Longevity Question

[TechEditor]

I have a 2007 L73. It had a replacement Burner Pot & Burner Ring in 2014. In December it will be 19 yrs old. I was contemplating a rebuild this summer of a new Mat and Burner Ring. However after setting in on today's Toyotomi on-line class where it was said that the chimneys should be replaced about every 12 yrs or so due to internal corrosion leaking exhaust into the fresh air intake tube AND references to maybe thinking about replacing the unit vs rebuilding in the 12 - 15 yr range.
So Hawkins, please chime in here with your recommendations. My L73 has not given me any problems, save for the Bee incident necessitating the pot and ring replacement, in 19 yrs., so it surely doesn't owe me anything.

Greg

[hawkins111]

Your L73 is worth rebuilding. Even if it is a little expensive, it is still worth the money. A new L730 is over $2500, where a rebuilt could be as little as $150.

Toyo does recommend replacing the exhaust if the unit has been in service for a long time. An Exhaust flue pipe costs about $170. You may need to make an adjustment for the different size of the new style flue, depending on how old your stove and flue are.

Here in
Alaska a Laser 73 that has not been service a long time can need a lot of parts. If your stove is only used sparingly it may need only limited work. A 19 year old stove will more than likely need a blower motor and a new mat and ring. If it has been running hot for some reason it may need an igniter.

As you stated, the stove does not owe you anything after 19 years. I would say, rebuild it.

Keep us posted.

[TechEditor]

The L73 is the main house heat with the smaller units, L300 in the mud room in sub 20F cold weather and the L302 in the Kitchen for those -30F nights with a 35 mph wind out of the north! The exhaust is vintage 2007, original unit. When you say blower motor are you talking the back fan or the exhaust blower?

[hawkins111]

I'm refering to the exhaust blower motor. The circulating fan motor has much bigger bearings and seems to last a long time.

[TinyTool]

Given that your Toyotomi L73 has been reliable for nearly 19 years and only had a significant issue once, a rebuild with new parts might still be a good option if everything else is in decent shape. However, considering the age of the unit and potential internal chimney corrosion, investing in a new, more efficient model could provide long-term savings and advanced features. It might be worth having a professional inspect both your current setup and potential replacement options to make the best choice for your needs and budget.

[TechEditor]

I was asked to provide an update so here it is:
Upon disassembly here was the list of parts I needed with prices from the Internet:

Burner rebuild kit	$255.64
Flame Rod	$33.99
Igniter	$161.04
Blower Motor	$226.58
Circulation Fan Motor	$128.36
Flue Standard	$256.42
Bent Joint – L (stuck and would not release so it was hacksawed off)	$51.94
Total	$1113.97

At this point I was pushing half the price of a new unit and since the slide controls were getting flakey, I decided 19 yrs was enough and purchased a new 732.

So, what do I think of the 732 vs the 73? The circulation fan has a distinct hum wheras the 73 was silent except for the bearing ticking indicating a replacement was needed. The warmup/cooldown crackling is far louder than the 73 ever was. Hopefully that will calm down with time. The observed temperature, with the thermister in the exact same place as the 73 reads 2 deg. F low so I compensate by setting the temperature 2 deg. F higher. The Kerosene intake pipe was factory bent for me so my fuel line would not connect. After re-bending, my pipe connected and sealed corrrectly. Hopefully if the loud cracking sounds don't tear the unit apart, I would like to expect a long service life from the 732 like I did the 73.

[machinist]

Thanks so much for coming back to update us after all these years! It’s rare to see someone follow up like this, and I really appreciate the effort.

Your comparison between the 73 and the 732 is super insightful, especially for anyone considering an upgrade. Hopefully, the 732 will prove as reliable as your trusty old 73 in the long run. Wishing you smooth operation and no more kerosene intake pipe adventures!

[hawkins111]

I do hope the cracking sound is not accompanied with a dull glow from the burn chamber top and heat exchanger? You may need to turn the lights off and turn the heater to the high burn for a little while. The cracking and glow are not a normal part of the Toyo operation.

Keep us posted.

Tom

[hawkins111]

machinist,

Did you have a chance to look at your new heater to see if it is glowing red on High?

Tom

[TechEditor]

At the top of the burn chamber, there is a red glowing ring at the base of the heat exchanger and the center and top of the heat exchanger is glowing red after about 5 minutes of max burn.

