Just installed a Harmon XXV in our home. Haved burned about two bags of pellets and have a squelling noise coming from the stove. Any suggestions on how to fix it? The dealer is going to charge $40 to come out but can't come for another week. Is there anything that can be lubricated? The squell will wake a sleeping person. Is there anything that I can do myself to stop this or is it an issue that must involve a technician? Thanks for any help.
Squelling Harmon XXV
- Thread starter MrBean
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there have been several threads about this model making a squealing noise; the issue is easily fixed, but it's obscene that the dealer wants money to do a warranty call on a new stove.
Thanks for the reply Richg. Can you tell me what to do to stop the noise or is it something that a tech. must do. I agree that the charge for the "Gold Warranty" call is obscene but it is my only option unless I can figure it out myself. Thanks again.
GVA
Minister of Fire
When is the squeal happening? need to narrow it down for us is it the distribution blower (there's a thread about this)
Is it when the combustion blower is on (another thread on this)
or is it when the feed motor is turning?
did you install it or did the dealer?
Is it when the combustion blower is on (another thread on this)
or is it when the feed motor is turning?
did you install it or did the dealer?
Sorry if this goes through twice but not sure if the 1st one worked. It appears to being making the noise as the pellets are dropped into the burn pot. You can hear pellets dropping just before the noise occurs. I installed the stove. The only thing touched inside of the stove was to put the plate on top of the burn pot which was originally inside of the ash tray
GVA
Minister of Fire
MrBean said:
I think I got an answer for you if it is after the pellets are heard dropping then there is a growling noise or maybe a cachunk thrown in there for good measure... This is the point of max load on the feed motor this is when the motor is trying to turn the auger and close the slide plate possibly against the pellets stuck in the feed throat opening.
First thing to check.. Burn pot.... Have you scraped away the clinkers (this is the carbon build up) I mean really scrape it out of there it can hinder the pellets being forced up and out adding more load on the motor...
second observe when the noise is happening by watching the chain tension when the cam follower rides around the horseshoe cam highest tension should be as it is almost completely through it..
third the slide plate mech could be sticking with fines although not likely since youve only burned 2 bags.. There is a cover with a wingnut on it open it up and see if it has dust in there...
The burn pot has been cleaned; nothing is happening in conjunction with the chain movement. I did notice smalll amounts of rust on components inside of the back of the stove. I am wondering if there is possibly a small amount of rust on either the auger or the chamber that the auger rotates through and this contact could cause the noise (seems to be happening when the auger is turning). I thought about letting the stove run for awhile so that the auger could continue to turn with hopes of removing the rust on it's own. What do you think?
GVA
Minister of Fire
sounds like an outdoor swing squeaking. It is not constant. It does have a set pattern as long as the burn rate is the same (same time interval between the noise). That is why I thought maybe rust in the auger chamber and the auger is hitting it as it turns. What do you think?
GVA
Minister of Fire
If it is squealing like a bearing then it could be the cam follower not turning free or the bearing support for the auger, maybe even the bronze bushings on the feed motor.
Where on the stove is the noise coming from auger area or motor area?
The Tip of the auger may get tweaked durring cleaning and scrape on the chamber.
The slide plate is mounted to a flange bearing also.
If it is a whirring noise then its on the gearbox side
It's tough without hearing the noise myself.
The auger shouldn't rust and beside the clearance is enough that it wouldn't rub on the tube
Where on the stove is the noise coming from auger area or motor area?
The Tip of the auger may get tweaked durring cleaning and scrape on the chamber.
The slide plate is mounted to a flange bearing also.
If it is a whirring noise then its on the gearbox side
It's tough without hearing the noise myself.
The auger shouldn't rust and beside the clearance is enough that it wouldn't rub on the tube
GVA
Minister of Fire
I'll just throw this out there to check.... cause it seems that it has to do with the feed mech to me.
when the cam follower is out of the horseshoe cam do 2 things turn the cam follower by hand and also take the cam and move it up and down.
when the cam follower is out of the horseshoe cam do 2 things turn the cam follower by hand and also take the cam and move it up and down.
HarryBack
New Member
well, actually, it would be best if MrBean can narrow down the squeeling to a specific part.....comb blower. dist fan, or feed mechanism. Some of the '05 XXV's had noise problems, several fixes for them, depending upon whats actually making the noise.
