Harman Pellet Stove reviews: P38+, P43, PC45, P61, P68

The Harman P series is one of my favorite pellets stoves, and that is why I like to do Harman pellet stove reviews. I have owned about a dozen pellets stoves over the last 7 or 8 years, 4 of which have been Harman’s (Advance, P61A, P61, and PC45). I could approach the P series as five separate reviews, but I think it is more useful to look at them as a group. The P series stoves have more in common than they do have differences.

Harman pellet stoves function in some fundamentally different ways than just about any other pellet stove on the market, we can grade them high in combination with what other stoves offer in the industry. I believe that Harman makes the best pellet stove on the market, and the P series represents the best of Harman pellet stoves. This review will hopefully explain how I arrived at that conclusion.

Introduction

Do you need a versatile cooker that can also be easily used? So, for that purpose, you must consider our pellet smokers. What is good about them, is it the efficiency or the technology, and what about the maintenance? They can utilize a thermostat that is easily controlled, and the feeding system is very much nourishing for both smokers and pellets. So, with this, you can maintain a balanced and predictable heating system. Also, the wood is needed as per conditions. Other than those regular pellet stoves these wood pellets are specially designed for smokers. They are safe and you can get them in several types and tastes that can match your food expectations.

Details about Harman Wood Stove Pellets

So, these smokers are very much appreciated for their size and the way they make your food look so great and delicious. With its flexible temperature control option, it gives you the freedom to cook the food of your choice. The exterior is very strong and reliable so they can fit different positions without wasting your efforts and time such as balconies and decks.

The smoking grates are reliable and durable and you may vary the cooking temperatures very effortlessly. Also, the chamber for cooking is created in such a way that it has a charcoal pan that can be adjusted according to the choice for further kind of heating. Not only this but also you can make it useful for cooking several other side dishes like corn and lettuce for other family members.

Harman Wood Stove Pellets Guidebook

Let’s start with testing what all Harman’s has in stock in this Harman pellet stove review, is its value for money and a lot of customers and consumers are saying thanks for this great stove in cold winter.

Pellet Pro system

The first thing is what they call the Pellet pro system is another thing is what makes a Harman, a great company with quality products and brands.

This system is about as close as you can get to a bottom feed system, without being a bottom feed system. The reason you do not see bottom-feed methods is that they were prone to hopper fires. The pellet pro system makes a hopper fire almost impossible (or at least very unlikely) because it creates a separation between the pellets in the hopper and the pellets in the drill. To my knowledge, no other pellet stove manufacturer does anything like this, the sound is almost in whisper mode.

This system is common to all Harman’s the very first series of pellet stoves Harmon made was the Pellet Pro series. The other benefit to this system is that the variations in different size pellets do not affect feed performance. Harman’s have “ESP” The second thing that sets Harman stoves apart is the use of what they call an ESP probe. Now some of you might hear ESP probe and think it is a device used on ghost hunters, but that is not the case. The ESP (Exhaust Sensing Probe) measures the temperature of the exhaust and regulates the feed rate based on the exhaust.

By knowing the exhaust temperature, you can extrapolate the heat output of the stove. When you turn most furnaces to a particular setting, you are controlling the feed rate, and that rate is a fixed amount of auger rotation over a set amount of time. So the same configuration on most stoves can equal somewhat different stove heat outputs based on variations in pellets. As you know from this site, there can be some real significant variations in wood burning.

Harman Pellet Stove

By contrast, Harman stove temperature settings 1-7 reflect a particular exhaust output temperature and will automatically adjust the feed rate to maintain a consistent output in the given context. This system works exceptionally well, and Harman has been perfecting it for over a decade now, so it is a very sophisticated system. Stove Temp versus Room Temp. The other common feature of all Harman pellet stoves is the room temperature sensor. It is the temperature probe for the onboard thermostat.

So you can permanently set room temperature, and the stove will keep it, thereby raising and lowering the fire. If it does not call for heat over an extended period, the furnace will shut off, and then relight when the temperature is called for again (except the P38+).

Here is where I offer a couple of criticisms about the Harman system. It is difficult (not impossible) to hook a programmable thermostat to the stove. The second is that running a Harman in room temperature mode is not nearly as efficient as stove temperature mode.  I always run my furnaces in stove temperature mode, and they work great.

