Harmon P61A ESP Failure

[dustnell]

Hi folks,
Just installed this stove on Tuesday and did a test run and it ran beautifully. I didn't need it running so I unplugged it and let it burn out. Tonight, it's chilly and I wanted to have the stove on. Now I am getting the three blinks indicating ESP failure. Book says to try a maual reset. I've tried that and I am still getting an error. Book says if error still occurrs, call your dealer.

I did buy the stove used in the spring. I brought it to a dealer and had it cleaned and checked out. They cleaned it and ran it and said it was good to go. Which it was on Tuesday after installation. Not tonight, though. However, closest dealer is over an hour away and they won't do a house call here.

So, does anyone know what I can do to solve this problem? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[djarseneault]

Hi folks,
Just installed this stove on Tuesday and did a test run and it ran beautifully. I didn't need it running so I unplugged it and let it burn out. Tonight, it's chilly and I wanted to have the stove on. Now I am getting the three blinks indicating ESP failure. Book says to try a maual reset. I've tried that and I am still getting an error. Book says if error still occurrs, call your dealer.

I did buy the stove used in the spring. I brought it to a dealer and had it cleaned and checked out. They cleaned it and ran it and said it was good to go. Which it was on Tuesday after installation. Not tonight, though. However, closest dealer is over an hour away and they won't do a house call here.

So, does anyone know what I can do to solve this problem? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

The first advice I can offer is never unplug the stove to turn it off. With Harmans you either turn them off or let them run out of fuel. If a manual reset (unplug stove for a few MINUTES not seconds) is not working, you need to replace your ESP. It is a simple part to replace and only costs about $40. It plugs into the control board, and the probe end goes into the exhaust near where the pipe is attached to the stove.

 

[dustnell]

Thanks so much for replying! I really appreciate it.

How am I supposed turn the stove off? I could not figure that out, which is why I just unplugged it, finally.

I have tried plugging it back in periodically (after an hour so or) and I am still getting the three blinks. Where can I get a new ESP? Os this something I can order online? Would it be worth trying to unattach the one that is there and then plug it back in? Do I have to take the cover off the control board to do this? I'm sorry for all the questions.

Here's a photo of my stove! I wish it would work tonight, it's COLD!

 

[djarseneault]

Thanks so much for replying! I really appreciate it.

How am I supposed turn the stove off? I could not figure that out, which is why I just unplugged it, finally.

I have tried plugging it back in periodically (after an hour so or) and I am still getting the three blinks. Where can I get a new ESP? Os this something I can order online? Would it be worth trying to unattach the one that is there and then plug it back in? Do I have to take the cover off the control board to do this? I'm sorry for all the questions.

Here's a photo of my stove! I wish it would work tonight, it's COLD!

To turn the stove off, just turn the mode selector from "room temp" or "stove temp" to "off". When the "status" light goes out, the stove is in shut down. It can take a long time for it to actually go out and for all the motors to turn off, and it will feed in shut down. Unattaching the old ESP an d re-attaching will do nothing for you. There are no online sources for Harman parts, you should be able to get an ESP from your local Harman dealer.
To unplug it from the control board, you remove the two screws on the face of the control cover and more or less swing the whole assembly outward, kind of like opening a door. The ESP wire is a small guage double black wire that plugs in to the circuit board.

 

[dustnell]

Thanks for your help. I did open the control panel and take a look at the esp control. The whole thing was bent, I hope it will work with a new sensor, as the part that plugs into the control panel was bent, not just the part you can unplug. Not sure if this makes sense. Well, I will call one of the places on Monday and see if they can sell me the part. Thanks for your input!

 

[freebird77]

Isnt the stove under warrenty? You should have 3 years on it if you bought it new. I understand it may take them some time to come out, thats why you should have an alternate heating source in case of a breakdown.

 

[djarseneault]

Isnt the stove under warrenty? You should have 3 years on it if you bought it new. I understand it may take them some time to come out, thats why you should have an alternate heating source in case of a breakdown.

In the first post he indicated that the stove was purchased used in the spring

 

[tinkabranc]

If you do not have one already, you should download the users
manual from Harman's website. This will help alot in how to
operate and clean your stove properly

http://www.harmanstoves.com/support.asp#maintenance

 

[slink]

I would check to see if there is a white or black wire on the ESP. I would guess its white. There were a few problems with the ESP's a few years back. They would work fine them just stop working. They would loose contact internally and fail. If it a white wire ESP just replace it. If its a black wire ESP try removing it and clean it with steel wool and replace it.

 

[dustnell]

Hey everyone,
Thanks so very much for all your replies, it is greatly appreciated.

First, the good news, I did fix the ESP error this morning! When I took the control panel off again this morning to get info to ask one of your wuestions, I found part of the ESP wire was caught between to parts of the stove and was bring pinched. I was able to extract it, I wrapped the pinched bit in electrical tape just as a precaution, and I put everything back together, turned the stove on, and I no longer had my 3 blinks error.

