New Harman P-68 P68 Failing Already?

[fromjusttheking]

I just a month ago had a new Harman P68 installed. Between now and then I have burned about three bags of Hamer's Hot One's with no problem whatsoever. Very little ash, great flame and great heat. Have the controls set to IGNITER on AUTO, MODE in ROOM Temp - "L", FEED to 3-1/2 and TEMP to 4-1/2 on the dial (about 73-74 degrees). Last night it was working we thought just fine, but later in the evening I guess we didn't notice it didn't come on. Anyway, this morning we got up and heard the COMBUSTION BLOWER running and the STATUS LED was giving a 6 blink error light. I immediately checked the burn pot/auger area, and it had very little ash, and the auger was clearly visible. (The ash pan down below has less than a half inch of fine ash). For the heck of it, I also cleaned the burn pot area so all the holes were very clear, not that they were clogged up. The control settings above have always been the same except for slightly adjusting the TEMP control to adjust temperature.

I did some quick research on this site, and the consensus was to try turning the MODE switch from Room L to OFF. Then wait a minute and turn it back to where it was, which I did. I let it run for about 15 minutes, but no change. Then, leaving it that way (Room - L), I pulled the plug and waited a minute again. Again no change. I left it that way again, combustion fan still blowing, and after 36 or so minutes the status LED started blinking 5. I expect it to blink 6 around 50 minutes. When it blinks 6 I'm pulling the plug. I called the dealer but still haven't gotten a call back from the service manager. I didn't want to fiddle with the controls since I am very new to pellet stoves and didn't want to screw up something especially if something is failing or has failed. This is for those who know much more than me.

My P68 was installed by the dealer's installer (a private contractor they use all the time they said originally). The venting is thru the wall, using 3" Selkirk Metalbestos approved pipes and elbows.

I think the unit was tested after it was installed using the TEST function on the FEED control, but I can't be sure. But after it was fired up about 2 weeks later for the very first time, it worked just fine, and has been until this morning, or maybe even last night.

Ok, so what is recommended that I can do if I can't get service ASAP? After all, this is a brand new stove that for all intents and purposes has had very, very little burn time. I look to you experienced users for clear and accurate guidance. I am both electrically and mechanically inclined, but I am totally inexperienced with pellet stoves work and why this new failed almost right off the bat. We need the heat

Do appreciate any and all help you can send my way. Thanks in advance.

 

[PJPellet]

Hi, this is probably a stupid question but did you check the hopper to see if you ran out of pellets? The only reason I ask is because the 6 blink error code will flash if this happens. If there are pellets in there and everything else checks out I would let the dealer fix the problem for you. Your stove is new and it is their responsibility to make it good with you. Let us know. Good Luck!

 

[kinsmanstoves]

First thing that comes to mind is to check the length of your pellets. Long pellets will bridge the hopper and a blockage will happen.

Eric

 

[fromjusttheking]

Thanks, but the hopper has at least 20 pounds of pellets in it. We checked that first thing. Interestingly, after cycling power, the LED STATUS lite now only blinks 5, not 6 with the combustion blower still blowing. I just pulled power, and am leaving it off. Still waiting for the dealer to call me back after 3 calls to them.

 

[fromjusttheking]

Checked my pellets before I put them in, and for what it's worth, in general I would say that most all are under the 1-1/2" approved length. They are the Hamer Hot Ones.

 

[PJPellet]

Once again, sorry for my previous "stupid" question. Hopefully your dealer will get back to you soon. Sorry to hear that they have not responded still. Harman seems hard to impossible to contact except through your dealer so I think right now the best thing still is to wait for your dealer to get back to you. Hopefully it's something simple. The P68 is an excellent stove. Let us know what happens. Good Luck.

 

[fromjusttheking]

Just got off the phone with the dealer. I think they got the drift that I was somewhat pissed that they didn't have the decency to at least call me and let me know that they got my messages. But in any event, a service tech is supposed to be on the way to my domicile and remedy the stove from having quitting work early so to speak. Got to keep my sense of humor.