Though the stoves below are not Harman Pellet stoves, if you are on a (tighter) budget these are great stoves to buy!

Description of the P series

I would say the best way to describe the P series is that form follows function. These are some of the most functional stoves made. However, they are not the most decorative or fancy one might even call the austere. Cleaning these is just one of the most simple ovens to completely clean.

• You open the door
• scrape the burn pot out
• scrape the accordion heat exchange (common to P series)
• brush the ash down into the ash bin
• open the bottom door and pull out the ash bin (which is enormous)
• pull off the exhaust fan cover and clean and vac out that area (be careful around the ESP), and you are done.

Once you are experienced this whole process should take 20 minutes if you take your time. About once a year, you should also remove the door to the feed system and vac the ash pan out of the stove, and clean the glass. This requires removing one of the lower baffles.

These are all straightforward tasks compared to other pellet stoves. One exciting thing Harmon does is that the housing for the combustion fan is part of the furnace, and it is offset in such a way that you can see straight out of the exhaust. I realize this is inside baseball stuff, but if you are a DYI type, it makes ownership of the stove a much more attractive proposition. Here are the differences in the P series:

Pellet Hopper Capacity

The P series generally has above-average hopper capacity. Essentially the P series has three frame sizes- small (P38 and P43- 50 LBS), medium (P61 and PC45- 72 LBS), and large (P68- 76 LBS). All these can be increased with a sinfully ugly hopper extension, but if you are burning these in a basement, the hopper extension might be just the thing you need.

They typically add about 50 LBS of capacity and is a feature unique to all the P series stoves. 

Power

This is an area where Harman pellet stoves shine in general, and the P series in particular (even the P38 is pretty strong. I have heard it said that Harman pellet stoves put out heat like a wood stove, and it is true. As I mentioned before, I have owned several other pellet stoves, and none of them put the real-world heat out like Harman. The P series, in particular, give you a considerable amount of radiant heat in the room they are in. Most other pellet stoves do not put out much in the way of radiant heat at all.

Build Quality

These are USA-made stoves. They are made in Halifax, PA, just a little north of the state capital of Harrisburg. Generally speaking, they are only heavier made stoves, the steel is thicker than a lot of other stoves. The fit and finish are also perfect, doors line up and latch as they should. I am actually in the process of refurbishing a 17-year-old P61 that was not cared for well, and with a little effort it will come up as good as new, and that is a testament to its initial quality. Like anything parts will fail, but the frame of these stoves is rock solid.

Differences within the P series: HarmanP38+, HarmanP43, HarmanPC45, HarmanP61, HarmanP68

The first thing to note is the number after the P in the model indicates the maximum BTU input to the stove in thousands. For example, a P61 has a maximum BTU input of 61,000 BTUs. P38+ versus P43These are pretty much the same stoves, but the P43 has auto light. In terms of the difference in 5,000 BTUs between the models, I suspect there is a minor real-world difference between the stoves. P61 versus PC45. These stoves are the same frame size, but there is a massive difference in the burn pots.

Harman pellet stove

The p61 is an s pellet stove; the PC45 is pretty much anything palletized stove. The PC45 comes with an additional burn pot and two different agitators that connect to the end of the drill to stir fuels like corn that want to clinker very quickly. There is also a series of dip switches that need to be set differently for different fuel types.

I currently burn a PC45 set up for pellets, and it seems to have a similar heat output as my P61 did.P61 versus P68The P68 is a minor increase from the P61. The dimensions of the stove are nearly identical, with the P68 being 2″ taller, and holding four more pounds of pellets. The burn pot is a bit larger as well. If you are trying to heat ample space, this is your stove. This stove will put out more than many wood stoves, and was the highest output freestanding pellet stove on the market.

Hopper extension P61

This one is freestanding Harman with the models P61, P61A, P68, PC 45 Pellet having an opening of 20 7/8″ by 6 1/4″ though the extensions are added to increase up to 11 of the heights. This one is superior manufactured with the laser-cut, made strong with 20 gauges of steel, and tested by one of the finest craftsmen in Michigan.

Do not try to touch it with bare hands, any part of the stove except the pellets. The installation does not require much effort as it can be easy and safe. You can install it within five minutes, also very safe for your family members and pets, it does not cause many difficulties.