The bad news is, I now have a 4 blinks error! This is the room sensing probe. I put the stove on the stove temp mode and it was able to work properly.

Now, I think I know what happened to make it work fine in Tuesday and then not work last night. My father helped me install the stove (he used to be a chimney sweep all my years growing up, so he was very helpful butting the venting system in!), and unbeknownst to me, he taped the room sensing probe to a metal bookshelf next to the stove. I tried to move the bookshelf, thus pulling on the room sensing probe, which was also wrapped around the ESP wire. This is what must have made the esp wire get pulled and pinched between two parts of the stove.

To answer slink's question, the wire on the esp from the control panel is black. It has a tage on it dated '01 from Harmon stoves and says do not remove. There is a big coil of the black wire, and when I follow it to the back of the stove it is then connected to the white wire that is attached to the back of the stove. Hope that makes sense.

The room sensing probe was kind of jerry-rigged together to begin with, my father ended up just directing connecting the wires because the plug was missing and had been replaced with another type of plus and there was not both a male and female end to it. Perhaps, when I pulled the wire, I disconnected those wires. He will come over later and check it out. In the meantime, I am enjoying the stove.

I do have the manual, that's how I know what the error blinks mean. :~)

I got the stove used, from someone else who also had gotten it used. I paid $1200 for the stove, another $250 for the cleaning/going over by the shop, and got my pellets on early order from The Tractor Supply for $239.50/ton. I got 5 tons even though I on't expect to use 3 or less, just to be on the safe side!!

I do have another souce of heat (a furnace that burns kerosene) but really don't what to fire that up unless I really, really, have to.

I took some photos of it burning to share. :~)

First ignited, burning ALL those pellets in the burn pot:

Slowing down a bit as the pellet overload gets burned down:

Settled in for a nice slow burn:

ps - have no idea if the top will get hot enough to heat my kettle, just put it on there to see.

 

[djarseneault]

Awesome, glad you were able to fix it.

 

[dustnell]

To turn the stove off, just turn the mode selector from “room temp” or “stove temp” to “off”. When the “status” light goes out, the stove is in shut down. It can take a long time for it to actually go out and for all the motors to turn off, and it will feed in shut down.

You right that it may take a long time! I turned it to off over an hour ago, and it is still going strong! Feeding, blowing, etc. I wonder how it decides when is the right time . . .

By the way, I had everything turned down as far as possible, lowest temp setting, stove temp on L instead of H, feed rate down to 1, and it still brought my house (well, it's the converted upstairs of a barn) to a toasty 80^F and held it there. Whew! Gotta get that room temp sensing probe fixed or we'll be REALY warm this winter! ) etter warm than cold! 'Course, it's still fairly warm outside . . .

Edited to clarify, I didn't start with all the settings that low, but after I turned everything down it still held the temp at 80.

 

[imacman]

....You right that it may take a long time! I turned it to off over an hour ago, and it is still going strong! Feeding, blowing, etc. I wonder how it decides when is the right time . . . ....

From the contented look of your cat, he/she hopes it never goes off... :lol:

 

[dustnell]

Ok, seriously, the stove has been on OFF for over 4 hours and it is still running strong!! Can I not just unplug the thing???????????????

Macman, yes, the cats thinks it's great but the dogs are dying . . .

 

[djarseneault]

To turn the stove off, just turn the mode selector from “room temp” or “stove temp” to “off”. When the “status” light goes out, the stove is in shut down. It can take a long time for it to actually go out and for all the motors to turn off, and it will feed in shut down.

You right that it may take a long time! I turned it to off over an hour ago, and it is still going strong! Feeding, blowing, etc. I wonder how it decides when is the right time . . .

By the way, I had everything turned down as far as possible, lowest temp setting, stove temp on L instead of H, feed rate down to 1, and it still brought my house (well, it's the converted upstairs of a barn) to a toasty 80^F and held it there. Whew! Gotta get that room temp sensing probe fixed or we'll be REALY warm this winter! ) etter warm than cold! 'Course, it's still fairly warm outside . . .

Edited to clarify, I didn't start with all the settings that low, but after I turned everything down it still held the temp at 80.

Two comments. 1. The feed adjuster is used to set the stove for pellet quality, not to control heat output (not directly anyway). With premium pellets the #3 or #4 works best. 2. In shut down, the stove will lower its heat output very gradually, it is to prevent burn back (fure following the fuel to the hopper). In order for the motors to all shut off the esp has to read below a certain temp. I can't remember for sure but I think it is 90deg. It will actually take longer for the stove to fully shut down the warmer the intake air is. This is especielly noticeable if you have an outside air kit hooked up, and it is really cold outside.

 

[djarseneault]

Ok, seriously, the stove has been on OFF for over 4 hours and it is still running strong!! Can I not just unplug the thing???????????????

Macman, yes, the cats thinks it's great but the dogs are dying . . .

Your ESP may still be bad. Empty the hopper to shut it down. Once the fire is out, unplug it