Harman Accentra problems

[Trying To Keep Warm]

This stove is the freestanding Accentra, two years old.

Problem -- on start up all lights come on as normal but no augar feed and no combustion motor start.

Test mode -- distribution fan works, still no feed or combustion motor.

Fuse test on circuit board -- fuse OK.

If augar is seized up with creosote and took out feed motor why wouldn't combustion motor come on?
Have heard noises on cold start up -- maybe plugged augar?

Stove is clean -- slide plate is clean as well as feeder body.

Have unplugged and plugged stove in -- no change.

Outside air kit installed.

No problems, to date.

Last -- occasional light smoke in hopper -- I use New England pellets.

Any ideas?

Thanks -- Trying to keep warm

 

[ernie]

Try jumpering the pressure switch and see what happens. Clean the rubber tube that goes from the pressure switch to the firebox with a thin wire. Make sure the flue system is clean. If it runs when the pressure switch is jumpered, I would suspect it could need to be replaced.

Ernie

 

[GVA]

Try jumpering the pressure switch and see what happens. Clean the rubber tube that goes from the pressure switch to the firebox with a thin wire. Make sure the flue system is clean. If it runs when the pressure switch is jumpered, I would suspect it could need to be replaced.

Ernie

No.......................... :ahhh: the combustion blower needs to run first this will close vacuum switch.
Trying, make sure the comb blower turns freely.
comb blower creates airflow through the stove when Vac switch pulls in the auger and ignitor will (should) start

 

[Souzafone]

Make sure the flue has been cleaned. With the stove off, open the trap, then clean from the inside as normal. The daylight coming in through the trap allowed me to see how much soot accumulated in the pipe, and I was surprised. You shouldn't be getting smoke in the hopper, that means it isn't be exhausted. Good luck. And don't bend the probe.

 

[GVA]

The original poster PM'ed me and said the comb blower was bound up, he freed it up and was running fine.....
Just thought I would add closure to the thread.

 

[Trying To Keep Warm]

Thanks to all for your comments/suggestions. The stove is running fine producing good heat. Feed is fine, the blowers working OK.

But there is still one issue that concerns me. This morning I let the pellet level go way down and I notice some smoke (not heavy) in the hopper. It appears to be coming up from the slide feed. I noticed this before prior to the feed, blower problems. Call to the dealer -- he said that the New England pellets that I use have a vegetable binder in them. I don't now why this should cause smoke/smoke vapor back into the hopper. Could the uger be heating up and causing this?

My exhaust system has just been cleaned top to bottom. Maybe there is residual resin/tar/creosote under the feed body that I can't see that is sort of burning or melting off.

This is my second year with the stove -- no problem at all like this last year.

Last -- what about the draft settings? I don't have a meter to check the draft. Wouldn't I be having combustion/burning problems if the draft setting was way off?

I have the outside air kit installed. The pipe is very cold which indicates it's drawing ample outside air. Exhaust set up -- normal Tee at stove exhaust exit, 5' vertical pipe, 90 degree bend and out through the wall thimble. Installation signed off by town inspection -- no problems.

Perplexed!

Trying To Keep Warm

 

[Bxpellet]

Same problem with my Advance, Dealer said the outside air is the culprit, something about the pressure changing with the air out side, almost like a back draft, Mine does it when the hopper is low on pellets, I first notice on a windy day. Dealer said disconnect the out side air that should stop it.But it only has done a couple time, so I left it alone.

 

[GVA]

You may have an air leak in either the hopper cover, or the slide plate cover gaskets.
Or you don't have enough draft which could be due to not having enough fresh air or the comb blower that was bound isn't running quite at full speed..
All posts that I have seen, when people took off the outside air the smoke in the hopper went away, don't think it is undersized but It has been known to interfere with the intake damper and not allow it to open enough..
Also some thimbles have insulation inside the outside air connection which needs to be removed if using the "optional" outside air.

The corn additive is in the NEWP with the brown lettering on the bag (hardwood) It SHOULD help with the hard clinkers that they used to produce, but I didn't notice any smoke.

Speaking of smoke if you look at your exhaust outside if you can see smoke you may not be burning efficiently not enough combustion air and may need the draft adjusted.

hope this helps...

 

[Trying To Keep Warm]

Update -- sure seems to be a draft issue. I started up the stove today from a cold start and I noticed some smoke coming out the bottom of the exhaust tee cap. minimal but some there. All joints are sealed except for bottom clean out cap. There was not an over amount of smoke in the burn pot prior to ignition. Normal smoke was coming out of exaust pipe outside. All this just prior to ignition.

At ignition the smoke went away inside and outside and there is no sign or smell of smoke in the house. I put my CO alarm with digit readout all over the stove and no reading above 0.0.

A check outside -- no smoke at all with stove up to temp.

As far as smoke in the hopper -- nothing there except when pellet level is low.

Combustion fan -- seems to be OK. If it is not running 100% wouldn't I be having problems after stove is warmed up -- smoke showing outside and inside?

I really don't want to run it without the outside air connected. But if I did I guess I might see a difference.

I did not have any smoke problems last year. Ccan draft settings/conditions vary a much from year to year?

 

[Dougsey]

Did you brush out your vent pipe?

 

[Trying To Keep Warm]

Well I guess the stove is calling for the dealer this time! Woke up to find five flashing lights -- no start. At least they are seasonal flashing color -- red!

Since it's still under warranty I going to have the Harman dealer check this out.

Merry Christmas to all -- thanks for your help. Stay tuned for progress.

Trying To Keep Warm

 

[Souzafone]

Just 2 more things to check. Have you cleaned around the igniter? Tapping the firepot with the igniter exposed lets a lot of ash fall through. Empty the hopper and make sure there are no foreign objects in it. I went through all the clean up procedures and would get the 5 blink error message and I found a bolt in the hopper. It was full of pellet dust and was hiding very well until I touched it. 5 blinks means no ignition in 36 minutes, so either no pellets are getting through (which you'd see), the hopper is getting stuck open(like trying to light a match in the wind), or the igniter is not working, either through failure or being insulated by ash. Did the fire ignite readily in the past or did it take awhile? Good luck.