I have a Harman p61a this is my 2nd year burning. Last year I used only Wood Pellet Company pellets heated my 2,100 sqft colonial no problem. I did a very thorough clean in the beginning of fall. I noticed that my pellets weren't throwing as much heat as last year. I really didn't pay too much attention to it due to the fact it has been a very warm winter in CT. Well the last 2 days have been in the 20's and the stove isn't throwing enough heat to even heat the room it's in. I went out and picked up some Hamer Hot and the same outcome. I cleaned the stove again and still not much heat. Finally after having this go on, I open the fine box there were a few pellets in there, but what I noticed is that when I cleaned it in the fall I must not have had a good seal, because when I put it back and turned the stove on now it's blaring HEAT! My wife is very happy again, and of course she says I should have done this weeks ago. I can't believe I'm saying this but if I listened to my wife weeks ago I wouldn't have been cold for the last week! Now it's time to sit back and enjoy the heat.
I can't believe I did this.
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Pete Zahria
Minister of Fire
Tonyray
Minister of Fire
don't fret...
no matter how long many of us Stove owners clean our stoves [many of us to the point of better than the Pro's] we never cease to find a way to goof something simple up now/then.
I spent an hour or more 1 night trying to find out why my auger stopped feeding pellets...it was a vacuum leak self induced by me..
took that long to realize I didn't have the hopper lid fastened down tight.
Dan I know believe I know. I feel like taking my own MAN card AWAY. But at least she isn't bother me about being cold anymore!
Hey, Even a broken clock is right twice a day...
Just kidding, sharp girl you have there. Don't beat yourself up, own it and move onward to awesomeville.
Just kidding, sharp girl you have there. Don't beat yourself up, own it and move onward to awesomeville.
Marina1327
Member
Marina1327
Member
don't fret...
no matter how long many of us Stove owners clean our stoves [many of us to the point of better than the Pro's] we never cease to find a way to goof something simple up now/then.
I spent an hour or more 1 night trying to find out why my auger stopped feeding pellets...it was a vacuum leak self induced by me..
took that long to realize I didn't have the hopper lid fastened down tight.
Oh thank goodness I am not the only one who didn't have the hopper lid down tight and made the stove stop feeding pellets....
Lake Girl
Moderator
Hey, sometimes we're right!
Deep cleaning I did in year 2, got all the majolica sides back on and realized I hadn't reconnected the vacuum switch
Then there was the time I started it up while looking at the flame trap sitting on the pad in front of it. Stuff happens and makes you go through that mental check list so you try not to mess up again.
Harman Lover 007
Minister of Fire
If you are like me, you'll always be right and then you'll never put yourself in the above predicament......
jackhammer
Burning Hunk
I like to be right, my wife likes to win. It works out good that way, as I always have the last word!
alternativeheat
Minister of Fire
No way, been there done that as well !LOL I even shut the stove down, did the unplug thing thinking it needed reboot or what ever . AND THEN I saw the hopper lid was wide open. Felt a tad foolish.
Oh and put the fines box cover on wrong once too but i caught it before I moved on fortunately.
pfmaloney
Member
The first time I cleaned my Accentra Insert, I put the flame guide in upside down resulting in a contorted flame that produced significantly less heat||
Pete Zahria
Minister of Fire
When I first met my wife, her name was Miss Wright.
I didn't know her first name was Always.....
Dan
I didn't know her first name was Always.....
Dan
Lake Girl
Moderator
Hubby says he always has the last word ... it just usually happens to be "Yes Dear"
We all have a senior moment. I just spent an hour trying to start my little Petter AA1 diesel engine. Hit the switch, she rolled over an over no fire, I put some oil in the primer, no luck, I sprayed some WD40 in the intake it ran for about 4 seconds and quit, sprayed it again an nothing (this never fails). I pulled all the lines from pump to the injector, yeh theres fuel there so now I'm really scratching my head thinking maybe a ring broke or something. I glance at the other side of the engine and spot the Run/Stop lever. It was still sitting on stop... need I say more?
