Rogue Pellet

[tiger]

Last night in my relatively new Harman Accentra insert I heard the ominous "groan of death", like the auger was trying to pass a carriage bolt (or I was trying to pass a carriage bolt). I figured that some pellet of undesirable length, diameter or consistency was feeding through. I tried not to panic -- what could i do about it anyway -- and after a half-dozen cycles of the feed it went away. I kept it running maybe two hours more, then shut it down for the evening (I've only been running the stove a couple of hours/night to knock the chill off).

Anyway, are there circumstances that I should look out for in the future that perhaps something more troublesome is occurring? And what can be done about it mid-burn or post-burn? Oh, in case it's important, the pellets are Hamers. Considering I cleaned the stove maybe 1-1/4 bags ago, I haven't yet opened it up and cleaned it again.

 

[Tonyray]

Last night in my relatively new Harman Accentra insert I heard the ominous "groan of death", like the auger was trying to pass a carriage bolt (or I was trying to pass a carriage bolt). I figured that some pellet of undesirable length, diameter or consistency was feeding through. I tried not to panic -- what could i do about it anyway -- and after a half-dozen cycles of the feed it went away. I kept it running maybe two hours more, then shut it down for the evening (I've only been running the stove a couple of hours/night to knock the chill off).

Anyway, are there circumstances that I should look out for in the future that perhaps something more troublesome is occurring? And what can be done about it mid-burn or post-burn? Oh, in case it's important, the pellets are Hamers. Considering I cleaned the stove maybe 1-1/4 bags ago, I haven't yet opened it up and cleaned it again.

Some users will drop the bag of pellets on the floor a few times just to help breakup any xtra long pellets but this is no guarantee u will get all.
Actually, never heard complaints about Hamer sizes..
My Harman is a free standing and has a fines box in the rear that fills up with sawdust and pieces of broken pellets after a while and should be vacuumed out.
not sure if your unit has the same but if it does. might want to open it up as it could be full of small chunks.
Others will chime in here also..

 

[tiger]

Thanks for all that, although I'm not sure if that answers my "Anyway, are there circumstances that I should look out for in the future that perhaps something more troublesome is occurring? " but anyway, no recurrence of that noise (plenty of minor groans I presume are pellet-crunching).

Some users will drop the bag of pellets on the floor a few times just to help breakup any xtra long pellets but this is no guarantee u will get all.
Actually, never heard complaints about Hamer sizes..
My Harman is a free standing and has a fines box in the rear that fills up with sawdust and pieces of broken pellets after a while and should be vacuumed out.
not sure if your unit has the same but if it does. might want to open it up as it could be full of small chunks.
Others will chime in here also..

 

[Lake Girl]

Have you pulled the insert and done your seasonal cleaning? On page 31 of the Accentra insert manual there is a photo of the rear chamber clean out cover. That tends to collect debris and should get cleaned out before you hit cold weather ... If someone else serviced your stove they may/may not have done this. All service persons are not created equal!

 

[tiger]

Have you pulled the insert and done your seasonal cleaning? On page 31 of the Accentra insert manual there is a photo of the rear chamber clean out cover. That tends to collect debris and should get cleaned out before you hit cold weather ... If someone else serviced your stove they may/may not have done this. All service persons are not created equal!

Hmm, seems premature? I got the stove in February, ran out of pellets immediately, the stove has only seen about a dozen and a half bags since new. Needs service already?

 

[Fsappo]

I've pulled matchbox cars, .270 casings, bolts, pebbles, alan wrenches, etc from stuck augers. Ive actually found INSIDE sealed bags of pellets stones the size of a pea or a little larger. If I heard that noise again, I would bust open a bag, scoop a bunch of pellets out on a tarp and look at them. Check for length and foreign objects. That is me. If everything looked great and I still got the groan, I would immediately try a different brand of pellets..just because, its the pellet business.

Not that this has anything to do with this thread, but I once found a torn up t shirt in a 40lb bag of rice coal. I called Reading to tell them about it and got a "sometimes stuff falls into to coal" answer. I kept looking for a body part until that skid was used up.

