Cleaning auger

pulled my auger out of the harman Accentra insert this morning trying to get to the bottom of the squealing during pellet feed issue that others have reported. Auger looks rather good except at the burn pot end where there is a thin layer of black buildup. Can I hit this with a wire wheel to take it off or would creating fine scratches be a bad thing? Have tried vinegar and 200 proof ethyl alcohol which did not do anything. Just want to ensure I clean as best as possible before I reassemble.

Beaudeen said:

I use my Dremmel tool once a month. Cleans the auger throat out nicely.

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Brass wire on it or something else?

couple pics attached, burn pot/auger throat is after vacuuming an slight scraping

Bioburner said:

I wouldn't worry much about some minor scratches on the auger. I like to paint the augers if I ever pull them with graphite paint as it makes them super slick and if someone ever leaves some pellets in the system won't worry so much about corrosion. A real help for some older abused stoves. Hoppes #9 gun cleaner is a great carbon remover. There is several spray carbon removers available from the autoparts stores as well.

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thank you!

Beaudeen said:

Round cylinder stone works for me.

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tonyd said:

Yes you can clean it up with a wire wheel. Use a file and clean up the edges of the auger.

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lagger said:

I use an old lineman's splicing knife, has a full size handle and a blade that is < 2" long and thick I light up the auger throat with a flashlight every cleaning usually 2x a week and just scrape the carbon off the business end of the chute and the face of the auger itself.. take the burn paltform out soak it in the sink for 15 minutes while I vacuum the rest of the stove etc, and scrape out whatever carbon deposits are still on it

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Thanks to all for the replies. I ran it until it looked new on the wire wheel, then went at the throat with a sandpaper barrel on a drill with an extension. Looks great, all back together and up and running. no more squeal/squeak

Don2222 said:

Hello

Check for any Harman Auger Pox too! See pics
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/holy-harman-auger-pox-batman.109241/

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Nice job!