Lots of Ash Buildup on Harman P61A

Tonyray · Feb 13, 2014

richg said:
Why did I swap out the P61A? The logical side of me is still befuddled, but the chronological course of things was that my house originally only had electric baseboard heat when I bought it. I installed a Quad 1200 and then a P61A to cope with frightening electric bills. Fast forward a few years....I convinced myself that a central heating system was needed, even though there are no gas lines where I live....it's either oil, propane, electric or wood. A $19,000 Buderus GB142-45 propane system was installed and proved to be about as economical as using $100.00 bills as fuel in a fireplace. I added a Quad woodburner and it's been about as much fun as pulling your own teeth. The moral of the story is, don't sell your Harman, unless you like buying high and selling low like me

no... geting to old here to cut/chop/stack.... sending thru the window and Stacking ton of pellets at a time in our basement is excercise enough.

Hoot23 · Feb 13, 2014

alternativeheat said:
Hoot 23, I let my P61 run the night with LG Premium Softwoods after a cleaning ( decent pellet with .39% ash, and hot burning). It ran fine but had the ash build up in front of the fire this morning. That same kind of pile you say to let it run for three days at a time ? Well the flame was so so lively and leaning forward toward the glass slightly. In fact one finger would reach out to the glass now and then. I opened the door and raked the ash off ( no big chore took 15 seconds), scraped under the burning pellets with my handy tool and closed the door. In a couple of minutes the flame reestablished to a nice hot straight up fire. Now how the heck am I supposed to just walk away and leave a flame that licks the glass alone for three days? Is that what you do ?
Bottom line for me and I suspect the OP as well. If I don't scrape that ash off the burn pot the flame gets all screwed up, except with DF's or Pointe with a few DF mixed in and I suspect with LG and some DF mixed in. The burn pot holes get covered, they don't carbon up but the piles of ash is blocking them.

I've been running LaCretes all winter and I can for days without scraping the pot. I get a quarter inch of ash in the middle of the pot. Most of the ash forms on the sides of the pot and just gets pushed out. I'll take a pic of it in a couple of days, I just scraped yesterday.

Tonyray · Feb 13, 2014

Hoot23 said:
I've been running LaCretes all winter and I can for days without scraping the pot. I get a quarter inch of ash in the middle of the pot. Most of the ash forms on the sides of the pot and just gets pushed out. I'll take a pic of it in a couple of days, I just scraped yesterday.

I really need to get me some of these Magic pellets Many guys here have that burn like almost no ash.. it's either alot or barely any.

alternativeheat · Feb 13, 2014

Hoot23 said:
I've been running LaCretes all winter and I can for days without scraping the pot. I get a quarter inch of ash in the middle of the pot. Most of the ash forms on the sides of the pot and just gets pushed out. I'll take a pic of it in a couple of days, I just scraped yesterday.

Ya LaCretes are pretty nice pellets, I started off with them in my P61 and other than the DF, which obviously stand alone, there are some kind of like LaCrete. Well, they are a good pellet. Nuf Said ! And yes, when I burned them I got a sort of cheek of ash on each corner of the ash line that built up a bit but not really anything in the center to speak of.

I think the closest I've burned to LaCrete is LG and then Spruce Pointe which are not as clean but maybe hotter ( SP
). I'm getting ready to buy a ton of something here, I'll decide soon enough. Burning Energex tonight. And back to Fireside Ultra with a few DF tomorrow night. That will be it for all my experimental bags of pellets at that point. I then will have two bags each of DF and Okanagan Premiums and I will have to buy something by Monday or burn oil.. I can pick up some Pointes at the hardware store for Sunday night if it gets cold. Right now it's 39 and raining out though.

alternativeheat · Feb 13, 2014

Tonyray said:
I really need to get me some of these Magic pellets Many guys here have that burn like almost no ash.. it's either alot or barely any.

The least ash from a pellet that you will ever experience is with Okanagan Douglas Fir ( DF). They are almost hands off pellets in terms of pot scraping and 9100 BTU. There isn't anything like them including the price !!!