Will keep the group informed as to what the problem and solution was/is, even if it is something stupid on my part, even though I can't imagine what I could have done since it wasn't touched between when it was last working and now. Oh well, we shall see said the blind man to his deaf dog.

 

[fromjusttheking]

Well, my P68 problem has been solved. Had a really nice and very knowledgeable service man & helper finally come out from our dealer and he troubleshot the entire stove (Magnehelic [vacuum] draft testing was just fine, ESP probe and panel, and other stuff I couldn't even see). He used the Harman diagnostic tester plugged into the test jack at the bottom of the control panel. It was neat to see the actual temperature of the ESP probe in the vent line on the tester.

The problem turned out to be the hopper switch in the upper right corner. Even though it was depressed by the hopper lid, the stove wouldn't work. It apparently was going intermittent, as he bypassed it with a test switch, and the stove worked when the test switch was pressed, but and stopped when it wasn't pressed. He has to order and install a new switch, but for the moment the original one is still working. Just need to action the plunger to get it to work for the time being if it stops working again.


It's great to get it back online again and find an actual cause of the failure, rather than an "I don't really know exactly why it stopped" statement. Nice to have really competent service people who actually know what they are doing work on your stove. All's well that ends well, at least in this case.

Thanks to those who chimed in with suggestions as to what to do. It is appreciated.

 

[mascoma]

How long did you wait for the dealer to call back before posting his and calling them again?
This whole post happened in a few hours. Would hate to see how excited your going to get in January when you have an issue. Good luck.

 

[Cincinnati Kid]

I'm glad you were able to determine (through the tech rep) what the problem was and how to correct it.

Harman is a very good stove.

 

[Bigjim13]

How long did you wait for the dealer to call back before posting his and calling them again?
This whole post happened in a few hours. Would hate to see how excited your going to get in January when you have an issue. Good luck.

I was thinking the same thing, LOL. Imagine calling just to say you dont have time to talk about the problem but wanted you to know your call was heard.

Glad it worked out though, I remember how nervous I was with our stove when we first got it. I also have a Harman and love it!

 

[humpin iron]

The dealer called back within one hour of the first post. Gee wiz I'd be pissed to if the dealer didn't realize that I was the only person in the whole wide world.........lighten up Francis, it's a pellet stove not a life support system!

 

[PJPellet]

Glad everything worked out! I wish I could get my hands on one of those diagnostic machines that connect to the circuit board. Then again, I am probably too crazy about my pellet stove. I'd like to learn the stove inside and out. Stay warm!

 

[newf lover]

Sounds like the dealer will be pretty good to deal with. I think it's hard when you invest that kind of money for a stove and it doesn't work the way you thought it would. I had problems with mine almost out of the box, and I was pretty aggravated. The good news is, things have been fine since then. Good luck with everything, I'm sure you'll love your stove.

 

[fromjusttheking]

Let me put this all in perspective. I called at 10am after they were open and left a message with a live person that I needed service on a new unit that just failed. I called again at noon to find out what was going on. The person I talked to said that he didn't even know if the service manager even got my message. So I asked him to check it out and he said the service manager had left to go somewhere and would be back in a while. I asked for her to call me when she got back. At 2pm, now a major portion of the day for any service to be scheduled today was gone, I called again. The same person said that now she was with customers and would give her the message that I called. Still at this point I had no way of knowing if she ever got either of the last 2 messages.

Hey, like all of you, I paid good money for a unit that works. I understand that they have to wait on customers in the store. You and I all were customers at one time too. No problem. BUT, I also expect to be acknowledged when I call that my brand new stove just crapped out. They had no problem taking the money that you and I paid for a working stove, but now that it was dead, at least let me know that you know about it and will schedule it to be fixed. If not today, then tomorrow or ASAP. But if they don't call me and tell me anything, what the heck am I supposed to think. So you call back and try to find out. As they say, the squeaky wheel gets the oil. I wasn't pushing for a today fix, I was pushing for some info as to when they can come out. All I got was nothing. So I was pissed, and I reasonably so. When they finally contacted me, they said, they just had a cancellation and would come in an hour. A cancellation? I had no idea that she even knew about my issue because no one ever had the courtesy to tell me anything regarding any repair that I might be scheduled for. It was after 4 hours that I had any response (10am to 2pm) from the service manager.