 

[Lake Girl]

Stove should be serviced at the end of each season to remove fly ash/soot from the internal portions. Fly ash is very corrosive... Many put in damp-rid in the burn chamber, some seal off the venting and OAK to prevent moisture build-up inside... Pays to look after your investment.

Did you use fresh pellets on start up? Pellets left in the auger/hopper can gain moisture over the summer. May be more prone to flake and gum up the auger.

Fines box...
http://m.harmanstoves.com/Owner-Resources/~/media/5CCE852F8E4F44F6A8B4833F72379B94.ashx

 

[Tonyray]

Thanks for all that, although I'm not sure if that answers my "Anyway, are there circumstances that I should look out for in the future that perhaps something more troublesome is occurring? " but anyway, no recurrence of that noise (plenty of minor groans I presume are pellet-crunching).

I have heard that sound once in a while in my Harman...usually from burning Stove Chows which are all over the place in size..
I don't fret over it.. Doesn't mean I don't care but it does go away...When it doesn't then I will fret..
. don't know preventive measures aside from normal Maint and cleaning the fines box regularly.

 

[tiger]

I have heard that sound once in a while in my Harman...usually from burning Stove Chows which are all over the place in size..
I don't fret over it.. Doesn't mean I don't care but it does go away...When it doesn't then I will fret..
. don't know preventive measures aside from normal Maint and cleaning the fines box regularly.

Thanks. I'll proceed but be wary.

End-of-season I'll take Lake Girl's recommendations (I'll pay for the first major cleaning so I can WATCH the technician) but, honestly, this past spring I had only burned a few bags on a new stove.

Did light cleaning (1/2-hour) last night, I only burn on weekends so we're talking a cleaning every 3 bags, maybe 4 to do a weekly. I didn't go deep into the mechanicals, the firepot and the visible regions of the fire area look clean enough to me. The dealer was right about the fake logs, they accrue a lot of ash but my wife wanted them. There was some "nodules" of stuff around the perimeter of the firepot, ash that had aggregated into almost Styrofoam consistency but crumbled to ash when you touch it, I figured that seems normal.

BTW, the ash tray maybe 1/4 full... the "1/2% ash" advertised, is that by weight or volume? If the former, I'd say the Hamers meet that criterion; by volume... no.
And, finally... in context, after seeing the term constantly, i figured out "OAK to prevent moisture build-up inside" means Outside Air Kit, pretty sure. OTOH, I don't see evidence of one on mine so maybe I don't have one to worry about.

 

[tiger]

There was some "nodules" of stuff around the perimeter of the firepot, ash that had aggregated into almost Styrofoam consistency but crumbled to ash when you touch it, I figured that seems normal.

Yeah, I'd like to know more about this stuff. Cleaned it again last night after a weekend's burn, maybe three bags. Maybe 2 cups' worth of ash in the bottom tray, but in the firepot, this "foamed ash" aggregate was back, filling up perhaps half the firepot and "flowing" over the top/sides somewhat, I wonder if I had a long burn it would affect combustion by not allowing enough air space. By the way, I've burning at the lowest setting I can get the stove to stay on (uh, that will change as ambient temps drop), so maybe all this is due to inefficient burning?

 

[md2002]

This happens to me once in awhile and I never pay no mind to it. IN case in goes on for hours but I only hear it for a few seconds and it goes away.

 

[rona]

Yeah, I'd like to know more about this stuff. Cleaned it again last night after a weekend's burn, maybe three bags. Maybe 2 cups' worth of ash in the bottom tray, but in the firepot, this "foamed ash" aggregate was back, filling up perhaps half the firepot and "flowing" over the top/sides somewhat, I wonder if I had a long burn it would affect combustion by not allowing enough air space. By the way, I've burning at the lowest setting I can get the stove to stay on (uh, that will change as ambient temps drop), so maybe all this is due to inefficient burning?

