new harman accentra insert

jhendricks · Oct 30, 2008

Harman accentra pellet insert not working as dealer promised. Living room (where stove is located) does not get above 72 degrees, no matter the setting, and it is using 2 bags of pellets a day here in central pa (no extremely cold days yet) Rest of first floor which is open via archways is considerably cooler and second floor is downright chilly. Using ceiling fans to try and move heat (what heat?) Total sq ft 1588.

Dealer has checked twice. They say it is working ok. They say my pellets are junk. Yet the neighbor heats a three story home with the same pellets and only uses 1 bag/day. The pellets the dealer sells only lasted me 15 hours when I begged a bag off of another neighbor who had a bag last him 36 hours the same weekend.

Any suggestions appreciated

camdids · Oct 30, 2008

How is the stove set up for temp. As a Room sensor or as Stove Temp.

jhendricks · Oct 30, 2008

currently on stove temp - dealer told me only to run on room temp when it would be warm outside during day (so I did not roast myself) However, I have tried on room temp - it turns itself down almost immediately - I do not think probe is long enough.

lecomte38 · Oct 30, 2008

Mine doesn't seem to be putting out as much heat as I expected either. I am burning over a bag a day and the living area is 66 to 68 degrees with day time temps in the 40s and night temps of 30. Could it be my Barefoot Pellets?

camdids · Oct 30, 2008

On the Room sensor. Is it connected to the Long Black cable to get it away from the Stove. I know poeple just have the sensor attached to the stove and hang it a couple of feet away.
I'm in the process of installing mine,and forgive me for saying this, but I hope its the pellets your using and not the stove.

STOVEGUY11 · Oct 30, 2008

Have you tried using other brands of pellets?

jhendricks · Oct 30, 2008

I have 3 1/2 ton of Somerset (a bag lasts 12 hrs while neighbor uses and gets 24 hrs heating a much larger house) Have also used Hamer (they lasted 15 hrs while another neighbor who I begged a bag from got 36 hrs during the same weekend). Both their units are stoves - not inserts - but they are lesser BTUs.

cac4 · Oct 30, 2008

outside air kit installed?

new house/old house?

jhendricks · Oct 30, 2008

Not sure about outside air kit - attached directly to capped stainless steel liner which goes full length of chimney. Only way they would install since my chimney is not lined.

House built in 1930s - Main level where stove is located is very open (large archways - french doors) Earlier this year I replaced all windows with welded vinyl low e argon replacement windows.

STOVEGUY11 · Oct 30, 2008

The stove is smaller BTU'S. Maybe its just too big of an area for the stove to handle.

jhendricks · Oct 30, 2008

BTU maximum on neighbors stove is 36000 while my accentra insert is 42000. My logic tells me I should outheat him. Not so - he gets more heat and uses less pellets.

smirnov3 · Oct 30, 2008

clean the stove. If you are burning the pellets, the heat has to go somewhere. The three places are

1) into breaking down fuel - with premium pellets, that should be very low (with corn, you waste some heat in drying it)

2) into the room (what you want)

3) up the chimney. this happens if there is a build up of ash on the heat exchanger panels. turn the stove off, yank out the panels & see how thick the ash is

If the stove is clean, and you have a nice flame, and the room fan is blowing across the heat exchanger, you are getting all the heat you can.
your problem may be poor insulation

compare how much oil / gas you used before you switched to pellets with your neighbor (see if you can look up an old bill so you have real numbers to compare) maybe his house retains heat better.

jhendricks · Oct 30, 2008

hasn't provided heat from day one - only 22 bags of pellets burned in insert

comparing oil usage good idea but both neighbors using pellets have electric heat.

jhendricks · Oct 30, 2008

hasn't provided heat from day one - only 22 bags of pellets burned in insert so I do not believe it is a dirt buildup.

comparing oil usage good idea but both neighbors using pellets have electric heat.

STOVEGUY11 · Oct 30, 2008

STOVEGUY11 said:
The stove is smaller BTU'S. Maybe its just too big of an area for the stove to handle.