Personally, none of the XXv's we sold had it, but there were several posts here from folks who did have problems. I agree with GVA in that the dealer should really get out there, free of charge, and check it out....almost certainly a warrantee issue, which should cost you nothing. Harman doesnt pay travel time for warrantee issues, so if you are far away, i can understand it, in a way.
Personally, none of the XXv's we sold had it, but there were several posts here from folks who did have problems. I agree with GVA in that the dealer should really get out there, free of charge, and check it out....almost certainly a warrantee issue, which should cost you nothing. Harman doesnt pay travel time for warrantee issues, so if you are far away, i can understand it, in a way.
GVA
Minister of Fire
I tried to lead him down the road to squeak free life. ;-PHarryBack said:
He did narrow it down to it making the noise when the auger turned right after hearing the pellets dropping and with no deflection on the chain and the swingset squeak, and the consistant pattern when at full burn I thought it could be slide plate / cam related. If it wakes someone sleeping it's gotta be pretty loud only thing that used to wake me is when the teeth were stripped on the gearbox and when the reengaged with good teeth it made this god awful growling noise. But I haven't heard anything back from him on checking this slide plate area, my thought would be the bronze bushing on the flange bearing for the slide plate cam could make this squeak.
HarryBack
New Member
well, could be the sleeve bearing has come free and protruded out of the crimped housing it usually sits in as well...poor crimping on some of those gearmotors and the sleeve bearing walks right out of its seat. Squeeling is most likely either in the gearmotor or in one of the two pillow bearings located inside the fines chamber. Easy enough to diagnose the gearbox....just make a pigtail and connect it to a 110 volt receptacle and run the thing...see if you can hear the squeel. Alternatively, open the back, use test mode, and WATCH and see if maybe the squeel only happens at a certain point in the auger revolution, etc. Gearmotors should hum, some more loudly than others, but a properly functioning gearmotor doesnt squeel. Frankly, I think its the job of his dealerto do this for him....any squeel is unacceptable. Even if he did do the install, its irrelavent....sounds like a stove issue, not installation. And the only way hes gonna get it covered under warrantee is to get the dealer over there and fix it. He shouldnt need to buy and extra fan, or gearbox!
Here is an update. I ran the stove on high for about 4 hours yesterday. The noise continued in the beginning but then slowly faded away. I woke up at about 2am with the stove running with no noise. Was also running this am with no noise. Whatever it was appears to have worked it's way out. The only noises now are quiet and appear to be normal. The stove also appears to be working fine. I will still pay the dealer his $40 to take a look and most likely tell me that it is fine. If I have to pay for the travel of the dealer for the service call then it only seems fair that I should have been paid when I picked the stove up (ha, ha). Thanks for the help.
HarryBack
New Member
Guess what!! It is back, I have now noticed that it is happening as the "feed motor" ligtht is on on the control panel. I am trying to get the dealer out sooner than the 23rd but don't know if they will. I have tow dealers in my area (Heartline in Jaffrey, NH and Stove Keepers in Amherst, NH). Stove Keepers won't do the warranty work since we didn't buy it from them and Heartline is who we are dealing with now, any other suggestions? Also there is an occasional clunking noise at the same time. Please help, this is driving me crazy.
Hopefully this is the last update and also hope this may help others. Service tech. came and replaced the auger itself. The base of the auger (end at the back of the stove) had rust spots on it and the noise was believed to be from this. Thanks again for the advise and help.
HarryBack
New Member
well, in reality, you should be dealing with the dealer whom you bought the stove from originally. Warrantee work is almost never a break-even proposition for the dealer......usually a money pit...anyone here, please correct me if Im wrong. We try to take care of the folks who buy stoves from us rpimarily, and the others secondarily, and this time of year, we tend to ge beseiged in requests. Mr Miller at Heartline can figure almost anything out, so he's your man!
As for the clunking, Im guessing its your slide plate chopping the occasional long pellet off. Also, possibly you have a noisy gearbox or drive fan, which should be replaced. When they come out, i feel confident the folks at Heartline will find the problem. Hard to diagnose stuff by text over the internet sometimes
As for the clunking, Im guessing its your slide plate chopping the occasional long pellet off. Also, possibly you have a noisy gearbox or drive fan, which should be replaced. When they come out, i feel confident the folks at Heartline will find the problem. Hard to diagnose stuff by text over the internet sometimes
Mr. Miller was actually the one that came out and solved it. On the clunking, you said basically the same that he said. My pellets are longer and I will hear them being chopped (not a problem). Thank you.
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