The first season is usually a learning experience and we often worry about new sounds and basically how the stove works and how to clean it. I have said many times if you could find a neighbor or someone else that has had the same stove as you for a season or two they could help you a lot with advice on when and how to clean it and which noises are normal. It has been suggested that you hire a professional and watch him clean it asking questions along the way with the idea that you will take care of it next time. Often they will share information not found in the book. Speaking for myself that first year was a learning experience and I ended up a lot smarter then when I started. I would suggest writing notes to yourself as you go along the first year and when you discover something not mentioned in the book write it down so you can refer to it later on.
That way you can share that knowledge later if somebody asks you a question about their new stove which happens to be the same model as yours. I've often thought these stove companies can improve their services by asking their customers to write little tips and mail them into the company so they could add a extra manual of helpful tips to each owner. Now there is a owners manual, a dealers manual, and often a trouble shooting guide the dealer gets. The customer seems to read,"See your dealer" way to often in the owners manual.

 

[F4jock]

The first season is usually a learning experience and we often worry about new sounds and basically how the stove works and how to clean it. I have said many times if you could find a neighbor or someone else that has had the same stove as you for a season or two they could help you a lot with advice on when and how to clean it and which noises are normal. It has been suggested that you hire a professional and watch him clean it asking questions along the way with the idea that you will take care of it next time. Often they will share information not found in the book. Speaking for myself that first year was a learning experience and I ended up a lot smarter then when I started. I would suggest writing notes to yourself as you go along the first year and when you discover something not mentioned in the book write it down so you can refer to it later on.
That way you can share that knowledge later if somebody asks you a question about their new stove which happens to be the same model as yours. I've often thought these stove companies can improve their services by asking their customers to write little tips and mail them into the company so they could add a extra manual of helpful tips to each owner. Now there is a owners manual, a dealers manual, and often a trouble shooting guide the dealer gets. The customer seems to read,"See your dealer" way to often in the owners manual.

Also have an Accentra insert and luckily have never had that problem in five going on six years of use. Rona's advice is great. My first year was a true learning experience but I've never stopped.

 

[quickrch]

That is a funny description. We are burning Hamer's from Southern States and we have the same noise in our stove (Avalon Astoria). It sounded like two trees rubbing in the wind (that creaking noise). Anyway, I let my stove run out and didn't see anything and there wasn't anything strange in the cup...maybe it is a hard year for Hamer's.

 

[tiger]

After a month, groaning/squealing back. Sunday night (end of a weekend burn of about 36 hours), just as I was going to bed, it started up. I watched and listened, trying to figure it out. When the feed motor light would come on every couple of minutes, about 2 seconds later the noise would start, duration another two seconds (est) and then quiet. I left it running but after 45 minutes it did not go away (I was hoping a pellet would free itself in enough cycles) so I shut it down.

I'll do my usual light cleanup tonight, maybe I'll see something. I still have not learned to dismantle the stove for deep maintenence/cleaning/repairs. I'm in about 25 bags (almost all Hamer's) since the stove was new, I'd be irritated if it needed auger repairs, etc.

BTW, just an observation. I think it has always done this, but the flames do not really come straight up from the burn pot but forward from the throat of the auger tube, then up, so the combustion at least in part is happening further back that I would have assumed... I just really hadn't noticed before. Normal?

 

[shtrdave]

I use Hamers pellets and have never seen a long pellets in any of their bags. They seem to be a rather small in length pellet to me. Now other brands I have found some that were 2" or a bit over.

 

[bogieb]

BTW, just an observation. I think it has always done this, but the flames do not really come straight up from the burn pot but forward from the throat of the auger tube, then up, so the combustion at least in part is happening further back that I would have assumed... I just really hadn't noticed before. Normal?

Way mine burns.

Okay, just gotta ask since you have had the stove for 10 months (don't mean to offend you, so please don't take it that way); when are you going to learn to do a deep cleaning (fines box anyway)? It really isn't too tough, just pay attention to the manual and perhaps watch a video online. Seems that when you wouldn't be using the stove would have been a perfect time (a little late for that now though )

 

[tiger]

Not sure what qualifies as a "long pellet". My Hamers have been about an inch, max., at least from my observations during/after pours -- I don't examine each pellet int he bag.