Let me re-word this. The Accentra is a small heater. BTU'S do not always mean the amount of heat you will get out of it. The Accentra is 42,000 btu's/ and rated at a heating capacity of 1400 sq ft. Other companies at the same btu's are 1800 sqft

cac4 · Oct 30, 2008

how do we know that the thing can breath?

maybe the house is tighter than we think...or, at least, this particular installation. I could see how this type of install, with a cap on the top of the chimney, and a skirt around the fireplace opening...where's the air come from? Certainly, the designers must have allowed for this, with vents to allow room air to get in. but what if the alleged vents are being blocked by something?

can you take the skirt off of it, so that air can freely flow to the back of the stove, where it sucks in its combustion air? is that flapper free?

just try it, and see if it makes any difference. e-z test. crack a window open in the room that its in, if necessary. If its not getting enough combustion air, I could see how it wouldn't burn as hot as it could or should.

myee001 · Oct 30, 2008

I have a Harman insert also and started the unit up a month ago. After two weeks of constant burning, I noticed that my heat output has gone way down. I can only feel cool air blowing out from the unit while the unit is burning on stove temp set at M and room temp set at 75 degrees. I decided to do a thorough cleaning of the stove. I didn't pull the stove out for a major cleaning just the burn pot, baffles and ashtray. After getting rid off all the ash buildup from the baffles, heat exchangers and the clinkers from the burn pot, I noticed the heat output has increased dramatically. So depending on the pellets, I would do a this siimple type of cleaning on a weekly basis to maintain the highest heat output. I use this pellet stove to heat an area of 1800sqft. I have an open ranch style layout. I normally can maintain a temperature of 70-72 throughout the house. By the way, I've my house air sealed and insulated to ensure minimum heat loss. Hope this helps.

djarseneault · Oct 30, 2008

STOVEGUY11 said:
STOVEGUY11 said:

The stove is smaller BTU'S. Maybe its just too big of an area for the stove to handle.

Click to expand...

Let me re-word this. The Accentra is a small heater. BTU'S do not always mean the amount of heat you will get out of it. The Accentra is 42,000 btu's/ and rated at a heating capacity of 1400 sq ft. Other companies at the same btu's are 1800 sqft

Harman under rates their stoves with respect to square foot heating capacity that is why they only rate the Accentra Insert @ 1400 square feet. Harman's efficiency ratings are on par with the industry average.

If you are cruising through pellets and not getting the heat that the stove should be getting, it may have a defective ESP installed. Not common with a new stove, but it does happen.

LIpelletpig · Oct 31, 2008

New to Pellets as well and buring with an Accentra Insert. I also noticed there is more maintenance to the stove then originally anticipated. If I am burning the stove 24 hrs. for 3 straight days I will shut down the unit let it cool and do a 5 minute cleaning. It makes a world of a difference and it really doesn't take much time at all. I usually run the unit on Stove Temp and have it set at 75 degrees and pellet rate at 3 1/2 - 4. I am eating up anywhere from 1- 1 1/2 bags per day and I use Country Boy All Oak Pellets. I am heating a 1700 Sq. Ft. Home on Long Island where the temps have not hit below 32 yet. Not an open floor plan and a well sealed house. Running the stove on low I am heating no problem 2 floors with temps ranging from 70-74. I haven't had a 70 degree reading in my house in years! My wife loves it! I think your best bet is keep the stove clean and do a quick daily maint. as well. Clean the ashes off the burn pot and scrape the burn pot for build up. East 1-2 minute procedure with the stove running. Hope that helps.

Tom Pencil · Oct 31, 2008

My Harman Insert is now five years old. I live in a house built in the 1840's. Heating two floors and 2800 sq. feet. We also have a oil boiler system with radiators throughout the house. The first time I cleaned my insert I only cleaned the square tubes behind the plate only till I felt resistance. Little did I know I just packed the left side ash in the square tubing that attaches to the right and blocked circulation on the left side which when burning felt extremely cold. I now know better and do a weekly minor cleaning and after every ton I pull out the insert and give it a thorough cleaning. Makes a big difference.

Tom Pencil · Oct 31, 2008

Forgot to mention that I don't turn on my stove till We get constant temps of 50 or below. I normally keep mine set on room temp of 70-75 and the fan setting on low to medium low.

STOVEGUY11 · Oct 31, 2008

Parrot Head said:
STOVEGUY11 said:

STOVEGUY11 said:

The stove is smaller BTU'S. Maybe its just too big of an area for the stove to handle.

Click to expand...

Let me re-word this. The Accentra is a small heater. BTU'S do not always mean the amount of heat you will get out of it. The Accentra is 42,000 btu's/ and rated at a heating capacity of 1400 sq ft. Other companies at the same btu's are 1800 sqft

Click to expand...

Harman under rates their stoves with respect to square foot heating capacity that is why they only rate the Accentra Insert @ 1400 square feet. Harman's efficiency ratings are on par with the industry average.

If you are cruising through pellets and not getting the heat that the stove should be getting, it may have a defective ESP installed. Not common with a new stove, but it does happen.