That is a magic pellet. They exhibit the highest hot air output and longest burn feature of any I've tried thus far.

Tonyray · Feb 13, 2014

alternativeheat said:
The least ash from a pellet that you will ever experience is with Okanagan Douglas Fir ( DF). They are almost hands off pellets in terms of pot scraping and 9100 BTU. There isn't anything like them including the price That is a magic pellet. They exhibit the highest hot air output and longest burn feature of any I've tried thus far.

don't know if anyone stocks them here in Eastern Pa or Jersey/Delaware. how much do u pay for them up in Mass?

alternativeheat · Feb 13, 2014

Tonyray said:
don't know if anyone stocks them here in Eastern Pa or Jersey/Delaware. how much do u pay for them up in Mass?

Well at our prices here I have only bought a few bags. They are $419 a ton at the local dealer. I never burn them by themselves except to experience it the first time. After I did my install I had a credit on some returned liner that left over and got those off the credit. Nothing like them ! I might use a quarter of a bag to cut a pellet I don't like the burn of and it usually perks them right up. I'm sure I could do better up Boston way but then you have the trip to consider. No I think I'll be burning LG or LaCretes in any volume.

Hoot23 · Feb 13, 2014

$419 a ton, holy chit

alternativeheat · Feb 13, 2014

Hoot23 said:
$419 a ton, holy chit

Ya well it's the stove shop, he doesn't give anything away in that place. And this is Cape Cod, so it's automatic gouge time from their suppliers. Anything comes over that bridge it seems the price goes up what ever percent.

So when I found LGs just 15 miles off Cape for $285 suddenly that sounds like a bargain. And they burn well, similar to LaCrete.

Hoot23 · Feb 13, 2014

I'm gonna be buying a ton of Lg on Saturday, but for $35 less a ton.(not to rub it in) how much do the LaCretes go for in your parts?

P38X2 · Feb 13, 2014

If they were around here, I'd buy a few bags to enjoy. Prob keep an empty bag too, just cuz of the cool factor and pellet sickness. Maybe throw an empty bag in the NEWP parking lot just to be a dink ::-)

alternativeheat · Feb 13, 2014

Hoot23 said:
I'm gonna be buying a ton of Lg on Saturday, but for $35 less a ton.(not to rub it in) how much do the LaCretes go for in your parts?

You're not rubbing anything in, we are used to this, we vacation off cape !! Last I checked it was $379 I believe for 60 bag pallets but that's from the same expensive guy at the stove shop. THey have a 1 ton price as well, i forget what it is.

Fireside Ultras are $219.

I'm burning Energex now, they are $285.

The bag price on Spruce POINTE is $8.50 ( I'd like to find some off cape)

Propane is over $5.00

Oil just started to drop but it got to $3.73 a gal.

alternativeheat · Feb 13, 2014

P38X2 said:
If they were around here, I'd buy a few bags to enjoy. Prob keep an empty bag too, just cuz of the cool factor and pellet sickness. Maybe throw an empty bag in the NEWP parking lot just to be a dink

I keep two or three bags on hand of DF. THe thing that kills me is out west these are like out cheap pellets sort of. Not badly priced way out west at any rate.

P38X2 · Feb 13, 2014

alternativeheat said:
I keep two or three bags on hand of DF. THe thing that kills me is out west these are like out cheap pellets sort of. Not badly priced way out west at any rate.

I know. Don't hear too much from our west coast members regarding their native pellets, and that's fine with me. Blazers are another, supposedly blisteringly hot pellet. Hottest of the hot I hear. Not sure what the ash is like but my guess would be minimal.

At least we get a few, relatively affordable western offerings in these parts. I'm quite content with SP's and may go with them again next year if nothing else pops up.

I have a bag of Cubex in the hopper right now. We'll see how that goes. They seem to get decent reviews and they're $250 around here...when you can find em.

ZBrooks · Feb 13, 2014

P38X2 said:
I know. Don't hear too much from our west coast members regarding their native pellets, and that's fine with me. Blazers are another, supposedly blisteringly hot pellet. Hottest of the hot I hear. Not sure what the ash is like but my guess would be minimal.