Special features

Weight: The weight of this one can never be a problem because it adds about 40 pounds to your regular stove.

Efficient: It gives you about much more burn time in a very less work time, as It will not only save your time but also the aggravation as It constantly helps you check your hopper.

Filling: The filling inside of it is not weird as it is very less dirty and very much bearable also the half bag is not left beside your stove.

Precautions: You are not supposed to leave anything close to your stove, also avoid operating it with the lid open. For it to last long you must follow certain precautions.

 

Pros

• The filling is not very dirty.
• The assembly takes very little time.
• Gives you much more performance.

Cons

• You cannot touch it with bare hands as it may get insanely hot.

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LANGGER Serenity Wood Pellet Stove

This longer wood pellet has a very small controller which will offer you very powerful heat and the exterior is very hard and modern. Also, you get to choose the heat setting from four different options, and with this, you may maintain your comfort level for yourself. The design is very much attractive and gives you a feeling to spend your winters feeling blessed with this stove.

Special features

 Indoor heating: This one is established with a special feature called indoor heating, which will give your home a nice warmth and charm.

Composition: This one is made of metals and irons not only this, but it has a black finish, it comes with a loading hopper with a certain weight capacity for fuels and all that.

Adjustable heating: This smart one comes with four options to adjust heating P1, P2, P3, and P4. With this cool feature now, you can warm your home and fill your demands for heating.

 Environment friendly: Now you do not have to worry about different heating mechanisms as now your stoves can perform multiple functions, they can keep your house warm, and you can cook your food on them. Also, without causing much harm to the surroundings.

Easy to use: As it has an auto-ignition system, it is also easily controllable. You do not have to waste your time cleaning it. Because it has built-in exhaust pipes as well.

Pros

• It has four different options for setting the temperature.
• It is designed for providing warmth to your house as well.
• Assembling and using it is not much of an issue.

Cons

• Not vent-free.

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Comfortbilt

This one can be set up easily, you must run it for like 30 minutes and it will heat a certain area of your house and keeps you cold and warm. The fan takes up to five minutes to start over it. The programmed temperature is kept in such a way that it will heat itself to the desired temperature and then it comes back to zero, and that is how it regulates itself.

The lid is small and convenient. The pellets can be shifted from small to large buckets without filling or wasting. I am sure with this experience you will love it. The stove gives you a very fine experience and if you find any issue with it you may restart it and again it will work fine.

How to use it

Well using and assembling it is not much of an issue, but sometimes what happens is that you may experience some weird issues with it like once it shut down it takes a lot of time, so you must restart it for like thirty minutes to overcome this off on power and switch it back to reset and the control box.

Special features

Programmable temperature: It has a very efficient and programmable power-setting blower that helps you set up your temperature. Which is about 5000 btu. With this option, you can set up your desired fires in the first place.

The voltage required: The blower is certified with 110volts. And an EPA. This is the case that is not much common in such stoves. Though it has high volts you need to be careful while operating it.

The thermostat: The thermostat is programmable with a weight capacity of 55 lbs., it can bear up to maximum weight. This type of thermostat is very rare with such weight-bearing capacity.

One-year warranty: The product comes with a warranty of a year also with technical assistance. So, in case of any kind of fault within a year you can get a whole new package at the same price.

The design is very big and burgundy with a large area, it has burgundy which means a very attractive color composition.

Pros

• It is programmable, and the optimum temperature is pre-described.
• Can be assembled quickly without taking much time.
• Also comes with a one-year warranty.

Cons

• Using it can be a real flex about how it turns suddenly off after some time. And how it takes forever to restart again.

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Conclusion of our Harman pellet stove reviews

As you can tell, I am a fan of these stoves. My recommendation of the P series stoves in the P61. It is powerful enough for most applications and just does almost everything well. I have found the longer I owned a Harman the more I liked it. Eventually, I would like to get an XXV as it blends the great functionality of the P series with the great looks of a classic cast iron stove.

I look forward to writing that review.

You might want to read about one of our favorite wood pellets Lignetics

Frequently asked questions: How does a Harman pellet stove work?

Q1: Can all the stoves can be used as a heater for gaining optimum house temperature in winters?

