My Harman P61A install

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ZBrooks

Burning Hunk
Nov 30, 2013
155
Caldwell, Idaho
After the initial debacle of buying the stove, which can be read about here: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/how-would-you-handle-this.120174/ and here: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/update-how-would-you-handle-this.120936/, I finally got the stove installed. But, not before a little work was done to the hearth. Some before, during and after pictures are attached. This was my first go around doing tile and, although I was pretty slow at it, I think it looks perty good! The tile is porcelain and made to look like hardwood flooring. I added the receptacle and will later add lights, a ceiling, trim pieces, etc. etc. I also made the OAK out of a 4" dryer vent. I combined it with a 4" to 3" reducer and then ran 3" flexible duct work to the stove. I did remove the flapper on the dryer vent, but still need to place some wire mesh around the opening to keep critters out. I used 4" Duravent for the exhaust and scuffed up my paint job on the install.

I have a 3000 sq. ft. two-story house and the stove is heating it like a champ. My electric furnace has yet to kick on this week since the install. I grew up with a wood stove, so it is nice to have a 21st Century version of wood heat again. My kids enjoy it, too.

Question: When the distribution fan is on, it sounds like the wind blowing across the top of a glass bottle, but on a greater scale. Why?
 

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Good looking install but... surge protection:) Make sure you have CO detector too.

Origin of noises can be several things - search the threads - it can whistle or whoosh. It will give you potential trouble areas to keep an eye on.

Happy burning!
 
Question: When the distribution fan is on, it sounds like the wind blowing across the top of a glass bottle, but on a greater scale. Why?

Nice looking install. Are you able to post a short video or .wav/.mp3 of the sound? We could compare it to ours.
 
Looks great!

Does it make the noise at all fan speeds? My guess is no, and you're hearing the sound from the "new" motor/fan combined with the whoosh of the air coming out the vents. Is it the new Fasco brand blower? Mine makes the same noise you're describing, I think. Much more of a mid to high note, correct? Near min or max speed, it's not noticeable at all, but in the middle the noise becomes quite obvious. I'm not an electrical engineer, but it sounds like the motor generates harmonics within a certain voltage range. Above or below it, it's fine. Never heard ANY Dayton blower make the noise.

ETA- Think of the noise some ceiling fans make when slowly sweeping through their speed range. At a certain point the motor gets a bit noisy and creates more of a hum. Depending on how they're coupled to the ceiling has a lot to do with how loud they get at those times. I think in the stove's case, the internal air passages are amplifying the noise quite a bit, not unlike what a horn does when coupled to a speaker driver....ala Klipsch.
 
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Looks great!

Does it make the noise at all fan speeds? My guess is no, and you're hearing the sound from the "new" motor/fan combined with the whoosh of the air coming out the vents. Is it the new Fasco brand blower? Mine makes the same noise you're describing, I think. Much more of a mid to high note, correct? Near min or max speed, it's not noticeable at all, but in the middle the noise becomes quite obvious. I'm not an electrical engineer, but it sounds like the motor generates harmonics within a certain voltage range. Above or below it, it's fine. Never heard ANY Dayton blower make the noise.

ETA- Think of the noise some ceiling fans make when slowly sweeping through their speed range. At a certain point the motor gets a bit noisy and creates more of a hum. Depending on how they're coupled to the ceiling has a lot to do with how loud they get at those times. I think in the stove's case, the internal air passages are amplifying the noise quite a bit, not unlike what a horn does when coupled to a speaker driver....ala Klipsch.

You hit the nail on the head. After posting this, I spent the better part of an hour listening to it while sitting at the computer. It is definitely a harmonic that is more pronounced at min or max speed. There is a spot somewhere near the middle that I can get it to reduce a bit, but not go away. I actually like hearing the wind blowing through there as a I have fascination with turbos, but this noise is not the wind. Could it be the fan blades themselves?

I'll check on the brand of the motor. I saw a post where you put Roxul to help dampen the noise. Is that still working for you?
 
