Harman PP38+ Blower Trouble

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jack05oak

Member
Mar 23, 2009
9
Worcester County, MA.
I have been having problems with the blower on my Harman PP38+, starting about halfway through last winter. It started with a loud intermittent screeching sound, that at first didn't seem to be connected to anything. Over time the sound became louder and more frequent, with a clear connection to the blower control. The stove was quiet while warming up, until the blower kicked on, and then the screeching would start. It increased in volume and intensity as the blower control knob was turned up.

Shortly after cleaning out the stove and turning it on this year, the noise became worse. The other day, the blower stopped kicking on entirely. The stove will turn on and keep burning, pellets seem to be feeding properly, and there is a little bit of warm air coming out, but the blower never kicks in. The blower control knob does nothing, except change the frequency of a low buzzing noise that the stove makes.

At this point, the stove is only heating a small area surrounding the stove, which is enough to keep the cat from freezing, but not to warm any of the house. I've stuck a fan next to it to spread the little bit of heat around the best I can, but I could really use some help figuring out how to fix the problem. I don't want to drop $200 plus parts and labor for a service call (that's the best deal I can find where I live), so any help is appreciated.

My best guess is the blower motor needs to be replaced. I believe I may need the part discussed in this thread:

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/save-money.17765/

Does anyone know if my problem is definitely the blower motor, or should I have it diagnosed before buying the part? If I do need that type of part, is there a similar one available cheaper? Also, how difficult is it to install a new blower motor? Thanks for reading this long post, and any help you can offer.
 
Take the blower off and if not comfortable with pluging it in to power souce to check for it running, bring in to an electric motor shop to have them check it out. How old is the stove? When was the last time the blower motor been cleaned. If much more than 5 years old I would bet the bearings are dry and have been over worked by a bunch, no a herd of dust bunnies. Most Harmans are not hard to work on. Good luck
 
You may be able to have just the bearings replaced at a motor shop.
 
The stove is seven years old, and the blower motor hasn't been cleaned for at least two years. I haven't been cleaning it as part of my maintenance because I didn't realize it was necessary, but it was cleaned professionally when I replaced the auger a couple years ago. Can I remove the blower and test it myself without any special equipment? Do you think it just needs new bearings, or the whole thing's shot?
 
If your comfortable with getting power to the two power leads, sticking the power leads into power strip with a switch for extra level of safety and try power up. Should not take but a second to come to full speed.There is some footage of how to clean and service Harmans on youtube.
 
Certainly sounds like it. The squirell cage should spin freely , if it is stiff in any way it needs to be replaced or you can take your chances and try a couple drops of 3 and 1 oil to free it up a bit ( try doing it every 6 months to prolong the life of the motor/ new motor) Hope this helps
 
Thanks for the help guys, sorry I haven't checked back in, it was a busy couple days (and too warm for the stove, too). At this point I'm pretty sure that the problem is the distribution blower, and from what you guys are saying I should be able to take it out, check it, and either have it repaired or replace it. I know what it looks like, but I'm still a little confused about where it is actually located (best description I could find is "adjacent to the combustion blower," which I know is behind the ash container, but that's all you can see from the front). Where is it exactly, and how do I access it? Also, I have no idea what a squirrel cage is. Is that the moving part of the blower? I probably don't have the expertise to fix the blower myself, but I should be able to get it out and diagnose the problem if you guys can give me a little more info. Thanks!
 
You can go to the Harman site and look at the cleaning instructions for the p38 and 61. Page 8 shows the distribution fan, the picture where the guys finger is pointing to the center of the fan and is telling you to remove pet hair and dust. There should be just two bolts holding the fan motor assembly in place. Please unplug stove. There are three wires that connect to the motor via spade connectors. Two power and a ground. Mark them with tape and number to make sure you assemble them properly. You may have shields that will have to be removed before you can see the motors. Clear as mud? Don't worry it's not that difficult. About a 2 for difficulty IMO.
 
Thanks, bioburner. Unfortunately, the cleaning instructions are in an ashx file, which I have never seen before, and I can't seem to open. I guess you need adobe shockwave, which is not compatible with my mac mini. So, I have the file but no way to open it. If you could save the image out of there for me, or just describe for me where the distribution blower is located in the stove I would really appreciate it. I'm assuming I have to go in from the back to get to it, but I still don't know where to go. Also, only one side of my stove is really accessible from the back because of the way the room is set up, so I may still be stuck. I need to get this fixed before it gets much colder, though. Thanks again.
 
Okay, I figured out how to open the file, just had to rename it to a pdf. I still can't tell from the pictures where the damn thing is though, they're too zoomed in on the blower for me to tell where it is in the overall layout of the stove. I should probably know all this already, but the stove has been pretty good to me, aside from an auger issue caused by a rock in a cheap bag of pellets a couple years ago, and I haven't had to learn too much aside from really basic maintenance. Looks like now it's biting me on the ass. Anyway, I'm guessing the blower is behind a shield in the back somewhere, because I've been in there and I haven't seen it. If you could just tell me which general area of the back of the stove to look in, or which shield to remove, I should be able to get at it. Thanks.
 
Lower back right side as you look at the stove from front. DSCN0148.JPGView attachment 78282
 
Excellent, that's what I was looking for. I should be able to find it now. If I have any trouble with it when I get in there I may post some questions, but I should be good to at least get in there and check it out. Thank you!
 
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