Ans: Though we have explained one example above where one of the stoves can be used as a heater in the house, it is hard to say that all kinds of stoves in the market are used for this purpose as well. Some of them can provide you with heat regulation but not all of them.

Q2: Do we need to assemble our stoves? Is it hard to get an option of pre-assembled stoves?

Ans: yes, you must assemble every stove that you buy but do not worry as it will not take much time in assembling as it is quick and easy. Also, you can get the direction described in the booklet.

To talk about a pre-assembled stove, no you cannot get a pre-assembled stove as It may cause inconvenience while shipping.

Q3: Is there an option where the stove shuts down when it reaches its optimum temperature? And restarts itself whenever needed?

Ans: As I have described when it burns at a higher level it reaches the optimum temperature. And once that optimum temperature is hit it will drop itself off for maintaining a very small flame instead of shutting off. Also having another kind of turn-off will require a higher level of electricity for making different kinds of fires.

Also, if you need the fire almost every time of day you must lose like a few degrees to maintain yourself in cold dead winter. Also, it is ok to leave your stove burning to a small degree.

Q4:What happens when your oven operates?

Ans: The data is pretty simple, however, how to get people to understand the information is the tough part. You are the toy you play with, so run it however you like but you must understand what’s going on behind the operation and materials you use!

Everything below is based upon me watching what the stove is doing through its Harman diagnostic easy touch control tool through the various operations. I view feed rates, maximum feed rates as well as the current ESP temperatures, ESP set temps, room sensor temperatures, room temperature targets, knob positions, switch positions, etc. You can buy it for great prices on Amazon.
These are some facts about HTML0 in this Harman pellet stove review. It gives a great chimney fire in our living room, the unit price is great at a low cost.

Q5:What is the Harman P Stove temperature?

Ans: The stove is 100% driven by the ESP (temperature probe within the stove’s exhaust flow). The dial for temperature corresponds to the fixed ESP temperature.

To simplify things, let’s take that the setting is 3.300 degrees as the ESP temperature. The stove will increase the feed down and up to be at or near the 300-degree mark as it is. When it is in stove temp, the stove does not care what the temperature of the room is, but only the ESP temperature. The room may be at either 60, or even 90° does not matter. What it is concerned about is keeping an ESP temperature of 300.

The stove won’t stop working at the stove temperature regardless of whether an ignition switch is set to automatic or manually. Stove temperature, change to manual. I call this fireplace mode. The distribution fan won’t come on unless the thermostat can be set 5 degrees greater. This is intended to provide the appearance of a fireplace but not a great deal of heat within the space. The majority goes upwards up the chimney. The temperature of the stove, changes to automatic – the distribution fan runs normally to transfer heat into the space regardless of the stove’s or room’s temperature.

However, there is a caveat to this: if your room temperature setting is to one (very extremely low) and the distribution fan may shut down due to it is the case the ESP temperature is not at the minimum setting that allows the distribution blower to operate.

Q6: What will the Room Temperature be with a Harman P Stove and its heating capacity?

Ans: The stove is completely controlled by the room temp sensor. The stove can automatically adjust the temperature of the feed and ESP in order to meet the room temperature set level.

When the set point has been attained the stove will gradually reduce or increase the temperatures. If it’s 20 ° outside, your load of heat is extremely high so the furnace will be feeding more pellets to make the ESP temperature hot enough to keep the temperature set to the set point. If it’s 60 ° outside then the stove will be feeding as little as it can and will keep the ESP temperature as low as it is possible to keep room temperature.

Switch to manual ignition and the stove will enter maintenance burn during calls for heat. This will prevent the cycle of the igniter and could require a few additional pellets while in the maintenance burn mode…maybe… If you turn the igniter switches to auto and the stove will begin the shutdown process during calls for heat.

The ignition can cycle multiple times per day, depending on the setpoint and the heat load. If there’s a request to heat during the shutdown process the stove will begin feeding pellets, provided that the ESP temperature isn’t below the lowest limit. Also, on extremely winter days the furnace may not be shut off even if it’s auto.

The most important factor in getting the temperature of the room to work is the placement and “calibration” of the room temperature sensor. This is a challenging issue due to the range of variables that could affect success or failure.

