A couple of Accentra 52i issues

[Peterfield]

A couple of days ago, the stove started to do a vibration or rattle every 15 seconds and lasts for 5 seconds. I checked the auger light and this is happening whether it's off or on. Seems to be coming from the behind the stove and don't know if it's the frame back there or the stove itself. I did a very thorough cleaning Friday morning and it didn't effect the rattle cycle at all. I have not pulled out the stove yet. When I put my hand on the hopper lid. I can feel a slight vibration all the time unless I push down firmly. This does not stop the cycled rattle. The rattle builds up, then ebbs down and stops, only to repeat the cycle in another 15 seconds.

The other thing going on is the stove is throwing some serious heat. I noticed that the room temp mode was throwing much more heat at the same settings as before and unless I turn it down to 60, it is keeping the room temp around 74. I switched to stove temp and that really threw the heat. I turned it down to between 1-2 and turned down the feed rate to 2 versus 3 and it is still a heat monster.

I just switched back to room temp, turned it down to 60 to shut down t stove and the distro fan just stopped but the vibration cycle is still occurring before complete shutdown.

Any ideas on either issue?

 

[Peterfield]

Here's a YouTube video capturing the rattle vibration sound:

 

[alternativeheat]

Some time ago there was a problem where some folks with Harman's ( and I don't recall the model ) experienced bent and even missing fins on the combustion blower, causing out of balance issues and burn issues. Just sayin.

No idea if this is the cause of your problem or not.

 

[pelleteer]

When mine was first installed I had vibration the dealer/service put a gasket on a heat shield in the combustion blower area. Is hard to get all of the ash evenly removed from the combustion blower especially the back of it accessing from the front. Sometimes I get louder than usual noises from the combustion fan exacerbated by vibration from the auger. Tough to tell if it is similar to what you are describing and from the video.

As far as Room Temp settings I feel like it is really touchy I set it to 68 the wife is complaining it is cold. Set it to 72 the main heat thermostat will get up to 76 before the stove starts shutting down. I don't think going real low on feed rate will help anything though. ESP will automate feed rate based on the other settings (generalization).

 

[bogieb]

Don't know about your vibration/rattle issue, but did your temp probe move? Maybe it is resting against something such as a wall, or floor. May be why you are getting serious heat when the temp dial is set low. Or is that set on a remote thermostat and it is ignoring it?

 

[alternativeheat]

As far as Room Temp settings I feel like it is really touchy I set it to 68 the wife is complaining it is cold. Set it to 72 the main heat thermostat will get up to 76 before the stove starts shutting down. I don't think going real low on feed rate will help anything though. ESP will automate feed rate based on the other settings (generalization).

I learned early on to keep the room probe up 3 or 4 ft off the floor yet in the basic stream of returning air vs outgoing convection air. On my P61 that places it behind the stove coiled up. I keep threatening to relocate it to my dining room out near where my boiler thermostat is but my readings are within basically one degree of that anyway, so really why bother. I can see where doing what I do might be tough on an insert install though, so in that case probably would have made the move by now.

 

[Peterfield]

I learned early on to keep the room probe up 3 or 4 ft off the floor yet in the basic stream of returning air vs outgoing convection air. On my P61 that places it behind the stove coiled up. I keep threatening to relocate it to my dining room out near where my boiler thermostat is but my readings are within basically one degree of that anyway, so really why bother. I can see where doing what I do might be tough on an insert install though, so in that case probably would have made the move by now.

Actually, my nephews dog was playfully pulling on it a week ago. I checked the wire and there does not appear to be any damage but who knows. I also really cleaned the area behind the metal plates well so perhaps the heat transfer was greatly improved. The cyclical rattle has me stumped but I imagine when I pull out the stove I'll find the cause. Definitely not the distribution fan so there is some harmonic being created from on of the other fans. Perhaps dust bunnies have finally arrived or the bearing needs a little TLC.

 

[pelleteer]

I learned early on to keep the room probe up 3 or 4 ft off the floor yet in the basic stream of returning air vs outgoing convection air. On my P61 that places it behind the stove coiled up. I keep threatening to relocate it to my dining room out near where my boiler thermostat is but my readings are within basically one degree of that anyway, so really why bother. I can see where doing what I do might be tough on an insert install though, so in that case probably would have made the move by now.

