i have a harman pc45 burned it for about 8 years and this year it all of a sudden wont burn hot any one had this problem ?
pc45
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You will get a lot more help by providing a lot more information.
What pellets are you burning? Have you changed brands recently? When was your stove cleaned top to bottom and inside/out? When did the issue start? When was the last time the gaskets were changed?
The more info you provide the better the response will be. Lots of members willing to help but the information is critical to getting good answers.
What pellets are you burning? Have you changed brands recently? When was your stove cleaned top to bottom and inside/out? When did the issue start? When was the last time the gaskets were changed?
The more info you provide the better the response will be. Lots of members willing to help but the information is critical to getting good answers.
i am burning corn the stove started this so i cleaned stove and pipe how can i tell if gaskets are bad?
X 2 with what Bkins said.
ESP clean? Is the fire box coated thoroughly with ash? Lazy flame? What exactly are you experiencing since suddenly after 8 years the PC45's mannerisms and heat producing abilities have now changed? Details????
Welcome by the way! Have you been here at all in the last 8 years?
ESP clean? Is the fire box coated thoroughly with ash? Lazy flame? What exactly are you experiencing since suddenly after 8 years the PC45's mannerisms and heat producing abilities have now changed? Details????
Welcome by the way! Have you been here at all in the last 8 years?
Bioburner
Moderator
8 years probably means the old girl will need some tightening up. As Bkins stated the gaskets can suck in air and you wont get a proper burn and just blow out heat. The dollar bill test or just break down and replace the gaskets. I found that the new gasket kits with graphite impregnated rope is the better replacement over the old white gasketing. ESP will need to be closely looked at and cleaned. Look-inspect the room temp probe as sometimes pets chew on the end 
Take a bill and place in door and close and lock door and try to pull the bill out. If the bill comes out easy you have an issue. Need to perform the test all the way around the door as wear is different at hinge versus latch side. GAsket kits are around $10
Take a bill and place in door and close and lock door and try to pull the bill out. If the bill comes out easy you have an issue. Need to perform the test all the way around the door as wear is different at hinge versus latch side. GAsket kits are around $10
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SidecarFlip
Minister of Fire
Thats not all they chew on at this house. No cord is off limits. (why I went to a wireless mouse).
yes i cleaned the ESP even put a new one in yes it is a very lazy flame to the point it goes out and give me 7 blinks it seems like i am not getting enough air through my fire pot i never have changed gaskets if they are bad won't i get smoke in room? it smokes a lot when it starts do i need a new combustion motor? it runs but it seems like it gets too hot
I am willing to bet the stove is due for new door gaskets at 8 years of use if they are OEM. Need to figure out if other things are contributing to the issue as well. Gaskets are a DIY cheap and easy project. So is checking other things out and a good and thorough clean and inspection of things. That includes a few other areas and items often left out during typical "deep" cleans.
SidecarFlip
Minister of Fire
Bioburner
Moderator
We are working on the cheap and simple before moving on to the hard and expensive. I have two PC and one is over ten the other in the avatar is five and I replaced the gaskets and saw a noticed improvement in flame and reduction in fuel use on the newer one last fall. Ten bucks is a no brainer and no you may not get smoke in the house because the exhaust fan is working hard to keep it that way.
unruh,
The gaskets are very likely due for Preventive Maintenance but get to know and understand your stove also. Don't just start throwing parts at it and rolling dice in hopes of a fix. The 45 I bought was a case of this where simple things were overlooked and not maintained so the owner gave up on it.
His idea of cleaning and PM was running it until things failed and then throw new parts at it. He was tired of throwing good money at bad when he simply over looked very cheap and easy matters out of ignorance or laziness or both. He was a know it all that obviously didn't know everything he thought he did.
Sweet deal at $1,600 and some elbow grease. It still worked but it was FILTHY in areas unknown which caused a poor burn. Gaskets had never been replaced and many other simple things NOT done that would have kept it running like new. Everything worked as it should but it was not throwing heat, lazy flame, along with dirty burns and the guy was tossing unnecessary parts and money at it. I got a great stove for chump change. Dude paid premium dollar new and then invested tons in "fixes." Luckily he kept all parts replaced and they came along with the purchase. He also started buying back up parts still new in the box. He just bought the wrong ones.....
The gaskets are very likely due for Preventive Maintenance but get to know and understand your stove also. Don't just start throwing parts at it and rolling dice in hopes of a fix. The 45 I bought was a case of this where simple things were overlooked and not maintained so the owner gave up on it.