At least we get a few, relatively affordable western offerings in these parts. I'm quite content with SP's and may go with them again next year if nothing else pops up.

I have a bag of Cubex in the hopper right now. We'll see how that goes. They seem to get decent reviews and they're $250 around here...when you can find em.

I can get Bear Mountain, Pacific Pellet, Natural Glow and Rocky Canyon pellets locally. The first three are 100% DF's and Rocky Canyon is 100% Red Fir. All are between $245 and $279/ton right now. Blazers and Lignetics fall into the same category for me in that I do not know what their composition consists of. I can get Lig locally, but haven't found the Blazers yet. The various pellet issues you guys have in the East are the reason I am trying to figure out how to get the good stuff that direction.

Concerning the ash picture that the OP posted, I think it would take me about 5 days to get buildup like that, but I'm only guessing. I might try it just to see what happens.

Tonyray · Feb 13, 2014

ZBrooks said:
I can get Bear Mountain, Pacific Pellet, Natural Glow and Rocky Canyon pellets locally. The first three are 100% DF's and Rocky Canyon is 100% Red Fir. All are between $245 and $279/ton right now. Blazers and Lignetics fall into the same category for me in that I do not know what their composition consists of. I can get Lig locally, but haven't found the Blazers yet. The various pellet issues you guys have in the East are the reason I am trying to figure out how to get the good stuff that direction.

Concerning the ash picture that the OP posted, I think it would take me about 5 days to get buildup like that, but I'm only guessing. I might try it just to see what happens.

being the OP, Burning the same Stove Chows from the same 50 bag skid, and now less than half the ash is present... amazing how some bags from the same ton can be more messier than others... could been really damp... skid came from HD And I do remember some thin ice in between the layers of bags when we put them in my basement even though they we're shrink wrapped with a brown cover under the wrap.....just shows ta go ya.

alternativeheat · Feb 14, 2014

Tonyray said:
being the OP, Burning the same Stove Chows from the same 50 bag skid, and now less than half the ash is present... amazing how some bags from the same ton can be more messier than others... could been really damp... skid came from HD And I do remember some thin ice in between the layers of bags when we put them in my basement even though they we're shrink wrapped with a brown cover under the wrap.....just shows ta go ya.

I ran the Energex overnight, not bad ( people say Stove Chow are Energex, I have no idea if that true but I've seen it posted on here). Hard to tell though because it's 37 deg out this morning, the stove didn't ramp up a whole lot. I have nearly half a hopper left in there. On a cold night it would be down to 1/4 or 1/3 full and ash up accordingly. I will say that I believe the LG are a bit cleaner and a bit hotter for the same money ( makes sense, LG .5 ash, Energex 1%).

alternativeheat · Feb 14, 2014

ZBrooks said:
I can get Bear Mountain, Pacific Pellet, Natural Glow and Rocky Canyon pellets locally. The first three are 100% DF's and Rocky Canyon is 100% Red Fir. All are between $245 and $279/ton right now. Blazers and Lignetics fall into the same category for me in that I do not know what their composition consists of. I can get Lig locally, but haven't found the Blazers yet. The various pellet issues you guys have in the East are the reason I am trying to figure out how to get the good stuff that direction.

Concerning the ash picture that the OP posted, I think it would take me about 5 days to get buildup like that, but I'm only guessing. I might try it just to see what happens.

I'd gladly pay $300-$325 for decent DF's out this way but $419 is nuts. Almost might as well burn oil ( not quite because in that cold weather my house used over $700 a month in oil and just over a pallet of pellets by comparison). But DF's are a great pellets for sure. LaCrete look good to me because they come on a 60 count pallet, perfect for my house in the cold ( 2 bags a day, maybe just a little over but a little less when it's in the 20's out, so average two bags).

I'd love affordable DF's. I'll have to look off Cape within say 30 miles or so. My wife an I often take a little day trip on weekends for lunch, it would be nothing to hook up the trailer and take it along for the ride and come back with a decent priced pellet. Meanwhile we support the locals with the inflated prices. I'm sure that's not all their fault, I know how it works here on Cape Cod, they get gouged just like the rest of us and have to pass it along.

