Accentra 52i -- more questions on cleaning etc.

karen_in_nh_2014 · Mar 20, 2014

alternativeheat said:
That's cool, so you're up and running.! I don't get how he could move the exhaust probe, meaning the ESP ? Or do you mean the room temp probe ? Either way I'm not really getting what he did .

Hmmm ... 99% sure he called it the exhaust probe (it shuts the unit off if it senses something is wrong, e.g. an exhaust problem -- often gives a 6-blink message) -- exhaust sensor? (Definitely not the room temp probe.) It's located at the back of the insert on the top right. Apparently its original position made it get some false readings, so he moved it to where the exhaust actually passes right by it and thus gives a more accurate reading. (I am probably not explaining this very well!) He had to detach it from its original position and re-attach it a bit lower down. I watched but I couldn't really see what he was doing back there, I just know it involved a drill and moving the probe/sensor.

He said others were experiencing the same thing, but moving the probe seemed to solve it. I know that the owner of the shop has worked with Harmans for years ... back in 2005 when I bought the pellet furnace for my previous house, there were a bunch of glitches (it was a pretty new technology back then, at least in the U.S.) and the owner did some re-engineering that fixed some of the glitches. Of course that was back when Harman was still privately owned ... not sure how much they welcome feedback from dealers these days.

I hope this makes more sense. It actually made sense as he explained it, although I am not the least bit mechanically inclined (wish I were!!). It's only been a few days, but it's running perfectly now -- I shouldn't have to use any more oil this winter!!

Ctcarl · Mar 20, 2014

Hmm even the video that I posted and that came with my p35i said a full cleaning should be done after every ton.what I can say after a ton or two if it does the same thing dont listen to him clean it yourself .

karen_in_nh_2014 · Mar 20, 2014

Ctcarl said:
Hmm even the video that I posted and that came with my p35i said a full cleaning should be done after every ton.what I can say after a ton or two if it does the same thing dont listen to him clean it yourself .

Well, the video says, "Check after one ton (i.e., pull out the unit) to see if you need to clean it after every ton or more or less often" or words to that effect (IIRC). EVERYONE at the dealer has told me, "You will only have to pull it out once a year," and they know I will be using 4-5 tons of pellets per year. I told them that the Youtube video (which is a Harman video) said something different, but they keep insisting that once a year should be fine.

The tech (who's worked on Harmans for years ... the local dealer is a family-owned business and the tech who came is a son-in-law) definitely said that the cleaning was not the issue, I'd been doing that correctly. He didn't think the flue was the problem at all. They clearly do believe it was the probe/sensor.

As I think I wrote before, I have no problem at all cleaning the insert as much as it needs -- I just wish everything were clearer.

02809bristol · Mar 20, 2014

karen_in_nh_2014 said:
UPDATE ...

My dealer's tech came this past Monday to fix my insert. He said several of their customers who'd bought this new version of the insert (Accentra 52i) were having the exact same problem, and they (the dealer) fixed it by moving the exhaust probe a few inches (so it "reads" the exhaust better). He had to pull the insert out in order to do this, so he also cleaned out the flue (I'd bought the brush and extension rods from amazon) -- that took just a few minutes and reassured me that it is not at all hard to do (although it looked a bit awkward!). It looked like a lot of ash to me, but he said it wasn't bad at all.

I'd used just under 3 tons of pellets. I've been doing the "regular" cleaning (including removing the inner parts) -- basically everything except pulling the insert out, because what I'd been told was that that would need to be done only once a year. The tech said that is correct, it SHOULD only be needed that often, even if I use (as expected) up to 5 tons a year.

The tech also said the insert looked like I'd been doing the cleaning correctly -- he said it was nothing I'd done or hadn't done. That was reassuring, although I was annoyed that an apparent design flaw seemed to be to blame for the issues I was having. OTOH they only charged me 30 bucks, so I couldn't get too worked up about it!

The insert has been back to normal for the past few days, so my kitties are happy! I expect that I'll use maybe another ton in what's left of this winter, so I'll have 4 tons left for next year -- will buy more this spring to have a bunch in "reserve."

BTW, the tech also said he didn't think the rail system was worth it (my dealer charges $299!).

Just thought I'd update everyone.

This RAIL KIT people are referring to ??? I thought the NEW 52i insert had rails it slid out on ??? The only option I can think of is like a jack to support weight of insert in the front of unit. I' m I wrong ?

karen_in_nh_2014 · Mar 20, 2014

02809bristol said:
This RAIL KIT people are referring to ??? I thought the NEW 52i insert had rails it slid out on ??? The only option I can think of is like a jack to support weight of insert in the front of unit. I' m I wrong ?

You can see the rail kit at 3:43 of the video in post #11 of this thread. It is OPTIONAL. One poster got his for $139 at the time he bought the insert -- if my dealer had made that offer, I would have gotten it too, but he didn't! To buy it now through my dealer would be $299 (and I've seen it online for as much as $499 -- that's insane!!). I actually thought of paying $299, but the tech thought it wasn't worth it.