His idea of cleaning and PM was running it until things failed and then throw new parts at it. He was tired of throwing good money at bad when he simply over looked very cheap and easy matters out of ignorance or laziness or both. He was a know it all that obviously didn't know everything he thought he did.
Sweet deal at $1,600 and some elbow grease. It still worked but it was FILTHY in areas unknown which caused a poor burn. Gaskets had never been replaced and many other simple things NOT done that would have kept it running like new. Everything worked as it should but it was not throwing heat, lazy flame, along with dirty burns and the guy was tossing unnecessary parts and money at it. I got a great stove for chump change. Dude paid premium dollar new and then invested tons in "fixes." Luckily he kept all parts replaced and they came along with the purchase. He also started buying back up parts still new in the box. He just bought the wrong ones.....
Lake Girl
Moderator
Have you spent some time cleaning up blowers? (BTW, X2 on the gaskets) Combustion blower pulled, fins cleaned, lub if required? Same with the convection blower - clean fins with a small brush? Have you hit the motor windings with compressed air to get rid of the dust bunnies?
Bioburner
Moderator
Another thing in the cleaning dept is have you gotten to the fines box and made sure its on tight after a cleaning? Leaking fines box can really kill proper fire.
If the sealing of all gaskets and door seals are a nec, 8 year improvement to the stoves please be specific as to the gasket areas that are usual and needed and thanks for the heads up on the graphite impregnated door seals , that big of an improvement in door seal? im surprised Harman doesn't use as stock . I am just pleased at these Harman pellet stoves , just excellent and this site as well . It is too bad Harman doesn't have a part in the tech portion of this forum - it would really enforce customers satisfaction . I have heard there are other good stoves as well but I see the Harman product as the stove to have , just wish their customer service was as good as this board and its membership .
Bioburner
Moderator
Ash bin is a smaller gasket and if the OP is burning corn its getting a major workout as corn ash probably needs to be emptied very regular, probably more than once a week and probably getting pretty filthy too.
The main door gets a workout with daily tending though not needed, lending to a cleaner exchanger making for more heat. There was a thread on how often door gaskets needed to be replaced and five years seemed to be a pretty good starting #
The graphite gaskets have just started to show up in the last year in stores and was made aware of them not long ago by Don2222. I was just dusting the old white material before with powdered graphite.
The main door gets a workout with daily tending though not needed, lending to a cleaner exchanger making for more heat. There was a thread on how often door gaskets needed to be replaced and five years seemed to be a pretty good starting #
The graphite gaskets have just started to show up in the last year in stores and was made aware of them not long ago by Don2222. I was just dusting the old white material before with powdered graphite.
OverlookEGR
Member
My fines box was packed SO tight when I cleaned it out. Although it wasn't leaking fines, it's amazing how much material was in it. Are you referring to leaking air?
Bioburner
Moderator
Yes , leaking air around and through the auger. Probably even more important on the PC because its not on the bottom but on the side of the burn tray.
The main reason you will not see smoke coming out of your stove around the doors is that the stove operates under a vacumne so air would be pulled into a leaking door gasket rather then smoke coming out like the combustion process would do if under pressure.. Have you looked at and emptied your fines box as has been suggested?
You will get a lot of suggestions here as nobody knows you or your skill level as far as maintance is concerned. Don't t take offense at reading the same thing over and over as things do get repeated especially if members don't see, or get, a answer to their questions.
Hope the gaskets do it for you but if not let the members know and owners of your stove will help you get the problem solved.
How do you like burning corn and did you spend any time on the now defunct IBC site?
Welcome to the site and hopefully you can help out others who wish to or are burning corn. Corn is one of those fuels that are expensive if your not near farmers and corn fields and I think it's the reason more people don't burn it or try it. This is the case with me.
You will get a lot of suggestions here as nobody knows you or your skill level as far as maintance is concerned. Don't t take offense at reading the same thing over and over as things do get repeated especially if members don't see, or get, a answer to their questions.
Hope the gaskets do it for you but if not let the members know and owners of your stove will help you get the problem solved.
How do you like burning corn and did you spend any time on the now defunct IBC site?
Welcome to the site and hopefully you can help out others who wish to or are burning corn. Corn is one of those fuels that are expensive if your not near farmers and corn fields and I think it's the reason more people don't burn it or try it. This is the case with me.
yes i cleaned the fines box i want to get me some gaskets and try them as i have not replaced them yes i do like burning corn i get more heat from corn than pellets my brother is a farmer so getting corn is not a problem are gaskets from harman a good replacement?
Bioburner
Moderator
I showed in earlier post what I think is a far better and probably half the price replacement option.
About $8 from Menards. I did 6 stoves this last fall.
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Bioburner
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