ensuring my wood is perfectly ideal for a gassifier.  I'd be SOL if I ran out of wood in the middle of the winter and wouldn't be able to cut down a few trees out back to heat the house.  I'd rather burn more wood than have to be so anal about it and clean the unit so often.

[ITO]

 My HS1 is a Heatmor knockoff and I tried to help at the beginning of this mess but Roxann's boiler is kind of a unique model. I have had so little problems with my conventional, the gasifiers are a different animal, I'm not too sure I would go that route if I had to replace mine today, in many ways I feel the same as Judd's recent comments. I feel sorry for her problems with both the stove and the dealers but without being close enough to look at it it's nearly impossible to help, it's not a Sunday drive for me!

[slimjim]

If it were, I'm sure you would be up for it, I,m just amazed that nobody on here has the same stove?