Monica in France · Feb 14, 2014

Getting back to the original subject....

I think I've just solved the same problem for my Ecoteck.
I installed a pellet stove thinking it was a bit like central heating : install it and forget it.
Was I wrong !

The ash will be produced willy-nilly. I get about 20-25 litres from a metric ton of pellets.
Doing the arithmetic this looks about par.

The question is were it goes : Ideally into the ash pan.
How does it get there ? Let the experts explain that to us.

Mine was building up ash too fast on each side of the burn pot and it was falling back in - with nefast effect.

Upping the smoke ventilator revs solved the problem for me. More ash got into the pan .

Given the fine nature of the ash - it gets every where.
Hence the general obsession on this forum with cleaning regularly and thoroughly.

Hoot23 · Feb 14, 2014

alternativeheat said:
I ran the Energex overnight, not bad ( people say Stove Chow are Energex, I have no idea if that true but I've seen it posted on here). Hard to tell though because it's 37 deg out this morning, the stove didn't ramp up a whole lot. I have nearly half a hopper left in there. On a cold night it would be down to 1/4 or 1/3 full and ash up accordingly. I will say that I believe the LG are a bit cleaner and a bit hotter for the same money ( makes sense, LG .5 ash, Energex 1%).

I wasn't a fan of the Energex Canadien. I was told that they are the same as the FSU. They were consistent in size and no fines in the bag but they didn't last very long. I only got about 10 hours out of them and the downstairs read 2* cooler. Plus they were ashy.

I can't see paying $419 either. Oil is $3.64 a gallon and I'd burn about a 100 gallons a month. The regular Okies run $319 around here. But the LaCretes can be had for $280, Northern, Logic, and Spruce Pointe for $285, and Lg for $250. For me, if I start paying $350 or over for a ton of pellets. Going back to oil.

alternativeheat · Feb 14, 2014

Hoot23 said:
I wasn't a fan of the Energex Canadien. I was told that they are the same as the FSU. They were consistent in size and no fines in the bag but they didn't last very long. I only got about 10 hours out of them and the downstairs read 2* cooler. Plus they were ashy.

I can't see paying $419 either. Oil is $3.64 a gallon and I'd burn about a 100 gallons a month. The regular Okies run $319 around here. But the LaCretes can be had for $280, Northern, Logic, and Spruce Pointe for $285, and Lg for $250. For me, if I start paying $350 or over for a ton of pellets. Going back to oil.

FSU to me are no real bargain. Ashy and less heat than man y pellets I've tried. I've found LaCrete for less than the on cape price but its a trip to Holbrook. I can get Lg just 15 miles away at $285 a ton. Got to get there before 4 pm weekdays only. Not open sat. I think LaCrete is a slightly better pellet but not by a whole lot. Holbrook is a 40 mile drive each way. Silly.

alternativeheat · Feb 14, 2014

Monica in France said:
Getting back to the original subject....

I think I've just solved the same problem for my Ecoteck.
I installed a pellet stove thinking it was a bit like central heating : install it and forget it.
Was I wrong !

The ash will be produced willy-nilly. I get about 20-25 litres from a metric ton of pellets.
Doing the arithmetic this looks about par.

The question is were it goes : Ideally into the ash pan.
How does it get there ? Let the experts explain that to us.

Mine was building up ash too fast on each side of the burn pot and it was falling back in - with nefast effect.

Upping the smoke ventilator revs solved the problem for me. More ash got into the pan .

Given the fine nature of the ash - it gets every where.
Hence the general obsession on this forum with cleaning regularly and thoroughly.

The Harman P series stoves have an adjustment for blower speed. The idea is if you house current is too low or too high by a certain limit then you can correct the blower input and air supply. It is generally regarded as something to be adjusted by using a stack pressure gauge for five adjustment. I've gathered that it isn't something to take a screw driver to and randomly adjust it that way. I'm sure some folks gave though.

Lots of Ash Buildup on Harman P61A

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