Yeah I have tried a few basic positions. Tucked under, hanging out, up the mantle a little but really only got worse(and looked worse). I think experience will help. In the next few years probably try to get a in line programmable for many more options (especially timer).

 

[alternativeheat]

I wonder if the dog damaged it somehow. I assume it had been working good and now it's not. I'm not much on coincidences LOL.

 

[alternativeheat]

My wife and I came very close to buying a 52i before we decided on the P61. one thing that bugged me was how I would run the room probe. It's not part of why we changed our minds though but just sayin. guess it would have ended up in the dining room like I haven't gotten around to doing yet with the p61's probe.

 

[pelleteer]

We love our 52i so far. Blocked off the unused fireplace with broken damper. No real extra space taken up. In the predominately right location. Safer for the kids for the most part.

My friend picked up a P61 I can see its big benefits also. Easier to clean, more radiant heat, cheaper install, easier outside air by far, and this easier to run room sensing.

 

[bogieb]

I put the P43 on an in-line thermostat because I couldn't get the room probe in a place that worked well - the stove would take forever to start running, then forever for it to decide it was warm enough. Plus, already had the wire run from when the Hastings was there, so made it easy (except actually, you know, remembering to buy the spade connectors since the Hastings was a direct wire ).

 

[alternativeheat]

We loved the 52i but had to be practical, we aren't getting any younger, retirement was looming at the time and fully here now. We both have some arthritis and looking forward i couldn't see me pulling an insert all thing considered at some point down the road. The P61 isn't near as nice looking but it had all the practical points covered plus radiating some of it's heat, which originally I didn't think I wanted. But the more I thought about pulling our old coal stove off the hearth the more I realized I would miss that radiant heat. But that 52i is gorgeous !

 

[bogieb]

We love our 52i so far. Blocked off the unused fireplace with broken damper. No real extra space taken up. In the predominately right location. Safer for the kids for the most part.

My friend picked up a P61 I can see its big benefits also. Easier to clean, more radiant heat, cheaper install, easier outside air by far, and this easier to run room sensing.

Amazing what a little bit of extra room does to make it easier for cleaning. My P61 is far easier to clean than the P43. Not that the P43 is difficult, just everything is so cramped and it is almost impossible to sweep the left side "shelf" clean because the air-wash pipe is in the way.

 

[pelleteer]

Amazing what a little bit of extra room does to make it easier for cleaning. My P61 is far easier to clean than the P43. Not that the P43 is difficult, just everything is so cramped and it is almost impossible to sweep the left side "shelf" clean because the air-wash pipe is in the way.

Weekly cleaning is really easy on the 52i. All vents right to the combustion fan are accessible BUT.... Obviously have to move this beast and brush up 25 feet(almost due).

What I have noticed is there is much more vibration and resonance when the unit was first installed and when cold some might have to do with the large run up the chimney of 4 inch flex.

 

[rickwai]

Noise i s probably your comb. blower motor. With stove cold and off turn to room temp and back off quickly so the comb. motor starts and has to coast back to still. It should sound very quite and smooth, if is has any growl or whine it needs replaced.

 

[Peterfield]

Noise i s probably your comb. blower motor. With stove cold and off turn to room temp and back off quickly so the comb. motor starts and has to coast back to still. It should sound very quite and smooth, if is has any growl or whine it needs replaced.

I'll give it a shot. It sounds like the rattle/vibration is coming from the frame rather than a motor. I am going to talk to the dealer today and see if they have any clue. It's due for a thorough cleaning so might just get it all done at the same time.

 

[Peterfield]

Stopped by the dealer that installed the stove and they are sending someone out to both clean the stove and check out the noise. They told me I'm not the first one noticing the noise and it will probably be related to the combustion motor.

 

[Peterfield]

Noise i s probably your comb. blower motor. With stove cold and off turn to room temp and back off quickly so the comb. motor starts and has to coast back to still. It should sound very quite and smooth, if is has any growl or whine it needs replaced.

Dealer tech stopped by to clean the stove and listen to the noise. He put some blanket insulation around it to quiet it down but on restart you could still hear it. He said to let it run for a week with everything now cleaned up and if it persists, call back and they'll come out and put in a new combustion motor under warranty.