The repair tech said that he was familiar with this situation and something needed to be done about it. I wasn't the first not being communicated with. I guess the techs are being yanked around because of poor or ineffective scheduling.

We live in a very small town and the next closest dealer is about 40 miles away, which is why I chose the closest dealer about 15 miles away. What was I supposed to do? Service after sale is every bit as important as the sale itself, really more important I think. Fair is only fair. Good money for good service. Isn't that fair? At least call the customer, let them know the situation, schedule or whatever, but CALL THEM!

In the end, I am a happy camper because it's fixed and I wasn't alone in this situation. Hopefully it won't happen again.
The tech that came told me that he exclusively will be handling all the warranty work for the store, so that made me happy too as he was a walking encyclopaedia on Harman as well most all other brands as well.

Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

[Mackdog]

We have a P68 also and while we didn't have problems right away our ignitor went in the 2nd season and then the distribution fan in the 3rd. We just had the dealer out today to fix a strange series of problems that came out of no where. Cost us $100 and as of midnight tonight, the 3 yr part of our warranty expires. I am happy with the heat from our stove but I am not happy with the value for the cost. It's concerning hearing of others with the same stove with such problems on a brand new product. Hopefully you won't have any more problems from here on out.

.

 

[fromjusttheking]

melkyleb2002, I certainly hope that you don't have any more problems with your P68. What I find interesting (as I understand it), is that ALL of the "P" series Harman stoves are more or less essentially the same when it comes to the electricals (fan motors, auger system, etc.), electronics (ESP & controls, etc.) and the mechanical design, etc. So if that IS true, one would think that whatever ills might befall one "P" series Harman, all of the others would be just as susceptible to that failure. I certainly hope that THAT isn't true. But of course, only time will tell.

I guess that all we can do is hope and pray that it all works and we stay warm. In the meantime, enjoy it as we expect to do too. I still think it's a great product.

 

[mascoma]

Not to get personal but you sound like a dealers worst nightmare.
Give folks a chance, in my book thats 24 hours unless it's your sole source of heat and your pipes are gonna freeze up, which is not the case in WV in Oct .

If it makes you guys feel any better about your Harmans, I run mine 24/7 from Oct-April, that's 6-7 tons a year, since 2008 (that's 19ton or 38,000lbs of pellets total) and the only issue I have had was a noisy room air motor that was replaced under warranty last winter. I think that is pretty impressive!

Happy Burning.

 

[humpin iron]

2nd

 

[jcbart]

mascoma, that is damn impressive. I had a problem with my P61A right out of the box. Feed motor vibrates loudly when it turns on, auger squeals badly when turning, and sounds like something is rattling in there when the auger turns. Sh*t, those sounds could actually make a good porn movie. But even given that, I love the stove and am still running it until my dealer comes back out to diagnose the issue which won't be for another week. I'm excited to get this thing working right (probably a new feed motor I'm guessing) and really enjoy it.

 

[fromjusttheking]

The tech came back today and replaced the faulty hopper switch, and hopefully our P-68 will be trouble free from this point forward. It's built like a tank! We really love the stove, it is everything we hoped it would be. Heats quietly (so to speak, the blowers aren't really loud), and the only noise we hear when the auger is dropping pellets are the pellets dropping themselves. As far as we are concerned, it was a great investment. The heat really travels with just the ceiling fans and the heat pump air handler fans working, (not the heating coils at all). We were pretty impressed with our Harman. Right now we are using Hardwood Heat pellets from Tractor Supply which are actually made by Hamer's Hot Ones. The ash is really, really fine. Very satisfied. $197/ton when we bought them in September.

All in all, so far very happy campers we are.