If it was an ESP probe, i really think it would be throwing one of the status lights. From the sounds of it the stove has not thrown any lights, and all of the functions of the stove are operating. Typically if the ESP probe has failed, there is something to show for that. Either the status light would blink 3 times indicating the probe has failed, or other functions of the stove would be affected. The ESP probe is like the brain of the stove. From what the Tec guys at Harman have told me, the Probe either works or it doesnt. There isnt much science behind making them. Some last years, while others fail in the first season. If there is low heat out put, the manual states a few reasons. 1. Being if your feed rate is low. 2. Low draft due to gasket leak. And 3. Poor quality of pellets. Number 1 is commen sense. 2. Doesnt make sense because its a brand new stove. 3. Could be a good possibility. High ash pellets explain themselves in the name. If you see how much ash they leave in your ash pan, you have to consider theres that more ash flying around in your stove gooking up moving parts of the stove. I would check behind the panels where the heat exchangers are held, and also pull the stove out on the track and check the feeder chamber to see if any fines are packed in there.

djarseneault · Oct 31, 2008

STOVEGUY11 said:
Parrot Head said:

STOVEGUY11 said:

STOVEGUY11 said:

The stove is smaller BTU'S. Maybe its just too big of an area for the stove to handle.

Click to expand...

Let me re-word this. The Accentra is a small heater. BTU'S do not always mean the amount of heat you will get out of it. The Accentra is 42,000 btu's/ and rated at a heating capacity of 1400 sq ft. Other companies at the same btu's are 1800 sqft

Click to expand...

Harman under rates their stoves with respect to square foot heating capacity that is why they only rate the Accentra Insert @ 1400 square feet. Harman's efficiency ratings are on par with the industry average.

If you are cruising through pellets and not getting the heat that the stove should be getting, it may have a defective ESP installed. Not common with a new stove, but it does happen.

Click to expand...

If it was an ESP probe, i really think it would be throwing one of the status lights. From the sounds of it the stove has not thrown any lights, and all of the functions of the stove are operating. Typically if the ESP probe has failed, there is something to show for that. Either the status light would blink 3 times indicating the probe has failed, or other functions of the stove would be affected. The ESP probe is like the brain of the stove. From what the Tec guys at Harman have told me, the Probe either works or it doesnt. There isnt much science behind making them. Some last years, while others fail in the first season. If there is low heat out put, the manual states a few reasons. 1. Being if your feed rate is low. 2. Low draft due to gasket leak. And 3. Poor quality of pellets. Number 1 is commen sense. 2. Doesnt make sense because its a brand new stove. 3. Could be a good possibility. High ash pellets explain themselves in the name. If you see how much ash they leave in your ash pan, you have to consider theres that more ash flying around in your stove gooking up moving parts of the stove. I would check behind the panels where the heat exchangers are held, and also pull the stove out on the track and check the feeder chamber to see if any fines are packed in there.

Believe who you want to, but probes do go bad without giving a status error, actually the usually don't give a status error unless they are shorted out. And I have seen many stoves where the only symptoms of a bad ESP was low heat output and high pellet consumption. The ESP is not the brain of the stove it is mearly a thermister that tells the control board what temperature the exhaust is.
Not trying to beat my chest here, but I have a lot of experience with Harmans. And I have more field experience than most of the tecs at Harman. I have met most of them, they are a very sharp group of guys, but they work at the factory not in the field.
I am not saying that is definately the probe, but it could be.

GVA · Oct 31, 2008

I agree on the ESP that if it's bad you get the 3 blink status.
But if it is screwed up internally or in some cases only bent it does some screwy things with the stove because it is sending the wrong temp back to the control board.
Aside from all that...
Back to basics
What does the flame look like while burning
what are the settings on the stove.
Perhaps there is a problem with that vent pipe. since it has the fresh air coming in through the outer shell if is crushed it could cause an air restriction, maybe it has the wrong cap on it. maybe the little intake flapper is stuck. I don't know, but No one here can really make a determination till we get some better symptoms other than it doesn't heat my home.
After install was it draft checked?
How far of a run is it up the chimney?
Diameter of the pipe?

jhendricks · Nov 3, 2008

fire is mostly white with yellow/orange and is fairly high (over the medallion)

Setting is usually at stove temp 6, fan low-medium (more to medium) and feed rate of 2. However, I have had it at the highest stove temp, fan medium-high and feed rate of 6. No difference - room it is located in gets to 70 degrees maybe 72 degrees.

stainless chimney liner which is I believe is 4 inches goes from insert the entire length of chimney to the cap.

Over the weekend it went out (of course since I was gone more than 12 hours) so I cleaned it based upon previous recommendations and according to instructions provided in manual. What a mess!! If I had to do it after every ton, maybe not so bad. But I have only burned 24 bags in 2 weeks - If this is the routine every 2 weeks with no real heat in my house, oil furnace get ready.

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