Lake Girl
Moderator
alternativeheat
Minister of Fire
We all have Homer Simpson Doh! moments. I have a good one on the stop/start switch. I was way back out in the woods about 3 miles from home. It had gotten dark so I ventured back to where I left my quad parked. Wouldn't start. Nothing. Light came on when I turned the key on so I knew it wasn't the battery. No flashlight and the speedo lights up but can't see anything else. So I humped it home.
Went back in the AM and the kill switch had been bumped I guess as I had gotten off. Six miles of walking over a switch so don't feel bad.
Last cleaning I left my door unlatched AND didn't put the flame guide back. It happens.
UpStateNY
Feeling the Heat
Nobody died so its all good. This is the way we learn stuff and never ever forget it.
Funny story. A friend of mine is single guy and doesn't use his wall oven very often. He needed to bake something and the wall oven would not turn on. He pulls it out of the wall to check the wires and finds a folded up paper. He takes it out and reads the letter written in his hand writing. The letter says, "ITS THE CLOCK STUPID" . Oh yeah he had this problem 5 years ago and it was the analog clock setting that prevented the oven from turning on. It was very smart that 5 years ago he left himself a message to be found in the future.
Funny story. A friend of mine is single guy and doesn't use his wall oven very often. He needed to bake something and the wall oven would not turn on. He pulls it out of the wall to check the wires and finds a folded up paper. He takes it out and reads the letter written in his hand writing. The letter says, "ITS THE CLOCK STUPID" . Oh yeah he had this problem 5 years ago and it was the analog clock setting that prevented the oven from turning on. It was very smart that 5 years ago he left himself a message to be found in the future.
Lake Girl
Moderator
Bioburner
Moderator
After refurbing a Harman stove the time was right to sell and got a call to get it. Plugged in and turned up and nothing. Full panic as they are driving 90 miles to get. Looked in the hopper and there was the room probe. No probe, no fire. They come and did not even want to see it work. Got a call the next day saying the stove wont come on. They had the temp set at 65 and it was 72. Never heard from them again.
Hey Bio, Not long ago this fall my friend put in a new Harman Advance to replace another pellet stove. His would not ramp up the flame to throw any good heat. I stopped by and he did not have his room probe plugged in. He ran into the kitchen to grab the probe and his manual. Plugged it in and he was off and running well. It has been warmer here until recently and a few cold snaps. he did try to get the flame up but really wasn't concerned until we got another cold snap. I wanted to see his new stove and something didn't sound right so I ventured over.
His stove was and did run but only on like a smaller maintenance flame burn. So I think these new stoves will run without the room probe just not run right. Last big clean I left my firebox door unlatched and the flame guide off and it started up and ran. Lazy flame and smoking outside but it started right up and ran. The newer technology might be a little less picky and more forgiving somewhat.
bogieb
Minister of Fire
Yeah, the stove is doing it's best to guess what is wanted; knows you want fire, but not how much, so it will just idle along for days until it receives direction. Yeah, know this one first hand (not my fault, or a duh moment, so won't get into the story).
Bioburner
Moderator
The stove that I mentioned was a older unit. I now know of 3 board versions first hand. Have not tried the new board without a room probe. Older versions also did not support the nice feature of pulsing the exhaust fan and shutting the stove down when they sense the modified sine wave of a UPS.
Anyone need or want a last version board used for 15 minutes? Was bought when the room probe unknown to me was frayed and shorting raising all sorts of problems and the consensus was I needed a new board. $250. I like the algorithm of the older board to run with the little crosslink.
alternativeheat
Minister of Fire
One thing you don't want to do on a coal stove is leave the ash pan door open, walk away and forget about it.. Been there done that, there is no form of governor on that action what so ever, basically constitutes a run away stove. The portion over the main door was glowing red before I got the ash pan door shut. I think 650 deg f produces a dull red with steel.
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