I suppose it could be the design of the squirrel cage itself. Something that makes me think it's not that, is the fact you hear it on min and max, whereas I hear it in the medium range. Also, when it first kicks on from a dead stop, it makes the noise. IMO, it's the motor Fasco uses.

The Roxul does mitigate the noise quite a bit, but don't expect a drastic difference...and it does nothing for the motor whine. I have large ceramic vases on both sides of mine which nicely blocks the line of sight to the Roxul chunks. You'll likely have to come up with something similar. Maybe a nice coal hod on one side and a vase on the other? Make sure its wife approved ;)

When I take the blower off for cleaning, I'm gonna put a bead if silicone on there and let it dry before reinstalling. That may help.

Maybe someone with good electrical knowledge will chime in. I think it has to do with the fact the motor is AC and the design of the speed control affects it. I notice the incandescent lights in my house that are on dimmers developing a buzz around mid output as well.
 
wow...beautiful install...

Just told my husband I want that type of tile for our bathroom (right now it's orange 70's tile that came with the house and I hate it..but we just bought a p61, also, and it put a HUGE dent in the funds!

great job....looks warm and cozy :)
 
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I suppose it could be the design of the squirrel cage itself. Something that makes me think it's not that, is the fact you hear it on min and max, whereas I hear it in the medium range. Also, when it first kicks on from a dead stop, it makes the noise. IMO, it's the motor Fasco uses.

The Roxul does mitigate the noise quite a bit, but don't expect a drastic difference...and it does nothing for the motor whine. I have large ceramic vases on both sides of mine which nicely blocks the line of sight to the Roxul chunks. You'll likely have to come up with something similar. Maybe a nice coal hod on one side and a vase on the other? Make sure its wife approved ;)

When I take the blower off for cleaning, I'm gonna put a bead if silicone on there and let it dry before reinstalling. That may help.

Maybe someone with good electrical knowledge will chime in. I think it has to do with the fact the motor is AC and the design of the speed control affects it. I notice the incandescent lights in my house that are on dimmers developing a buzz around mid output as well.

When I got home tonight, my wife had the stove turned down low. I could hear the tune playing from the fan. I then turned up the stove to start cranking out some heat to warm up the place a bit before my kids hit the bed. After about 20 minutes, I realized I couldn't hear the tune anymore. After the house got warmed up, I turned down the stove and the tune is back. I haven't touched the setting on the fan since last night. When the stove is basically idling along, I can hear the tune. When it is putting out the heat, no tune. ?!?
 
Maybe it's the squirrel cage itself acting as sort of a tuning fork, rather than the motor sending vibrations directly to the stove?

Going back to the partially dimmed incandescent lights, I believe it's the filament vibrating that causes the buzzing.

Kinda surprised there hasn't been any other mention of this noise by owners of Fasco equipped Harmans.
 
Electric motors that are frequency controlled for speed control sometimes have a harmonics problem,request new blower from supplier if you cannot find anything else wrong.
 
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Electric motors that are frequency controlled for speed control sometimes have a harmonics problem,request new blower from supplier if you cannot find anything else wrong.
Do you think a replacement motor would make a difference?...or will it behave similarly due to the nature of the speed control?
 
You would want to eliminate other possibilites,out of balance wheel,loose screw etc.,but yes bad motors do happen,and sometimes user(stove mfr)will have a fix,different made,assembled motor,mods to control unit,etc.
 
Perhaps combustion fan?

At this point, I don't think so. I can manipulate the tune by changing the speed of the distribution fan. I'll probably take a closer look at it when I give the stove its first major cleaning.
 
Hello

If you open the hopper lid does the sound stop? Sometimes the noise is caused by air going into the hopper and you can tighten the lid latch a bit.
 
Hello

If you open the hopper lid does the sound stop? Sometimes the noise is caused by air going into the hopper and you can tighten the lid latch a bit.

No deal. The tune stayed the same when I opened the lid. The brightness of the flame changes, though (dims when open).
 
Try disconnecting the OAK just to rule it out.

I thought about this at first, but I can easily manipulate the tune by just barely adjusting the blower speed. Maybe I should just disconnect it anyways to for sure rule it out.
 
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