Okay, just gotta ask since you have had the stove for 10 months (don't mean to offend you, so please don't take it that way); when are you going to learn to do a deep cleaning (fines box anyway)? It really isn't too tough, just pay attention to the manual and perhaps watch a video online. Seems that when you wouldn't be using the stove would have been a perfect time (a little late for that now though )

I had been planning on paying for a service call/cleaning, actually have professionals on-site, the very first time -- but with me watching very closely, and subsequent cleaning will be by me (yes, I did watch the video). When I got the stove in Feb, I burned little before I ran out and you know what finding pellets last winter/spring was like; when summer came I had used very few bags, didn't make sense to tear apart an almost-unused stove.

Now, if I do turn out to have a technical problem (see a couple of posts up), worthwhile to have a "repair" AND a cleaning. Ugh.

 

[Fsappo]

In regards to "long", we once had a batch of PA pellets with some measuring over 2.25"

 

[Tonyray]

In regards to "long", we once had a batch of PA pellets with some measuring over 2.25"

O'Malley's hardwoods, although very hot, could win a few prizes for some long ass runaways in the bags..

 

[bags]

I have a ton of Pro Pellets and the rest are Sets. Pro's are good pellets but I have found several long ones 2" plus. Many well over an inch also. My stove occasionally groans and pops burning them. Sets are way more consistent size wise so far. I run my hand stirring the hopper and break the big ones I see. Some of them are hard to break too considering what they are.

 

[tiger]

Last night I cleaned the stove up, and fired it up again; immediately the groaning/squealing came back. However, it went away after, hmm, ten minutes. I let it burn overnight and it ran fine with no issue/noises. So, I might conclude it was just another rogue pellet.

BTW, not certain what expectations should be, but I really don't think the interior is very dirty after a weekend's 3-4 bag burn. I read on one topic about the ash accrued on the medallion panel and the two flanking it, I find very little on there, brushes right off. I plan to be home an entire week over the holidays, wondering if I can do a week-long burn with nothing more than a potscrape daily. The only part that might have an appearance issue, other than the glass, are the pseudologs, some ash piles up on those. The wife insists on having them.

The new PowerSmith ash vac from Mills Fleet Farms (great recommendation I got from this forum, thanks) should be here momentarily, I look forward to trying the mini-hose attachment.

After a month, groaning/squealing back. Sunday night (end of a weekend burn of about 36 hours), just as I was going to bed, it started up. I watched and listened, trying to figure it out. When the feed motor light would come on every couple of minutes, about 2 seconds later the noise would start, duration another two seconds (est) and then quiet. I left it running but after 45 minutes it did not go away (I was hoping a pellet would free itself in enough cycles) so I shut it down.

 

[ironpony]

I have been burning 2 bags of Somersets a day, going on 3rd week no issues. I will shut down this weekend and clean. Harmans are tanks, burn good pellets and they will keep running.
As I like to say "set it and forget it". Why take something so simple and complicate it. Vac pellets, shut down daily and vacuum heck I'll just turn the thermostat back on. Time is money

 

[tiger]

Harmans are tanks, burn good pellets and they will keep running.

That's the scary part -- I was thinking about bolstering the 2 tons of Hamers I got with individual bags of whatever I can find (Home Depot, whatever), 4-10 bags at a time. I'm thinking that whatever non-Hamers I get might really change how much cleaning/maintenance I need.

BTW, pretty sure my avatar would fit in the bed of your avatar.

 

[ironpony]

That's the scary part -- I was thinking about bolstering the 2 tons of Hamers I got with individual bags of whatever I can find (Home Depot, whatever), 4-10 bags at a time. I'm thinking that whatever non-Hamers I get might really change how much cleaning/maintenance I need.

BTW, pretty sure my avatar would fit in the bed of your avatar.

you just keep an eye on it, unless they are really bad you should be able to go weekly between cleanings.

I sometimes put my Tacoma in the bed for back up.

Tiger is that a Sunbeam Model?