Ideally, you would want to place the probe’s point placed in a place that isn’t subject to direct sunlight, drafts, or other areas that may result in heat soaking from the stove, or places that make it difficult to measure like the concrete floor in basements. Ideally, you would want to place the probe to be placed on interior walls (no drafts) and away from concrete, and at a good distance from the stove even if you are required for the extension of wire. If the probe sits in the place you are, the stove can maintain an even temperature that you can manage. If you’re planning to have the temperature on the dial match the room temperature then you’ll need to test for a few days until you can find the most secure place where the probe can stay.

Alternately, you can put the probe in the “stable” location and simply alter the temperature knob to get the room temperature that you are most comfortable with. Perhaps 78 degrees on the temp knob will give you a constant 72 degrees.

Don’t worry you should keep in mind that the probe is 6 degrees high. You can do the basic math when you want to adjust the temperature. In any case, you have to be more knowledgeable than the probe, as it can do nothing more or less than observe the temperature of the area it is located.

If any of the options above isn’t a good fit for your requirements, then eliminate the method Harman would like you to operate the stove and put in an easy thermostat that regulates the temperature of your room.

Q7:What is the Feed Rates?

Ans: The rate of feed is set by the stove’s ESP. The stove selects the rate of feed that is based on the current temperature as well as the target heat. The higher the temperature delta (actual room temperature as compared to. the desired room temp) is, the higher the rate of feed.

10 degrees is a large delta and the stove could feed up to a maximum ESP temperature of 500 degrees based on the stove model. A 2-degree delta could be a result of an average feed rate of 20 seconds per min even though the feed rate maximum dial is set at four (or forty seconds per minute).

The stove can alter the rate of feeding between 2.5 minutes per minute and the maximum rate of feed that you have set. The feed speed of six represents continuous feeding in the event that the ESP was not able to detect enough temperatures sufficient to meet the demand for heat.

When it is at the right temperature, the stove can regulate itself into 2.5 minutes of feeding up to the limit that you decide to set with your pellet fuel. Feed rates could lead to incomplete combustion.

This can take two types of pellet pro-technology:

• Pellets fall over the edge of the burner pot before when the pot is reduced to ashes.
• Smoke.

Related to #1 – If you are running the stove open (stove temperature setting 7) the pellets that are burning must not be more than 1 in. from the side of your pot. The pellets with their heat exchanger should be burning as well as approximately one” of ash prior to that point. If the pellets are bulging and near the edge, it is possible to not have them turn into ash, and then spill onto the edge, which wastes fuel. If the burning lines are too far apart, turn down the rate of feed a little and increase it by 1/2 of the number (i.e. 3.5 or three).

This stove won’t start to run at a full speed once the temperature is reached and this is only to be used in cases when, for instance, it’s 65 degrees in the room and you’d like to make it 75 degrees, or you flip the thermostat to the clockwise direction (just do not leave the stove for too long, or you’ll be baking yourself).

Concerning #2, smoke can also be an indication of incomplete combustion, which means the stove may have more fuel in the air than is supplied by the blower for combustion. It is also important to evaluate this while the stove is operating WIDE OPEN. When you turn on a flashlight at night there will always be smoke. In the daytime, smoke is evaluated by its opacity or the ease with which you be able to see through it.

The initial level could be 50% opacity or thick smoke. If you’re at 10 percent to less (barely visible) it’s acceptable and you’re not really wasteful. If you’re struggling to observe it, then you’re probably doing fine. If you are able to clearly detect smoke and the flame is massive, you should consider slowing down the feed rate slightly to bring the fuel mix and air back into a higher efficiency range by adjusting it by half of a value (ie 3.5 3.0 too).

Most of the time it is not advisable to be lower than 3 or even higher than 4. You’ll also need to recalibrate after switching pellets brands due to the mix and the size of the pellets will make it burn/feed differently.

Setting the feed rate too low won’t help pellets stay in the oven and the stove’s performance will be affected as you block your ESP from reaching the temperature you want. A feed that is too slow can be like placing a brick beneath the pedals of your vehicle.

Do not be enticed by the idea of setting your rate too low. There’s the truth and you can interpret them…

Q8: What are tips for cleaning the Harman stove?

Ans: When you are doing your regular cleaning switch on the dial to “test” while you clean the firebox, allowing the ash out of the chimney and into your living space.