[hawkins111]

TechEditor,

Since your heater is new, I would contact the dealer you bought it from and see about either a warranty or a fix for the high flame. If it continues, you will crack the heat exchanger and heat chamber. That cracking noise you hear is the heat exchanger and burn chamber moving around due to excessive heat.

This is not an unheard of problem with L-730 series heaters. I thought it might be a local problem here in
Bethel Alaska, where I live. However, it now seems to be a problem with the whole line of Laser 730 heaters.

I have seen 4, brand new L730, L731 heaters with this same problem. Most of the time during the trouble shooting process a lifted burner mat is found as well. If the problem is left too long before anything is done, a warped burner ring is also found. Left too long before service, a cracked heat exchanger and burn chamber will result.

On all of the heaters I have worked on with this problem, the fuel pump had to be turned down to control the high flame. This procedure is not difficult and is explained in the service manual. If dealt with early, turning down the pump is all that is necessary. If the home owner is not very proficient with the Toyostove system, this is better handled by a dealer.

I would not wait too long before dealing with this problem. It will only get worst.

Tom

[TechEditor]

Tom,
Here is what has transpired:
Talked to the Dealer. He said he could do nothing unless Toyotomi authorized it and I was told to contact them in Brookfield, CT. I talked to their Technical Services department where I was told the Dealer should have installed the heater because they were professionals and will install it "correctly". And you NEVER install a new heater without removing the old exhaust and replacing it with the new one. That is why new heaters are not sold without a new exhaust! (I was told by a professional that the old exhaust would be fine) Because I installed the heater myself (having installed 7 already), they could do nothing for me and I had to go thru my Dealer. And he should be making this call NOT me! He also stated I should not have my bug screen over the intake and exhaust port because the screen is too small and restricting the flow (even though it has been in service for 10 yrs now). Then they said the screen was too large and would let in insects and the old intake and exhaust was probably plugged!?
Dealer asked if Toyotomi had authorized warranty, and I said no because they said it had to be thru you. He said he could do nothing because Toyotomi hadn't authorized it. He suggested disconnecting the air intake and see how the unit ran. I pulled the new intake rubber cap from the new exhaust to plug the intake hole so both were now covered and proceeded to run some burner tests using inside air. It did seem to run cooler (not nearly as red) on high burn. Ok, so it appears the Dealer was wrong when he stated that he had seen exhausts that were 30 yrs old and still working fine and I didn't need to replace the old exhaust with the new one. (He later denied ever stating that fact). So, I swapped the exhausts and the high burn is now cooler. Examining the old exhaust showed no signs of intake corrosion or blockage but there was a layer of black soot coating the inside of the exhaust pipe. ( that could have been from the 2014 bee plugging incident )
What I learned is:
The new exhaust works and the old one (that was fine with the 73) doesn't. Still have the initial warm up loud "PING!" but the high burn is cooler and not causing the heat exchanger to be glowing. And I found out I am obviously incompetent at installing Laser heaters (only done 7). And not a professional (except in the world of ATV/UTV's, wicked Kerosene appliances, and world wide locomotive electronic air brakes) And neither Toyotomi nor my Dealer are interested in providing any support and are pointing fingers at each other. And my Dealer backtracks on what he said to me when confronted. And I still have my 73 that can be (expensively) rebuilt if it comes to that to put it back into service.

[hawkins111]

Techeditor,

Very sorry to hear this. For some years now Toyotomi has slowly moved away from the user friendly outfit they used to be. For the most part Toyotomi
USA is the one that ultimately should be responsible for warranties. The local dealer usually sends the warranty request to them for approval. Luckily for most dealers, a warranty on a Toyotomi is an unusual event. They are almost bullet proof.

I do know they will refuse to deal with anything that is not as per the service manual. They have been approached many times with exploded heat exchangers caused by blocked exhaust and air inlet due to drifting snow. Also, they are hard on any modification to the flue pipe.

I'm glad to hear your stove is running fine with the new exhaust. I guess we don't have to worry about the over firing issue. The pinging at start up is a little mystifying, but if the flame is not too high and the exchanger is not glowing red, I think you are OK.

Hopefully, the dealer learned something as well. They supply a new exhaust with each heater for a reason.

Have a great holiday,

Tom

[TechEditor]

Tom if you would like to hear the ping from startup I can record an audio file . It really sounds unusually loud to me.

[hawkins111]

Yes I would
Thank you,

Tom