Now that I've watched the video again, especially to look at the rail kit, I see what the tech meant. The video shows an insert that looks like it's at least a foot off the floor, so when you pull out THAT insert, it would completely flop over unless there were something there to support it (like the rail kit shown in the video). My set-up is different. You can kind of tell in the photo I posted in post #1 of this thread that my insert is just a few inches off the hearth (it's supported by bricks underneath -- rather an odd set-up, but it works!), so when the tech pulled my insert out, it leaned over just slightly and sat on the floor. Before I pull mine out next time, I will likely set up a few more bricks in front and just pull out the insert on top of them -- they should support it and keep it from leaning over at all. In my case there is no need for the rail kit and in fact I'm not sure it would even fit -- it's height-adjustable, as you can tell from the video, but I don't know that it would go as low as a few inches!

Compare your set-up to the one in the video ... you might not need the rail kit at all if your insert (like mine) is close to the ground/floor.

alternativeheat · Mar 21, 2014

02809bristol said:
This RAIL KIT people are referring to ??? I thought the NEW 52i insert had rails it slid out on ??? The only option I can think of is like a jack to support weight of insert in the front of unit. I' m I wrong ?

The 52i is on rails for pulling it or sliding it out of the fireplace. The rail kit people are speaking of is an extension designed to hold the weight of the stove when slid fully out of the fireplace. I too would not have needed that had we gone with the 52i as the inside of my fireplace ( brick floor) is raised maybe 1/2" off the hearth and the hearth even with the flooring. My hearth looks like an insert but it's actually 6" thick concrete with flagstone top. I could probably put down a couple of strips of 1/2 plywood and be good. We didn't go that route though, we have the P61 on the hearth instead.

linc1216 · Feb 3, 2016

alternativeheat said:
That's cool, so you're up and running.! I don't get how he could move the exhaust probe, meaning the ESP ? Or do you mean the room temp probe ? Either way I'm not really getting what he did .[/QUOTE

Wondering the same?

karen_in_nh_2014 · Feb 4, 2016

Sorry guys, it was quite a while ago now. I am 99% sure he said it was the exhaust probe -- looking at the insert from the front, what he moved was at the back right, at least if I followed him correctly.

He definitely moved it -- had to detach it from where it was and move it a few inches.

alternativeheat · Feb 4, 2016

karen_in_nh_2014 said:
Sorry guys, it was quite a while ago now. I am 99% sure he said it was the exhaust probe -- looking at the insert from the front, what he moved was at the back right, at least if I followed him correctly.

He definitely moved it -- had to detach it from where it was and move it a few inches.

Maybe the Room Temp Probe ? The exhaust probe ( ESP) isn't movable. It can be removed, cleaned and re installed but it is not movable or repositionable..

karen_in_nh_2014 · Feb 4, 2016

alternativeheat said:
Maybe the Room Temp Probe ? The exhaust probe ( ESP) isn't movable. It can be removed, cleaned and re installed but it is not movable or repositionable..

No, it definitely wasn't the room temp probe -- it definitely had something to do with the exhaust.

The dealer actually has worked with Harman for years -- I know this from back in the mid-2000s when I bought a Harman pellet furnace (not stove) for my previous house. That was back when Harman was still family-owned, and the dealer worked with them really closely on some engineering changes. I know he did a couple of things to the furnace to make it work better -- it was pretty new back then and a bit glitchy in the first year.

So I think he really DID figure out a way to move the exhaust probe to fix some problem. Sorry, I wish I remembered better what the tech did -- I will ask him the next time he comes (will likely be in the next few weeks) and report back, I promise!

fmsm · Feb 4, 2016

A large factor in how often you need to fully clean is the pellets you are using. OP, what pellets have you been using?

tiger · Feb 5, 2016

fmsm said:
A large factor in how often you need to fully clean is the pellets you are using.

In my experience (and I'm just a recreational user) that my weekly mini-cleaning when using Lignetics and/or Hamers is that it's really not all that dirty in there after, hmm, I dunno, 30+ hours' burn. I almost feel like I could skip a week but, now that it's starting and running so well, I am loathe to make any changes in my routine. Next I'll be wearing my lucky underwear when lighting the stove so I don't jinx anything.

karen_in_nh_2014 · Feb 6, 2016

fmsm said:
A large factor in how often you need to fully clean is the pellets you are using. OP, what pellets have you been using?

I have been using the same pellet for years -- Cleanfire from woodpellets.com. Some that I am finishing now are 3 years old, but still very, very little sawdust/fines in the bags. I've never had any trouble with them. (IIRC, I used this same brand in the pellet furnace at my previous house, so stayed with it when I got the insert.)

tiger said:
In my experience (and I'm just a recreational user) that my weekly mini-cleaning when using Lignetics and/or Hamers is that it's really not all that dirty in there after, hmm, I dunno, 30+ hours' burn. I almost feel like I could skip a week but, now that it's starting and running so well, I am loathe to make any changes in my routine. Next I'll be wearing my lucky underwear when lighting the stove so I don't jinx anything.

I have gotten good at the regular every-ton cleaning, where I do everything but pull the insert out all the way. I still have my dealer in once a year to do that, although at some point I would like to be doing that too.

fmsm · Feb 7, 2016

I had trouble with a ton of Cleanfire's a few tears ago. Pellet quality can and will change from year to year or in some cases pallet to pallet.

Personally, I clean my stoves every 2 weeks (everything but pull them and wipe the esp) and pull the every ton to clean the exhaust, fans, and esp.

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Accentra 52i -- more questions on cleaning etc.

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